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Camera Path Tab

The Camera Path tab lets you create automated camera flyover paths for cinematic city tours.

Camera Path

Overview

Camera paths allow you to:

  • Create waypoints (checkpoints) on your city grid
  • Configure altitude, heading, and timing for each checkpoint
  • Play automated flyover sequences in the 3D scene
  • Control connected scenes remotely

Connected Scenes

The top section shows all 3D scenes currently connected to this layout:

Field Description
Scene ID Unique identifier (e.g., "Scene-927422")
Mode badge Current camera mode (Orbit/FPS/Flyover)
Path dropdown Currently active path
Timestamp Last heartbeat time
Flyover toggle Enable/disable flyover mode
Speed slider Adjust flyover speed (0.5x to 5x)

Scene Heartbeat Monitoring

The system tracks real-time connectivity for each scene:

  • Scenes send heartbeats every few seconds
  • The timestamp updates with each heartbeat
  • If no heartbeat is received for 60+ seconds, the scene is marked as potentially stale/disconnected
  • This helps identify viewers that may have lost connection

Multiple viewers

Multiple people can view the same layout simultaneously. Each appears as a separate connected scene.

Path Management

Creating a Path

  1. Click the + New button
  2. Enter a name for the path
  3. Click Create

Selecting a Path

Use the Path dropdown to select an existing path for editing.

Deleting a Path

Select a path and click the delete button (trash icon).

Checkpoint Grid

Checkpoint Editor

The grid represents your city layout. Click on cells to add checkpoints:

  1. Click a cell to add a checkpoint at that location
  2. Checkpoints appear numbered in sequence (1, 2, 3...)
  3. The camera will visit checkpoints in order during playback

Checkpoint Properties

For each checkpoint, configure:

Property Description
Altitude Height above ground (slider)
Heading Camera facing direction (compass: N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW)
Tilt Vertical camera angle (-90° to +90°)
Zoom Field of view (30-120°)
Transition Time to reach this checkpoint from previous (seconds)
Hold Time to pause at this checkpoint (seconds)

Reordering Checkpoints

Drag checkpoints in the timeline to reorder them.

Removing Checkpoints

Click the delete button on a checkpoint to remove it.

Path Timeline

The timeline at the bottom provides visual feedback for your path:

Timeline Display

  • Checkpoints appear as numbered circles in sequence
  • Blue segments represent transition time between checkpoints
  • Green segments represent hold/pause time at checkpoints
  • Total estimated duration is displayed (e.g., "12.5s total")

Timeline Interaction

  • Click a checkpoint circle to select it for editing
  • The selected checkpoint is highlighted
  • Drag checkpoints to reorder them

Loop Option

Each path has a Loop toggle:

  • Enabled: Path repeats continuously after reaching the last checkpoint
  • Disabled: Camera stops at the last checkpoint

Loop mode is useful for:

  • Monitoring displays that need continuous camera movement
  • Presentations that cycle through different views
  • Wall-mounted screens showing ongoing city overview

Flyover Playback

Starting Flyover

  1. Select a path with checkpoints
  2. Click the Flyover button on a connected scene
  3. The camera begins following the path

Stopping Flyover

Click the floating red Stop Camera button in the bottom-right corner.

Flyover Behavior

During flyover:

  • Camera smoothly transitions between checkpoints
  • Uses Catmull-Rom curve interpolation for smooth motion
  • Respects altitude, heading, and timing settings
  • Can enable free-look (click to look around while flying)

Camera Modes

The dropdown on each connected scene shows the current mode:

Mode Description
Orbit Standard rotation around city center
FPS First-person walking mode
Flyover Automated path following

You can switch modes remotely by selecting from the dropdown.

Use Cases

Demo Presentations

Create a smooth tour of your infrastructure:

  1. Start at an overview position (high altitude)
  2. Descend to feature important buildings
  3. Circle around key areas
  4. End at a dramatic angle

Monitoring Displays

Set up a looping path for wall displays:

  1. Create checkpoints covering all critical areas
  2. Set appropriate hold times
  3. Enable loop mode
  4. Leave running on a dashboard screen

Incident Response

Quickly navigate to problem areas:

  1. Create presets for critical zones
  2. Save camera positions
  3. Jump directly when alerts trigger