Subject: Re: Focus Target
From: [email-masked] (Sean Cunningham)
To: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 31 Jan 1996 12:01:17 -0800

Andy:

> Unfortunately, it won't provide depth of field. It's simply a way to
> determine (accurately) what "Focal Distance" to use.

> While we're on the subject, I should point out that Focal Distance or focal
> length, as Lightwave uses it, is 180 degrees wrong...

Andy, you need to look in the CAMERA PANEL.  Lens focal length, in millimeters,
is there, and user editable via ZOOM FACTOR.  FOCAL DISTANCE is an entirely
different setting, affecting rendered output only.  Your focal length will
determine your field of view which will alter quite noticeably how your scene
looks within Layout.  Now, I'll go so far as to say that I'd prefer to be 
able to explicitly type in the mm setting for the lens rather than fool around
with something as arbitrary as ZOOM FACTOR for ten minutes trying to get to
the focal length I want, but it is there.

On a different note, in the current release, the FOV numbers returned look
inaccurate.  Comparing the numbers in lightwave with corresponding values
in the lens tables found in the Cinematographers handbook show that the
aspect ratio of your FOV should match the aspect ratio of your aperture and
your image, and they don't.  

-- 
                                             
  Digital Domain: [email-masked] | "...the whole idea of  politics
  N  e  t  c o m: [email-masked] |  is to  achieve  power  without 
  R e a l  World:   Sean C. Cunningham   |  possessing merit." -P.J. O'Rourke