Walk Through camera..

[mtldesigns]

Hello Chiefer's..

 

I frequently use Chiefs OOTB camera to do walk throughs and arounds..  it sucks.  Sorry, but it does.  One minute on space mouse forward motion is only 3 second of vid.  (vids are too fast and choppy).  Besides going outside Chief (like Twinmotion, which I am going to get used to using), is there another software a person can use to record walk throughs?  I'd like to be to one to one, meaning one minute of walking around equals one minute of vid (you know, like the real world).  OR is there a setting I just am not using???  My compression is at 75% and my FPS is 50.

[Gawdzira]

I agree that the walkthrough is not very good. I used to work in film so my expectations of camera controls are pretty high. With that said, you can easily control the speed of the camera in the DBX for both per keyframe and by increasing the time for the overall video. 

 

For the walkthrough path, I only use a simple arc and generally make it work with only 2 keyframes (start and end). Anything else is too hard to control and gets nauseating. When I see people post their walkthroughs that are continuous motion through a space..(I think I just entered the "if you don't have anything nice to say" zone). I find it better to piece together smaller segments of video and fade one sequence to the other or break them up with a still photo fade in to tell the story. Any time you are making a video, you are telling a story. It seems like a lot of people tell the story of taking a roller coaster ride through their architecture.

 

Rant out.

[DBCooper]

You will not be able to get a good walkthrough by just opening a camera view and hitting the record button.  You need to use a walkthrough path.

 

I recommend you check out this video:

https://www.chiefarchitect.com/videos/watch/10208/3d-walkthroughs-how-to-make-great-virtual-tours.html

 

[GeneDavis]

I changed my walkthroughs after getting bad results with too many camera keyframes.  Now I do them as Alan describes above, and use a free video editing app to string them together with fades between, then put them in the cloud with a private link for the client.  Outside, I'll begin with a drone walkaround, an elliptical or circle path, about at roof edge elevation, two cameras only, both with slight down tilt, absolute elevation, looking at house with 90 degree rotation for camera, then go inside for a tour using a single arc for each room or space.  Experiment a little with lighting and camera heights and tilts and angles, but only two keyframes per arc segment, one at start, one at end.

[mtldesigns]

21 hours ago, Gawdzira said:

It seems like a lot of people tell the story of taking a roller coaster ride through their architecture.

HAHA.. THIS IS ME TO THE TEE..   and it sucks.  If I get dizzy, I know my clients are like wtheck!!  

 

I've never tried doing it via a path before, but it all make sense.

20 hours ago, DBCooper said:

I recommend you check out this video:

Wow, Ok..  thank you Coop.  Watching now.

 

8 hours ago, GeneDavis said:

free video editing

Do you spend a lot of time on these?  I am working from behind with my resent PC issues..  I'm like a month behind, but catching up quickly and I don't want to spend hours on this.

[scottharris]

 

Here’s a 1-minute 3D walk-thru of the Silverton Sample Plan (it's three separate walk-thru paths).  If  you watch the how-to video @DBCopper posted above, that’s a great start.  Below are my starting points.

 

[Renerabbitt]

This is a chief walkthrough..the speed ramps were in time to the music track I was going to use. super low bitrate to be able to post under the 14mb cap

[mtldesigns]

4 hours ago, Renerabbitt said:

This is a chief walkthrough..the speed ramps were in time to the music track I was going to use

You need help...  LOL.  I'm just trying to get the camera from dancing all over, and your making it to a music track.  Your def in a different league.

 

18 hours ago, scottharris said:

If  you watch the how-to video @DBCopper posted above

I have watched this and attempting my second go round.  My first one, was all set at 3 seconds.. and man did it fly..   So this attempt I dropped about half the cameras to 1.5.  It doing its "rendering" now..  This takes time, doesn't it?  I had 82 frames in a 2 bedroom 1600 sq home, is this excessive?  How do you guys stop, and pick up elsewhere?   Or do I need to watch that vid again?

[Gawdzira]

82 frames at what rate? Good video will be shot at 30 fps (frames per second). At 30fps that is under 3 seconds. Don't blink. What rendering technique are you using. Also critical is to not be at full screen resolution. 

[mtldesigns]

29 minutes ago, Gawdzira said:

82 frames at what rate? Good video will be shot at 30 fps

At 15 fps.. so it's still kinda jumpy.  So a crisper run would be going to a higher fps?  This one I just did ended up being almost 4 minutes long.  Still needs work, however night and day using the 3DConnection mouse and making a vid (I didn't get nauseated either).  This took almost 40 minutes to process.. does that seem right?  I am just now learning the preview tool, that would have saved time waiting to see the results after the render.

 

I am using a standard camera.

[TeaTime]

2 minutes ago, mtldesigns said:

This took almost 40 minutes to process.. does that seem right?

It entirely depends on the scene and the view settings. As mentioned before, resolution is going to play a big part, but as will lighting settings (shadows, reflections, etc).

30 fps is pretty typical and will certainly make for a smoother video, at the cost of more frames / longer rendering time.

Similar to CPU Ray Tracing, it makes the most sense to record smaller resolution versions before going all-in on a full res version. (if that's even necessary.) I'd also consider turning off as many rendering options as possible while you dial in the path, speed, etc.

Just consider that when it says it has to record x# frames, it literally has to render each frame back to back, so the more complex the scene, the longer each frame will take, and it all compounds.

[Gawdzira]

The Standard rendering technique seems to be the fastest.  I have tried with vector and it slows down. If you have lines on standard it will slow down significantly. If you are rendering PBR, let it run overnight. 

 

Now that I see the path you are trying to render, I suggest you consider better ways to present your work with still images. A circular or simple arc pass around the outside might be good. Maybe a few simple pans of the larger interior spaces? You can rotate the camera on the path so you do not need to make the racetrack to point the camera around the room.

 

Also consider attention span. After about 15 seconds of video, your client has something else on their mind. 

 

The beginning sequence of Polar Express where the ticket flys through the air and the camera follows it would be worth watching to understand how to move a camera and maintain your audience. And if you make it to the end of the film you can find me in the credits (be patient, I was not above the line).

[mtldesigns]

20 minutes ago, Gawdzira said:

I suggest you consider better ways to present your work with still images

They get these too.. just because my vids have always sucked.  

 

22 minutes ago, Gawdzira said:

After about 15 seconds of video, your client has something else on their mind. 

Haha..  like how the hades am I going to pay $350 a sq for this house at 8%

 

1 hour ago, TeaTime said:

30 fps is pretty typical and will certainly make for a smoother video

Def going to try this.. yours and the other experts on here all suggested this.  I'm not trying to break into Hollywood as a movie producer, I just want a very nice and clean travel path for my clients to view the product.  You guys have helped tremendously.  Already ahead from this time yesterday.

 

25 minutes ago, Gawdzira said:

ticket flys through the air and the camera follows it would be worth watching

Classic film, but now a days I fall asleep within 10 minutes.  But, I should wake in time to see the credits.   

 

[scottharris]

Mike, the Silverton Sample Plan has 4 walk-thru paths that make up this  walk-thru video  (not 3 as I said earlier).  They are stitched together with external software, like the built in video editor with your OS.  You can open the Silverton sample, change the saved plan view to ‘Walk-Thru’ and see the paths and the settings used.  Path #4 uses the PBR ray traced camera settings. BTW, we do have 1-1 training and the lady that did the how-to video can help if you need…

[Renerabbitt]

9 hours ago, Gawdzira said:

let it run overnight.

Secret Sauce...only took e a few hours to put this together  Keep in mind bitrate is 1.2 to get under chieftalks darn 14mb cap..real version is 256mb and doesn't have the artifacts

[Gawdzira]

One thing to keep in mind with the long render times, take off the power saving settings on your computer so it does not go to sleep before the render has cooked.

[GeneDavis]

NI've done dollhouse flyovers that helped clients see the room spaces in 3D.  Like a slow drone, camera straight down.  They can see how the flows work.

 

That and the eave-level slow fly around to see all elements of the exterior.