Ok, I have a 3rd person view and I need to detect if something gets in between the player and camera view.

I set the trace_mode to ignore me and passable, then I use result = trace(player.x,camera.x) then I check if result is smaller than the distance of palyer.x and camera.x using vec_dist, if it is I execute a command to move the camera.

The problem is it either always moves the camera, even when nothing is in the way or never moves it, even when something is in the way.

Any suggestions or code snips would be helpful.

note: the player can move the camera.x by pressing a key.

thanks

Brandon

[This message has been edited by AcidCrow (edited 28 March 2001).]

Hi AcidCrow,

If you search for "My 3rd person camera function" in the beginner's topics you may find some useful info. I was working through alot of the same issues when I wrote that. Hope this helps.

Well, its not the camera stuff Im having problems with. I need to know when something gets inbetween the player and the camera, hence the trace command. I cant seem to get the trace to detect when a object is blocking the view from the camera to the player.

Thanks for replying though.

Brandon

Well, there is an example of using trace in that way in that code.

Heres the code I am using, maybe you can find my mistake:

while (1){
trace_mode = ignore_me + ignore_passable + use_box;
result1 = trace(player.x,temp_cdist.x);
if (result1 > 0){
temp_cdist.x = temp_cdist.x + 20;move_view_3rd();}
wait(1);
}

the result1 always returns a 0, even if I stand where I know there is something in the way.

I really need to get this solved...I looked at the code you were talking about, and it seems like I am doing about the same thing with the trace, but I must be missing something.

Thanks in advance.

Brandon

[This message has been edited by AcidCrow (edited 28 March 2001).]

Hmmm, I only used ignore_me and ignore_passable in my function. Could adding use_box make a difference? Doesn't seem very likely, but that is different.

Ahh, I have a vec_sub to put the desired camera position temp_cdist.x behind the player for the trace sort of like this:

vec_set(temp, player.X);
vec_sub(temp, temp_cdist);
trace_mode = ignore_me + ignore_passable;
result = trace(player.X, temp);

(I changed it from the way I did it to make is more like your function, hope I didn't screw it up.)

The only other thing I see is when result1 is greater than zero, it looks like the cammera is moving away. Should it move closer? But that doesn't have anything to do with the trace function.

I tried your entire 3rd person code and I got it where it alomst works for what I want.

The only problem is when something is in the way the camera view is right on top of it. I need to get it to move back a bit more from it.

And yes, my camera is moving forward, not back.

I do appreciate your help though, seems like Im getting closer to what I need.

Brandon

OK, I fixed the problem of being too close, but have one other bug. If the camera touches the ceiling it gets the mirror effect and sticks to the ceiling for a second. I even tried making the camera non-passable and it still does it.

Any ideas?

Brandon

I saw the hall of mirrors effect also. Usually worst when I was zoomed way back. I suspected that it was due to the camera getting too close to or even slightly inside a wall or ceiling. I tried adding a fudge (using a trace at 110% of the camera distance to the player or so) to keep the camera from getting too close to an obstacle. That did seem to help somewhat, but even with that, I never was able to eliminate it completely. I finally just decided to let it go.

Yeah, Ive been trying to get rid of it also and cant seem to do it. Its not too bad and hopefully wont affect game play much being that its only the ceiling that does it.

Thanks a lot for your help.

Brandon