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Adjust Default Camera Settings for 3D compositions

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After Effects

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  1. After Effects User Guide
  2. Beta releases
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  3. Getting started
    1. Get started with After Effects
    2. What's new in After Effects 
    3. Release Notes | After Effects
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  6. Importing footage
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      1. Work with Motion Graphics templates in After Effects
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      4. Replace images and videos in Motion Graphics templates and Essential Properties
      5. Animate faster and easier using the Properties panel
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    1. Overview of shape layers, paths, and vector graphics
    2. Paint tools: Brush, Clone Stamp, and Eraser
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  9. Layers, Markers, and Camera
    1. Selecting and arranging layers
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  10. Animation, Keyframes, Motion Tracking, and Keying
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      4. Animating Sketch and Capture shapes using After Effects
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  11. Transparency and Compositing
    1. Compositing and transparency overview and resources
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    3. Track Mattes and Traveling Mattes
  12. Adjusting color
    1. Color basics
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    5. Enhanced HDR support
    6. HDR import and export 
  13. Effects and Animation Presets
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    20. Obsolete effects
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  14. Expressions and Automation
    1. Expressions
      1. Expression basics
      2. Understanding the expression language
      3. Using expression controls
      4. Syntax differences between the JavaScript and Legacy ExtendScript expression engines
      5. Editing expressions
      6. Expression errors
      7. Using the Expressions editor
      8. Use expressions to edit and access text properties
      9. Expression language reference
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    2. Automation
      1. Automation
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  15. Immersive video, VR, and 3D
    1. Construct VR environments in After Effects
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    3. Compositing tools for VR/360 videos
    4. Advanced 3D Renderer
    5. Import and add 3D models to your composition
    6. Import 3D models from Creative Cloud Libraries
    7. Create parametric meshes
    8. Image-Based Lighting
    9. Animated Environment Lights
    10. Enable lights to cast shadows
    11. Extract and animate lights and cameras from 3D models
    12. Tracking 3D camera movement
    13. Adjust Default Camera Settings for 3D compositions
    14. Cast and accept shadows
    15. Embedded 3D model animations
    16. Shadow Catcher
    17. 3D depth data extraction
    18. Modify materials properties of a 3D layer
    19. Apply Substance 3D materials
    20. Work in 3D Design Space
    21. 3D Transform Gizmos
    22. Single 3D Gizmo for multiple 3D layers
    23. Do more with 3D animation
    24. Preview changes to 3D designs real time with the Mercury 3D engine
    25. Add responsive design to your graphics 
  16. Views and Previews
    1. Previewing
    2. Video preview with Mercury Transmit
    3. Modifying and using views
    4. Lossless Compressed Playback
  17. Rendering and Exporting
    1. Basics of rendering and exporting
    2. H.264 Encoding in After Effects
    3. Export an After Effects project as an Adobe Premiere Pro project
    4. Converting movies
    5. Multi-frame rendering
    6. Automated rendering and network rendering
    7. Rendering and exporting still images and still-image sequences
    8. Using the GoPro CineForm codec in After Effects
  18. Working with other applications
    1. Dynamic Link and After Effects
    2. Working with After Effects and other applications
      1. Export After Effects project as Premiere Pro project
    3. Sync Settings in After Effects
    4. Creative Cloud Libraries in After Effects
    5. Plug-ins
    6. Cinema 4D and Cineware
  19. Collaboration: Frame.io, and Team Projects
    1. Collaboration in Premiere Pro and After Effects
    2. Frame.io
      1. Install and activate Frame.io
      2. Use Frame.io with Premiere Pro and After Effects
      3. Frequently asked questions
    3. Team Projects
      1. Get Started with Team Projects
      2. Create a Team Project
      3. Collaborate with Team Projects
  20. Memory, storage, performance
    1. Memory and storage
    2. How After Effects handles low memory issues while previewing    
    3. Improve performance
    4. Preferences
    5. GPU and GPU driver requirements for After Effects
  21. Knowledge Base
    1. Known issues
    2. Fixed issues
    3. Frequently asked questions
    4. After Effects and macOS Ventura
    5. How After Effects handles low memory issues while previewing

Learn to adjust custom views and camera settings using the View menu, whether through a camera layer, active camera, or custom view.

In 3D compositions or when using 3D-enabled layers, you can view the scene through camera layers, which can be customized and animated with keyframes. Without a camera layer, you can still navigate the 3D space using the Orbit, Pan, and Dolly tools in the Composition panel, utilizing the hidden Default Camera view.

When camera layers are present, After Effects uses the Active Camera view to show what the topmost enabled camera sees. If no camera layers are present, the composition automatically uses the Default Camera view, or other currently selected camera view (such as the Custom Views).

In the latest version, you can now adjust the Default Camera settings or any other camera view currently selected in the Composition panel view menu. The default camera can be explicitly selected even when other cameras are present in the composition.

You can now adjust the Default Camera settings using the following methods, in addition to the options available in the 3D View menu:

  • Layer > Camera > Default Camera Settings
  • View > Default Camera Settings
  • Right-click the layer in the Timeline panel > Camera > Default Camera Settings
  • 3D View menu in the Composition panel > Default Camera Settings.
A layer with 3D model is selected in the Timeline panel. The layer menu has the Camera option selected and then the Default Camera Settings.
Select the layer, then use the Default Camera Settings to view and adjust its camera properties.

Note

Not all camera views are editable. You can only modify the default camera and custom views. Standard views like Top, Left, Right, and Bottom are orthogonal camera views and cannot have their camera settings modified.

If you're using multiple camera layers, After Effects helps you keep track of which camera you’re working with. When accessing camera settings using the View or Layer menus, the menu displays the camera layer’s name, making it clear which one is being edited or affected.

A layer with a Camera is selected in the Timeline panel. The View menu is open and has the Camera No. 17 Settings selected.
The layer settings in the View menu include the layer name to help you identify which layer's settings you're modifying.

After Effects also avoids repeating the word “Camera” if it's already part of the layer name. This naming style makes menus easier to read and use, especially in complex projects with lots of layers and compositions.

For example:

  • A camera named Shotcam will show as Shotcam Camera Settings.
  • A camera named Shotcamera will display as Shotcamera Settings.

The same naming rule applies to Light, Solid, and Model layers as well.

A layer with 3D model is selected in the Timeline panel. The layer menu is open and the layer settings option that is personalized with layer name is selected.
The Layer menu includes the layer name to clearly indicate which layer's settings are being modified.

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