I'm trying to make a panning security camera, but I'm running into problems because a camera's origin is not the camera itself, it's what it's pointing at. So, when I try to pan the camera between two cameras, it follows a straight line instead of an arc. Or, to illustrate:
The camera's origin follows the red line when I want it to follow the green one, and it "pushes" the actual camera down (negative) on the Y axis when moving between the points. I understand why it does this, but what can I do about it?
I did think of one workaround; change the camera's "Distance" parameter (which is the distance the camera is from its target and origin) to 0 (or as close as I can get to it). It would effectively make the origin be where the actual camera is, but it has a downside; it's almost impossible to see the camera in the editor. EDIT: I tried this and although the general camera movement is what I want, the camera "shakes" as it pans (presumably a resolution issue), and as I stated earlier they're very difficult to see in the editor.
So, the ideal situation would be to change the camera's origin to actual camera's location. Is there a way to do this, or some other way I should approach this?
Easy, set the distance of the camera to something REALLY REALLY low, so that way when you rotate, it seems as though you're rotating the camera, not rotating the camera around some point. Then, of course, you have to change the camera's x,y, and z coordinates to get it as close as it was originally.
Or you could add a few more cameras along the path of the arc, run through a series of, say, 5 cameras instead of just 2 on the ends. Might have some noticeable "corners" when it switches between cameras, but it shouldn't be too horrible.
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I'm trying to make a panning security camera, but I'm running into problems because a camera's origin is not the camera itself, it's what it's pointing at. So, when I try to pan the camera between two cameras, it follows a straight line instead of an arc. Or, to illustrate: The camera's origin follows the red line when I want it to follow the green one, and it "pushes" the actual camera down (negative) on the Y axis when moving between the points. I understand why it does this, but what can I do about it?
I did think of one workaround; change the camera's "Distance" parameter (which is the distance the camera is from its target and origin) to 0 (or as close as I can get to it). It would effectively make the origin be where the actual camera is, but it has a downside; it's almost impossible to see the camera in the editor. EDIT: I tried this and although the general camera movement is what I want, the camera "shakes" as it pans (presumably a resolution issue), and as I stated earlier they're very difficult to see in the editor.
So, the ideal situation would be to change the camera's origin to actual camera's location. Is there a way to do this, or some other way I should approach this?
@SirOrum: Go
Can you plz post a demo of what you mean? I think I understand, but I want to make sure. Also try changing the cameras target, and it's yaw and pitch.
Still alive and kicking, just busy.
My guide to the trigger editor (still a work in progress)
@willuwontu: Go
Sure, of how it is currently.
I do change yaw. The issue is that the origin (what the camera object is referenced around) is the point it's targeting and not the camera itself.
@SirOrum: Go
hmmm i'll have think about this. (yes my head hurts :) )
Still alive and kicking, just busy.
My guide to the trigger editor (still a work in progress)
Easy, set the distance of the camera to something REALLY REALLY low, so that way when you rotate, it seems as though you're rotating the camera, not rotating the camera around some point. Then, of course, you have to change the camera's x,y, and z coordinates to get it as close as it was originally.
@LazyCoder: Go
Yeah, I did that. Unfortunately that causes issues related to resolution if you set it to 0 (which becomes 0.0003).
I did get it working without any visible resolution issues by setting it to 0.1. The only problem is I can barely see the cameras in the editor.
@SirOrum: Go
Why not have the camera follow an invisible unit?
Or you could add a few more cameras along the path of the arc, run through a series of, say, 5 cameras instead of just 2 on the ends. Might have some noticeable "corners" when it switches between cameras, but it shouldn't be too horrible.