Virtual Camera Control Based on Cinematographic Rules of Camera Shot and Camera Angle

Abstract

This research is focused on developing automatic virtual camera control in 3D video game to support a filmmaking based on machinima. Rule-based virtual camera control defines the camera position and the angle. A virtual camera is developed by representing camera shot and camera angle since it can control its position and rotation automatically. Knowledge acquisition for camera shot and camera angle is conducted by simulating virtual camera to the character based on rules of camera shot which are close-up, medium-shot, and long-shot, and rules of camera angle which are eye-level, low angle and high angle. The constrained areas are represented by defining paths. The paths have the function of track references to define position and rotation for the virtual camera, so the virtual camera can capture character vertically, horizontally, and diagonally. Data of constrained areas are representation of camera shot and camera angle rules. The data are used as knowledge base and rules in the term of perspective packages. The virtual camera is generated using Genetic algorithm by randomizing a number of position and rotation value as initial population, then the system calculates the value to find ideal virtual camera which can fulfil the rules in perspective packages. An implementation of the research is conducted by developing a game in which the automatic virtual camera is generated to produce a short animation with duration of 120 seconds. The rules of transition are implemented using different cut as type of transition in every 4 seconds, which means that there are 30 cut to produce. The result shows that the method used in this research reflects the expectation. All the 30 cuts produced in the game are captured using automatic virtual camera. With frame rate at 40-60 fps, the virtual camera is generated in 2 to 16 generations, with duration from 16 to 37 milliseconds.