Cameras

[m2tts]

I still don't get the camera saving and creation dialog. There is no "Save Camera" button. I have to create a "new" camera to save my current camera? Doesn't make make sense and is not intuitive. Half the time I cannot lock a camera. The lock button behavior is inconsistent. Why can I lock some cameras but not others.

[Ed]

I'm a long time KS user and I also don't understand the Save Camera process.  Not intuitive or conventional to me anyway.  I always end up with a new camera that is different from the one I'm currently using and simply trying to save.

Seems to me there should be a Save Camera button.  Just like saving a file.  Want to save the current camera position? - hit Save.  Want to save as a new camera? - Enter a new name and hit Save.  Want a previously saved camera? - pick it from the list.  Simple.

Ed

[thomasteger]

You simply select "add camera", or "add view set". After selecting either one, you enter the name. Simple.

[m2tts]

I think we disagree Thomas. There is nothing intuitive about saving a camera by clicking a button that says "Add Camera". I can't count the number of times I've thought I saved a camera, but ended up not saving it by doing the add camera thing. You can't just type in the dialog either as it will invoke some key command depending on what your trying to name it. Sometimes I'm in a camera view and I'm moving around and there is the "Camera 6 (unsaved)" in the Camera dialog. Ok, so how do i save it? If I go to another camera from the dropdown, and then go back to "Camera 6" it's not where I left it, but where it was last "Saved" which is a mystery, cause I never knew how to save it in the first place. There is a convention in the software world that uses "Save" as a way to denote keeping something you think has value. The Camera dialog does not follow this convention and is hence frustratingly obtuse.

Other than that I wouldn't use anything else for rendering.

[DriesV]

I add, rename, save, edit, switch, lock cameras all the time. I can't really see what is wrong with the current implementation?

All my saved cameras retain their proper setting after I select them.

When you select a named camera (that you either added or imported), then you can click to edit the camera (the icon with the pencil) and dial in the proper settings. Then when you click the edit icon again, your camera settings should be saved in the selected camera profile.

I use this functionality all the time and it has been a consistently smooth experience in KS 4.

Dries

[m2tts]

I find the "lock" function to not work consistently. I should be able to lock a camera at any time, but half the time this option is not available to me; it will be greyed out.

All I'm saying is that it is not consistent behavior and that the camera does not follow the other instances in the KeyShot interface where "save" is used.

[Ed]

" ... There is nothing intuitive about saving a camera by clicking a button that says "Add Camera". There is a convention in the software world that uses "Save" as a way to denote keeping something you think has value. The Camera dialog does not follow this convention and is hence frustratingly obtuse."

I agree.  All the UI elements are there.  They just need their labels and behavior to follow convention.  Anything is simple I suppose once you learn how it works - but why not make it intuitive?  Saving, creating or retrieving a camera should be the same process as saving, creating or retrieving a file.

Ed

[thomasteger]

I can see where "add" can be misleading, and maybe "save" is the better word here.

When is says "camera 6 (unsaved)", and then you want to save that view, then you will select "Add camera". If you want to actually overwrite "camera 6" you will need to click the "edit" icon, and then click it again. This will save the current camera orientation. Or you click the edit icon upfront and then make the camera changes. Once you are done click the edit icon again and it will save the changes for that particular camera.

I can see how this can be a bit confusing at first.

[edwardo]

I must confess, iv been confused at times by this. I don't think it's a problem as such, just takes a bit of getting used to, which is a pity (you don't often have to 'get used' to stuff in keyshot).

[Esben Oxholm]

I've been confused by this as well.
It took a little time to figure out that double clicking the edit button, was equal saving the current settings.
I vote for a "save" button instead

[edwardo]

In my preferences iv set it to save the camera every time I take a screen grab. This is the only way I can reliably get the camera angles I want saved, but as I tend not to name the screen grabs the cameras are just saved as "untitled 32" etc. I realise all that is required is for me to spend 5 minutes learning how to manage these, but overall its not intuitive as it stands. I vote for a "save" button as well. In fairness, the only reason i find it confusing is that (like most cg people) I use a dozen programs, i could get used to this, but like M2tts says, it doesn't follow the general convention, and now and again i get tripped up.