Understanding Record Previews
Last Updated: December 30, 2024Record Previews Record Previews let you see which settings The View Keeper saves whenever a camera record or a view record is created. We’ve already discussed the two different tables earlier in the documentation, and during that , we mentioned the some settings are captured and stored. The Preview section is where you, the user, can check exactly what has been saved. These previews aren’t settings you can edit. They only show you what each record has stored. Because the Record Preview displays details for both camera records and view records, it’s divided into two sections. one for each table. As you might guess, each section shows what is stored by its respective table, since each table saves different information when a record is created. This distinction is important because it helps you know which record needs a refresh if you want to update its stored settings. In the next section, we’ll explore these two parts in more detail and break down exactly which Blender settings are captured and stored by each table.
Camera List Records
Last Updated: December 31, 2024Having explained what Record Previews are, let’s look at the specific settings stored by each table when a record is created, starting with the Camera List. When you add a camera to the table, The View Keeper captures a group of settings and saves them thereby making those settings unique to that camera. Typically, these are settings you’d find in Blender itself, but The View Keeper allows each camera to have its own configuration. For instance, instead of using the same settings throughout your project, you can assign different settings to different cameras, letting you render for specific needs without constantly reconfiguring. There are two main settings in Blender that get saved whenever a new Camera Record is created: Format Settings Format Settings are located in Blender’s Output Properties (the first set of options you see when you open the Output Properties panel). These settings control the dimensions of your renders, letting you choose a landscape format for platforms like YouTube, a vertical format for Instagram Reels or TikTok, or a square format for something like an ArtStation thumbnail. You can even crop your renders or specify a certain area to render. By default, Blender only lets you set one resolution at a time, meaning you’d have to render a frame, go back, adjust the settings, render again, and repeat until you get all the shots you need. A tedious process for those producing content for multiple platforms. With the Camera List Table in The View Keeper, you can store unique format settings (like resolutions) for each camera. For example, you can save one camera’s format for Instagram Reels (vertical) and another for YouTube (landscape), and then render both formats without constantly switching settings. Just remember to create or update the camera record whenever you change the format settings so your changes are saved. Output Settings Just like Format Settings, Output Settings are found in the Blender Scene Output Properties Panel (the last group of settings in that tab). These settings tell Blender where to save your file and in which format (e.g., PNG, JPEG, etc.). By default, you can only render to one location and format at a time. However, with The View Keeper’s Camera List Table, you can render from one camera record to one folder and with one file format, and another camera record to a different folder and a different file format. Keep in mind there’s some extra context needed to ensure multi-format and multi-location rendering works correctly. We’ll cover that in the Animation/Multi-Rendering and Alternative Rendering sections.
View List Records
Last Updated: December 31, 2024Just like the Camera List Record Preview, the View List Record Preview shows which settings are saved when a View Record is created. However, the Camera List Records capture scene-wide settings like format and output, while View List Records focus on the camera settings themselves. These include: Camera Transform Settings These are simply the camera’s position, rotation, and scale. The View Keeper records these values when you create a View Record, ensuring you can always return to that exact viewpoint. In Blender, you’ll find these settings under the Object Properties panel or the Item tab in the N-panel, but by default, you can’t save and revisit them at will. Thanks to the View List Table in The View Keeper, you can now do exactly that. Camera Lens Settings These refer to the camera lens settings, which you’ll find under the Camera Data Properties when a camera is selected. These settings determine the lens type used for each render. When a View Record is created, The View Keeper saves these lens settings as well, ensuring you can come back to the exact same lens configuration. This lets you store different lens settings for different views, all on a single camera. Camera Sensor Settings These are the camera sensor settings, found under Camera Data Properties. They control the camera’s sensor fit and size. However, with The View Keeper, you can create View Records that save different sensor settings for each view, letting you use a single camera for multiple configurations instead of duplicating or adding new cameras. Camera Viewport Display Settings These refer to the viewport settings found under Camera Data Properties, including composition guides. When you create a View Record, these settings are also captured and saved, ready for you to use later. Camera Depth of Field Settings As the name suggests, these are the camera depth of field settings found in the Camera Data Properties. When a View Record is created, these settings get captured and saved as well. By default, a camera only has one depth of field setting, but with the View List Table in The View Keeper, you can save as many DOF configurations as you need and switch between them anytime.