It is possible to exclude a puppet form the scene camera?

[Featherweight]

I'm setting up a larger moving shot and I plan to have a count down timer in the corner. Was wondering if there a way to keep it static without having to manaully match it move for move. 

Thank you. 

[alank99101739]

I don't know of any way to do it all in one scene. I don't think you can exclude puppets etc from the camera.

Ideas:

• Have two separate scenes, one with the timer/clock, one with the characters.
• The time/clock does not have a camera - no panning etc
• Generate a video file with alpha channel (transparency) for the time/clock scene
• Use Prem Pro to layer the separate video files (put the timer on top of the main content)

You can also use something like After Effects to layer the separate timer on top. You can get fancy with dynamic linking etc. My little laptop goes too slow for this personally. I would use the separate video file (with alpha channel) myself.

The other approach is to do old style camera panning - you don't pan the camera, you move all the puppets in sync instead (except the clock).

[Derek S.]

Depending upon how you are animating this, applying a position based walk cycle keyframe may give you what you are looking for. The idea is that the position based keyframe will basically pin the item in place as long as you need it.

[DanTull]

I might regret mentioning this because nested scenes have a few caveats and are not a high traffic scenario, so it might also result in you hitting bugs, but here goes.

You can create a new scene that contains the scene in which you are using the camera and the timer puppet, positioned as desired. The scene camera will affect items in its scene and the timer/counter (in the outer scene) will be unaffected by it.

DT

[alank99101739]

Of course! Silly me! I had tried the nesting, but nested it the other way around! The camera on the outer scene moved the inner scene as well.