FPS camera ?

General Forums Blender and CG Discussions
#1

A lot of companies are creating FPS cameras to view a scene and the models. I know that we have a fly mode but it is like a mode, and has a tendecy to fly to fast. Would anyone be willing to tinker with the camera to use an FPS camera movemevt mode?

Basic idea is, w, a, d, z is the arrow controls or just the arrows to move forward right left back and the mouse movement to rotateing around to view the scene…

Kinda just putting all the movements into one mode instead of starting a grab move and fly move and start stoping …

#2

Just thinking aloud:

Why would you want a FPS camera. It can’t see how it would be any good for modelling. It only means having 4 hotkeys less to use.
It might be useful though just for viewing the model. Especially for people not familiar with the blender interface.

Wouldn’t it be possible to make a script for this in python? I’m really wondering if an addition to blender cvs is justified, since I don’t think many blender users can put it to any use.

Just my humble opinion of course. Any other opinions and arguments appreciated.

PS: I agree on the fly mode not being very handy in use.

#3

I would be great for a more verastile FPS camera, would help on making complex scenes like factories etc…

#4

Turning the fly mode into a proper FPS-style mode could be very useful. Right now it’s really difficult to use for getting anywhere.

#5

I agree with kit89, if, say, you were making a level for your game, you could preview it before you started doing any programming or game logic.

#6

If I am looking out of the camera (with the camera object selected) and press GKEY and move the mouse, the camera moves up, down, left, right, and when I press the mouse wheel down after I press GKEY I can bring the camera forwards and backwards along the Z direction. Then, if I press RKEY and then mouse wheel, I can move around the camera sort of like a FPS where the camera looks up down left right depending on where you move the mouse. Based on the information I provided I think the camera already has this FPS movement, and works for me.

P. S. I don’t think the fly mode is practical either, except for maybe you want to create a flight simulator and don’t want to work on the game engine at all.

#7

If I am looking out of the camera (with the camera object selected) and press GKEY and move the mouse, the camera moves up, down, left, right, and when I press the mouse wheel down after I press GKEY I can bring the camera forwards and backwards along the Z direction. Then, if I press RKEY and then mouse wheel, I can move around the camera sort of like a FPS where the camera looks up down left right depending on where you move the mouse. Based on the information I provided I think the camera already has this FPS movement, and works for me.

Haven’t played a whole lotta’ FPS’s, eh? :wink:

I don’t see how this feature could do anything but good. It’s a much more intuitive system. I would suggest that the same key / mousewheel system be used for the new FPS camera that is used in the game Darwinia. Basically, that means WASD for forward / back / left / right and mousewheel for up and down movement. This is an EXTREMELY easy and fast control set. This is would use only 1 extra hotkey because, like the current flymode, you would first switch into FPSCamera mode. Of course the old method should remain intact as it is useful for some things.

I have a hard time figuring out why a feature like this would be opposed. The old way will still be there. What’s the problem?

#8

People hate change when it comes to programs I guess…

It could be a simple user pref in the pref box

#9

Check out gtkradiant it uses an fps camera for its 3d view to great use.

Allowing you to get into an exact angle or position for creating maps. Its a very useful tool.

www.qeradiant.com

#10

I’m looking at the sources now (because I thought this would be an easy first patch… LOL)

It seems that the blender interface is built on the assumption that only one key (that includes the mouse movements and clicks) will ever be pressed at one time, and if not it will be a modifier key (shift/ctrl/alt)

Thats not very helpful

Basicly, I have the basics working, but I am finding it impossible to allow you to look around and move at the same time. As soon as you move the mouse, you stop. I guess this explains a lot about why the current fly mode works as it does…

I’ll keep you posted (btw the fly function is in source/blender/src/editview.c in function fly() if anyone wants to have a go)

#11

Sweet~ ! Hope it goes well… There must a way to fake it out

#12

The other idea I had was to go right back up the tree and read the raw values, but I have a feeling that lots of important people would shout at me if I hacked it that way. In the mean time, anyone have any ideas on a control system like FPS but that would only use one key/movement at a time?

#13

Well just moveing back and forward left and right then rotate with the mouse would work…

#14

I think that the event refactoring due after orange will allow such things. Anyway it would be great if you could get it to work ! And also if you can get it to work, it would be nice if you choosed esdf instead of wasd, because there is people who are stuck with azerty keyboards :frowning:

#15

Ohh… thats what event refactoring means :expressionless: … I shoulda guessed that

Sorry guys, I guess its going to have to wait until then :frowning: … If I were to somehow hack it in now, it would have to be redone anyway.

Ahh… good point :wink:

Thanks for the heads-up :slight_smile:

#16

just use the arrow keys to move forward,backward,strafe left & right. And use the mouse to point in a specific direction.

:smiley:

#17

Quote:
If I am looking out of the camera (with the camera object selected) and press GKEY and move the mouse, the camera moves up, down, left, right, and when I press the mouse wheel down after I press GKEY I can bring the camera forwards and backwards along the Z direction. Then, if I press RKEY and then mouse wheel, I can move around the camera sort of like a FPS where the camera looks up down left right depending on where you move the mouse. Based on the information I provided I think the camera already has this FPS movement, and works for me.

Haven’t played a whole lotta’ FPS’s, eh?

I don’t see how this feature could do anything but good. It’s a much more intuitive system. I would suggest that the same key / mousewheel system be used for the new FPS camera that is used in the game Darwinia. Basically, that means WASD for forward / back / left / right and mousewheel for up and down movement. This is an EXTREMELY easy and fast control set. This is would use only 1 extra hotkey because, like the current flymode, you would first switch into FPSCamera mode. Of course the old method should remain intact as it is useful for some things.

I have a hard time figuring out why a feature like this would be opposed. The old way will still be there. What’s the problem?

Yes I have (IMHO I’m pretty good at them, too! LOL) but I think that it would be extra work for the coders. I am prefectly fine with what they have already, and if this was implemented, I would use it, but if it wasn’t, I’d just use what I’ve always been using!

#18

Ok then how about a way to control the camera with python script ?? So we activate the new camera with python and then move around with it’s mode ?? Or is that not possible like in there is not enough api control of it ???

#19

I’m busy on a python script for it. Just give me a day.

EDIT:
The final part of it was easier than I thought it would be. It’s finished.
I started on it on Saturday but by Sunday I had found out that I was doing it completely wrong, so I had to restart from scratch. The functionality needs the use of matrices and I know nothing about those, so I first had to do some reading on them.
Yesterday I had some fun with determining the local axis of the camera by using a matrix and went completely crazy.
Last night I figured out my mistake, figured out how easy it actually was and got hardly any sleep (not only the fault of this script).
Today I finally finish the script and am amazed by how easy it was in the end.

In short: here is the script, I’ve learned a lot of making it.
All feedback (suggestions to improve, bugs, etc) is welcome.

Bart.

#20

Freaky ten ways to do one thing and only one is the best, I’ll never understand codeing…

Okey I tried it on 10.4.3 OSX 2.40 Blender release. Acts werid . Like only the right side of the window is the actor to change the cameras view.
Still buggy but a nice start… !