Align View (Add-on) is not placing a camera.

[Anonymous]

I have known about this feature for a long time, but now that I actually need it, I can't get it to work.

Select the image, draw the points, put the z-values in the dialog, click OK--nothing.

Suspend groups--nothing.

Camera tool on--nothing.

Place a camera, select it--nothing.

I read the manual carefully. I think I understand the instructions.

So what am I doing wrong?

Using v9 on OSX.

Any ideas?

[Anonymous]

I really need some help here--got a client chompin' at the bit for this rendering.

The client has provided me with a photo of a typically hilly San Francisco street and he wants his proposed building superimposed on it.

So, I've placed the photo in ArchiCAD plan view, selected it, did the "align view" command from the image menu, did the six clicks per the manual,
Align View dialog comes up and I put in the heights, click OK, and wait for a camera to appear to give me the right perspective. Well, the camera does not appear. I go to the 3D window thinking maybe that's what they mean by "camera" and it's not even close (even though the picture in the manual shows an actual camera in plan view).

Using ArchiCAD v9 on a 1.6 Ghz G5 Mac (OS 10.3.9)

Instinct tells me I'm missing one vital step here. Is there someone out there who routinely uses this command and can set me straight? I'm not too proud to beg.

[TomWaltz]

I can't say. I've tried it a few times, but gave up and eye-balled the view instead.

[Anonymous]

Wow! If Tom Waltz can't make it work, it just doesn't work. I've tried eye-balling it, and finally gave up. There are too many variables (well, six if you don't count the sun settings in the perspective settings dialog). I feel like I'm trying to open a safe with a combination lock and guessing at the numbers).

If I put the image in as a background in the 3D window, then select the front wall and roof only of my building, then set my 3D to wireframe, then carefully wiggle around in the 3D navigator, I can get sort of close, but I can still tell it's off. I just had this little fantasy that I might be able to set the camera exactly. It's quite important that I don't misrepresent what we're doing here in litigious California.

If it wasn't a steep street with buildings of all different heights and front walls that don't quite align, and a hilly horizon, etc. I would have a better chance of eye-balling it.

[Dwight]

I have also had the "no camera placed" situation. Can't figure it. However, when it does place a camera, it isn't perfectly accurate.

It's off because of:

-- subtle camera distortion in the photo.
-- me not zooming in to find the exact center of the target pixel.

The camera inserter works fine when you insert a rendered image into a rendered image, not a photo. I proved this five years ago in "Illustration in ArchiCAD."

As for matching real sun angle and color in your rendering, you can learn how to integrate context and rendering starting on page 178 of "LightWorks in Archicad."

Buy my book.

[Anonymous]

I often find that these fancy automatic tools take longer to get them to "automatically" do something than to just jigger it by hand. In this case (to paraphrase Duke Ellington) if it looks good it is good. Just get it close enough and touch it up if necessary.

Remember that you can composite the rendering with the photo on different layers in Photoshop the "old fashioned" way (like my grandpappy did it) and skew parts until it looks right. This is a good reason to also get Dwight's classic "Illustration in ArchiCAD". Lots of good tricks there.

[Dwight]

I agree. The Align View tool is obviously a response to a competitor's product. Designers should have a good sense of the three-dimensional. With OpenGL and Archicad's navigation in 3D, "walking" a model into place against a background image is easily learned. [Even better in Archicad 10]

"Illustration in ArchiCAD" has many tricks, but most of them are supplented with expanded examination in "LightWorks in Archicad." And, look! You can actually GET "LightWorks in Archicad."

[Anonymous]

Well it's unanimous. I do appreciate everyone's input on this. I guess the good news is I wasn't doing anything wrong (that's never happened before). I'll get Dwight's book. Has he published anything yet on salamander juggling? I mean, for the novice.

[Dwight]

1: Always start a juggling session with fresh salamanders.

2: Even talented salamander jugglers have difficulty getting beyond three at once.

[Anonymous]

Are you allowed to sedate them, or is that considered cheating?

Is it possible to start out with a more tactile amphibian until you get the hang of it?

Does one wear special attire for this sport? Pads, helmets, etc.

So much to learn--I fear I just don't have the discipline. Am I kidding myself here? Could I ever be a contender?