Blender | Camera Controller Addon (Create Realistic Camera Movements)

⚠️ Please:

If your device does not support the rotation system, do not give a bad review, it is a limitation of your hardware, not the addon, so help reporting by email to improve the compatibility list. Thank you.

Introduction to the Application/Add-on

Blender Camera Controller is an add-on designed for artists and studios that need to generate realistic camera movements. By using your smartphone, you can simulate camera movements as if you were holding a real camera, creating extremely realistic shakes in real-time, without the need for tracking. These movements are based on actual data captured from your phone and can be recorded in real-time, baking them as keyframes in your animation.

The app also allows you to move the camera using two joysticks: one controls forward, sideways, and backward movements, while the other controls the camera’s height. Additionally, with the option to send rotation/movement data from the active camera, you can direct the camera’s orientation while using the joysticks to generate translations.

You can also create keyframes in your scene at specific points in the animation and use your phone to generate only the camera’s rotational movements. This is a highly useful feature, but due to Blender’s limitations, there might be some lag when recording the movements. This is an issue within Blender itself, and I plan to report it to see if a developer can find a solution. However, once baked, these lags will no longer be visible.

Blender Camera Controller - Beta 4 User Manual

What Do I Need to Know About My Phone's Hardware Before Using It?

SensorManager API Compatibility

This application uses Android's SensorManager API, which provides various rotation positions of your device based on data metrics. The app captures this data and converts it into real-time camera movements. Unfortunately, this feature is not available on all devices, only modern mid-to-high-end phones support it. Therefore, you will need to download and test the app on your device.

World Tracking Compatibility (NEW)

Beta 4 introduces World Tracking, which uses your phone's advanced tracking capabilities (ARCore/similar technologies) to provide real-world position tracking. This feature requires:

• A device with ARCore support or equivalent tracking technology
• Good lighting conditions for optimal tracking quality
• The Plus version for unlimited usage (Demo version provides 15-second trials)

High-Speed Network

The recommended networks for use are Wi-Fi 5+ or USB Tethering from Android. By disabling your computer's network and enabling USB Tethering, you can create a high-speed wired local connection. However, this method requires your smartphone to remain physically connected via a USB cable.

How to Install

Downloading and Installing (Official Version Available on Gumroad Only)

a) Download the add-on to your computer and install it in Blender.
b) After installation, it will appear in Blender's sidebar under the name Camera Controller. Click this tab and then select "Start Server".
c) If everything works correctly, a QR Code will be generated.
d) With the application installed on your phone, scan the QR Code or manually enter the IP and Port. When you open the app for the first time, a warning message will inform you whether your phone supports the SensorManager API.

How to Use

1) Main Control Buttons

Upon connecting, you will find several central buttons:

"ENABLE ROTATION" (Sensor Manager)

• Uses your phone's rotation sensors to control camera rotation
• Only available if your device supports SensorManager API
• Can be used independently or combined with other features

"WORLD TRACKING" (NEW)

• Revolutionary feature that tracks your real-world position
• Provides 6DOF (6 degrees of freedom) movement
• Shows tracking quality indicator (Excellent/Good/Medium/Bad)
• Demo version: 15-second trials with purchase prompts
• Plus version: Unlimited usage

"ENABLE WALK"

• Activates joystick controls for camera movement
• Enables additional features like keyframe insertion
• Works with or without World Tracking

2) Advanced Settings Panel (NEW)

Click the Settings button to access comprehensive controls:

World Tracking Settings (when enabled)

• Scale Adjustment: Control how real-world movements translate to Blender (1.0 = real-world scale, up to 20x amplification)
• Smooth Filter Settings:
  • Min Cutoff: Lower values = smoother but slower response (0.1-5.0)
  • Beta: Higher values = more responsive to fast movements (0.001-0.1)

Lock Camera Height

• Lock Height Button: Prevents vertical camera movement
• Height Input Field: Set specific camera height when locked
• Real-time height adjustment with debounced updates

Movement Controls

• Acceleration Factor: Adjust movement speed sensitivity (0.01-10.0)
• Inertia Duration: Control smoothing of joystick movements (100-3000ms)

3) Enhanced Joystick Navigation

When "ENABLE WALK" is active:

• Left Joystick: Horizontal movement (forward/backward/left/right)
• Right Slider: Vertical movement (up/down)
• World Tracking Integration: When both Walk and World Tracking are enabled, combines joystick input with real-world position tracking

4) Keyframe Management (NEW)

When Walk Mode is enabled, additional keyframe controls appear:

• Insert Location Keyframe: Add keyframes at current timeline position
• Delete Location Keyframe: Remove keyframes at current timeline position
• Note: These features require the Plus version

5) Reset and Control Options

• Reset Rotation: Resets rotation baseline
• Reset Position: Resets position baseline
• Undo: Reverts last action
• Camera Toggle: Switch to active camera view or exit camera mode

6) Comprehensive Timeline Controls

The timeline system provides full synchronization with Blender:

Real-time Synchronization

• Automatically syncs with Blender's timeline
• Detects playback state (playing/paused)
• Shows current frame, start frame, and end frame

Interactive Controls

• Timeline Start: Jump to first frame
• Backward Keyframe: Navigate to previous keyframe
• Reverse Play: Play timeline in reverse
• Play/Pause: Control timeline playback
• Forward Keyframe: Navigate to next keyframe
• Timeline Forward: Jump to last frame

Keyframe Deletion Options

Advanced keyframe management with multiple deletion modes:

• Delete Left: Remove keyframes to the left of current frame
• Delete All: Remove all keyframes in timeline
• Delete Right: Remove keyframes to the right of current frame
• Each option allows selection of All, Rotation, or Location keyframes

Manual Frame Control

• Directly input start frame, current frame, and end frame values
• Real-time updates as you change frames in Blender

7) Recording and Baking

Record Button

• Demo Version: Shows "RECORD (DEMO)" with purchase prompts
• Plus Version: Full recording functionality
• Smart Baking: Shows progress indicators during keyframe baking
• Auto-stop: Automatically stops recording when baking is complete

Recording States

• "START RECORD": Begin recording session
• "BAKING IN PROGRESS...": Shows during keyframe processing
• Progress Alerts: Real-time notifications of baking status

8) Version Management

Beta 4 includes intelligent version checking:

• Compatibility Verification: Ensures app and add-on versions match
• Connection Monitoring: Advanced reconnection system with 3-attempt retry logic
• Status Indicators: Real-time connection status with error detection

Pro Tips for Optimal Results

Before Recording

1. Calibration: Perform some rotation and translation movements before recording to calibrate sensors and smoothing filters
2. World Tracking Setup: Ensure good lighting and stable tracking quality before starting
3. Settings Optimization: Adjust acceleration factor and inertia duration to match your movement style

World Tracking Best Practices

1. Lighting: Use well-lit environments for optimal tracking quality
2. Scale Adjustment: Start with 1.0 scale and adjust based on your scene requirements
3. Filter Tuning: Lower Min Cutoff for smoother movements, adjust Beta for responsiveness to quick actions
4. Surface Mapping: Allow the tracking system a moment to map your environment before recording

Timeline Workflow

1. Frame Management: Use the enhanced timeline controls to set precise start and end frames
2. Keyframe Strategy: Utilize the new keyframe insertion tools for precise animation control
3. Review Process: Use the timeline navigation to review your recorded movements before final baking
4. Move Timeline: You can move the timeline scroll the finger of the timeline

Final Animation Quality

This add-on continues to evolve with each update, focusing on enhanced usability and professional-grade results. The new World Tracking feature, combined with advanced filtering and comprehensive timeline controls, enables creation of hyper-realistic camera animations.

With practice and proper settings adjustment, you'll develop the muscle memory needed to achieve cinematic-quality camera movements that would be difficult or impossible to create with traditional keyframing methods.

The Beta 4 release represents a significant leap forward in mobile-to-Blender camera control, bringing professional motion capture capabilities to independent creators and studios alike.

DEVICES TESTED SO FAR:

This is a list of devices tested by me and some users, thanks to everyone who is helping with the compatibility report, and always remember to use a high-speed and stable network for better quality results and to avoid connection lags.

Samsung:

• Galax s25 Ultra (rotation✅, movements ✅)
• Galax s24 Ultra (rotation✅, movements ✅)
• Galax s23 Ultra (rotation✅, movements ✅)
• Galax a30S (rotation✅, movements ✅)
• Galaxy J5 Prime (rotation ⛔, movements ✅)

Google:

• Google Pixel 7 Pro (rotation✅, movements ✅)

Xiaomi:

• POCO F3 (rotation✅, movements ✅)

• Redmi Note 8t (rotation ⛔, movements ✅)

Lenovo:

• Xiaoxin Pad Pro 2022 (rotation✅, movements ✅)

Reporting Issues

If you encounter any bugs or have feature suggestions, please report them via email. Additionally, you can help by confirming whether your phone supports all features so that we can gradually compile a list of tested devices:
📩 batchrendercreator@gmail.com