Turntable Camera

Following code is copied from info_panel, slightly updated, few variables are added to make it work. It’s well commented so you can read through it.

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import bpy

# create a curve circle, it will be camera's path.
bpy.ops.curve.primitive_bezier_circle_add(
    radius=10, enter_editmode=False, location=(0, 0, 0))

# declare a variable for selected object(curve), rename it and then deselect it.
camPathCurve = bpy.context.object
camPathCurve.name = '_camPathCurve'
camPathCurve.select_set(False)

# create an empty, it will be camera's target.
bpy.ops.object.empty_add(
    type='PLAIN_AXES', location=(0, 0, 0))

# declare a variable for selected object(empty), rename it and then deselect it.
camTarget = bpy.context.object
camTarget.name = '_camTarget'
camTarget.select_set(False)

# declare variable for camera and reset it's location and rotation
cam = bpy.context.scene.camera
cam.location = (0, 0, 0)
cam.rotation_euler = (0, 0, 0)


# select and make the camera active object
cam.select_set(True)
bpy.context.view_layer.objects.active = cam

# add 'follow_path' constraint and set target to the circle curve.
# and change other properties
bpy.ops.object.constraint_add(type='FOLLOW_PATH')
cam.constraints["Follow Path"].target = camPathCurve
cam.constraints["Follow Path"].forward_axis = 'TRACK_NEGATIVE_X'
cam.constraints["Follow Path"].up_axis = 'UP_Z'
cam.constraints["Follow Path"].use_curve_follow = True

# clear selection and clear active object
bpy.ops.object.select_all(action='DESELECT')
bpy.context.view_layer.objects.active = None

# select and make the camera active object
cam.select_set(True)
bpy.context.view_layer.objects.active = cam

# add 'damped_track' constraint and set target to Empty object
# which is camera's target and change other properties too
bpy.ops.object.constraint_add(type='DAMPED_TRACK')
cam.constraints["Damped Track"].track_axis = 'TRACK_NEGATIVE_Z'
cam.constraints["Damped Track"].target = camTarget

# adding keyframes for animating camera
frame_start = 1
frame_end = 150
cam.constraints["Follow Path"].offset = 0
cam.constraints["Follow Path"].keyframe_insert(data_path="offset", frame=frame_start)

# bpy.context.scene.frame_current = duration  # changing frame is not required
cam.constraints["Follow Path"].offset = 100
cam.constraints["Follow Path"].keyframe_insert(data_path="offset", frame=frame_end)

This script for simple turntable doesn’t require any UI. It’s not a very frequent script, it is run at the end of a process of modeling texturing, maybe once for each model or scene.

changing frame_start and frame_end at line 54 and 55, manually before running script, is not very inconvenient, or running the script and then editing keyframe in timeline is also smooth process and so is changing size/radius of circle curve or changing empty/camera target position in viewport.

But, if we insist on creating UI, we can create IntFields for frame_start and frame_end in the step 2.

Tip

Making camera a child of an object and rotating the object, creates a basic turntable but isn’t very customizable.

Whenever there are more ways of doing certain thing. Choose one, which is more customizable. In the above approach, there are many ways to customize the process. We can change camera position, change curve shapes, change keyframes interpolation, move camera target (empty object) far/near and animate it if needed.