Camera Inferno for Maya

Autodesk Maya Plug-in for visualising camera burn-in text.

The Camera Inferno tool is a Maya Viewport 2.0 visualisation tool for displaying helpful, dynamic information for pre-vis, post-vis and tech-vis in Visual Effects.

The Camera Inferno tool has the following features:

• Display Film Gate
• Display Mask for an aspect ratio
• Display Fields with configurable information.
• Unlimited number of fields to be displayed on the screen.
• Python-based formatting options for dynamic text display.
• Allows connections from Maya DAG/DG nodes into the text displays.
• Drawing straight lines, and dots in the viewport, in 2D or 3D space.

Dynamic Text Keywords

This tool differs from other publicly available HUD tools because it can display dynamic text information. Dynamic text can be generated via Maya's DAG or DG node evaluation, or using the internally provided keywords. Finally it is possible to embed environment variables directly into the text.

The formatting for Camera Inferno uses Python String Formatting Operations. Please see the Python documentation for the small details of formatting strings.

The supported keywords are listed below.

Scene Keywords

The scene details, such as file paths, and the current user name.

Example Usage	Description	Type	Unit
{user_name}	User name currently logged in.	String	N/A
{file_path}	Full file path to the currently open Maya Scene file.	String	N/A
{file_name}	Short file name (no file extension) to the currently open Maya Scene file.	String	N/A

Date and Time Keywords

The current date and time, in various formats.

Example Usage	Description	Type	Unit
{time}	Current time, as '9:42PM' format.	String	N/A
{date}	Current date, as 'Mon 03 Feb 2020' format.	String	N/A
{datetime}	Current date and time, as 'Mon 03 Feb 9:42PM 2020' format.	String	N/A
{time_iso}	Current time, as '21:42' format.	String	N/A
{date_iso}	Current date, as '2020-02-03' format.	String	N/A
{datetime_iso}	Current date and time, as '2020-02-03 21:42' format.	String	N/A
{date_year}	Current date year as #### number.	String	N/A
{date_month}	Current date month as ## number.	String	N/A
{date_day}	Current date day as ## number.	String	N/A
{time_hour}	Current time hour as 24 hour number.	String	N/A
{time_minute}	Current time minute as ## number.	String	N/A

Camera Name Keywords

The name of the camera transform node name.

Example Usage	Description	Type	Unit
{camera_short_name}	Node name as short as possible.	String	N/A
{camera_long_name}	Node name as long as possible.	String	N/A

Frame / Time Keywords

Frame numbers and time related keywords.

Example Usage	Description	Type	Unit
{frame_integer:04d}	Current frame number.	Integer	Frame
{frame_float:.1f}	Current frame number.	Float	Frame

Camera Attributes Keywords

Camera rotation and Shutter Angle keywords. The rotation values are calculated in ZXY rotation order.

Example Usage	Description	Type	Unit
{camera_tilt:+.01f}°	Camera world-space tilt (X axis)	Float	Degree
{camera_pan:+.01f}°	Camera world-space pan (Y axis)	Float	Degree
{camera_roll:+.01f}°	Camera world-space roll (Z axis)	Float	Degree
{camera_shutter_angle:.02f}°	Camera shutter angle	Float	Degree

Camera Height Keywords

The camera's height with measurement unit.

Example Usage	Description	Type	Unit
{camera_height:.01f}	Height of camera (units)	Float	Maya Unit
{camera_height_mm:.01f}	Height of camera (mm)	Float	Millimeter
{camera_height_cm:.01f}	Height of camera (cm)	Float	Centimeter
{camera_height_dm:.01f}	Height of camera (dm)	Float	Decimeter
{camera_height_m:.01f}	Height of camera (m)	Float	Meter
{camera_height_km:.01f}	Height of camera (km)	Float	Kilometer
{camera_height_inches:.01f}	Height of camera (in)	Float	Inch
{camera_height_feet:.01f}	Height of camera (ft)	Float	Foot
{camera_height_yards:.01f}	Height of camera (yd)	Float	Yard
{camera_height_miles:.01f}	Height of camera (mi)	Float	Mile

Camera Speed Keywords

Measure the speed (velocity) of the camera transform node. These keywords use the dcCameraInferno node's cameraSpeedRaw attribute.

The cameraSpeedRaw attribute expects values in the current Maya time unit (usually seconds). This feature is expected to work with the dcVelocity node type, and outSpeedRaw attribute.

Example Usage	Description	Type	Unit
{camera_speed_kmph:.01f}	Speed of the camera (km/h)	Float	km/h
{camera_speed_km_per_hr:.01f}	Speed of the camera (km/h)	Float	km/h
{camera_speed_kilometers_per_hour:.01f}	Speed of the camera (km/h)	Float	km/h
{camera_speed_mph:.01f}	Speed of the camera (mph)	Float	mph
{camera_speed_mi_per_hr:.01f}	Speed of the camera (mph)	Float	mph
{camera_speed_miles_per_hour:.01f}	Speed of the camera (mph)	Float	mph
{camera_speed_ft_per_hr:.01f}	Speed of the camera (ft/h)	Float	Feet/Hour
{camera_speed_feet_per_hour:.01f}	Speed of the camera (ft/h)	Float	Feet/Hour
{camera_speed_ft_per_sec:.01f}	Speed of the camera (ft/s)	Float	Feet/Second
{camera_speed_feet_per_second:.01f}	Speed of the camera (ft/s)	Float	Feet/Second
{camera_speed_m_per_hr:.01f}	Speed of the camera (m/h)	Float	Meters/Hour
{camera_speed_meters_per_hour:.01f}	Speed of the camera (m/h)	Float	Meters/Hour
{camera_speed_m_per_sec:.01f}	Speed of the camera (m/s)	Float	Meters/Second
{camera_speed_meters_per_second:.01f}	Speed of the camera (m/s)	Float	Meters/Second

Camera Film Back Keywords

Film Back size keywords, with choice of measurement unit.

Example Usage	Description	Type	Unit
{film_back_width_inches:.2f}in	Camera film back width	Float	Inch
{film_back_height_inches:.2f}in	Camera film back height	Float	Inch
{film_back_width_mm:.2f}mm	Camera film back width	Float	Millimeter
{film_back_height_mm:.2f}mm	Camera film back height	Float	Millimeter

Lens Attributes Keywords

Lens attributes are available via keywords, and sometimes multiple different measurement units.

Example Usage	Description	Type	Unit
{lens_focal_length:.01f}mm	Lens focal length	Float	Millimeter
{lens_angle_of_view_x:.01f}°	Lens horizontal angle of view	Float	Degree
{lens_angle_of_view_y:.01f}°	Lens vertical angle of view	Float	Degree
{lens_focus_distance:.01f}	Lens focus distance (units)	Float	Maya Unit
{lens_focus_distance_mm:.01f}	Lens focus distance (mm)	Float	Millimeter
{lens_focus_distance_cm:.01f}	Lens focus distance (cm)	Float	Centimeter
{lens_focus_distance_dm:.01f}	Lens focus distance (dm)	Float	Decimeter
{lens_focus_distance_m:.01f}	Lens focus distance (m)	Float	Meter
{lens_focus_distance_km:.01f}	Lens focus distance (km)	Float	Kilometer
{lens_focus_distance_feet:.01f}	Lens focus distance (ft)	Float	Foot
{lens_focus_distance_yards:.01f}	Lens focus distance (yd)	Float	Yard
{lens_focus_distance_inches:.01f}	Lens focus distance (in)	Float	Inch
{lens_focus_distance_miles:.01f}	Lens focus distance (mi)	Float	Mile
{lens_f_stop:.01f}	Lens F-Stop number	Float	1/F Number

Unit Keywords

Unit keywords define a list of symbols/names for metric and imperial measurement systems.

Example Usage	Description	Type
{unit_mm}	Millimeter unit name	String
{unit_millimeter}	Millimeter unit name	String
{unit_cm}	Centimeter unit name	String
{unit_centimeter}	Centimeter unit name	String
{unit_m}	Meter unit name	String
{unit_meter}	Meter unit name	String
{unit_dm}	Decimeter unit name	String
{unit_decimeter}	Decimeter unit name	String
{unit_km}	Kilometer unit name	String
{unit_kilometer}	Kilometer unit name	String
{unit_in}	Inch unit name	String
{unit_inch}	Inch unit name	String
{unit_ft}	Feet unit name	String
{unit_feet}	Feet unit name	String
{unit_mi}	Miles unit name	String
{unit_mile}	Miles unit name	String
{unit_hour}	Hour unit name	String
{unit_hr}	Hour unit name	String
{unit_second}	Second unit name	String
{unit_sec}	Second unit name	String
{unit_kmph}	Kilometers per-second unit name	String
{unit_km_per_hr}	Kilometers per-second unit name	String
{unit_kilometers_per_hour}	Kilometers per-second unit name	String
{unit_mph}	Miles per-second unit name	String
{unit_mi_per_hr}	Miles per-second unit name	String
{unit_miles_per_hour}	Miles per-second unit name	String
{unit_ft_per_hr}	Feet per-hour unit name	String
{unit_feet_per_hour}	Feet per-hour unit name	String
{unit_ft_per_sec}	Feet per-second unit name	String
{unit_feet_per_second}	Feet per-second unit name	String
{unit_m_per_hr}	Meters per-hour unit name	String
{unit_meters_per_hour}	Meters per-hour unit name	String
{unit_m_per_sec}	Meters per-second unit name	String
{unit_meters_per_second}	Meters per-second unit name	String
{scene_scale_unit}	Scene scale unit name	String
{scene_scale_factor}	Scene scale factor name	Float

Custom Values Keywords

Example Usage	Description	Type	Unit
{a} or {0}	Current field's value "A" DG evaluation value.	Float or String	N/A
{b} or {1}	Current field's value "B" DG evaluation value.	Float or String	N/A
{c} or {2}	Current field's value "C" DG evaluation value.	Float or String	N/A
{d} or {3}	Current field's value "D" DG evaluation value.	Float or String	N/A

Each field attribute contains attributes fieldValueA, ..B, ..C and ..D. By connecting DG node attributes and using {a} in the field_text_value attribute, you may add arbitrary values and display them in the viewport. Any numeric (boolean, integer, float, double, etc) or string data type can be connected and used.

Environment Variable Keywords

After all keywords are substituted, any strings that appear as a (UNIX-style) environment variable will be replaced.

For example $USER $PROJECT/$SHOT, may become David MyProject/001_0010, if environment variables are set up correctly.

This feature can be very helpful in a studio pipeline when environment variables are automatically-available consistently.

Usage

The scripts installed with Camera Inferno will allow you to create a set up fairly easily.

Run the code below to create a new camera with the Camera Inferno HUD set up:

import dcCameraInferno.tool as tool
tool.main()

If you wish to apply the Camera Inferno HUD to an existing camera, first select a camera node and run the Python code above.

Default Presets

Once a dcCameraInferno node is created, you may select an Attribute Editor Preset as a starting point for your HUD setup. To use one of the provided presets, simply select the dcCameraInferno node, open the Attribute Editor and press the Presets* button (upper-right), then choose Replace.

Installation

Please follow the instructions in INSTALL.md to install Camera Inferno.

Known Issues

• This is friendly user-interface is provided; only the Maya Attribute Editor.
  • Please use the Maya Attribute Editor 'presets' to get started.
• Maya versions below 2017 are not supported.
• Performance is not optimised.
• The use of the Maya camera's "Lens Squeeze Ratio" attribute may produce unexpected results of the film gate or film mask.
• Using Camera Inferno with Maya 2019 with Background Caching enabled may cause issues, if this happens please disable Background caching to use the plug-in.

Planned Features

• A graphical user interface with presets, and easy customisation.
• Ability to add static images to the burn-in, such as a logo.
• Ability to draw directly on-top of the image, rather than needing to worry about clipping planes or objects near/far from camera.