Playblast camera shots

Playblasting shots in the Camera Sequencer creates a movie clip of the shot’s camera over the entire shot range. By default, the movie is automatically posted to an image plane on the shot’s camera.

Important

Clips do not follow shots. If you move a shot in time, its clip becomes unsynchronized and you must re-playblast the shot to synchronize the clip with what you see in the viewport. See also Movie Clip Indicators.

By default, playblasted movies are saved to your Movie project location. (This is set in the Edit Projects dialog box. See File > Project > Edit Current.) If there are multiple directories set in the Movie project location, Maya uses the first location listed. You can also change the Directory in the Playblast Shot Options or Playblast Sequence Options to change where movie files are saved.

ImportantIn Maya 2013, searching for the image plane has changed as follows:

Instead of just using the list connections (Maya 2012 and below):

string $fps[] = `listConnections ($shot + ".clip")`;

You must add the –shapes flag so that the imagePlaneShape node appears in the list.

string $fps[] = `listConnections -shapes 1 ($shot + ".clip")`;

To playblast a shot

Select the shot you want to playblast.
Do one of the following:
- -click the shot and select Playblast Shot from the menu that appears.
- From the Camera Sequencer menu bar, select Playblast > Playblast Selected Shots.
- To set playblast options, then playblast the clip, select Playblast > Playblast Selected Shots > .
The shot is rendered out to a clip. A movie indicator appears at the bottom of the shot.

Note

No alpha channel information is included when you playblast shots.

To playblast all shots in a track

Select the track containing the clips you want to playblast.
Select Playblast > Playblast All Shots.
The sequence is rendered out to a movie clip.

Tip

Press to cancel a playblast.

To playblast a sequence

Do one of the following:
- Select Playblast > Playblast Sequence to playblast without changing the Playblast Sequence Options.
- Select Playblast > Playblast Sequence > to open the Playblast Sequence Options, then click Playblast Sequence.
  All shots are rendered into a single movie. Whether an individual shot contributes to the movie depends on how the shots overlap each other.
  
  The output movie is not associated with any particular shot and is not attached to the image plane for any camera.