dof in maya

Ruz

How can I link the dof to the camera distance from a given object.
obviously if my camera is moving/ panning around I wnat to keep the
DOF consistent.
cheers for any help offered
I am sure there is some way of linking nodes together, but am not sure how

Firebert

just using the default camera DOF attribute?

quick and easy

- Create a camera and open up your DOF attribute
- Move your camera out away from your object and snap it to the grid.
- Create > Measure Tools > Distance Tool
- Snap the measure tool near the camera and then near the object
- Snap the first locator to the same point on the grid as the camera
- Snap the second locator to the object using live or to a vert
- Select your camera, measure locators distance dimension shape (the numerical output of your distance) in your scene
- Window > Hypergraph: Connections
- Show input/output connections
- Select your camera
- drag the distance dimension shape node and MMB drag it from the hypergraph into the focus distance of your camera in the attribute editor

make sure you drag the dimension shape, not the dimension translate

it's not deadballs accurate like using the HUD, but it's close within a few 100ths and is faster than going back and forth for inputs

Ruz

the attribute for 'focus distance' will vary, so i want to link this to the distance of the camera from the object

Firebert

so you want the focus distance to equal the distance from camera at all times correct? my brain is totally fried today man... sorry

Ruz

no probs man

Firebert

so is that step by step with the distance shape locators not what you were looking for?

Ruz

ah ok, I will got through that. cheers