Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
Improving the movie using additional
effects
Throughout this topic, we have virtually covered every single Lumion effect
available in both the
Photo
and
Movie
modes. But we still have a few more great
effects that can boost the movie's quality. Some of these effects simulate what
happens in the real world when we use real world cameras, and this is one of the
reasons why using such effects can add layers of realism. Where should we start?
Using depth of field and animating the
camera's focus
Depth of ield
(
DOF
) is not a strange term for us. In
Chapter 7
,
Creating Realistic
Visualizations
, we covered what DOF is, but just as an introduction.
While using a real camera, we need to use both shutter speed and the aperture to
change the amount of light that hits the sensor. This not only controls light, but also
controls or changes the depth of field. The depth of field is a measure of how much
of your scene is in focus. If you need to have a closer look at this subject, check out
the
Depth of ield
section found in
Chapter 7
,
Creating Realistic Visualizations
.
The
Depth of Field
effect can be found under the
Camera
tab, and these are the
settings we can find:
•
Focus distance
: This is used to specify where the camera should focus
•
F stop
: This removes some of the blur, but more importantly, creates a
gradual transition between sharp and blurred areas
•
Smoothness
: This is used to create sharper edges, but you probably should
leave this at
1
•
Isolate foreground
: This controls the layers of DOF in front of the camera,
but doesn't produce a good result the majority of the time
•
Expansion
: This works great for close-ups to get a sharper look at the 3D
model in focus
However, this information might not be enough per se, particularly when we have
to animate this depth of the field. You understand how animation works and what
each setting does, but let's see how to combine them together to create a beautiful
and eye-catching movie.
