Topics in this section

• Characteristics of Cameras

  Real-world cameras use lenses to focus the light reflected by a scene onto a focal plane that has a light-sensitive surface.

• Exposure Control in Real-World Cameras
• Common Camera Parameters

  Most of the camera controls are common to both kinds of cameras. This topic describes those controls.

• Using Transforms to Aim a Camera

  You can use transforms to aim a camera and change its orientation in the scene.

• Using Clipping Planes to Exclude Geometry

  Clipping planes let you exclude some of a scene’s geometry and view or render only certain portions of the scene. Each camera object has a near and a far clipping plane. Objects closer than the near clipping plane or farther than the far clipping plane are invisible to the camera.

• Using the Horizon to Match Perspective

  The horizon of a scene is the edge of vision at the height of the camera, parallel with the world coordinate plane. You can view the horizon in camera viewports.

• Animating Cameras

  You animate a camera by using transforms or changing its creation parameters in different keyframes while the Set Key or Auto Key button is on. 3ds Max interpolates camera transforms and parameter values between keyframes, as it does for object geometry.