Cinematic Cameras
DanceXR has six camera modes plus a shared settings page. They are not interchangeable — each is tuned for a different use. This page picks the right one for the job and points you at the detail page once you know.
For shared parameters (FOV, near / far clip, depth of field), see Camera settings.
Mode comparison
| Mode | Best for | Driven by | Page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freefly | Hands-on free roaming, line-up shots | You (mouse / gamepad / VR) | Freefly camera |
| Auto | Cinematic music videos, hands-off recording | Music beats + actor positions | Auto camera |
| Orbit | Turntable shots, model showcases | You (orbit input) around a target | Orbit camera |
| One-shot (Long take) | A single uncut sweep through a scene | Pre-set path, runs once | One-shot camera |
| Concert (Fixed) | Concert / stage angle, single static framing | Pinned position; never moves | Concert camera |
| First Person | POV experience; the actor’s view | Camera settings |
When to pick which
Freefly camera. Default for desktop. You move the camera with WASD + mouse (or thumbstick + look). Use it whenever you want manual control — composing screenshots, moving through a scene, posing a shot before recording.
Auto camera. Hands-off cinematic. Picks targets (head, chest, center, legs), distances (close-up to far), and angles probabilistically, with optional fade-to-black cuts. Reads music timing and music volume to sync transitions and pace. Best when you want a finished-looking music video without directing every shot. Re-roll the seed until you like the take.
Orbit camera. Stays a fixed distance from a target and orbits around it. Use it for a model turntable, a slow showcase loop, or a controlled rotation around a posed actor.
One-shot camera. A single take that runs through a defined path or sequence and ends. Use it for an opener, an outro, or an uncut sweep where you want exactly one camera move.
Concert camera (fixed). The camera does not move. Useful for stage-position or audience-position framing where you want a stable angle for the duration of a song.
First Person camera. POV — the camera sees what the actor sees.
Recording considerations
The mode you pick affects what offline rendering captures:
- Auto camera + Creator edition is the most common combo for finished music videos. Auto Cam handles framing; Creator records frame-by-frame so you do not lose shots to FPS dips. See Creator edition.
- Freefly + screen capture is fine for shorter clips when real-time FPS is good.
- One-shot is the cleanest match for VR 180 / VR 360 recording — one camera path, one take, no cuts.
- Concert is your friend for static-angle reference shots, comparison videos, or anything that needs perfect repeatability across takes.
- Orbit records cleanly because the path is deterministic — useful for showcase reels.
The recording flow itself is the same regardless of mode; see Creator edition → Recording menu.
VR considerations
In VR, the headset is effectively the camera. You can still use the cinematic camera modes for the desktop mirror window or for offline render output:
- The headset always shows the world in stereo VR.
- The cinematic camera applies to the mirror window and to recordings.
- Block Desktop Window in VR settings → UI stops mirror rendering when you do not need it, freeing GPU.
For VR recording (3D SBS, VR 180), use Creator’s recording mode regardless of which cinematic camera is active — see Creator edition → Recording modes.