Keeping distance

Hi,

I am adjusting the SmoothLookat script so that after smooth rotating / lookingat, the camera has to keep distance from the player (inspector variables distanceY and distanceZ).

But the smooth lookat is "ruined" because I reposition the camera afterwards. Here is where I am stuck.

How can I move the camera away from its target?
In Blitz Basic, I would use "MoveEntity (x,y,z)", where I say: "move relative to its current orientation". But here I am using absolute vectors, which is wrong.
Ideas?

Thanks

Code (csharp):

1.  
2. var target : Transform;
3. var damping = 6.0;
4. var smooth = true;
5. var distanceY : float;
6. var distanceZ : float;
7.  
8. @AddComponentMenu("Camera-Control/Smooth Look At")
9. partial class SmoothLookAt { }
10.  
11. function LateUpdate () {
12.     if (target) {
13.         if (smooth) {
14.             // Look at and dampen the rotation
15.             var rotation = Quaternion.LookRotation(target.position - transform.position);
16.             transform.rotation = Quaternion.Slerp(transform.rotation, rotation, Time.deltaTime * damping);
17.  
18. // lines below ruins lookat
19.             transform.position = target.transform.position;
20.             transform.position.y += distanceY;
21.             transform.position.z += distanceZ;
22.            
23.             }
24.         else {
25.             // Just lookat
26.             transform.LookAt(target);
27.             }
28.         }
29.    
30.     }
31.  
32.  

 

Try repositioning your camera _before_ you make it look at your target. Doing it in reverse is probably your problem.

-Jeremy

 

Hi Jeremy,

That doesn't solve the problem.
Because the camera is placed behind a fixed Z and X of the character,
the Slerp or Lookat does not visually work anymore.

What I want is to place the camera behind the character,
but the X and Z should be relative to its current orientation.

I think the solution is somewhere in RotateAround, but I how
do I slerp the camera from its current rotation to Vector.back of
the character? How do I translate the coordinates?

Below is a siuation I am looking for
above is a "normal" situation where the player is walking forward,
but when he turns into a direction, the camera should reposition itself
behind the player, smoothly (in my case I want this with a slight delay,
not like smoothLookAt does).
In all cases I want the camera to keep a fixed Z and X distance.

 

Hi Joachim,

In this case, where is 'rotation' based on? Is it the lookrotation? Because the camera goes beserk now

Code (csharp):

1.  
2. var target : Transform;
3. var damping = 6.0;
4. var distanceY : float;
5. var distanceZ : float;
6.  
7. @AddComponentMenu("Camera-Control/Smooth Look At Jeroen")
8. partial class SmoothLookAt { }
9.  
10. function LateUpdate () {
11.    if (target) {
12.         // Look at and dampen the rotation
13.         var rotation = Quaternion.LookRotation(target.position - transform.position);
14.         transform.rotation = Quaternion.Slerp(transform.rotation, rotation, Time.deltaTime * damping);
15.  
16.         transform.position = target.transform.position;
17.         transform.position += rotation * Vector3(0, distanceY, 0-distanceZ);   
18.  
19.  
20.       }
21.    }
22.  

Check out what happens: http://www.stickystudios.com/unity

Tnx.