Question How to force the player character into a rotation (respawn)

I have a seemingly simple scenario: when the player dies, move the player object to the spawn point and rotate it in the spawn point direction. I get the teleport to the point fine, but I just can't get the rotation part to work.

Looking for solutions online I came across simply assigning the transform.rotation to the spawnpoint.rotation (which does nothing) or using LookAt (if I use this the camera just starts spinning uncontrollably without any input). I messed around with the eulerAngles, created manual vectors, nothing seems to work.

I use a Character Controller, could this be the reason? The movement code is largely from a tutorial, my additions are everything related to "respawn".

The parts around respawn rotation look like this in my script (full code below):

Code (CSharp):

1. if (m_Respawn)
2.             {
3.                 CameraPosition.transform.eulerAngles = RespawnPoint.eulerAngles;
4.             }
5.             else CameraPosition.transform.localEulerAngles = currentAngles;
6.  
7.             if (m_Respawn)
8.             {
9.                 //transform.LookAt(RespawnPoint.forward * 3);
10.                 //CameraPosition.transform.LookAt(RespawnPoint.forward * 3);
11.                 transform.rotation = RespawnPoint.rotation;
12.                 m_CharacterController.Move(new Vector3(0,0,0));
13.             }

(the second part here looks a bit messy because I kept adding and changing things around - this is just the latest iteration of the code, also not working)


----
Full code (this is on the player object):

Movement: lines 125-133
Rotation/turning: lines 136-177

Code (CSharp):

1. using System;
2. using System.Collections.Generic;
3. using System.Collections.Specialized;
4. using System.Net.Mime;
5. using UnityEngine;
6. #if UNITY_EDITOR
7. using UnityEditor;
8. #endif
9.  
10. public class Controller : MonoBehaviour
11. {
12.     //Urg that's ugly, maybe find a better way
13.     public static Controller Instance { get; protected set; }
14.  
15.     public Camera MainCamera;
16.     public Transform CameraPosition;
17.     public Transform RespawnPoint;
18.  
19.     [Header("Control Settings")]
20.     public float MouseSensitivity = 10.0f;
21.     public float PlayerSpeed = 5.0f;
22.     public float RunningSpeed = 7.0f;
23.     public float JumpSpeed = 5.0f;
24.      
25.     public float Speed { get; private set; } = 0.0f;
26.     public bool LockControl { get; set; }
27.     public bool CanPause { get; set; } = true;
28.     public bool Grounded => m_Grounded;
29.  
30.     //private
31.     float m_VerticalSpeed = 0.0f;
32.     float m_GroundedTimer;
33.     float m_SpeedAtJump = 0.0f;
34.     float m_VerticalAngle, m_HorizontalAngle;
35.     bool m_Grounded;
36.     bool m_IsPaused = false;
37.     bool m_Respawn = false;
38.     CharacterController m_CharacterController;
39.  
40.     void Awake()
41.     {
42.         Instance = this;
43.     }
44.  
45.     public void Respawn(Transform m_playerSpawn)
46.     {
47.         m_Respawn = true;
48.         print("respawn");
49.     }
50.  
51.     void Start()
52.     {
53.         Cursor.lockState = CursorLockMode.Locked;
54.         Cursor.visible = false;
55.  
56.         m_IsPaused = false;
57.         m_Grounded = true;
58.  
59.         MainCamera.transform.SetParent(CameraPosition, false);
60.         MainCamera.transform.localPosition = Vector3.zero;
61.         MainCamera.transform.localRotation = Quaternion.identity;
62.         m_CharacterController = GetComponent<CharacterController>();
63.  
64.         m_VerticalAngle = 0.0f;
65.         m_HorizontalAngle = transform.localEulerAngles.y;
66.     }
67.  
68.     void Update()
69.     {
70.         /*
71.         if (CanPause && Input.GetButtonDown("Menu"))
72.         {
73.             PauseMenu.Instance.Display();
74.         }
75.  
76.         FullscreenMap.Instance.gameObject.SetActive(Input.GetButton("Map"));
77.         */
78.  
79.         bool wasGrounded = m_Grounded;
80.         bool loosedGrounding = false;
81.  
82.         //we define our own grounded and not use the Character controller one as the character controller can flicker
83.         //between grounded/not grounded on small step and the like. So we actually make the controller "not grounded" only
84.         //if the character controller reported not being grounded for at least .5 second;
85.         if (!m_CharacterController.isGrounded)
86.         {
87.             if (m_Grounded)
88.             {
89.                 m_GroundedTimer += Time.deltaTime;
90.                 if (m_GroundedTimer >= 0.5f)
91.                 {
92.                     loosedGrounding = true;
93.                     m_Grounded = false;
94.                 }
95.             }
96.         }
97.         else
98.         {
99.             m_GroundedTimer = 0.0f;
100.             m_Grounded = true;
101.         }
102.  
103.         Speed = 0;
104.         Vector3 move = Vector3.zero;
105.         if (!m_IsPaused && !LockControl)
106.         {
107.             // Jump (we do it first as
108.             if (m_Grounded && Input.GetButtonDown("Jump"))
109.             {
110.                 m_VerticalSpeed = JumpSpeed;
111.                 m_Grounded = false;
112.                 loosedGrounding = true;
113.                 //FootstepPlayer.PlayClip(JumpingAudioCLip, 0.8f, 1.1f);
114.             }
115.  
116.             bool running = Input.GetButton("Run");
117.             float actualSpeed = running ? RunningSpeed : PlayerSpeed;
118.  
119.             if (loosedGrounding)
120.             {
121.                 m_SpeedAtJump = actualSpeed;
122.             }
123.  
124.  
125.             // Move around with WASD
126.             move = new Vector3(Input.GetAxis("Horizontal"), 0, Input.GetAxisRaw("Vertical"));
127.             if (move.sqrMagnitude > 1.0f) move.Normalize();
128.             float usedSpeed = m_Grounded ? actualSpeed : m_SpeedAtJump;
129.          
130.             move = move * usedSpeed * Time.deltaTime;
131.          
132.             move = transform.TransformDirection(move);
133.             m_CharacterController.Move(move);
134.  
135.  
136.             // Turn player
137.             float turnPlayer = Input.GetAxis("Mouse X") * MouseSensitivity;
138.             m_HorizontalAngle = m_HorizontalAngle + turnPlayer;
139.  
140.             if (m_HorizontalAngle > 360) m_HorizontalAngle -= 360.0f;
141.             if (m_HorizontalAngle < 0) m_HorizontalAngle += 360.0f;
142.  
143.             Vector3 currentAngles = transform.localEulerAngles;
144.             currentAngles.y = m_HorizontalAngle;
145.  
146.             if (m_Respawn) transform.eulerAngles = RespawnPoint.eulerAngles;
147.             else transform.localEulerAngles = currentAngles;
148.  
149.  
150.             // Camera look up/down
151.             var turnCam = -Input.GetAxis("Mouse Y") * MouseSensitivity;
152.             m_VerticalAngle = Mathf.Clamp(turnCam + m_VerticalAngle, -89.0f, 89.0f);
153.             currentAngles = CameraPosition.transform.localEulerAngles;
154.             currentAngles.x = m_VerticalAngle;
155.             CameraPosition.transform.localEulerAngles = m_Respawn ? RespawnPoint.localEulerAngles : currentAngles;
156.  
157.             if (m_Respawn)
158.             {
159.                 CameraPosition.transform.eulerAngles = RespawnPoint.eulerAngles;
160.             }
161.             else CameraPosition.transform.localEulerAngles = currentAngles;
162.  
163.             ///*
164.             if (m_Respawn)
165.             {
166.                 //transform.LookAt(RespawnPoint.forward * 3);
167.                 //CameraPosition.transform.LookAt(RespawnPoint.forward * 3);
168.                 transform.rotation = RespawnPoint.rotation;
169.                 m_CharacterController.Move(new Vector3(0,0,0));
170.             }
171.             //*/
172.  
173.             Speed = move.magnitude / (PlayerSpeed * Time.deltaTime);
174.  
175.             //done with changes related to respawning
176.             m_Respawn = false;
177.         }
178.  
179.         // Fall down / gravity
180.         m_VerticalSpeed = m_VerticalSpeed - 10.0f * Time.deltaTime;
181.         if (m_VerticalSpeed < -10.0f) m_VerticalSpeed = -10.0f; // max fall speed
182.         var verticalMove = new Vector3(0, m_VerticalSpeed * Time.deltaTime, 0);
183.         var flag = m_CharacterController.Move(verticalMove);
184.         if ((flag & CollisionFlags.Below) != 0)
185.             m_VerticalSpeed = 0;
186.  
187.         if (!wasGrounded && m_Grounded)
188.         {
189.             //FootstepPlayer.PlayClip(LandingAudioClip, 0.8f, 1.1f);
190.         }
191.     }
192.  
193.     public void DisplayCursor(bool display)
194.     {
195.         m_IsPaused = display;
196.         Cursor.lockState = display ? CursorLockMode.None : CursorLockMode.Locked;
197.         Cursor.visible = display;
198.     }
199. }
200.  

 

On line 144 you overwrite the Y rotation with m_HorizontalAngle. Yes that one line doesn't happen on the frame you're respawning, but m_HorizontalAngle's value is still there. No matter what you set your rotation to one frame, the next frame, m_HorizontalAngle takes over. You have to reset that value when you reset your rotation.

 

You're absolutely right. I stuck that line in the next if-!respawn check - however the problem still persists. It's not just the y angle - if I look at the sky, it also doesn't change.

I also want to add that I'm currently also playing around with making player ghosts (i.e. an object that repeats your movement/actions) and setting rotation on the ghost works totally fine (which once again makes me think the Character Controller is somehow overriding it?)

 

I want to add a more extensive list of things I've tried (this time commented out instead of replaced).

Have not come any closer to finding a solution. Sorry for the bad formatting, couldn't manage to get it in line...

Code (CSharp):

1. //transform.eulerAngles = RespawnPoint.eulerAngles;                                         // <<< does nothing
2. //transform.eulerAngles = new Vector3(0,0,3);                                             // <<< does nothing
3. //transform.eulerAngles = new Vector3(0, 90, 0);                                         // <<< does nothing
4. //CameraPosition.transform.eulerAngles = RespawnPoint.eulerAngles;     // <<< does nothing
5. //CameraPosition.transform.eulerAngles = new Vector3(0,0,3);                  // <<< does nothing
6. //CameraPosition.transform.eulerAngles = new Vector3(0,90,0);                // <<< makes the camera wobbly like SetLookRotation
7.  
8. //transform.LookAt(RespawnPoint.forward * 3);                                          // <<< makes the camera wobbly from then on (not just once)
9. //CameraPosition.transform.LookAt(RespawnPoint.forward * 3);               // <<< does nothing
10.  
11. //transform.rotation.SetLookRotation(RespawnPoint.forward * 3);             // <<< makes the camera wobbly from then on, but different from the one above
12.  
13. //CameraPosition.transform.rotation = Quaternion.LookRotation(RespawnPoint.forward * 3);   // <<< does nothing
14.  
15. /*
16. Quaternion rot = new Quaternion();                              //
17. rot.SetLookRotation(RespawnPoint.forward * 3);        // <<< found this on unity answers but also does nothing
18. transform.rotation = rot;                                               //
19. */
20.  
21. //transform.rotation = Quaternion.Euler(0,90,0);                               // <<< does nothing
22. //CameraPosition.transform.rotation = Quaternion.Euler(0,90,0);   // <<< does nothing