Quick Tip | The #1 Trick for Fast Camera Focus in C4D | Greyscalegorilla

Learn how to easily change what’s in focus.
In this quick tip, Nick Campbell shows you how to make sure what you want in focus STAYS in focus using a focus null and the place tool. This powerful tip will save you frustration when setting up depth of field in your next C4D Scene.
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[@JonathanWinbush]

Great to see you back in the tutorial game 🤙🏿

[@Greyscalegorilla]

Thanks, Winbush! More to come!

[@sydvaughnmotion]

It’s clear that this tip is going to help me focus on my work to create sharper images.

[@chrislockwood2373]

I've always just used a small sphere that I set as a focus object. I set the sphere so it's visible in the viewport but doesn't render. It's always easy to find and it's also easy to move with the place tool and snapping turned on. It's also fun to keyframe the sphere so you can shift focus from one place to another over time.

[@yordan_stoyanov]

Wow thankf for this. Will try it out for sure!

[@beMOTIONdESIGN]

I’ve been using focus nulls for a while now, but completely forgot about the place took! Thanks for the tip! Also, I can confirm that it works the same in Octane. Thanks again, Nick!

[@Greyscalegorilla]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for letting me know about octane. Figured it would work the same.

[@omarhbz5999]

wow, I was wasting my time dealing with this every single time until now, now I can get it done in a minute. you are a life saver

[@Greyscalegorilla]

Thanks! Glad this was helpful!

[@RyanMauroDesign]

I almost didn't watch this because I assumed you'd be talking about the focus picker tool in RS. I'm glad I ended up watching it through!

[@JamalQutub]

Forgot about that place object tool. Very handy tip.

[@tojiyev_cg]

Time saving life hack. Love watching GSG tutorials.

[@Greyscalegorilla]

Thanks for watching! Glad it's helpful.

[@MrMadvillan]

less if a hack, more of how it was designed to work 😅

[@AviYanK_770]

so simple but so life changing

[@TheNimRC]

Even quicker way to do this is to enable Snapping (polygon snapping - Shift+S is the shortcut) - then grab the square end of the null gizmo and move it wherever you want it and it will snap to the polygon.

[@mitchellsack]

You can also just make the focus null a child of whatever you want. Or drop the object itself into the “focus object” option.

[@Greyscalegorilla]

That kind of works, but it doesn't let you choose what part of the object to be in Focus. This method let's you click to create one specific focus point.

[@axelfernandohuezo8847]

@@Greyscalegorilla just activate snap tool with your focus null and click wherever you want 😅

[@BrianRodgersJr]

Super helpful Nick! I too have struggled with the same things that you've pointed out in this video. This is a much more effective way to work. Cheers man 🍻

[@Greyscalegorilla]

Glad it was helpful!

[@3D-Jay]

Very helpful tip, thank you!

[@thelightsarebroken]

this could be a place tool tutorial, never knew this tool existed

[@pushcreativity]

That is such a stupidly simple solution, if only I had thought of it. Thanks once again!

[@Greyscalegorilla]

I know. I felt so stupid the first time I used it. Like DUH! hehe.

[@richmjb]

a great tip, thanks I will be doing that now!

[@MiseriTrack1]

I like this workflow gem; how cool would it be if you can drag and drop the focus object in dropzone, and a focus null is created :D

[@hancemagoyo]

Wow! that is magic

[@MelloMograph]

Great tip!

[@Greyscalegorilla]

Thanks, David! Thanks for watching!

[@Kodd666]

I don't know what I'm doing wrong... I have the focus null selected, I select the place tool and point to an object. Then that object will be marked in the manager list. And absolutely nothing happens. I don't understand what I'm doing wrong. I´m not new to this, so I just have to be stupid...

[@Greyscalegorilla]

Ive had that happen a couple times. Try clicking and holding the click down while dragging a bit. This solved that issue when it happened to me.

[@Rewen89]

@@Greyscalegorilla Same issue. Tried clicking down and dragging with no result. I even made a new scene just in case. Still nothing.

[@soymatamoros]

@@Rewen89 did you solve this one?

[@Rewen89]

@@soymatamoros Nope. I gave up after several attempts.

[@rndelva]

IT REEEEAAALY IS!!
lol its the simplest that's the most effective.

[@GrumpNL]

Mind blown! 👍

[@Greyscalegorilla]

I know, right? Wish I knew this earlier!

[@de_generate]

Ah clever, cheers guys!

[@Greyscalegorilla]

Thanks!

[@Chewbacca2000]

Thanks man!!

[@Greyscalegorilla]

Happy to help!

[@juanmisola]

Doesnt work for me. dunno if im doing something wrong? i select the null and use the place tool but doesnt place it :(

[@juanmisola]

its click and hold! solved haahaha

[@normantorres8729]

@@juanmisola You da real MVP

[@BrettCarlsen]

@@juanmisola I was pulling my hair out trying to figure out what I was doing wrong haha. Thank you.

[@mister13sud]

does it work with arnold? thank you

[@owenschmidt9789]

Quick tip for anyone still having issues, make sure in your camera bokeh settings under "Derive from camera" you have that set to either focus distance or focus distance and coc radius, if you have it set to "none" this will not work.

[@Greyscalegorilla]

Thanks for the extra tip!

[@mansujeon]

THX!!

[@pioneercable6245]

is it working with r24?

[@Mycelium]

You could always just enable snap and move it, pretty simple

[@myoung1982]

Assume the "Place" tool is only in newer versions of C4D? I'm still on R21.

[@Greyscalegorilla]

Yes. New in the last couple years.

[@yannistath]

simple but effective...

[@Greyscalegorilla]

Thanks, Giannis!

[@soymatamoros]

is this still works with the cinema 2023.1.3?

[@Greyscalegorilla]

Yep!

[@MrMadvillan]

we started using focus nulls in r10.5. parental hipster sh t. remember when maxon did .5 in the versioning 😂

[@Greyscalegorilla]

for sure... But the place tool has only been around for the last few versions.

[@MegaBexon]

Eureka

[@andrearusky]

It was driving you crazy?? It’s so simple and easy to move the focus nulls 🤷🏻‍♂️ I’ve been using them for years without “going crazy”

[@Greyscalegorilla]

Nice! Sounds like you are all set.

[@AndreasZachariou]

so simple...

[@Greyscalegorilla]

It's so great. I use it all the time, now. Cheers!