Setups and cameras

​

Understanding setups and cameras

Each scene can contain one or more setups. A setup is a named arrangement of the scene — objects added, moved, or removed, plus any per-setup animation. Every scene starts with one automatic Base setup covering the scene as authored; add more (Setup A, Setup B, and so on) to cover the same scene from a different arrangement without disturbing the others. A setup can hold one or more cameras. A camera defines a position, orientation, movement, and duration. By default, the Base setup starts with one camera tied to its script heading, named Camera 1.

​

The active setup

Only one setup is active at a time. The outliner and timeline both mark it with an accent bar and a bold name. The active setup is your write target — edits to objects, animation, or cameras land in whichever setup is active. Selecting a camera activates its setup automatically; clicking a setup row (or its Objects/Cameras folder) activates that setup directly.

​

Setups in the outliner

Each setup expands into two folders:

• Objects — every object composed into that setup, including ones inherited from the Base setup.
• Cameras — the cameras that belong to that setup.

Write controls (visibility, delete, revert, drag-to-timeline) appear only on the active setup’s rows. An object overridden or added in a non-base setup is badged; use revert to restore it to the Base setup’s version.

​

Viewing cameras

Cameras appear in the 3D canvas as camera icons with a frustum showing their field of view. Select a camera to see its framing in the viewport.

​

Creating a setup

1. In the outliner, click + on the Setups header.
2. Objects you add or move while this setup is active apply only to it — the Base setup and other setups are unaffected.

​

Adding a camera from the script panel

To add a camera with script-line attribution:

1. Open the Script tab on the right side of the 3D canvas.
2. Highlight the line or block of script this camera covers.
3. Click New Camera.

The New Camera dialog opens with these fields:

• Name — Prefilled with a sequential number (e.g., “Camera 4”). Override for a more descriptive name.
• Preset — Choose a camera type preset.
• Lens — Select from real lens models. Pick the one you plan to shoot on so what you see in the Spark web app matches what you get on set.
• Objects — Select which objects the camera covers.
• Description — Optional notes about the camera.

Click in the 3D scene to place your camera. Press Ctrl+F to enter full-screen camera preview, and press it again to exit.

​

Recording camera movement

Use fly mode to navigate through your scene and record the camera path in real time. The recorded movement is captured as keyframes on the timeline.

​

Setting manual keyframes

For precise camera animation, set keyframes manually:

1. Move the playhead to the desired time on the timeline.
2. Position the camera in the viewport.
3. Set a keyframe to lock the camera’s position and rotation at that frame.

​

Camera targeting

To follow a moving target, select the camera, toggle Keyframes on, then choose one of these targeting modes:

• Aim At — The camera rotates to track the target while staying in place. Select the target object from the dropdown. Add a keyframe at the start of the move — without Keyframes on, Aim At appears to work in the moment but quietly loses its target on playback.
• Parent — The camera physically rides with the target (useful for vehicle interiors or dolly moves). The camera inherits the target’s movement.

​

Camera frustum visualization

The camera frustum shows the visible area from the camera’s perspective. Use it to check framing and ensure objects are within frame.

​

Editing camera duration

Adjust the duration of a camera by modifying its range on the timeline. Longer durations give the camera more time to complete its movement.