Camera Problem

[Child_0f_Bodom]

I have a question that may be simple to people who tend to use camera functions a lot.

How can I set camera so it doesn't drop when it crosses over lowered terrain?

Screenshot

 

[Element of Water]

I assume you know JASS. The function GetLocationZ takes a location and returns how high the terrain is at that point. Setting the camera height to <height>-GetLocationZ(<point in terrain>) sets it to an absolute value.

 

[Pharaoh_]

You can have an if then else function, which detects whether the height of the GetLocationZ is less than the normal height you have through that Jass function for the GUI "Camera - Set Player 1 (Red) Far Z to <value>". If it returns a lower value indeed, then set the height to the default height of yours.

 

[Child_0f_Bodom]

That would all be good for normal terrain, but mine has got high narrow "corridors" on which you cannot use Location - Target of current camera view... Thanks for trying anyways...

 

[Element of Water]

GetLocationZ is the only way of doing it. The end.

 

[Child_0f_Bodom]

I know that... But I am thinking is there any efficient way to find lowest point in current camera window... I was "meditating" over this a long time and have found no solution. There is alternative though with using transparent tiles.

 

[Element of Water]

Ah - I see what you mean. It is possible using lots of complex maths, but I don't know what the maths is and I bet you'd have no end of problems trying. If you know someone who is awesome at maths, ask them, otherwise, use your workaround, whatever it is.

 

[Pharaoh_]

I don't think you should try a more efficient way, when you can track this via GetCameraTargetPositionZ function.
You can load this function in the map initialization (or at a point, where this real returns a stable value, which depicts the Z of the ground with no cliffs or ground deformations.
Then, you can run a periodic event, which will track every 0.03 the Z of the ground. Since (I guess) you are using a locked camera on unit, you can find at the point you want the (NormalZ - LowZ), so that, once the Z value of the camera target becomes less than or equal than that (NormalZ - LowZ), the camera's Z will not be applied. In the end, you will have something like

if GetCameraTargetPositionZ > (NormalZ - LowZ) then
set LocZ_Camera = (GetLocationZ(<point>))
else
set LocZ_Camera = (NormalZ)
endif

The LowZ is the Z of the ground you don't want the camera to fall.

 

[Child_0f_Bodom]

I made system similar to that, but it turned out that its useless on the terrain I am using.

 

[Pharaoh_]

How come? There is also something more you can try, since this pic i can see is based off cliffs and not ground deformations of "Lower" tool, the GetTerrainCliffLevel function. You might want to create a location offset by the target location of the camera (so that it detects the level of the ground before the actual camera target tracks it - and your camera won't fall in the end) and check it, combined with the system you used already (?)

 

[Element of Water]

Those "cliffs" are done with the lower tool.

 

[Child_0f_Bodom]

I'm not using Blizzard cliffs.

 

[psipenge]

you will only need CameraDistance (real) variable

• Camera
  • Events
    • Time - Every 0.03 seconds of game time.
  • Conditions
  • Actions
    • Set CameraDistance = Target Z of current camera view
    • Camera - Set Distance to (<number of height what you want> - CameraDistance)

I may be wrong with the trigger names, coz i cant look at the editor atm but if you can figure out what i mean it will work.
i use it too.

Btw if you want you can make it in 2 triggers, so one will set the CameraDistance variable and one will set the ingame camera's distance
You can also make a new variable for the height so you can modify it later.
will correct my post if i can get to the pc where war3 is installed.

 

[Element of Water]

That won't work, psipenge. It just sets the camera distance to some random negative number, basically...

 

[psipenge]

dunno, worked for me in my map, and it will not be random... if you look it you can see what it really does

 

[Element of Water]

Yeah, I know it won't be "random". In the English language words can mean different things. I looked at it, yeah, but it won't work if GetLocationZ doesn't.