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I want a camera that is following a path to "track to" aka point/look at a target object. The issue is when it's a logo and I want to look down squarely from above with these two tracking features enabled the camera flips and rotates wildly while trying to keep the head Y point up when it's aiming straight down up is floating randomly around the pole.

Really you should be able to apply a rotation in Z for camera-roll to keep the camera pointing the right way. So it seems they've falling short again here, no real solution found. I've also tried regular Animation Nodes with no luck either. So of course I tried to figure out a way with Sverchok as well, and have had no immediate luck and thought to ask here if there's away.

Basically I'm thinking if I could use the "Beta Node" "Matrix Track To" I could maybe combine a animated Z or camera roll rotation to keep the head pointing up even though Y up is technically flipping around when the path moves to a location exactly above the target in Z poition.

First I can't find how to set the cameras position or rotation from within Sverchok, (seems like model generation only). Also I'm unsure Sverchok applies changes after an objects constraints like path follow are applied, or how to approach this with Sverchok.

Then again maybe I should rotate the scene but at some point camera track to with Y up will flip wildly, unless I animate the entire scene to control which way is up for the camera "track to" constraint to not get disoriented.

I know at times one can rotate a vertex but this method makes no difference with the camera in track-to and follow-path mode. Pretty sure in Houdini this is really simple you just animate the roll manually without issue/conflict?

Amir
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Master James
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  • Use empty instead of camera for tracking and following path, just parent camera to this empty – Serge L Apr 12 '18 at 11:41
  • I did make a WorldSpace Empty parent everything to that and rotate it to help maintain a sense of y-up, but I've also added an intermediate object as a CameraMount to animate that but it's really just messing with the path I guess. Maybe I'll play with it some more, thanks. – Master James Apr 12 '18 at 11:46
  • You can use ObjectID Set MK2 node to control any object attribute in Sverchok including matrix world (insert matrix). – Константин Воробьёв Apr 12 '18 at 11:55
  • Just checking in Houdini and there the Follow Path constraint takes 3 more things so the camera follows; path curve, target to look at and also an up object. Blender, Animation nodes and Sverchok all seem to miss this simple well rounded solution and really have no way never mind a good way to control the roll, even though you can rotate vertex in some instances in blender? – Master James Apr 12 '18 at 12:27
  • Thanks for the ObjectID thoughts maybe one can roll their own with this starter script https://blender.stackexchange.com/questions/5210/pointing-the-camera-in-a-particular-direction-programmatically – Master James Apr 12 '18 at 12:35
  • Here's how Houdini makes perfect sense of this problem http://www.sidefx.com/docs/houdini/shelf/constraintpath.html – Master James Apr 12 '18 at 12:39

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