Working with Camera Cuts

Demonstrates how you can use multiple cameras with the Camera Cuts Track.

Choose your operating system:

Windows

macOS

Linux

Once you have content in your cinematic, you may want to shoot that content from different camera perspectives. In Sequencer, you can do this with the Camera Cuts Track and selecting which cameras to use at a given time in your scene.

In this example we will use the Camera Cuts Track to cycle between cameras as if two characters were talking to one another.

Steps

For this how-to, we are using the Blueprint Third Person Template project with Starter Content Enabled .

  1. In the viewport, select the ThirdPersonCharacter and Delete it from the level.
    cameras01.png
    This is the playable character if we were playing the game which we will not need for this example.

  2. In the Content Browser under Content > Mannequin > Character > Mesh , drag the SK_Mannequin into the level.
    CameraCuts_02.png

  3. Add a second SK_Mannequin to the Level and rotate it to face the first Mannequin.
    SecondCharacter.png
    We will shoot an example scene between these two mannequins and alternate camera perspectives from each mannequin.

  4. From the Main Tool Bar, click the Cinematics drop-down menu and select Add Level Sequence .
    CameraCuts_03.png

  5. Hold Ctrl and select both mannequins, then in Sequencer click + Track button and select Add Current Selection . CameraCuts_04.png

    This will add both Skeletal Mesh Actors to Sequencer which we can then animate.

  6. Add the ThirdPersonIdle for each by clicking the + Animation button on each Animation Track.
    CameraCuts_05.png
    Optionally, you can stretch out the idle animations to the length of the scene so they continue to idle.
    CameraCuts_06.png

  7. From the Place Actors panel in the Cinematic tab, drag a Cine Camera Actor into the level.
    CameraCuts_07.png

  8. Press Ctrl+Shift+P to Pilot the camera and position it over the shoulder of one mannequin.
    CameraCuts_08.png
    With the Right Mouse Button held and WASD you can fly around the level and view the perspective the camera will take. This makes it easier to frame up your shots exactly as you wish as you get a better indication of what it will look like.

    You can exit Pilot mode by click the Eject button.
    CameraCuts_09.png

  9. Add a second Cine Camera Actor and position it over the other Mannequin's shoulder.
    CameraCuts_10.png

  10. Hold Ctrl and select both cameras, then add them to Sequencer.
    CameraCuts_11.png
    When adding a camera to Sequencer, it will automatically add a Camera Cuts track and assign the first camera added as the default camera to use.
    CameraCuts_12.png
    You can also add a Camera Cuts track manually from the + Track option menu.
    CameraCuts_13.png
    Above the Camera Cuts track is grayed out as you can only have one Camera Cuts track assigned per Sequence.

  11. Move the Timeline Marker to frame 50 , then click the + Camera button and add the other camera.
    CameraCuts_14.png

  12. Move the Timeline Marker to frame 100 , then click the + Camera button and add the first camera.
    CameraCuts_15.png
    You should now have a sequence that starts with the first camera, switches to the second, then back to the first.
    CameraCuts_16.png

  13. Click the Lock Viewport to Camera Cuts button on the Camera Cuts Track .
    CameraCuts_16b.png
    This will tell the cinematic to use this track and its cameras to view the scene.

  14. Click the Preview Play button in the viewport to preview the scene.

End Result

During playback, you should see the camera perspective change to the two cameras used in the Camera Cuts Track.

In the video above, we also entered Game View ( G key in the viewport) to hide the cameras from being displayed during playback.

You can also use the Add Camera shortcut to add and assign a camera in a Camera Cuts Track in one click.

CameraCuts_17.png

Also, you will automatically enter Pilot Mode for the camera you added!

Help shape the future of Unreal Engine documentation! Tell us how we're doing so we can serve you better.
Take our survey
Dismiss