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Skill Builder - Studio Animate Camera


This primary purpose of this Skill Builder is to demonstrate how to animate a camera. The Animate Components tool, use of velocity profiles,
and editing keyframes are also included in the workflow. The real world intent of this particular workflow is to use an animated camera to
bring clarity and attention to components while they are being exploded from the model.

Some of the included animations contain audio narration. Please confirm that your speaker volume is turned up.

1. Set your current project to samples.

2. Open Carb.iam, located under Assemblies > Engine > Components.

3. Since we will use the Animate Components tool, we need to suppress several constraints in the assembly. Constrained components
animated with the Animate Components tool wont animate freely unless relevant constraints are suppressed (or deleted).

At the top of the browser, set the browser view to Modeling View. Suppress the constraints as shown in the image.

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4. Select Applications > Inventor Studio from the main toolbar.

5. Click the Animation Timeline tool to display the timeline.

Click the Animation Options tool, located on the animation timeline.

Set the length of the timeline to 7 seconds. Click OK.

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6. Use the Rotate and Common View tools to match the view shown in the illustration.

7. Right-click in the graphics window away from model geometry, and then select Create Camera from View.

In the browser, notice that Camera1 has been created under the Cameras node.

Slowly double-click the Camera1 text, and then change the name to Camera Test.

Notice also that a symbol for Camera Test is visible in the graphics window.

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8. Select Camera Test from the camera menu on the timeline. This sets Camera Test as the active camera for any actions; your view of any
animation event will be through the lens (so to speak) of Camera Test. The view angle for the active camera is always normal to the screen.

9. Move the timeline slider to 1 second.

Use the Rotate and Common View tools to match the illustration.

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Click the Expand Action Editor tool to expand the editor window.

10. Click the Add Camera Action tool.

This creates an action line on the animation timeline.

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Click Go To Start.

Click Play Animation.

11. As a point of interest and for the sake of technical clarity, notice that though it may appear that it is the model that is moving, in reality it
is the camera that is moving around the model.

To demonstrate this, select Current View from the camera menu on the animation timeline, click Go To Start, and then click Play. The model
remains fixed in space while the camera symbol moves around the model, per the orientation changes you specified.

Select Camera Test from the camera menu.

12. Next, move the slider to 3.2 seconds.

Click the Animate Components tool.

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In the graphics window or browser, select the Carb Intake Plate component.

13. In the Animate Components dialog box, click the Position tool.

Drag the Transform triad 0.5 inch along the Z axis.

Click OK in the 3D Move/Rotate dialog box. Click OK in the Animate Components dialog box.

14. In the timeline editor, drag the start point of the action line next to the Carb Intake Plate node to 1.5 seconds.

Click Go To Start, and then click Play.

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Next, add a translation of one of the intake plate screws to the animation.

15. Since only one of the 4 intake plate screws is needed, turn off the visibility of instances 2, 3, and 4 of ISO 1207 M 2x6.

16. Move the slider to 3.2 seconds. Click the Animate Components tool, and then select the first instance of ISO 1207 M 2x6.

17. Click the Position tool, and then move the screw -1 inch (negative 1 inch) along the X axis. Click OK, and then click OK in the Animate
Components dialog box.

Note: Keep in mind that since the axis directions of the 3D Move/Rotate tool correspond with the built-in coordinate directions of the selected
part, the axis directions and coordinate values between parts within the assembly may not correspond.

18. Drag the start point of the action line for the screw to 1.5 seconds.

Click Go To Start, and then click Play.

19. Drag the end point of the action line for the intake plate back to 2.7 seconds.

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Click Go To Start, and then click Play.

Notice that this makes the relative movement of the two components less mechanistic, or more fluid.

20. Move the slider to 7 seconds. Position the model as shown in the illustration. The position does not need to be exact, however, ensure
that you do zoom out a noticeable distance.

21. Click the Add Camera Action tool.

22. Select the second camera action line, and then move the start point to 4.3 seconds. This creates a span of time where the camera will
not move while other actions take place.

Note: When action line start or end points are coincident on the timeline, whichever action line is selected determines which start or end
point is in front and available for dragging.

Click Go To Start, and then click Play.

23. Move the slider to 7 seconds, and then click the Animate Components tool.

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Select the Carb Slide component.

Click the Position tool, and then drag the carb slide 1.5 inches along the Z axis. Click OK, and then click OK in the Animate Components
dialog box.

24. Drag the start point of the action line for the carb slide to 5.3 seconds.

Click Go To Start, and then click Play.

The carb slide translates simultaneously with the change in camera position.

Lets add a little refinement to the changes in camera position.

25. Right-click the action line for the first camera position change, and then select Edit.

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Click the Interpolation tab, and then enter 60 in the Deceleration Duration input field. Note that the percent values in the Acceleration and
Constant fields calculate automatically to total 100%.

Click OK.

26. Click Go To Start, and then click Play. Though the effect is fairly subtle, notice that the camera motion decelerates as the animation
approaches the end point of the action line.

In this particular example, the deceleration of the camera is spread over 0.6 second, or 60% of the total time contained in this 1 second
segment.

27. Lets reduce the time between when the screw and plate are finished translating and the camera begins moving again at 4.3 seconds.
Drag the start point for the second action line for Camera Test back to 3.5 seconds.

Click Go To Start, and then click Play.

If you like, you can experiment further on your own. For example, you could apply very similar techniques to the Fade Tool to gradually fade
components that may not be of interest, such as the slide boot and the zip tie, such that they fade before and during other component
translations.

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