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00:00:00
Victor Stepanov: This is a beginner,
Blender Python exercise, where we'll go00:00:03
over how to make a camera track and empty.00:00:06
And at the end of the video, I'll
go over a couple more exercises00:00:10
to solidify your knowledge.00:00:12
Hey, I'm Victor Stepanov.00:00:14
I'll be guiding you through this
beginner Blender Python exercise.00:00:18
Today's video was inspired by one of
the comments left in my previous videos.00:00:23
Thank you.00:00:24
Crazy Fanatic, Man, for
suggesting this topic.00:00:28
Let's get straight into the
tutorial, uh, or we're going to00:00:31
go into the scripting workspace.00:00:34
And we will need to add a timeline
right below the 3d viewport, and because00:00:40
we're going to do a bit of animation.00:00:44
All right.00:00:45
So leave it like, so I'm going to hit
new right here to, uh, create a new.00:00:52
Next to save some time.00:00:54
I'm gonna copy over some comments for us.00:00:57
Uh, so we can follow them along.00:01:00
The idea here is pretty straightforward.00:01:03
We're going to add a row of cubes.00:01:06
We're gonna add a camera.00:01:07
We're going to add a empty, we're going
to animate the empty's location and we're00:01:12
gonna make a camera track, uh, the empty.00:01:16
The first thing that we usually do.00:01:17
And any Blender Python script is
we import, uh, bpy uh, at the top,00:01:25
this is a, a module, a Python module that.00:01:29
Python access to Blenders functionality,
meaning that it allows Python to press00:01:35
Blender's, buttons, or execute some
of the commands that Blender can do.00:01:40
Next we're going to set up some parameters
that help us control the script.00:01:46
For example, uh, we're gonna
set, uh, the cube, uh, counts,00:01:52
and I want to add 10, uh, cubes.00:01:56
So I'm going to put, uh, I'm going to
create a variable and set the value to 10.00:02:01
I'm also gonna set the frame count.00:02:06
And set that to, uh, 300.00:02:09
Uh, so right now this is just a variable.00:02:12
It's not set.00:02:13
It's not actually doing
anything, uh, or Bunder right.00:02:17
to set the frame count.00:02:19
I'm going to go here and
just move this a bit.00:02:23
And right here, below in the
interactive, sorry, in the info00:02:26
panel, we can see a command that set.00:02:29
Uh, the frame count, right?00:02:32
I'm going to copy this just right here.00:02:35
And I'm going to replace,
uh, this variable that we00:02:38
said and set it right here.00:02:41
All right. I'm going to just clear everything from
the scene by hitting A, X and then delete.00:02:46
And then I'm going to
just run this script.00:02:50
So after I want to watch how the
number of frames change, all right.00:02:56
Uh, you can see that after I.00:02:58
The only thing that changed and
our project right here is just00:03:02
the number of frames in the scene.00:03:05
Next, we want to add a
row of cubes to do that.00:03:08
Let's first add a cube into the scene.00:03:11
Uh, we're going to do that by hovering
over the 3d viewport and hitting00:03:15
shift a to bring up the add menu.00:03:18
And I'm just going to select a cube,
uh, with this, uh, I told Blender to00:03:24
add a cube and we can see the command.00:03:28
Oh, we can do in Python,
right in the info panel.00:03:31
I'm just going to copy this right
here and paste it right here.00:03:37
I'm going to remove everything,
all these parameters except00:03:41
the location, uh, and the size.00:03:45
Maybe we can update that later.00:03:49
All right. So, um, Uh, select everything by hitting
and delete everything by heading A X00:03:55
and then delete and run the script.00:03:57
And we get our queue back, but we
want a row of cubes on the Y axis.00:04:03
So we need to have a, we need
to use a four loop to do that.00:04:08
Right. We can. Of course, um, And do something like
this by just copying a number of these,00:04:14
uh, statements and then, uh, maybe
updating the Y coordinate like, so,00:04:20
and, uh, this will get us somewhere,
but it's not going to get us far.00:04:26
Let's actually create a loop.00:04:28
So it's, uh, for, uh, I in range.00:04:33
And then.00:04:35
I'm going to indent.00:04:37
So I'm hitting tab two and
den telling a Python in that00:04:41
everything under this indentation.00:04:43
So we can have multiple lines.00:04:45
This'll be repeated.00:04:46
Uh, however many times I
put, uh, here in the range.00:04:50
So in this case, I'm going to
use a queue count and I'm gonna00:04:54
just use this variable here.00:04:57
What's clear the scene, uh,
and then run the script.00:05:02
So at this point, uh, you think
that everything it's just doing the00:05:07
same thing, but actually if we look
into the outliner, it's adding a00:05:10
number of cubes right into the same.00:05:13
Place right.00:05:15
Uh, this is, uh, not great
because they're all overlapping.00:05:19
Let's try to fix that.00:05:20
And, uh, let's select
everything and clear.00:05:24
I'm going to use this
eye variable right here.00:05:28
And gets updated on each iteration of
the loop, uh, at, uh, you can go into00:05:34
the F interact Python console, right here
and see how, uh, this I can get updated.00:05:43
So you can see it's
going from zero to nine.00:05:46
Uh, and, uh, I'm going to F I think that
let's, uh, just use this right here.00:05:51
Uh, as the, as the Y coordinate, let's
run the script and, uh, you can see that.00:05:59
There is a, some like cubes
are getting added, but, uh,00:06:03
they are overlapping, right?00:06:05
So this is not what we want to see.00:06:09
So we need to add some
spacing, so, oh, let's go back.00:06:13
Uh, and let's maybe multiply this by two.00:06:18
So.00:06:20
Well, let's rerun that.00:06:21
Okay.00:06:22
This is giving us a bit more, uh, uh,
space, but it's still, uh, I'd like some00:06:29
more breathing room, uh, for these coops.00:06:32
I'm going to set this value right here.00:06:36
Two, three.00:06:37
So let's check out what
that's going to do, uh, right.00:06:42
You can see that, uh, this is.00:06:45
Spacing the cubes nicely right here.00:06:48
And I'm going to leave it at that.00:06:52
I'm actually going to, uh, create,
um, location offsets variable.00:07:01
Right? So maybe in the future, we
would want to update this.00:07:05
I'm going to move this three right
here, uh, and put it right here.00:07:17
Okay, next, we need to add our
empty and I'm going to do this.00:07:21
I'm going to get the code for the
empty, the same way we did with a cube.00:07:26
I'm going to hover over the 3d viewport
and had shift a and then, uh, hit a plane.00:07:33
Get a plain Axis empty.00:07:36
Uh, all right.00:07:37
I got added right here.00:07:41
And, uh, the code, uh, was, uh,
added to the info panel right here.00:07:48
I'm going to just paste this, right?00:07:51
Like, so actually we can just delete all
the parameters that are getting passed in.00:07:57
Uh, and they're giving
me just set to default.00:08:01
Next we need to create a variable.00:08:03
That's going to allow us to
access the parameters and set00:08:07
the properties of this object.00:08:10
And to do that, we'll need to grab
the currently active object in the00:08:16
interactive Python and console.00:08:18
What's uh, Check out the context
and then the active object.00:08:26
Right?
So this is a, the currently active object.00:08:30
And I'm going to use that to create
a new variable and call it empty.00:08:34
I'm just going to copy this right below.00:08:38
I'm going to call this object empty.00:08:41
And now, uh, with this, we'll be able
to, uh, use this variable right here00:08:46
to do the location animation of the.00:08:51
So next we need to
animate location property.00:08:55
So all the objects, uh, in
blender have a location property.00:09:00
Uh, we can use that like, so, so
let me just do the same thing here00:09:06
in the interact five and console.00:09:08
So I'm going to create a variable empty.00:09:11
Uh, see if I just, uh, just, uh, enter
that it gives me that object, uh, and it00:09:18
has the location, uh, property, and to
get these previews that I'm getting right00:09:24
here, I just type a bit and then hit tab.00:09:27
And that, uh, kind of shows me the POS
possibilities that, uh, I can like enter00:09:33
in this interactive Python console.00:09:35
So the current location.00:09:37
Uh, is that, and let's, uh, just
maybe change the Z location.00:09:44
I'm going to set it to zero and
you can see that the location00:09:47
of the empty got updated.00:09:50
Uh, like, so, so, um, we're gonna
want to animate this and, uh, to00:09:57
anime, we need to add a key frame.00:10:00
So, uh, we need to add a key frame.00:10:05
And then insert.00:10:06
When you're entering a function name,
you can hit tab and get a full, uh,00:10:11
documentation string about, uh, what
you need to pass in to this function.00:10:15
And this is what I'm doing right here.00:10:17
So I really need the, uh, set
the data path and I'll be, uh,00:10:22
using this frame right here.00:10:25
So I'm just gonna copy
this, um, pasted right here.00:10:30
And for the data path, I'm going
to be using a location or here,00:10:35
like this location is going to
be the name of the data path.00:10:39
I'm going to put the quotes around it,
um, making it a text or like a string,00:10:45
uh, and I'm going to use, uh, the frame.00:10:49
Uh, to insert, uh, to insert, uh, the key
frame at a particular frame that I want.00:10:57
So in this case, I want to insert in the
first frame, uh, and let's actually delete00:11:02
everything and let's rerun a script.00:11:08
All right. Uh, so I'm gonna move this
cube and here's our empty.00:11:14
You can see, we have a key
frame set at frame one.00:11:19
Uh, now let's do the same time.00:11:21
I'm just going to copy this and use
the frame count and set that like, so00:11:30
now let's rerun, let's lead
everything in rerun script.00:11:34
Uh, and as you can see, we're actually
we've selected a, the, um, All right.00:11:40
It's the last thing that we're adding.00:11:42
So you could see already that
there's two key frames, one at the,00:11:48
uh, frame one and one at frame 300.00:11:52
That's great. Now I want to move the
empty along the Y access.00:11:56
I'm going to do something similar to this.00:12:00
I'm just going to copy the
location modification code.00:12:03
Just paste it underneath here.00:12:05
I'm going to change the why.00:12:07
So when we inserted the first
frame, uh, the location of the00:12:11
empty is at the center of the scene.00:12:14
And, uh, when we, before we
insert the second key frame, we00:12:18
want to change that location.00:12:21
So I'm going to just use, uh,
the location offset and I'm going00:12:28
to multiply that by the number.00:12:31
Of cubes.00:12:33
So let's just do that.00:12:35
I'm going to delete everything
and a rerun the script.00:12:41
So let's make this a bit bigger.00:12:44
You can see that, uh,
the empty right here.00:12:47
So after generating everything
is at the last frame, right?00:12:50
It's like the last thing we, uh, move the
empty and then we set the last key frame.00:12:56
So as soon as I press space, it's gonna.00:12:58
Teleport right here.00:13:00
And you can see how it's going through all
of these cubes animating along the Y axis.00:13:10
All right.00:13:12
Alright, the next thing that we
need to do is add the camera into00:13:16
the scene and you guessed it.00:13:18
We're going to do it the same way that
we did for the cube and the empty.00:13:22
I'm going to hover over the 3d
viewport at shift a and then,00:13:26
uh, find the camera and just.00:13:29
Like, so it gets added to
the center of the scene.00:13:32
So if I pick up this cube, I can,
I'm moving the cube by hitting G00:13:36
and then, uh, moving out of the way.00:13:39
So here's our camera.00:13:42
And, uh, now we can, uh, get the code
and it's going to be the code for this,00:13:48
uh, for adding a camera into the scene is
going to be in the info panel down below.00:13:54
I've already moved a couple of things.00:13:55
So I need to scroll a bit up.00:13:58
So here we go.00:13:59
It's a object camera.00:14:00
Add in a copy, this and
paste it right here.00:14:07
I'm going to just remove, again, all the
parameters I'm going to be set to default.00:14:12
Uh, I'm going to copy this,
getting the active object.00:14:15
So as soon as you add anything
into blender, uh, the, that becomes00:14:20
the currently active object.00:14:21
In this case, it's going to be our camera.00:14:25
I'm also gonna use, uh, the same, um,
method we use to set the location.00:14:33
So I'm gonna set the camera's
location on the X, Y, and Z.00:14:39
So I'm going to change.00:14:41
Like so, So I'm going to set a X, two
15, a Z to a two, and I'm going to00:14:52
try to put the camera in the middle.00:14:54
So it's going to be,
uh, this offset, right.00:14:59
And then just divided by two.00:15:02
All right. Let's lead everything from the
scene or you run the script and00:15:07
let's see where the camera is.00:15:10
So it is right here, right?00:15:13
It's you can see how it could be
tracking, uh, this empty right now.00:15:18
It's looking down.00:15:20
We haven't really said anything.00:15:21
We haven't rotated it.00:15:23
So this is as expected.00:15:25
Let's come back.00:15:27
Alright. The only thing that's left for
us to do is add the constraint.00:15:30
They'll track the empty for us.00:15:33
I'm going to select the camera.00:15:34
Well, it's already selected and go into
the constraints right here, add a new00:15:41
constraint and I'm going to suck to track.00:15:45
Uh, and then I'm just
gonna type in the empty.00:15:50
To that we're going to use to track.00:15:52
And you can see already that this,
uh, seeing got updated and the00:15:57
camera's looking already at the empty.00:16:00
So let's, uh,00:16:03
let's scroll to the very bottom and
let's copy these two lines right here.00:16:10
Let's copy that.00:16:12
And let's replace this part
right here with the camera.00:16:19
And, uh, this is going to
add the constraint, right?00:16:22
And then we're going to set the
constraint, like what target we're going00:16:26
to be tracking here is going to be,
uh, it's going to just use this empty,00:16:30
but in reality, we can use this, uh,
variable right here that we created and00:16:34
it's going to result in the same thing.00:16:36
So I'm just going to paste that, uh, and.00:16:40
Let's clear the scene and let's rerun
the script and you can see it's already,00:16:48
the camera's already tracking that empty.00:16:52
Uh, you can look at this, right?00:16:54
The constraint was added and the
empty, oh, as set as the target, as we.00:17:02
All right.00:17:03
Let's now hover over the 3d
viewport and press control space.00:17:08
Uh, and we can actually, uh, press
the zero on the numb pad and I'm00:17:13
going to press space to start the
animation and you can see them.00:17:18
Uh, the camera is tracking our
empty going through all these cubes.00:17:31
And if you're learning something
new today or just enjoying this00:17:34
video, make sure to hit the light,
but it will help me tremendously.00:17:38
All right.00:17:39
And as promised the exercises to solidify
your knowledge for the first exercise, I00:17:45
want you to update the code of this script
and make the camera move with the empty.00:17:51
So it's going to look something like this.00:17:55
So go ahead and try this
on your own positive video.00:17:59
And after you and pause, I'll
explain how I would have done.00:18:03
All right to achieve that result.00:18:06
I would have done the following.00:18:08
Uh, I would just delete
this or comment this out.00:18:11
So we're going to be moving
the camera along with empty.00:18:15
Now I'm just going to copy this
code that we already have for the.00:18:20
And it pays to right underneath
here, and I'm going to change00:18:24
the variable that we use for them
team and set it to the camera.00:18:30
Right.00:18:31
And let's see how that looks.00:18:33
I'm going to delete everything.00:18:36
I'm going to rerun the script.00:18:39
And let's take a closer look.00:18:42
And as you can see now, the camera
is moving along with the empty.00:18:51
All right.00:18:52
And for your second exercise, I want you
to try to achieve this scene right here.00:19:00
Pause the video now
and try it on your own.00:19:04
Alright to achieve that scene.00:19:06
Uh, it's pretty straightforward
instead of, uh, moving, uh, the00:19:10
empty, uh, along instead of animating
the empty, uh, we're just going00:19:14
to set the location of the empty.00:19:16
So I'm just going to comment this right
here and we're just going to copy it.00:19:23
The location of the camera
from our original scene.00:19:29
So let's delete everything
and rerun the script.00:19:35
so, as you can see, the camera is
animating and our tracking them to that's00:19:43
in the middle of these rows of cube.00:19:47
I plan to make another video that
will transform this code right00:19:51
here and add some functions.00:19:53
We're starting to work with more code
here, and I really want you to start00:19:58
getting used to creating functions.00:20:00
So that's what we're going
to do in the next video.00:20:04
Make sure to subscribe
for more videos like this.00:20:07
Thank you so much for watching.Description:
In this video, we will go over a Python script that sets up a camera to track an empty. Final code: https://gist.github.com/CGArtPython/c4f91fc13d025c1b0a61476dcf81891e 00:00 - Intro 00:27 - Setup Workspace 00:52 - Go over the steps 01:24 - Start writing the script 02:17 - Set the frame count 03:06 - Create a row of cubes 07:16 - Add empty 10:00 - Animate the empty's location 13:16 - Add camera 15:32 - Add a constraint to track the empty 17:33 - Exercise #1 18:52 - Exercise #2 19:47 - Outro Intro Music Fiery Trails - Silent Partner Background Music Where To - Birocratic Outro Music Geographer - Easy Shake
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