Author: Christopher Ebbert

I have been working on MOTI Sports software since 2010.  I work on enhancements to the 3DST 3D Coaching Play Simulation tool (3D Playbook) and I am the author of the MOTI Soccer App.  Prior to joining MOTI, I worked on a variety of animation and visual programming including 3D flight simulator for Hughes Aircraft.

MOTI Tip: Drill Controls – Part 2 of 3

MOTI Soccer Tip: Drill Controls – Part 2 of 3

Welcome back to the 3-part series on MOTI Soccer drill controls. In this
article the Zoom Controls and Camera View Menu
will be reviewed and explained. Utilizing these features, reviewing the
play from a multitude of angles and levels of detail is possible.

To recap, the review of the drill controls are divided into 3 parts. Topics
for the 3 parts are:

  1.  Animation Controls and Overview – Part 1 introduced the main
    control panel, the animation controls and the menu/control-panel buttons.
  2. Zoom Controls and Camera Views Menu (this article) – Part 2
    covers both the zoom controls and the camera view menu that help with
    viewing the drill in different ways.
  3.  Drill Effects – Part 3 will cover the drill effects that are
    available to help visualize the workings of the drill.

Review

The first article introduced layout of the drill controls in the panel and
described the functionality of each of the buttons and controls. The
content of the previous article will be used as a basis of this article.
Read the first article if these concepts are unfamiliar or a refresher is
needed.

Controls Overview

As described in the first article, the drill controls are located at the
bottom of the screen and are always on-screen. The follow sections will
refer to the image below using both the icon and the numbers for
identification.

Zoom Controls

Pressing zoom controls button (number 1, in the Controls Overview section) will activate a pop-up control
that can change the zoom of the camera. This allows the user to zoom in or
out while not moving the camera. To deactivate the pop-up control, press
the zoom controls button again or press any other button.


The zoom control set (numbers 1, 2 and 3, directly above) shows the current
zoom level, the available range of the zoom and allows the user to finely
control the zoom of the camera. The parts of the zoom control set are:

Decrease zoom button “-” (number 1)

Each press of this button will decrease the zoom level 1/10th of
the total zoom range. This has the visual effect of zooming out and seeing
more of the field, but less detail. Once the zoom range reaches the
left-most position in the range, pressing this button will have no effect.

Position slider control (number 2)

This slider represents the total range available for the zoom. The position
of the round button represents the current zoom level that is being
displayed. Pressing and dragging the round button left or right will change
the zoom level. Drag left to zoom out. Drag right to zoom in.

Increase zoom button “+” (number 3)

Each press of this button will increase the zoom level 1/10th of
the total zoom range. This has the visual effect of zooming in and seeing
less of the field, but more detail. Once the zoom range reaches the
right-most position in the range, pressing this button will have no effect.

Utilizing the zoom is a convenient way to view detail or view a larger
amount of the field without moving the camera. However, it is important to
note that the effect of the extremes of the zoom can make changing the view
or moving or around the field (by the on-screen joysticks or mouse)
visually confusing. When zoomed all the way in, the camera will appear to
move/pan very quickly. Additionally, when zoomed all the way out, the
camera will appear to move/pan very slowly, but have a fish-eye effect. In
both instances, the camera is moving/panning at the same speed. Keeping the
zoom level in the mid-range while moving/panning produces the most visually
appealing effect.

Camera Views Menu


Pressing the camera views button (number 2, in the Controls Overview section) will display a pop-up menu that
contains a list of camera views that are available. Selecting an item from
this menu will move the camera to the location and the view described by
the menu item. Pressing and sliding a finger up and down in the menu area
will reveal additional items, if the entire list is not visible. To
deactivate the pop-up menu, press the camera views button again, select a
view from the menu or press any other button.



Contained in this menu are several default views of the field that will
appear with every drill. The names and descriptions of the default views
can be seen in the displayed menu view, directly above. Additionally,
depending on the drill, there may be camera drill-specific views that show
the drill, as the coach would like it viewed. These help the coach and
player focus on key elements of the drill.

As a note, selecting one of the views will also reset the camera zoom to a
level specific to the view.

In Conclusion

In conclusion, the Zoom Control and Camera Views Menu
help the user view the drill from a multitude of angles and levels of
detail. Additionally, look for drill-specific views to gain additional
insight into the drill, as the coach would like the user to see it.

View Part Three of Drill Controls here.

MOTI Tip: Drill Controls – Part 1 of 3

MOTI Soccer drill controls give the user control over the playback of the
drill, options for viewing the drill from different locations and
management of the special effects available. The drill controls are
positioned at the bottom of the screen.

This series of articles will be divided into 3 parts. Topics for the 3
parts are:

  1.  Animation Controls and Overview (this article) – Part 1
    introduces the main control panel, the animation controls and the
    menu/control-panel buttons.
  2.  Zoom and Camera Views – Part 2 covers both the zoom control and
    the camera view menu that help with viewing the drill in different ways.
  3.  Drill Effects – Part 3 will covers the drill effects that are
    available to help visualize the workings of the drill.

Controls Overview

The drill controls are located at the bottom of the screen and are always
on-screen. The follow sections will refer to the image below using both the
icon and the numbers for identification.

Restart-When-Done Button

The restart-when-done button (number 1) allows the user to choose if the
drill will start again at the beginning once it is completed. This button
has the following states:

Restart-when-done (highlighted)

In this state, when the drill reaches the end, it will restart at the
beginning.

Do not restart-when-done (not highlighted)

In this state, when the drill reaches the end, it will stop and will not
restart until the Play button is pressed again.

As a note, the restart-when-done setting will be remembered between viewing
drills.

Zoom Button

The zoom button (number 2) will display a pop-up control panel that can
change the zoom of the camera. This allows the user to zoom in or out while
not moving the camera. The details of this control panel will be covered in
a subsequent article.

Step-Back Button

The step-back button (number 3) will stop the drill animation (if it is
playing) and will move the drill 0.1 seconds (1/10th of a
second) back in time. If the drill is at the beginning, then the time will
not change.

Play/Pause Button

The play/pause button (number 4) allows the user to either play or pause
the drill. This button has the following two states:

Playing

In this state, the drill will be playing (seeing movement will depend on
the camera view and drill, itself). Press this button to pause the drill
playing.

Paused

In this state, the drill is paused. Press this button to start the drill
playing.

Step Forward Button

The step-forward button (number 5) will stop the drill animation (if it is
playing) and will move the drill 0.1 seconds (1/10th of a
second) forward in time. If the drill is at the end, then the time will not
change.

Camera Views Button

The camera views button (number 6) will display a pop-up menu that contains
a selection of camera views that are available. Selecting an item from this
menu will move the camera to the location and the view described by the
menu item. The details of this menu will be covered in a subsequent
article.

Drill Effects Button

The drill effects button (number 7) will display a pop-up control panel
that contains the controls for all the special player and ball effects that
are available. The details of this control panel will be covered in a
subsequent article.

Timeline Control Set


The timeline control set (numbers 8, 9, 10 and 11) show the user the
current time of the drill, the length of the drill and allows the user
control the position of the drill in time. The parts of the timeline
control set are:

Current drill time readout (number 8)

This number readout is the current time (in seconds) of the drill that is
being displayed. When the drill is animating this will be continually
updating.

Position slider control (number 10, 11)

The long timeline (number 10) represents the total length of the drill. The
position of the round button (number 11) represents the location that is
being displayed relative to the total length of time of the drill (this
button will move when the drill is animating). Pressing and dragging the
round button left or right will stop the animation (if it is playing) and
will change the time of the drill animation. The current drill time readout
(number 8) will be updated as the round button is moved. Drag left to
position the time earlier in the drill. Drag right to position the time
later in the drill.

Total drill time readout (number 11)

This number readout shows the total time (in seconds) of the drill.
In Conclusion

In conclusion, the drill controls give the user the complete control of the
animation through the animation buttons and timeline slider.

View Part Two of Drill Controls here.

MOTI Tip: Camera Controls for Drills – Part 4 of 4

Welcome back to the 4-part series on MOTI Soccer Camera Controls for Drills.  In this article the Top Down Perspective camera mode will be reviewed and explained.  This camera mode is very similar to popular real-time strategy games.

To recap, the review of the camera modes are divided into 4 parts.  Topics for the 4 parts are:

  • Overview – Part 1 introduced basic motion options (finger-gestures and on-screen joysticks) and provided a high-level overview of each of the camera modes.
  • Pivot-In-Place and Rotate-Around-Location– Part 2 was a detailed overview of two modes that provide a very flexible overview of the drill. As a note, Pivot-In-Place is the default mode when a drill starts.
  • Follow-Player, Follow-Ball, Track-Player and Track-Ball (this article) – Part 3 explored the ‘follow’ and ‘tracking’ options. These modes facilitate focusing on specific player/ball in a complex drill.
  • Top-Down Perspective (this article) – Part 4 will cover a viewing the field in a way that will be very familiar with players of some of the most popular real-time strategy games.

 Review

The first article introduced the mechanisms available to move the camera (section Motion Controls), the way to access the camera modes (section Camera Modes Menu) and a high-level overview of the camera modes (section Camera Modes).  The content of these sections will be used as a basis of this article.  Read the first article if these concepts are unfamiliar or a refresher is needed.

The second article reviewed the functionality and operation of the Pivot In Place and Rotate Around Location camera modes.  Read the second article if these concepts are unfamiliar or a refresher is needed.

The third article reviewed the functionality and operation of the Follow-Player, Follow-Ball, Track-Player and Track-Ball camera modes.  Read the third article if these concepts are unfamiliar or a refresher is needed.

Camera Modes Menu (shown as activated)

Pressing the Top Down Perspective (see below, yellow #1) button will immediately change the camera mode.  As a result, the camera will adjust the direction it is facing to be “north” (towards the end of the field) and will adjust itself to look down towards the field at a predefined angle.

Top Down Perspective

This camera mode allows the user look down at a constant angle and move around the field.  In addition to the default camera direction, the user is able to choose the direction the camera is facing.

Activating

Activating this mode is accomplished by selecting the Top Down Perspective icon from the Camera Modes Menu.  Once selected, the Camera Direction icon will appear on the right-hand side of the screen (see below, yellow #1).  This icon displays the current direction that the camera is facing.

In addition to displaying the current camera direction, the Camera Direction icon is an activation button for selecting different directions.  Once the Camera Direction button is pressed the Camera Direction Menu will appear.

Camera Direction Menu

There are 4 direction options in this menu and a cancel button:

North

Pressing this button will change the direction of the camera to face up the length of the field.  This is the default direction every time the camera is changed to this mode.

East

Pressing this button will change the direction of the camera to the side of the field, facing right of the North direction.

South

Pressing this button will change the direction of the camera to face down the length of the field, opposite of the North direction.

West

Pressing this button will change the direction of the camera to the side of the field, opposite of the East direction and left of the North direction.

Cancel

Pressing this button will hide the Camera Direction Menu.  The camera direction will not be changed.

Motion Controls

This mode is controlled by both finger gestures and the on-screen joysticks.

Finger Gestures

The figure gestures will change the location of the camera, without changing where the camera is pointing.  The finger gestures behavior is defined as follows:

Sliding up/down will move the camera backward/forward, respectively.

Sliding right/left will move the camera right/left, respectively.

On-Screen Joysticks

The elevation and location joysticks will change the location of the camera.  The joystick behavior is defined as follows:

Elevation Joystick will increase/decrease the elevation of the camera without changing the where the camera is pointing.

Location Joystick will move the camera in the direction of the arrows, without changing the where the camera is pointing.  This has the same effect as the finger gestures.

Summary

In this fourth and final article, we have covered the Top Down Perspective camera mode.  The combination of all the camera modes (articles 1-4) provides the user a rich set of tools to view the play from many perspectives and promote a deeper understanding of its workings.

View Part Three of this article series on App Camera Control here.

MOTI Tip: Camera Controls for Drills – Part 3 of 4

Welcome back to the 4-part series on MOTI Soccer app Camera Controls for Drills. In this article the Follow-Player / Follow-Ball and Track-Player / Track-Ball camera modes will be reviewed and
explained. These modes require that a player or ball on the field be chosen as the focus. Once the focus is selected, the app will
take over control of the camera (and it will react to the animation). See the section Tips, at the end of this article, for tips on
selecting players/balls and entering/leaving the camera modes described herein.

To recap, the review of the camera modes are divided into 4 parts. Topics for the 4 parts are:

1) Overview – Part 1 introduced basic motion options (finger-gestures and on-screen joysticks) and provided a high-level overview of each of the camera modes.

2) Pivot-In-Place and Rotate-Around-Location– Part 2 was
a detailed overview of two modes that provide a very flexible overview of the drill. As a note, Pivot-In-Place is the default mode when a drill starts.

3) Follow-Player, Follow-Ball, Track-Player and Track-Ball (this article) – Part 3 will explore the ‘follow’ and ‘tracking’ options. These modes facilitate focusing on specific player/ball in a complex drill.

4) Top-Down Perspective – Part 4 covers a viewing of the field
that will be very familiar with players of some of the most popular
real-time strategy games.

Review

The first article introduced the mechanisms available to move the camera (section Motion Controls), the way to access the camera
modes (section Camera Modes Menu) and a high-level
overview of the camera modes (section Camera Modes). The
content of these sections will be used as a basis of this article. Read the first article if these concepts are unfamiliar or a refresher is needed.

The second article reviewed the functionality and operation of the Pivot In Place and Rotate Around Location
camera modes. Read the second article if these concepts are unfamiliar or a refresher is needed.

Camera Modes Menu
(shown as activated)

Follow-Player / Follow-Ball (see below, yellow #1) and Track-Player / Track-Ball (see below, yellow #2) are highlighted below.

 

Follow-Player / Follow-Ball

 

This camera mode allows the user to follow a player or ball as it moves around the screen, essentially becoming said player or ball.

Activating

Activating this mode is accomplished by selecting theFollow-Player / Follow-Ball icon from the Camera Modes Menu. Once selected, a second menu will appear where the user will choose either the Player icon (see below, yellow #1) or Ball icon (see below, yellow #2) in order to follow a player or ball, respectively.

Once the Player icon or Ball icon is selected, an
instruction bar will appear near the top of the screen with a message and a “Cancel” button (see below). Pressing the “Cancel” button will cancel changing the mode of the camera and revert to the previous mode.

 

Instruction Bar

The instruction bar will show one of two messages: “Select a player to
follow…” or “Select a ball to follow…”. The message is
prompting the user to single touch a player or ball on the field (see image below with touch-point) that will become the focus of the camera. As a note, the following pictures represent selecting a player to follow, but the sequence for selecting a ball is identical.

Camera Change

Once the focus has been selected, the camera will jump to a
location that represents the “view” of the player or ball (note that the
“view” from a ball’s perspective can be visually jarring). Additionally,
the Follow-Player / Follow-Ball icon on the menu button will
indicate that the mode is active.

Motion Controls

There are no motion controls available to the user in this camera mode. The camera will adjust its own position based on the animation being played.

Track-Player / Track -Ball

This camera mode allows the user to track a player or ball as it moves
around the screen.

Activating

Activating this mode is accomplished by selecting theTrack-Player/ Track -Ball icon from the Camera Modes Menu. Once selected, a second menu will appear where the user will choose either the Player icon (see below, yellow #1) or Ball icon (see below, yellow #2) in order to follow a player or ball, respectively.

Once the Player icon or Ball icon is selected, an
instruction bar will appear near the top of the screen with a message and a “Cancel” button (see below). Pressing the “Cancel” button will cancel changing the mode of the camera and revert to the previous mode.

Instruction Bar

The instruction bar will show one of two messages: “Select a player to
track…” or “Select a ball to track …”. The message is prompting
the user to single touch a player or ball on the field (see image below
with touch-point) that will become the focus of the camera. As a
note, the following pictures represent selecting a player to track, but the sequence for selecting a ball is identical.

Camera Change

Once the focus has been selected, the camera will adjust its view
to put the focus in the center of the screen, but will stay in the
same location. Additionally, the Track-Player / Track -Ball icon
on the menu button will indicate that the mode is active.

Motion Controls

There are no motion controls available to the user in this camera mode. The camera will adjust its own rotation to follow the focus at all
times.

Tips

Depending on where the camera is located while entering the modes outlined
in this article, selecting the desired player or ball can be challenging.
Additionally, when done with these modes (or selecting a different player
or ball), especially in the case of Follow-Player and Follow-Ball, the camera can be left in an undesirable location.
The following are some tips for making these camera modes as useful as
possible.

 

  • Take advantage of the previous mode while selecting
    – When changing to any camera mode, the previous camera mode is active
    until a new mode is successfully activated. In the case of the Follow and Track modes, until a focus is
    successfully chosen, the motion controls of the previous mode will
    still be active and working. So, the best modes to be in before
    entering the Follow or Track modes are the Pivot-In-Place and the Rotate-Around-Location. Using
    this technique will give the most flexibility when selecting a focus.
  • Use the Camera Zoom to see more or larger selections –
    The Camera Zoom setting is available and active during all
    camera modes. Camera Zoom is accessed through the controls at
    the bottom of the screen (outlined in a blue rectangle, below).

When selecting a focus, it is possible to adjust the zoom either
in or out, without moving the camera. This can help by either making
potential selections larger or provide a more broad view. As a note, the zoom does not reset itself between camera modes. Set the camera zoom mid-way for the best viewing behavior, once the selection is completed.

  • Reset your view using Camera Shots
    – The Camera Shots option is available and active during all
    camera modes. The Camera Shots menu is accessed through the
    controls at the bottom of the screen (outlined in a blue rectangle,
    below).

Choosing one of the camera shots from the Camera Shots menu will:

o Set the camera mode to Pivot-In-Place
o Set the camera location to a pre-defined setting
o Set the camera zoom to a pre-defined setting

This technique is very useful when coming from a Follow mode and
going to any other mode (including selecting a different Follow focus).

Summary

In this third article, we have covered theFollow-Player / Follow-Ball and the Track-Player / Track -Ball camera modes. With these modes, the user focus on the details of the play (even becoming the player). In the final article, we will discuss the camera mode that will be most familiar with strategy gamers.

View Part Four of this article series on App Camera Control here.

MOTI Mobile Tip: Camera Controls for Drills – Part 2 of 4

Welcome back to the 4-part series on MOTI Mobile Camera Controls for Drills.  In this article the Pivot-In-Place and Rotate-Around-Location camera modes will be reviewed and explained. Utilizing these modes, a complete view of the field and play is possible.

To recap, the review of the camera modes is divided into 4 different parts.  Topics for the 4 parts are:

  • Overview – Part 1 will introduce basic motion options (finger-gestures and on-screen joysticks) and provide a high-level overview of each of the camera modes.
  • Pivot-In-Place and Rotate-Around-Location (this article)– Part 2 is a detailed overview of two modes that provide a very flexible overview of the drill. As a note, Pivot-In-Place is the default mode when a drill starts.
  • Follow-Player, Follow-Ball, Track-Player and Track-Ball – Part 3 will explore the ‘follow’ and ‘tracking’ options. These modes facilitate focusing on specific player/ball in a complex drill.
  • Top-Down Perspective – Part 4 covers a viewing of the field that will be very familiar with players of some of the most popular real-time strategy games.

Review

The first article introduced the mechanisms available to move the camera (section Motion Controls), the way to access the camera modes (section Camera Modes Menu) and a high-level overview of the camera modes (section Camera Modes).  The content of these sections will be used as a basis of this article.  Read the first article if these concepts are unfamiliar or a refresher is needed.

Camera Modes Menu (shown as activated)

Pivot-In-Place (see below, yellow #1) and Rotate-Around-Location (see below, yellow #2) are highlighted below.

Pivot In Place

This camera mode allows the user to easily look around with finger gestures and move with the joysticks.  This is the default mode.

Activating

Activating this mode is accomplished by selecting the Pivot-In-Place icon from the Camera Modes Menu.  Once selected, the Pivot-In-Place icon on the menu button will indicate that the mode is active.

This mode is controlled by both finger gestures and the on-screen joysticks.

Finger Gestures

The figure gestures will change the direction that the camera is pointing.  Essentially, allowing the user to “look-around”.  The finger gestures behavior is defined as follows:

Sliding up/down will change direction that the camera is pointing up/down, respectively.

Sliding right/left will change the direction that the camera is pointing to the right/left, respectively.

On-Screen Joysticks

The elevation and location joysticks will change the location of the camera without changing the direction that the camera is pointing.  The joystick behavior is defined as follows:

Elevation Joystick will increase/decrease the elevation of the camera without changing the where the camera is pointing.

Location Joystick will move the camera in the direction of the arrows without changing the where the camera is pointing.

Rotate Around Location

This camera mode allows the user to rotate around a single location on the field.  A good way to visualize the behavior of this mode is to imaging tracing a finger over the surface of the upper half of a ball.

Activating

Activating this mode is accomplished by selecting the Rotate-Around-Location icon from the Camera Modes Menu.  Once selected, an instruction bar will appear near the top of the screen with a message and a “Cancel” button (see below).  Pressing the “Cancel” button will cancel changing the mode of the camera and revert to the previous mode.

Instruction Bar

The instruction bar will show the message “Select a location…”.  This is prompting the user to single touch a location on the field (see image below with touch-point) that will be the point-of-rotation. The camera will rotate around the  point-of-rotation, continually looking at it.

Once the point-of-rotation has been selected, the Pivot-In-Place icon on the menu button will indicate that the mode is active.

This mode is controlled by both finger gestures and the on-screen joysticks.

Finger Gestures

Using the figure gestures will move the camera as if on the surface of a ball.  The distance between the camera and the rotation-point will remain constant.  The finger gestures behavior is defined as follows:

Sliding up/down will increase/decrease the elevation, respectively, while keeping a constant distance to, and continually looking at, the rotation-point.

Sliding right/left will change the location of the camera to the right/left, respectively, while keeping a constant distance to, and continually looking at, the rotation-point.

On-Screen Joysticks

Using the joystick will move the camera in different directions in relation to the rotation-point and change the distance to the rotation-point.  The joystick behavior is defined as follows:

Elevation Joystick

Pressing the buttons of this joystick will increase/decrease the elevation of the camera while continually looking at the rotation-point.

Location Joystick

Pressing the buttons on this joystick will move the camera in the direction of the arrows while continually looking at the rotation-point.

Summary

In this second article, we have covered the Pivot-InPlace and the Rotate-Around-Location  camera modes.  With these modes, the user can view the entity of the play from various angles/locations.  In subsequent articles, more camera modes will be reviewed in detail.

View Part Three of this article series on App Camera Control here.

MOTI Tip: Camera Controls for Drills

Christopher Ebbert is the author of the MOTI Soccer App, this is the article discusses existing and new features available in the next release.

MOTI Soccer Tip: Camera Controls for Drills – Part 1 of 4

MOTI Soccer (previously known as MOTI Mobile) Camera Controls for Drills provides the user dynamic options to review and study drills.  From tracking a player on the field to viewing a drill from overhead to actually being the player, the camera controls provide a multitude of options.

The review of the camera modes will be divided into 4 different parts.  Topics for the 4 parts are:

  1. Motion Controls and Overview (this article) – Part 1 will introduce the motion controls available to the user (finger-gestures and on-screen joysticks) and provide a high-level overview of each of the camera modes.
  2. Pivot-In-Place and Rotate-Around-Location – Part 2 covers two modes that provide a very flexible overview of a drill. As a note, Pivot-In-Place is the default mode when a drill starts.
  3. Follow-Player, Follow-Ball, Track-Player and Track-Ball – Part 3 will explore the ‘follow’ and ‘tracking’ options. These modes facilitate focusing on specific player/ball in a complex drill.
  4. Top-Down Perspective – Part 4 reviews a viewing-mechanism of the field that will be very familiar with user that play some of the most popular real-time strategy games.

Motion Controls

The motion of the camera can be controlled by finger-gestures and by the on-screen joysticks.

Finger Gestures

Common finger gestures are used with the touchscreen.  The effect of the finger gestures will change based on the camera mode that is selected.  The individual effects will be outlined in the article that contains the camera mode.   The following terms in these articles will be used to describe motion on the touchscreen.  Currently, the finger gestures are:

Slide left/right

Single press and hold on the touchscreen then sliding the finger right and left.

Slide up/down

Single press and hold on the touchscreen then sliding the finger up and down.

Single Select

Single press and release on the touchscreen.

On-Screen Joysticks

There are two on-screen joysticks that are available, depending on the camera mode.  The effect of the on-screen joysticks will change based on the camera mode, however, the each joystick maintains a specific function.  The two joysticks are Elevation Joystick (see below, yellow #1, outlined in blue) and Location Joystick (see below, yellow #2, outlined in blue).  The image below shows them in their default modes.

 

 Clicking on either of the joystick icons will activate it.  Only one joystick will be active at a time.

Elevation Joystick

Once the Elevation Joystick is activated, it becomes larger so that it is more easily used.   There are three button areas of this joystick.

  1. Increase Elevation (see above, yellow #1, outlined in light blue) – Pressing the upper part of the joystick will increase the elevation of the camera.
  2. Decrease Elevation (see above, yellow #2, outlined in light blue) – Pressing the bottom part of the joystick will decrease the elevation of the camera.
  3. Close Joystick (see above, yellow #3) – Pressing the center circle of the joystick will close the joystick and put it back into the default joystick mode.

Location Joystick

Once the Location Joystick is activated, it becomes larger so that it is more easily used.   There are five button areas of this joystick.

  1. Move Forward (see above, yellow #1, outlined in light blue) – Pressing the upper part of the joystick will move the camera forward (similar to stepping forward in the facing direction).
  2. Move Right (see above, yellow #2, outlined in light blue) – Pressing the right part of the joystick will move the camera to the right (similar to side-stepping right while looking forward).
  3. Move Back (see above, yellow #3, outlined in light blue) – Pressing the upper part of the joystick will move the camera back (similar to stepping back while looking forward).
  4. Move Left (see above, yellow #4, outlined in light blue) – Pressing the left part of the joystick will move the camera to the left (similar to side-stepping left while looking forward).
  5. Close Joystick (see above, yellow #5, in the center) – Pressing the center circle of the joystick will close the joystick.

 

 Camera Modes Menu

The camera controls are activated through the camera mode button located near the top left corner of the drills screen (see below, yellow #1, outlined in blue).

Pressing the camera mode button will activate a slide-out menu with all the camera modes that are available (see below).   To change the camera mode, simply reactive the menu and select a new mode.

Camera Modes

The five camera modes available are:

Pivot-In-Place

This camera mode allows the user to easily look around with finger gestures and move with the joystick.  This is the default mode.

Rotate-Around-Location

This camera mode allows the user to rotate around a single location on the field.  When this mode is picked the user will be asked to Single-Select a point on the field.  Once the point is selected (called the rotation-point), the mode is active.  Finger-gestures and joysticks will be used to move the camera.

Follow Player/Ball

In this camera mode the camera will follow a player or ball as the player or ball moves on the field.  The camera acts as if it is attached to the player or ball.  When this mode is picked, the user will first choose to follow a player or ball (through a new menu) and then will be asked to select the player or ball with a Single-Select.

Track Player/Ball

In this camera mode the camera will track a player or ball as the player or ball moves on the field, without the camera moving.   The camera acts like a stadium camera that follows players or balls.  When this mode is picked, the user will first choose to track a player or ball (through a new menu) and then will be asked to select the player or ball with a Single-Select.

Top Down Perspective

This camera mode tilts the camera to a fixed downward angle.  Finger-gestures and joysticks will be used to move the camera.

Back/Cancel

When this button is pressed, the Camera Mode menu will hide and the camera mode will not be changed.

Summary

In this first article, we have covered the motion controls available to the user and given an overview of each of the camera modes.  In subsequent articles, the camera modes will be reviewed in detail.

View Part Two of this article series on App Camera Control here.