To change the active camera in the Blender timeline, you typically use timeline markers to specify which camera becomes active at a particular frame.
This process allows you to set up different camera views for various points in your animation, creating dynamic sequences and cuts between shots directly within the timeline.
Changing Cameras Using Timeline Markers
The standard and most flexible way to switch cameras at specific points in your animation is by binding cameras to markers on the timeline.
Here are the steps:
- Go to the Desired Frame: Navigate to the exact frame in the timeline where you want the camera switch to occur.
- Add a Marker: Press the M key on your keyboard while hovering over the timeline to add a new marker at the current frame.
- Select the Target Camera: In the 3D Viewport or the Outliner, select the specific camera object you want to make active from this frame onward.
- Bind Camera to Marker: With the camera selected and the marker still at the current frame, press Ctrl + B. This action binds the selected camera to the marker.
Blender will now automatically switch to the bound camera whenever the timeline playback reaches that specific marker's frame.
Example from Reference
As highlighted in the reference, if you wanted to switch to a camera named "Front Camera" at frame 100:
- Go to frame 100 in the timeline.
- Go to the Marker menu or press M to add a marker.
- Select the "Front Camera" object (e.g., in the Outliner).
- Press Ctrl + B to bind the "Front Camera" to the marker at frame 100.
From frame 100 onwards (until the next camera marker), the "Front Camera" will be the active camera when viewing through the camera perspective (Numpad 0).
Why Use Markers?
- Precise Control: Switch cameras exactly at the desired frame.
- Organization: Markers clearly indicate where camera cuts occur in your timeline.
- Flexibility: Easily move markers or re-bind cameras to change the timing or view of your shots.
By using markers, you can sequence multiple camera shots within a single Blender scene, essential for animating complex scenes or creating film-like sequences.
