Switching Camera Mount in Carts Priority Mode¶

BOTH

When working on a Bolt or similar rig with multiple camera mount positions (e.g. top mount and side mount), you may need to switch the mount mid-project without losing the camera path or target path you have already programmed. The Carts Priority Mode procedure lets you change the camera mount and rebuild the rig kinematics while preserving your existing Cartesian move.

A typical use case: you design a move, then realise mid-session that you need extra height and must switch from side mount to top mount — without starting the move from scratch.

Before you begin — calibrate all lens positions¶

Lens calibration is mandatory before starting

You must calibrate the lens in every mount position you intend to use before beginning this procedure. Switching mount without correct lens calibration for that position will produce incorrect focus distances.

Procedure¶

Step 1 — Design the move in the desired starting mount¶

Programme the move as normal using your chosen camera mount position.

Step 2 — Save the job¶

Save the job before proceeding. If something goes wrong during the mount switch, you can revert to this saved state.

Step 3 — Switch Priority to Cartesians (Apply, do NOT Convert)¶

Go to Job Type > Job Type Setup > Priority To. Switch this to Cartesians and press Apply.

Do not press Convert

Pressing Apply locks the Cartesian (world-space) path as the priority — the rig will maintain the camera and target paths during the kinematics rebuild. Pressing Convert instead will transform the move data, which is not what you want here.

Step 4 — Change Camera Mount in Kinematics Setup¶

Go to Setups > Kinematics Setup > Camera Mount. Select the desired new camera mount position. Press Apply.

Step 5 — Rebuild in Rig View¶

Open the Rig View and press Rebuild. The rig display will update to show the new mount position.

Check: The camera path and target path should remain unchanged. If either path changes, stop and start the procedure again from your saved job.

Step 6 — Update Lens Setup¶

Change the Lens Setup to match the offset values for the new camera mount position. The lens nodal offsets will be different for each mount, and must be set correctly for focus to work.

Step 7 — Adjust Pan Handling if needed¶

If the camera is still in the wrong position after the rebuild, go to Setups > Miscellaneous Setup > Pan Handling and adjust the setting until the correct result is achieved.

Rig view does not update until closed and reopened

The rig position display in the Rig Window will not update to reflect Pan Handling changes until you close and reopen the Rig Window.

Summary of steps¶

Step	Location	Action
1	Move programming	Design move in desired mount
2	File menu	Save Job
3	Job Type > Job Type Setup	Priority To: Cartesians — press Apply (NOT Convert)
4	Setups > Kinematics Setup	Camera Mount: select new mount — press Apply
5	Rig View	Press Rebuild — verify paths unchanged
6	Lens Setup	Update offsets for new mount position
7	Setups > Miscellaneous Setup	Adjust Pan Handling if position is wrong

Source: Camera Mount Switch in Carts Priority Mode Walk-Through — talk.mrmoco.com