Eyeon:Manual/Fusion 6/3D/Transformations

Most of the tools found in the 3D category have Transformation controls that are collected together into a single tab. The controls found in this tab affect how the object is positioned, rotated and scaled within the scene. The Transformation Tab is labeled with a typical 3D coordinate tripod as its icon, as pictured below.

The Offset controls are used to position the object in the scene. The Rotation controls affect the object's local rotation (around its own center). The Scale sliders affect its size.

Onscreen Transformation Widget When an object is selected, it will display an Onscreen Transformation Widget in the display views. The widget has a position, rotation and scale mode. Use the transform toolbar buttons to switch the mode of the selected control or press q for position, w for rotation and e for scaling.

In all three modes, the red portion of the widget indicates the objects local X axis, while green and blue are used for the Y and Z axis respectively. Click-drag in the center of the widget to apply the transformation without constraint, or click-drag directly on a axis to constrain to that axis. As of Fusion 6 holding the ALT key down while click dragging in the view allows a selected controls to be adjusted without requiring the artist to click directly on the control.

If the Scale's Lock XYZ checkbox is still selected, only the overall scale of the object can be adjusted (using the red axis). Click-drag on the center of the widget or on the red axis. Adjustments will affect all three axis equally. Unlock the controls to scale the object along individual axis separately.

Pivot

In 3D, objects are rotated around a vector (the so-called rotation axis). A vector gives just the direction. By default, this vector goes through the object's center. Force the rotation axis to go through any 3D point using the Pivot control.

Target

Enabling the Use Target checkbox will reveal another set of XYZ controls and a new position control will appear in the display views. A dashed line is drawn between the target and object center in the display views to show the relationship between these controls.

Targets are used to help orient one object to another or to a specific point in the scene. No matter where the object moves, it will rotate to face its target.

For example, if a spotlight is required in the scene to point at an image plane, enable the spotlight's target in the Transformation tab and connect the target's XYZ position to the image plane's XYZ position. No matter where the spotlight is moved, it will rotate to face the image plane.

Parenting

One of the many advantages to Fusion's node-based approach to 3D is that Parenting between objects becomes implicit in the structure of the 3D flow. The basis for all Parenting is the Merge tool.

For example, picture a scene with two cameras that are both pointing at exactly the same location, except one is offset from the other by a small amount. This type of rig was frequently used to simulate left eye/right eye stereoscopic cameras (before this feature was built into Camera).

One way to connect them together would be to publish the XYZ Offset controls and the XYZ Animation controls on one of the cameras, and then connect the matching controls on the other camera. A much faster way would be to use a Merge 3D to create a parent transformation for the two cameras, as depicted in the composition below.

In the illustration above, the Merge 3D tool has been renamed to Camera Rig to make its purpose clearer. Anytime the camera rig is adjusted, apply a transformation to the merge's center. To change the relationship between the cameras, for example to offset them further from each other, adjust the individual camera's transformation.

Any transformation applied to a merge is applied to all objects present in the scene at that merge, including cameras, lights and geometry.