Can anyone explain why adding a 'follow path' constraint to a camera does not work?

In recent versions of Blender, when you make a path and add a camera, and add a ‘follow path’ constraint to the camera,
[and give it the path object]… you get this:

Instead of this:


How does this make any sense? I don’t get a camera that follows the path, and whatever it’s doing… it doesn’t seem to bank with the curve. I cannot see a way that this behavior is useful; (I must be missing something). Is there a reasoning for this?
(…and what is it?)

*Changing the Forward and Up axis in Follow Path, doesn’t help.

Thanks in advance.

are you getting an “empty” to follow the path ? if so let the camera follow that one instead.

Working from memory here as I don’t have Blender in front of me. Try clearing location and rotation on the camera first (Alt-G, Alt-R). Then to make camera continually point in the direction it’s moving, in the constraint you usually set Forward to -Z and Y up.

I thought it always worked this way.

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Select your camera then press N, in the “Transform” tab set the Locations X/Y/Z to 0/0/0

Then your camera with a Follow track that target the curve path will have the camera sitting on the actual path, after that enable “Follow Curve” in the modifier and Animate the path to have it animated, you may want to change the Axis / Up stuff depending on the result you want.

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This worked perfectly; though I was sure I’d tried it many times before… I think I forgot alt-G; but that’s what I was trying to do.

It’s still a complete mystery as to why this needs to be done before it will work; when surely this is what a large percentage of users intend, most ~if not all of the time.

Thank you everyone for each of your answers. This has helped me a lot.

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj125/Gizmojunk/Emoticon%20links/Yup_zps3af18c53.png

Because it allows the artist to animate the camera on a relative basis against the curve… thats why 0,0,0 = on the curve and anything else is a offset from the curve.

Indeed; but which is more common? If the artist wants an offset, then of course it is (and should be) an option; but why as the default option? (When the current default is counterintuitive; IMO. )
Adding a follow path constraint to the camera does not ~by default, produce a camera that follows the path ~per se. It does ~technically, but not as one might expect.

*I have only used paths for cameras that track to a target, or ~like a rollercoster, that follow the track. I do not recall ever using an offset (willingly).http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj125/Gizmojunk/Emoticon%20links/shrug1_zpsf4f47efb.gif

Because you very rarely need the camera at 0,0,0. By default, it’s pointing at the cube on a slightly downward angle and people tend to just place the camera where they need it to be, if it needs moving at all. What you’re doing with the camera is a bit unusual and technically advanced so by that point you should know what you’re doing.

I have had specific animations which have gone for 10000 frames, with curves going for many many km long… when its close to the end and you get a note saying ‘move the camera 1 m to the right here’… if you move the curve all the rotational animation and position animation of how far along the curve gets all shifted if you change the length of the curve… being able to have the flexibility to make minor changes like this is a godsend. I use it all the time.

Now… you say that it should be an option. but not the default option… what do you think the default option should be? alter the position of the current cameras position to the curve? well what happens if the current camera has animation on it, does it remove the animation that has been set or does it override it? This is predictable. we know what it does and how blender handles it… having blender handle it weirdly to try and place it perfectly on the curve will just make it unpredictable.

Another thing to think about is the that Follow Curve in not just for the camera. I use it to move models through a scene. I also set and empty with the follow curve and offset. then I can move it where I want it and have the camera track to it.

Moved from “General Forums > Blender and CG Discussions” to “Support > Animation and Rigging”

Gizmojunk,

a newly added camera gets added at the 3d cursor location, like every added object. If the cursor is at the default 0,0,0, the new camera will also be at the origin and will follow a path like you wish it to, without offset. Tested with Blender 2.76 and 2.75.

The behavior is like it always was, I couldn’t find a difference.

Maybe your 3D-cursor isn’t at the origin in your startup file? Try a new scene with “file -> load factory settings” and test again, to rule out any misconfigurations.

Indeed; (so do I).

What I had suggested was that cameras ~specifically, when [first] attached to a path, not have an offset by default. That they follow the path… More or less like a plane or rollercoster on a track.

(This could even be a check-box in “follow path” constraint that says, ‘use offset’… unchecked by default). Done that way, it could even be key framed on or off.

The reason I suggested it was because every time I’ve needed to use ‘follow path’ for a camera, and assigned it to the path, the camera went nuts… pointing off in some unwanted direction, and with a hefty offset from the path. http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj125/Gizmojunk/Emoticon%20links/shrug1_zpsf4f47efb.gif

For those unfamiliar with Blender, that can be pretty frustrating; (which I know from experience; and I’ve been using Blender from version 2.42 onward).

Or they can just get familiar with Blender by reading the documentation (first bullet point on that page).

Sure… But it would be better IMO if it didn’t need the alt+G; as it stands, it’s a confusing default behavior. One can learn to clear it by rote habit and think nothing more of it, but it would be better if the offset was optional and off by default for cameras.

Hmmm, not sure about that. It would be inconsistent and confusing if Blender would behave like that for cameras and not for other elements, to me at least.

This is the answer i was looking for

help a bunch !