FPS camera collision

I would like a third person controller with the camera following slightly behind, but if my player backs into a wall, the camera's follow distance would shorten accordingly.

How is the best way to implement this? Should I put another CharacterController on the camera? Could I simply use the Raycast method of the Physics class?

It seems that this would be a common issue. Is there a thread that discusses this particular camera behavior?

Thanks for any suggestions.

 

I think raycasting in all directions around your camera, and changing it's position acordingly is the best way to go. I will have to do a similar thing soon.

Hope that helps.

Bill

 

I think that the best is use a raycast from the player to the camera and put the camera in the:
Max distance or Collision distance

I'm now implementing one of this ^^.

 

I use a phyisics based camera for my racing game. The camera has a rigidbody and collider on it so it never goes inside objects. Here is the script:

Code (csharp):

1.  
2.  
3. var target : Transform;
4. var body : GameObject;
5.  
6. var distance = 0.000;
7. var normalTargetDistance = 7.00;
8. var targetDistance = 7.00;
9.  
10. var forceFactor = 0.00;
11.  
12. var inwardForce = 160.00;
13. var upwardForce = 40.00;
14. var lookDamping = 4.80;
15. var normalDrag = 6;
16.  
17. var airMode = false;
18.  
19. rigidbody.freezeRotation = true;
20.  
21. function FixedUpdate()
22. {
23.     script = body.GetComponent(Car);
24.     if(script) airMode = script.airMode;
25.  
26.     if(airMode)
27.     {
28.         targetDistance += Time.deltaTime * 4;
29.         rigidbody.drag += Time.deltaTime * 2;
30.     }
31.     else
32.     {
33.         targetDistance = normalTargetDistance;
34.         rigidbody.drag = normalDrag;
35.     }
36.     rotation = Quaternion.LookRotation(target.position - transform.position);
37.     transform.rotation = Quaternion.Slerp(transform.rotation, rotation, Time.deltaTime * lookDamping);
38.     transform.localEulerAngles.z = 0;
39.  
40.     distance = Vector3.Distance(transform.position, target.transform.position);
41.  
42.  
43.     if(targetDistance < distance) forceFactor = distance - targetDistance;
44.     if(targetDistance > distance) forceFactor = 0;
45.  
46.     rigidbody.AddRelativeForce (Vector3.forward * inwardForce * forceFactor * Time.deltaTime);
47.     if(transform.localEulerAngles.x < 30) rigidbody.AddRelativeForce (Vector3.up * upwardForce * Time.deltaTime);
48. }
49.  
50.  
51.