Ok. Finally got round to implementing Virtual Axes for Mantis. Virtual Axes mode involves real time calculation of compensating axes so a boom rig can be jogged and programmed as though it were a linear XYZ rig. Anyone who has ever worked with a boom rig will understand how frustrating it can be to program certain moves. At it's most basic - it means when you want to go up or down, or left to right in a straight line, you can do this by jogging a single axis without constantly adjusting other axes...

The implementation is simple. Just enter the boom length and the camera head offset and go...

Here is a demo showing comparative results using the same start and end keys in standard real axes and virtual modes...

Verry effective! As an avid watcher of the 'extras' on LOTR, Hobbit and other DVDs I can see this saving a lot of time rigging dolly shots for those linear moves. Does Sir Peter Jackson ever log into Timescapes?

Kit

On LOTR and King Kong there was Kuper Motion Control software running on DOS machines...

It had Virtual axes since the 90's - so just playing catch up now...

Klim in Kazakhstan tests out virtual axes on his immaculate rig... :



It also shot this new spot recently -

WOW Thats a really useful feature! I love it.

The one where the camera comes straight toward you really shows off what its doing.