How do I animate the camera?

Step 1: Set up the Camera

1. Add a camera by doing one of  the following:
   • In the Timeline view, click the Add Layerbutton and select Camera in the dropdown menu.
   • In the top menu, select Insert > Camera.
   • In the Node Library, find the Move section and click and drag a Camera into the Node view.
   • In the Node view, press Enter, then search for ‘Camera’ and select it.
2. In the Timeline or Node view, select the newly added Camera layer.
3. Add a peg to the Camera by doing one of the following:
   • In the Timeline view, select the Add Peg button.
   • In the Node view, use the hotkeys Ctrl + P (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ + P (macOS).

Step 2: Create keyframe positions for the camera

1. In the Tools toolbar, make sure the Animate Current Frame option is activated.
2. In the Timeline view, on the camera peg layer, select the frame where you want the camera movement to start.

3. Create a Keyframe on the selected frame in one of the following ways:
   • In the Timeline toolbar, click the Add Keyframe button.
   • Right-click and select Add Keyframe.
   • Press F6 on the keyboard (Fn + F6 on Macbooks).
4. A keyframe will be added to the frame:

5. In the Tools toolbar select the Transform tool, or use the hotkey Shift + T.
6. In the Camera view, reposition the camera frame by doing one of the following:
   • Hover over the inside of the frame to move it.
   • Hover directly over the corners of the frame to resize it.
   • Hover over the outside of one of the corners to rotate it.

7. In the Timeline view, on the camera peg layer, select the next frame in the camera movement and create a keyframe like before.

8. In the Camera view, adjust the camera into its final position.
9. Continue to create keyframes and positions as needed.

Step 3: Create a motion keyframe

1. In the Timeline view, on the camera peg layer, select the first keyframe of the camera movement. You can also select any empty space between two keyframes.
2. Set a Motion Keyframe (interpolation) by doing one of the following:
   • In the Timeline View toolbar, select the Motion Keyframe button.
   • Use the hotkeys Ctrl + K (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ + K (macOS).
3. In the Timeline view, a line indicating the Motion Keyframe will show up between the two camera keyframes:

4. In the Play toolbar, use the Play Forwardbutton to check the camera motion.

Step 4: Adjust the timing and easing of the camera move

You can make adjustments to the timing/easing of the camera movement to give it a more appealing motion.

1. In the Timeline view, change the timing of the keyframe positions by doing one of the following:
   • Select a keyframe, then click and drag it on the peg layer to change the position.
   • Cut and paste keyframes to reposition them. Take note that any interpolations may have to be reapplied.
2. In the Timeline view, eases can be applied to the camera movement in the following ways:
   • With the Quick Ease-In or Quick Ease-Out buttons.
   • With the Quick Ease button.
   • With Set Ease on Selected Keyframes  button.
   • With the Set Ease on Multiple Parameters button.
   • With the Set Ease Type dropdown box.

See Setting the Ease for Animation Keyframes for more information.

3. Keep adjusting until you are satisfied with the camera movement.

Q&A 

Question: 

Why can’t I see my camera in the Timeline view?

Answers: 

1. Check that the camera is not inside a group. You can open the timeline hierarchy by pressing 9 on the keyboard.
2. Scroll to the very bottom of the Timeline view list, the Camera will always be at the bottom regardless of its placement in the Node view.

Question: 

My camera has an interpolation, but the camera doesn’t seem to move smoothly?

Answers: 

1. Check that you don’t have too many keyframes which may be interrupting the interpolation.
2. The scene may be too heavy to preview the camera movement in the OpenGL view. Try exporting a movie, or use the render preview to see if that improves the camera movement.
3. Double check that the animation doesn’t have Stepped Velocity. See About Velocity to learn how to check for the problem and how to fix the timing in the Function view.