Adobe After Effects CS3 - Manual (Page 494)

AFTER EFFECTS CS3
User Guide
489
Camera System and Camera Position controls
Camera System Specifies whether to use the effect’s Camera Position properties, the effect’s Corner Pins properties,
or the default composition camera and light positions to render 3D images of the cards.
X Rotation, Y Rotation, Z Rotation Rotate the camera around the corresponding axis. Use these controls to look at
the cards from the top, side, back, or any other angle.
X, Y Position Where the camera is positioned along the x and y axes.
Z Position Where the camera is positioned along the z axis. Smaller numbers move the camera closer to the cards,
and larger numbers move the camera away from the cards.
Focal Length The zoom factor. Smaller numbers zoom in.
Transform Order The order in which the camera rotates around its three axes, and whether the camera rotates before
or after it is positioned using the other Camera Position controls.
Corner Pins controls
Corner Pinning is an alternative camera control system. Use it as an aid for compositing the result of the effect into
a scene on a flat surface that is tilted with respect to the frame.
Upper Left Corner, Upper Right Corner, Lower Left Corner, Lower Right Corner Where to attach each of the corners
of the layer.
Auto Focal Length Controls the perspective of the effect during the animation. When Auto Focal Length is
deselected, the focal length you specify is used to find a camera position and orientation that positions the corners
of the layer at the corner pins. If this isn’t possible, the layer is replaced by its outline, drawn between the pins. When
Auto Focal Length is selected, the focal length required to match the corner points is used, if possible. If not, it inter-
polates the correct value from nearby frames.
Focal Length Overrides the other settings if the results you’ve obtained aren’t what you need. If you set the Focal
Length to something that doesn’t correspond to what the focal length would be if the pins were actually in that
configuration, the image may look unusual (strangely sheared, for example). But if you know the focal length that
you are trying to match, this is the easiest way to get correct results.
Caustics effect
This effect simulates caustics—reflections of light at the bottom of a body of water, created by light refracting through
the water’s surface. The Caustics effect generates this reflection and creates realistic water surfaces when used with
Wave World and Radio Waves.
This effect works with 8-bpc color.