Software for solar design. Help improve the explanation.

Step 7 Making the camera "fly" over the scene

This is a step by step of how to make a camera fly over the scene by "peteihis" from the art of illusion forums. It is VERY important that you follow his instructions in sequence. I do not think you can edit a cameras propertys properly once the camera has been made a "child" of a null object. so it is really important to set your camera up exactly as you want it, (in the right place and pointing in the right direction with the right field of view) BEFORE you attach it to a null. OK?
Here are his instructions.
"OK. Step by step.... It looks longer than it actually is. Below, the movement is scaled so that 1 second equals 10 degrees, so the angle can be adjusted by moving the time slider to the appropriate time.

First the basic assembly:

1) Place the camera above the cooker pointing down. -- Just type in the coordinates, like (0,100,0) and (-90,180,0)
2) Place a Null object (Object-menu/ Create Primitive...) in the cooker (0,0,0 or what seems the best center point)
3) On the object list: Make the camera a child to the Null. (Just drag it under the Null so that it gets inteted and disappears) and click the small arrowhead beside the Null to see it again.

So far, so good. Now let's attach the camera to the null object:

4) Have the camera selected and pull up the animation score on the bottom of the screen
5) Select both of the animation tracks (Position and Rotation). That is: click the names of them to have them selected, hold shift key down to select both.
6) press Ctrl+K. This creates keyframes that attach the camera to the parent object.
7) Double click the name of the Rotation track -- A dialog opens. On the dialog, unselect the "Isotropic rotations" (In this case it does not effect the action, but simplifies the calculation of orientation) -- And while at it, the Coordinate System should be "Parent". :)

Now if you move the camera manually, it will jump back to the keyframed position any time you render a picture or move the green time-slider on the animation track.

Now let's make the sun/camera move:

8) Have the *Null object* selected
9) Keyframe it on 0.0 seconds. Move the green time slider to 4.5 seconds
keyframe there... (Keyframe at least the Rotation track, position is not going to be changed, so no need for another keyframe there.)
10) Double click the small diamondshaped marker on the Rotation track (make sure that you don't have more than one keyframe selected, or nothing will happen) -- it will open a dialog for the rotations keyframe. Make the Z-rotation 45 degrees and hit OK.
11) Double click the name of the Rotation track. On the dialog, change the Smoothing Method from "Interpolating" to "Linear". This ensures that the time corresponds directly to the angle, if you for example decide to add more keyframes....

Now as you move the time slider, the camera will move along a 45 degree arch above the scene. You can use the time slider to select the angle you like. The picture will be rendered at the time, that the slider is pointed at.

If you need to move the centerpoint of the rotation, edit the Position keyframe(s) of the Null.

And about handling the animation score:
- Clicking or dragging on the time scale moves the slider
- Dragging by right mouse button on the lower area moves the timeline
- Right-dragging with shif-down zooms the timeline. "
And without this I would have been totally lost!
Brian