How to: Make a Third-Person Camera
This example demonstrates how to create a third-person camera.
The example controls the camera using the method shown in How to: Rotate and Move a Camera, with an additional offset for the camera so it is looking down at the game avatar. Turning the avatar causes the camera to rotate around the avatar's position. The example assumes a model has been added to the project as described in How to: Render a Model.
To make a third-person camera
Decide on a camera offset vector from the avatar. An offset of the form (0, N, −N) will put the camera above and behind the avatar at a 45-degree angle.
Vector3 thirdPersonReference = new Vector3( 0, 500, -500 );Track the position and rotation of the avatar.
Create a rotation Matrix for the direction that the avatar is facing. The rotation Matrix is created by CreateRotationY, using the avatar's current rotation as its parameter.
Matrix rotationMatrix = Matrix.CreateRotationY( avatarYaw );Transform a copy of the camera offset vector by using the Transform method and the rotation Matrix.
// Create a vector pointing the direction the camera is facing. Vector3 transformedReference = Vector3.Transform( thirdPersonReference, rotationMatrix );Calculate the camera's position as the avatar's position plus the transformed camera offset.
// Calculate the position the camera is looking from. Vector3 cameraPosition = transformedReference + avatarPosition;Create a view Matrix with the CreateLookAt method. The avatar's current position will be the cameraTarget parameter.
view = Matrix.CreateLookAt( cameraPosition, avatarPosition, new Vector3( 0.0f, 1.0f, 0.0f ) );Create a new projection Matrix with CreatePerspectiveFieldOfView. The projection Matrix controls how camera coordinate values are transformed to screen coordinates.
Viewport viewport = graphics.GraphicsDevice.Viewport; float aspectRatio = (float)viewport.Width / (float)viewport.Height; proj = Matrix.CreatePerspectiveFieldOfView( viewAngle, aspectRatio, nearClip, farClip );Loop through each model in the world drawing it as described in How to: Render a Model using the projection matrix and view matrix created above. For the world matrix, use Matrix.CreateTranslation and the object's current position in the world.
void DrawBoxes() { for (int z = 0; z < 9; z++) { for (int x = 0; x < 9; x++) { DrawModel( box, Matrix.CreateTranslation( x * 60, 0, z * 60 ), boxTexture ); } } } void DrawModel( Model model, Matrix world, Texture2D texture ) { foreach (ModelMesh mesh in model.Meshes) { foreach (BasicEffect be in mesh.Effects) { be.Projection = proj; be.View = view; be.World = world; be.Texture = texture; be.TextureEnabled = true; } mesh.Draw(); } }
//Game1.cs
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using Microsoft.Xna.Framework;
using Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Audio;
using Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Graphics;
using Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Input;
using Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Storage;
using Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Content;
class Game1 : Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Game
{
ContentManager content;
GraphicsDeviceManager graphics;
Matrix view;
Matrix proj;
Model box;
Texture2D boxTexture;
Texture2D avatarTexture;
// Set the avatar position and rotation variables.
Vector3 avatarPosition = new Vector3( 0, 0, -20 );
Vector3 avatarHeadOffset = new Vector3( 0, 10, 0 );
float avatarYaw;
// Set the direction the camera points without rotation.
Vector3 cameraReference = new Vector3( 0, 0, 10 );
Vector3 thirdPersonReference = new Vector3( 0, 500, -500 );
// Set rates in world units per 1/60th second (the default fixed-step interval).
float rotationSpeed = 1f / 60f;
//float forwardSpeed = 500f / 60f;
float forwardSpeed = 50f / 60f;
// Set field of view of the camera in radians (pi/4 is 45 degrees).
static float viewAngle = MathHelper.PiOver4;
// Set distance from the camera of the near and far clipping planes.
//static float nearClip = 5.0f;
static float nearClip = 1.0f;
static float farClip = 2000.0f;
// Set the camera state, avatar's center, first-person, third-person.
int cameraState;
bool cameraStateKeyDown;
public Game1()
{
graphics = new GraphicsDeviceManager( this );
content = new ContentManager( Services );
}
protected override void Initialize()
{
// TODO: Add your initialization logic here.
base.Initialize();
}
protected override void LoadGraphicsContent( bool loadAllContent )
{
if (loadAllContent)
{
box = content.Load<Model>( "box" );
boxTexture = content.Load<Texture2D>( "boxtexture" );
avatarTexture = content.Load<Texture2D>( "avatartexture" );
}
}
protected override void UnloadGraphicsContent( bool unloadAllContent )
{
if (unloadAllContent)
{
content.Unload();
}
}
protected override void Update( GameTime gameTime )
{
// Allows the default game to exit on Xbox 360 and Windows.
if (GamePad.GetState( PlayerIndex.One ).Buttons.Back == ButtonState.Pressed)
this.Exit();
GetCurrentCamera();
UpdateAvatarPosition();
base.Update( gameTime );
}
protected override void Draw( GameTime gameTime )
{
graphics.GraphicsDevice.Clear( Color.CornflowerBlue );
switch (cameraState)
{
default:
case 0:
UpdateCamera();
break;
case 1:
UpdateCameraFirstPerson();
break;
case 2:
UpdateCameraThirdPerson();
break;
}
//graphics.GraphicsDevice.RenderState.CullMode = CullMode.None;
DrawBoxes();
Matrix World = Matrix.CreateRotationY( avatarYaw ) * Matrix.CreateTranslation( avatarPosition );
if (cameraState == 2)
{
DrawModel( box, World, avatarTexture );
}
base.Draw( gameTime );
}
// Update the position and direction of the avatar.
void UpdateAvatarPosition()
{
KeyboardState keyboardState = Keyboard.GetState();
GamePadState currentState = GamePad.GetState( PlayerIndex.One );
if (keyboardState.IsKeyDown( Keys.Left ) || (currentState.DPad.Left == ButtonState.Pressed))
{
// Rotate left.
avatarYaw += rotationSpeed;
}
if (keyboardState.IsKeyDown( Keys.Right ) || (currentState.DPad.Right == ButtonState.Pressed))
{
// Rotate right.
avatarYaw -= rotationSpeed;
}
if (keyboardState.IsKeyDown( Keys.Up ) || (currentState.DPad.Up == ButtonState.Pressed))
{
Matrix forwardMovement = Matrix.CreateRotationY( avatarYaw );
Vector3 v = new Vector3( 0, 0, forwardSpeed );
v = Vector3.Transform( v, forwardMovement );
avatarPosition.Z += v.Z;
avatarPosition.X += v.X;
}
if (keyboardState.IsKeyDown( Keys.Down ) || (currentState.DPad.Down == ButtonState.Pressed))
{
Matrix forwardMovement = Matrix.CreateRotationY( avatarYaw );
Vector3 v = new Vector3( 0, 0, -forwardSpeed );
v = Vector3.Transform( v, forwardMovement );
avatarPosition.Z += v.Z;
avatarPosition.X += v.X;
}
}
void GetCurrentCamera()
{
KeyboardState keyboardState = Keyboard.GetState();
GamePadState currentState = GamePad.GetState( PlayerIndex.One );
// Toggle the state of the camera.
if (keyboardState.IsKeyDown( Keys.Tab ) || (currentState.Buttons.LeftShoulder == ButtonState.Pressed))
{
cameraStateKeyDown = true;
}
else if (cameraStateKeyDown == true)
{
cameraStateKeyDown = false;
cameraState += 1;
cameraState %= 3;
}
}
void UpdateCamera()
{
// Calculate the camera's current position.
Vector3 cameraPosition = avatarPosition;
Matrix rotationMatrix = Matrix.CreateRotationY( avatarYaw );
// Create a vector pointing the direction the camera is facing.
Vector3 transformedReference = Vector3.Transform( cameraReference, rotationMatrix );
// Calculate the position the camera is looking at.
Vector3 cameraLookat = cameraPosition + transformedReference;
// Set up the view matrix and projection matrix.
view = Matrix.CreateLookAt( cameraPosition, cameraLookat, new Vector3( 0.0f, 1.0f, 0.0f ) );
Viewport viewport = graphics.GraphicsDevice.Viewport;
float aspectRatio = (float)viewport.Width / (float)viewport.Height;
proj = Matrix.CreatePerspectiveFieldOfView( viewAngle, aspectRatio, nearClip, farClip );
}
void UpdateCameraFirstPerson()
{
Matrix rotationMatrix = Matrix.CreateRotationY( avatarYaw );
// Transform the head offset so the camera is positioned properly relative to the avatar.
Vector3 headOffset = Vector3.Transform( avatarHeadOffset, rotationMatrix );
// Calculate the camera's current position.
Vector3 cameraPosition = avatarPosition + headOffset;
// Create a vector pointing the direction the camera is facing.
Vector3 transformedReference = Vector3.Transform( cameraReference, rotationMatrix );
// Calculate the position the camera is looking at.
Vector3 cameraLookat = transformedReference + cameraPosition;
// Set up the view matrix and projection matrix.
view = Matrix.CreateLookAt( cameraPosition, cameraLookat, new Vector3( 0.0f, 1.0f, 0.0f ) );
Viewport viewport = graphics.GraphicsDevice.Viewport;
float aspectRatio = (float)viewport.Width / (float)viewport.Height;
proj = Matrix.CreatePerspectiveFieldOfView( viewAngle, aspectRatio, nearClip, farClip );
}
void UpdateCameraThirdPerson()
{
Matrix rotationMatrix = Matrix.CreateRotationY( avatarYaw );
// Create a vector pointing the direction the camera is facing.
Vector3 transformedReference = Vector3.Transform( thirdPersonReference, rotationMatrix );
// Calculate the position the camera is looking from.
Vector3 cameraPosition = transformedReference + avatarPosition;
// Set up the view matrix and projection matrix.
view = Matrix.CreateLookAt( cameraPosition, avatarPosition, new Vector3( 0.0f, 1.0f, 0.0f ) );
Viewport viewport = graphics.GraphicsDevice.Viewport;
float aspectRatio = (float)viewport.Width / (float)viewport.Height;
proj = Matrix.CreatePerspectiveFieldOfView( viewAngle, aspectRatio, nearClip, farClip );
}
void DrawBoxes()
{
for (int z = 0; z < 9; z++)
{
for (int x = 0; x < 9; x++)
{
DrawModel( box, Matrix.CreateTranslation( x * 60, 0, z * 60 ), boxTexture );
}
}
}
void DrawModel( Model model, Matrix world, Texture2D texture )
{
foreach (ModelMesh mesh in model.Meshes)
{
foreach (BasicEffect be in mesh.Effects)
{
be.Projection = proj;
be.View = view;
be.World = world;
be.Texture = texture;
be.TextureEnabled = true;
}
mesh.Draw();
}
}
}
See Also
How to: Rotate and Move a Camera
How to: Make a First-Person Camera
How to: Render a Model