How to align VrayPhysicalCamera to standard camera?

[davision]

I used to use the align tool to get a VrayPhysicalCamera to match a standard camera. It's been a while but I recall that it worked well (using Pivot point, not Center in the align tool). Maybe it wasn't perfect though, I can't remember.

Regardless, I'm trying to do this now and it's not working. There is a rotational difference when I align them with the Align tool and choose all 3 rotation axes.

Even if I skip the align tool and manually enter the identical World rotation values for the VrayPhysicalCamera, it doesn't work.

Why won't these line up?

[Neilg]

go to your standard camera, press p, create a physical camera, press ctrl&c

[davision]

Thanks, that's an interesting trick -- I didn't know Ctrl C would move a phys camera. Just thought it would create a new standard one.

But I'd still like to know while old fashioned align won't work.

[tashko.zashev]

Align tool should work in this case as well. I made a test and the render view is identical from both cameras.
Just make sure that Lens and FOV settings are the same.

[AbeMata]

The problem may be a targeted standard camera. If there is a target to your standard cam, does removing the target help the align issues?

[Macker]

Some nice tips here. I tend to turn on 3D snaps and have the set to Pivot points, then just click & drag a new vrayphysicalcam over the top of the max camera & its target. Works every time for me, only problem being (as previously mentioned) is that you have to set the fov/focal length to match, etc.

[Svetlozar Draganov]

3DSmax Align tool doesn't provide an option to align camera roll angle.
Camera's rotation is locked to it's target and that's why it is not possible to copy manually x,y,z rotations or to catch them via align tool.
The only option except the one proposed by cubiclegangster is to align Vray Camera to Standard camera and them copy Roll-parameter from standard camera and paste it in Vray cam - or to disable cam-targets for both cameras, then align tool should do the work without any extra efforts.

[Sliver_Creations]

Why would you want to align the physical camera when you can set exposure controls to always use the settings of your vray cam even if you rendering perceptive or a regular cam? This way there's no fuss whit roll and such.

[Svetlozar Draganov]

There are some parameters like Depth Of Field / Motion Blur etc which couldn't be simulated with 3DSMax Camera.

[AbeMata]

We did manage to find matching motion blur settings between the physical and standard camera:

Phys Cam
360
0
Standard
1
.5


Phys Cam
180
90
Standard
.5
.5

Does not appear to be a straight linear interpretation but for the above settings we found they matched.

[WimOos]

Make the vraycamera a free camera (deselect target in modifier panel) and then press Ctrl+C. Works great!

[stevesideas]

There is a vray camera script here if it's of any use.