---
title: "Camera Path"
slug: "cyclone-3dr-camerapathc"
updated: 2026-09-07T11:51:31Z
published: 2026-09-07T11:51:31Z
canonical: "rcdocs.leica-geosystems.com/cyclone-3dr-camerapathc"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://rcdocs.leica-geosystems.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Camera Path

![CmdCameraPath.svg](https://cdn.document360.io/820e11db-8ed5-45ae-ac86-f6b77dcb2aa7/Images/Documentation/CmdCameraPath.svg)

This command duplicates a selected polyline (or trajectory) and transforms it into a camera path. You can then create virtual visits in the 3D scene with specific targets and control the animation duration. Once the animation is set, you can export the result into a video.

> [!TIP]
> ### Requirements
> 
> Select an existing polyline (or trajectory) and launch the command.
> 
> Edit a camera path or create a video using an existing camera path using the command again the command, the [Contextual Menu](https://hexagon.atlassian.net/wiki/display/RCD/ContextualMenu), or by double-click on the element.

---

1. **Animation setup:** .
  1. Set the video duration with **Camera path duration**. It will define the shifting speed.
  2. **Smooth the camera path** option will smooth the trajectory to make the movement more continuous.
  3. **Display camera path during the animation**: if checked, the polyline used to generate the camera path will be visible during the animation or the video generation.
  4. **Play in loop**: if checked, the animation will be played in loop if the polyline is closed or back and forth if not.
2. **Camera state in the video**: choose to create the video in perspective or orthographic mode. If you want to simulate a movement inside the 3D scene, select **Perspective**. Otherwise, select **Orthographic** (for instance, to turn around the object).
3. **Camera setup**:
  1. With the **Camera Up vector** button of this frame, the up vector of the camera can be specified. Once the camera is correctly oriented, you just have to click on the button **Use Current** to redefine the camera up vector. The 3DReshaper camera mode must be activated and the “Use Reference Vector” icon disabled.
  2. The button **Add / Edit** can be used to add, modify or suppress targets. During the animation, you can specify a point to target. To do this you have to:
    1. Move the slider where you want to add a target.
    2. Click on the Add / Edit button.
    3. Click on the point you want to target or press ENTER to reuse the last target.
    4. To modify an existing target, you just have to move the slider on the frame where the target is defined and click on Add / Edit. If you click on a point, the target will be updated. However, if you press **Backspace**, the target will be removed.
  3. The button **Zoom factor**, **Use current** is available only when the camera is in ortho. It fixes the zoom factor of camera for the whole animation.
  4. The **Depth** parameter allows you to define a slice thickness (like limit plane) so that everything behind this distance is hidden.
4. Optionally, display **the advanced parameters** to allow:
  1. Adding or hiding a **logo**. It will be visible on the bottom left of the screen during the recording.
  2. Setting a custom resolution. You can lock and unlock the image ratio with ![Group.svg](https://cdn.document360.io/820e11db-8ed5-45ae-ac86-f6b77dcb2aa7/Images/Documentation/Group.svg) and ![Ungroup.svg](https://cdn.document360.io/820e11db-8ed5-45ae-ac86-f6b77dcb2aa7/Images/Documentation/Ungroup.svg) .
5. **Animation playback**:
  1. The slider offers the possibility to navigate quickly in the animation.
  2. The buttons labeled by < and > move respectively the slider one second backward or one second forward.
  3. Moreover, the buttons << and >> jump directly to the previous or next target (if exist).
  4. The current time in the animation is then displayed in the text box just below the slider.
  5. The animation can be played by pressing ![Play.svg](https://cdn.document360.io/820e11db-8ed5-45ae-ac86-f6b77dcb2aa7/Images/Documentation/Play.svg) or recorded by pressing ![Play.svg](https://cdn.document360.io/820e11db-8ed5-45ae-ac86-f6b77dcb2aa7/Images/Documentation/Play.svg) . When the record button is pressed, a dialog box appears to enter the filename and then to choose the format.

> [!WARNING]
> ### Notes
> 
> 1. Targets:
>   - By default, the camera orientation is guided by the path tangents.
>   - You can click onto the polyline if you want to orient the camera along the path.
>   - If only one target is set, the camera will stay focused on the clicked point.
> 2. Dedicated shortcuts, when the slider is focused:
>   - **Left/Right** arrow to move one frame backward/forward.
>   - **PageUp/PageDown** to move one second backward/forward.
>   - **Home/End** to move to the beginning/end of the animation.
> 3. If the 3D scene is focused, you can press the **space** bar to enter into the free-fly camera mode. Press the **space** bar again to return into the camera view.