Long wanted feature for animators: option to lock a view to always show

a specific object, so you can see long walkcycles or actions well.

Option is per 3d window, in "View Properties" panel. It also can optional
lock a view to a single bone even!

Temporal movie for fun:
http://www.blender.org/bf/0001_0060.avi

4 files changed, 30 insertions, 5 deletions

diff --git a/source/blender/blenloader/intern/readfile.c b/source/blender/blenloader/intern/readfile.c
index 675a8f7f81e..f9a01721046 100644
--- a/source/blender/blenloader/intern/readfile.c
+++ b/source/blender/blenloader/intern/readfile.c
@@ -3069,6 +3069,7 @@ static void lib_link_screen(FileData *fd, Main *main)
 						View3D *v3d= (View3D*) sl;
 
 						v3d->camera= newlibadr(fd, sc->id.lib, v3d->camera);
+						v3d->ob_centre= newlibadr(fd, sc->id.lib, v3d->ob_centre);
 
 						if(v3d->bgpic) {
 							v3d->bgpic->ima= newlibadr_us(fd, sc->id.lib, v3d->bgpic->ima);
@@ -3222,6 +3223,7 @@ void lib_link_screen_restore(Main *newmain, Scene *curscene)
 					v3d->camera= restore_pointer_by_name(newmain, (ID *)v3d->camera, 1);
 					if(v3d->camera==NULL)
 						v3d->camera= sc->scene->camera;
+					v3d->ob_centre= restore_pointer_by_name(newmain, (ID *)v3d->ob_centre, 1);
 					
 					if(v3d->bgpic) {
 						v3d->bgpic->ima= restore_pointer_by_name(newmain, (ID *)v3d->bgpic->ima, 1);
diff --git a/source/blender/makesdna/DNA_view3d_types.h b/source/blender/makesdna/DNA_view3d_types.h
index be3a5099d7b..11af418a59a 100644
--- a/source/blender/makesdna/DNA_view3d_types.h
+++ b/source/blender/makesdna/DNA_view3d_types.h
@@ -93,13 +93,15 @@ typedef struct View3D {
 	short persp;
 	short view;
 
-	struct Object *camera;
+	struct Object *camera, *ob_centre;
 	struct BGpic *bgpic;
 	struct View3D *localvd;
 	struct RenderInfo *ri;
 	struct RetopoViewData *retopo_view_data;
 	struct ViewDepths *depths;
 	
+	char ob_centre_bone[32];		/* optional string for armature bone to define centre */
+	
 	/**
 	 * The drawing mode for the 3d display. Set to OB_WIRE, OB_SOLID,
 	 * OB_SHADED or OB_TEXTURED */
diff --git a/source/blender/src/drawview.c b/source/blender/src/drawview.c
index 4ad709c0dba..84a33bd225f 100644
--- a/source/blender/src/drawview.c
+++ b/source/blender/src/drawview.c
@@ -2470,7 +2470,7 @@ static void view3d_panel_properties(short cntrl)	// VIEW3D_HANDLER_SETTINGS
 	if(uiNewPanel(curarea, block, "View Properties", "View3d", 340, 30, 318, 254)==0) return;
 
 	/* to force height */
-	uiNewPanelHeight(block, 254);
+	uiNewPanelHeight(block, 264);
 
 	if(G.f & (G_VERTEXPAINT|G_FACESELECT|G_TEXTUREPAINT|G_WEIGHTPAINT)) {
 		uiBlockSetFlag(block, UI_BLOCK_FRONTBUFFER);	// force old style frontbuffer draw
@@ -2508,10 +2508,16 @@ static void view3d_panel_properties(short cntrl)	// VIEW3D_HANDLER_SETTINGS
 
 	uiDefBut(block, LABEL, 1, "Display:",				10, 50, 150, 19, NULL, 0.0, 0.0, 0, 0, "");
 	
+	uiBlockBeginAlign(block);
 	uiDefButBitS(block, TOG, V3D_SELECT_OUTLINE, REDRAWVIEW3D, "Outline Selected", 10, 30, 140, 19, &vd->flag, 0, 0, 0, 0, "Highlight selected objects with an outline, in Solid, Shaded or Textured viewport shading modes");
-	uiDefButBitS(block, TOG, V3D_DRAW_CENTERS, REDRAWVIEW3D, "All Object Centers", 160, 30, 150, 19, &vd->flag, 0, 0, 0, 0, "Draw the center points on all objects");
+	uiDefButBitS(block, TOG, V3D_DRAW_CENTERS, REDRAWVIEW3D, "All Object Centers", 10, 10, 140, 19, &vd->flag, 0, 0, 0, 0, "Draw the center points on all objects");
+	uiDefButBitS(block, TOGN, V3D_HIDE_HELPLINES, REDRAWVIEW3D, "Relationship Lines", 10, -10, 140, 19, &vd->flag, 0, 0, 0, 0, "Draw dashed lines indicating Parent, Constraint, or Hook relationships");
+	uiBlockEndAlign(block);
 
-	uiDefButBitS(block, TOGN, V3D_HIDE_HELPLINES, REDRAWVIEW3D, "Relationship Lines", 10, 6, 140, 19, &vd->flag, 0, 0, 0, 0, "Draw dashed lines indicating Parent, Constraint, or Hook relationships");
+	uiDefBut(block, LABEL, 1, "View Locking:",				160, 50, 150, 19, NULL, 0.0, 0.0, 0, 0, "");
+	uiBlockBeginAlign(block);
+	uiDefIDPoinBut(block, test_obpoin_but, ID_OB, REDRAWVIEW3D, "Object:", 160, 30, 140, 19, &vd->ob_centre, "Lock view to centre always on this Object"); 
+	uiDefBut(block, TEX, REDRAWVIEW3D, "Bone:",						160, 10, 140, 19, vd->ob_centre_bone, 1, 31, 0, 0, "If view locked to Object, use this Bone to lock to view to");
 
 }
 
diff --git a/source/blender/src/view.c b/source/blender/src/view.c
index 0a5b2a3d5f7..5e87923b111 100644
--- a/source/blender/src/view.c
+++ b/source/blender/src/view.c
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@
 #include "DNA_userdef_types.h"
 #include "DNA_view3d_types.h"
 
+#include "BKE_action.h"
 #include "BKE_anim.h"
 #include "BKE_global.h"
 #include "BKE_main.h"
@@ -987,7 +988,21 @@ void setviewmatrixview3d()
 		
 		QuatToMat4(G.vd->viewquat, G.vd->viewmat);
 		if(G.vd->persp==1) G.vd->viewmat[3][2]-= G.vd->dist;
-		i_translate(G.vd->ofs[0], G.vd->ofs[1], G.vd->ofs[2], G.vd->viewmat);
+		if(G.vd->ob_centre) {
+			Object *ob= G.vd->ob_centre;
+			float vec[3];
+			
+			VECCOPY(vec, ob->obmat[3]);
+			if(ob->type==OB_ARMATURE && G.vd->ob_centre_bone[0]) {
+				bPoseChannel *pchan= get_pose_channel(ob->pose, G.vd->ob_centre_bone);
+				if(pchan) {
+					VECCOPY(vec, pchan->pose_mat[3]);
+					Mat4MulVecfl(ob->obmat, vec);
+				}
+			}
+			i_translate(-vec[0], -vec[1], -vec[2], G.vd->viewmat);
+		}
+		else i_translate(G.vd->ofs[0], G.vd->ofs[1], G.vd->ofs[2], G.vd->viewmat);
 	}
 }