vray camera target distance

[s_gru]

hello. for vray camera still cam, could you you give us the ability to type in a specific target distance while the "targeted" option is selected or deselected - make it always available to type in a distance.

[^Lele^]

That's a technical impossibility, as the target object is an actual geometric node, with its own transform and controllers: it can be placed at a specific distance once on creation, then the distance is inferred, not set.
That's why one can change the distance only when there is no target node (this is with any camera in Max, that i know of.).
If it was done to the camera target node, that'd result in issues trying to move the target.
You can possibly prepare a rig for yourself to test out how it'd work to hold a node a specific distance from the camera: it'd only work fine if there were no competing influences (f.e. manual repositioning, linking, and so on), but if there were, then it'd have to snap back to some position a set distance from the Camera.

You could do it backwards, and make the target-less camera orbit a node of your choice (say, a dummy) at a fixed distance.

[s_gru]

well when i create a max target camera, i can change the target distance from the camera without changing the point of view of the camera with a roller labeled Target Distance:

with a vray target camera, created the same way - clicking and dragging in the viewport, you have to uncheck the box for "targeted" then change the target distance, then re-check the box "targeted".

i see what you're saying though. unless i'm missing another option in the camera or during the creation of a vray physical camera? i seem to always end up with a camera target quite a distance away by using the create vray phys cam from view button. otherwise i guess it's just different way of doing it.

another thing though i wish i could reduce the grid in the 3 planes that display when the camera is created and/or selected. i think i read something on that before though that there was no customization for that.

EDIT: kind of the point is, if i can set a shorter distance on the target, when i then want to move the camera, the target becomes a pivot point for me. where as the vray camera's target is 40ft away and i want to move the camera but keep the same area of view (say an entry door) i'm not "pivoting" around a target that is so far away and rather i'm "pivoting" the camera on the door mat in front of the door. it's really down to extra clicks.

EDIT 2: and finally for whatever reason, when i try to un-check targeted then type in a distance other that whatever distance it chose on it's own when i created the camera, it jumps back to that defaulted distance! so i type in 5' and it jumps back to 32'8".