Simple Camera Matching a la Photoshop's vanishing point?

[Anonymous]

Hi! I have some photos that have a lot different planes in it that I need to match a camera in 3dsmax to. From what I understand the only built in tool is the "camera match" that require five known coordinates. Is there other ways/tools/plugins/scripts that can match cameras using the method Photoshop vanishing point use?

Regards / Jimmy

[Anonymous]

cannot you use something like a mark in photoshop and then in max use something like pivot point to mark where your object vanishes at the same place then maybe use the camera to look at the spot where it vanishes?

[Anonymous]

Hi! I don't follow your workflow. My photos is a lot of shots of a city (camera looking down). I then have to match objekts to roads and walls of houses. It's just planes that is going to be animated. In photoshop there is no problem using vanishing point, but I want to do it in max. One thing I tried was to export the photoshop "scene" as a 3ds file, but it's just impossible to get that to work in max. I can import the file but they don't match. Don't know way it doesn't work.

I have google about tutorials for camera matching but I only get hits on the build in method.

Regards / Jimmy

[Anonymous]

yeah if you made a mark in photoshop something likes a cross then bring into max then use a dummy to mark the same place as the mark in photoshop say you have a train running across the track you can make the camera look at the train at the spot where it vanishes if you don't know anything about the look at controller there will be something in the manual.

this is just Quick and dirty it's not very good. It's just a camera looking at a sphere when you hit the play you'll see the camera following the sphere

16151_iJxFnCtxxFVnom2sRQJs.zip

[Tim_Wilbers]

Jimmy,

I have PS CS3 here. I never used the Vanishing Point filter before, but here are my observations.

Yes, you can export the grid and camera information using the 3ds format.
Yes, you can export just the grid information using the DXF format.

When I imported the 3ds file, I used "Merge object with current scene" and uncheck Convert Units.

Then I needed to make some "Max" adjustments. Photoshop assumed Y is up. I did not see a preference in Photoshop to specify Z up. Therefore you may want to do the following. Select all the objects. Choose Group > Group, to put all the objects into a Group. Rotate the Group, using View and Angle Snaps, until the grid objects have the correct orientation in the Perspective viewport. 90 on X in the Top viewport worked for me. Now, go to Group > Ungroup. Select the Camera. Notice in the Front viewport it is on its side. Rotate the Camera (not the target) using Local on Z.

Now change the Perspective view to the camera. While you did import the PS grids as objects, and a camera, the end result is unfortunately not going to help much. Which is what you found to be true. My guess its a Photoshop issue Adobe needs to address along with a Z is up option.

But, if you know at least one measurement, you can scale the object as needed as a basis for creating other geometry. That, might be useful, such as creating an interior space, or in my example, a trash can.

(Anthony, please research your response before suggesting workflows, solutions or information which is untested or inaccurate. Working professionals come here seeking professional advise.)

[Anonymous]

I did my research thanks i put everything in that Jimmy wrote into a search engine and that what came up and it came up with the samething that i wrote down so please don't tell me to do my research and even when i looked on my training dvd's that what it says also

here is the video also on the subject Vanishing Point http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXkzCVPE2Tc

[Tim_Wilbers]

So you could have posted the link firs. But the OP already knew how to use the Vanishing Point filter in Photoshop.
Also, what he is trying to do has nothing to do with a Look At Constraint.
He is trying to use the camera from Photoshop in Max, for the purposes of Camera Match to a bitmap image.

Jimmy,
Sorry for the misdirection. If you do find a solution to the mismatch between the imported camera and the viewport background, please post here. I would like to know this as well. If it would work, that method could be much easier than the Camera Match in Max. It appears to be connected to the FOV and perhaps the distance. Or even a rounding error. I look into it more later.

[Anonymous]

Hi Tim! Yes, it is a strange behavior. Can't really figure it out. Parallell with the export to 3ds you also get the files for After Effects, and there it all lines up like it should (no suprise, it's a Adobe app).

I'm going to tweek some more and if I find a solution I will post it here, no problem. I'm also going to look some more for a script or a plugin that can do this. I can't belive that it have not already been done native in max. There must be some solution out there for simple camera matching (i hope).

Best Regards / Jimmy

[Anonymous]

Ok Tim, I have a sort of solution. Not briliant but it work rather ok. What I did was that I used the points/vertex from the generated CS model that I import in to max to find out the coordinates that I have to know to use the Camera Match tool. The match gets perfect.

I have really tried to rotate, scale and all other things to the CS generated camera and model but it's just crazy. Don't know why adobe made a 3ds export that included a camera.

Regards / Jimmy

[Tim_Wilbers]

Jimmy,

Not a one step solution, but being able to generate the planes in PS and use the geometry in Max for the Camera Match is a solution.

Thank you. That will come in handy.