Official Tip.It Orb of Oculus Guide

[Lady_Shahdie]

Official Tip.It Orb of Oculus Guide

An indepth official Tip.It forum guide to using the Orb of Oculus machinima tool. To jump to any section Ctrl+F the tags next to the section name in the Table of Contents.

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. [iNTRO] Introduction

2. [uSE] Interface & Use

3. [MODE] Aim/Focus Mode

4. [TIPS] Tips & Tricks

5. [REC] Recording/Editing Software

6. [CRED] Credits

 

[iNTRO] 1. Introduction

The Orb of Oculus is a mystical tool imbued with the power of seeing beyond what the game camera typically can. In other words, the orb allows greater control of the game's built in camera by allowing you to create custom angles and even zoom in on your subject! It is no simple tool however and can take some time getting use to. This guide will teach you how to use it to its fullest potential and achieve shots you never dreamed of!

To obtain the Orb of Oculus visit Faruq's Tools for Games stall in Al Kharid for 20 gp.

 

[uSE] 2. Interface & Use

 

 

Interface

1. Compass - This indicates what direction and orientation your camera is facing. Pay close attention to this as it correlates to the Cardinal Keys.

2. Cardinal Keys - Allows you to move the camera to the North (W), South (S), East (A), and West (D). It is important to pay attention to your Compass when adjusting your orientation.

3. Up/Down Keys - Allows you to move the camera Up (Q) and Down (E). It is not dependant on your compass orientation.

4. Rotate View - Allows you to rotate your view to the left (left arrow key), the right (right arrow key), up (up arrow key), and down (down arrow key).

5. Exit - Allows you to escape viewing through the orb no matter what mode you are in with the Escape key.

6. Mode Toggle - This switches between Aim Mode (a mode that does not focus on your viewing point while using the Cardinal keys) or Focus Mode (a mode that focuses on your viewing point while using the Cardinal Keys) with the F1 key.

7. Chatbox Toggle - This hides/reveals the in-game chatbox with the F2 key.

8. Help Toggle - This hides/reveals the Help menu and compass on your screen with the Space key.

 

Use

To use the orb equip it under your weapon slot. Right click on it and choose the "Gaze-into" option. While viewing through the orb you will NOT be able to do the following:

 

• Move your character.
  
• Eat or use any item.
  
• Teleport or use any form of magic.
  

Once you are in the orb viewing interface you will have the option of viewing through two modes called Aim Mode and Focus Mode. I will go into more detail about these modes in the next section.

 

[MODE] 3. Aim/Focus Mode

 

Aim Mode

In this mode you can move the camera around a large viewing area without it being locked on your location. This is useful for shots that may involve actions happening in the next room or at a greater distance away. While in this mode the W (North), S (South), A (East), D (West) keys on your keyboard will move the camera based on their cardinal compass directions. If at any time you use the rotate view keys to rotate your camera view, your compass will rotate along with it. This means that while your compass is tilted East pressing the W (North) key will push the camera to the left rather than forward. Helpful tips regarding how to easily remember these directions can be found in the [TIPS] Tips & Tricks section. The other keys that can be used in this mode are the Q (Up) and E (Down). They are for moving the camera upwards/downwards and are not dependent on the cardinal directions.

 

Focus Mode

In this mode no matter where you move the camera with the directional keys it will always be locked on the location of your viewing point. The only time in which it does not is if you rotate your view with the rotate view keys. This is useful for panning shots and keeping your camera fixed on certain points. While in this mode the W (North), S (South), A (East), D (West) keys on your keyboard lean the camera in/out based on their cardinal compass directions. This means that while your compass is tilted East pressing the W (North) key will swing the camera to the left rather than forward. Helpful tips regarding how to easily remember these directions can be found in the [TIPS] Tips & Tricks section. The other keys that can be used in this mode are the Q (Up) and E (Down). They are for moving the camera upwards/downwards and are not dependent on the cardinal directions.

 

[TIPS] 4. Tips & Tricks

Here you will find tips and tricks to using the orb easily and effectively:

 

• You can expand your orb viewing area if you use the resizable game window. You can change the size of your game window by going to the game options tab and clicking on graphics setting.
  
• When controlling the orb keep three fingers on the A (East), S (South), and D (West) keys and use your middle finger to hit the W (North) when you wish to pan North.
  
  
• Its easiest to move and direct the camera while the compass is oriented northward. This way it is not necessary to remember the directions that the cardinal keys will move the camera if the orientation changes.
  

[REC] 5. Recording/Editing Software

Many of you out there may be wondering what are good programs out there to record your orb footage. There is one particular freeware as well as one paid for program that are excellent for doing so! As far as software to edit with, there is also some decent freeware and paid for programs that are quite powerful and easy to use! Below I will list them:

 

Recording Software

 

CamStudio

CamStudio is a great freeware screen recorder that places absolutely no watermark on your video and is open source. It is incredibly simple to use and may make a great starting screen recorder to use. If you are confused as to what codec or framerates you should use, feel free to watch my YouTube guide to using CamStudio.

You can download CamStudio here.

 

Camtasia

Camtasia is considered one of the best screen recorders available for purchase. It has several advanced controls in which you can use to encode your video or save as another format. It also comes with a light-weight editor that is decent for editing footage on the spot. Refer to my YouTube guide if you are interested in what values to adjust your frames rates/codecs too (most likely you should stick with the default TechSmith codec).

You can download Camtasia here.

 

Editing Software

 

Windows Movie Maker/Apple iMovie

These are the default programs that come with your edition of Windows or Mac (if you are on Windows 7 it is part of the downloadable Windows Live Essentials). Both programs come packed with several decent effects, titles, and transitions that are very good for the beginning film maker. The programs may also produce smaller movie files than some of the more professional editing software.

 

Adobe Premiere Elements/Premiere Pro

The Adobe movie editing programs are in the level of more intermediate to professional level editing software. These are not recommended for beginning film makers as they take quite some time to learn to use effectively. For advanced film makers however, they are capable of amazing effects and endless possibilities. The Elements version is significantly cheaper than the Pro version but sacrifices some of the more advanced interfaces. The Pro version is incredibly pricey but comes packed with the whole kit and caboodle! If you are a high school or college student you can purchase either version for a major discount (see this page for details).

 

[CRED] 6. Credits

-Tip.It for the Orb of Oculus item pics and the Faruq minimap pic

Edited February 8, 2010 by Lady_Shahdie

[Neos_Matrix]

So thats what SPC stands for. <_<

 

Although, great guide. I might make a video of my own with these great tips :thumbsup:

[RSBDavid]

Great Job Lady Shadie. I am using the OOC for my machinima entry. It is very useful.

[Zaaps1]

Very informative, thanks! :)

[aerendil]

wb editing programs for macs? :/

and nice guide.

[Pinkbullet3]

Very organized and informational (and kudos for putting it out so quickly after the Orb update!).

 

:thumbsup:

[Kaida23]

An excellent guide. :thumbup: Congrats on getting it up so quickly.

[Speedsktr]

Great Guide! This orb is going to be so usefull in Video Making ^^

[Lady_Shahdie]

Guide has been updated to reflect that one can now toggle the in-game chatbox while using the orb (interface picture also adjusted).