How does the camera work?

[Feli0TheWriter]

Hey!
You know how in the original Rayman, the camera always looks ahead of him depending on where he's facing?
I want to do that, but I'm gonna be real with you, I have no idea where to start when it comes to the camera mechanics.

[VectorSatyr]

@Feli0TheWriter

Hey, sorry for the late reply. You can check the game_pc_camera_state_* scripts to get an idea on how the camera works and what to do with it. If you have any further questions, please let me know.

[Feli0TheWriter]

Hey again! Thanks for replying to everything, by the way, I appreciate it a lot!
I started looking into the camera functions recently, but I'm still confused about it. I'm wondering things like: What's the chain of events that links the camera to the PlayableCharacter, and what are these look_x_distance and look_y_distance variables? Are they what determines the distance away from sonic? If these variables change, I can't find where using ctrl + shift + F.

[VectorSatyr]

"What's the chain of events that links the camera to the PlayableCharacter [... ?]"

An instance of PlayerCamera is created by the PlayableCharacter in the Create Event:

// other values
camera = instance_create_layer(x, y, "general", PlayerCamera);
camera.owner = id;

User Event 0 of PlayerCamera handles connecting the camera to a view camera, while User Event 1 handles disconnecting it; these are called by game_pc_camera_connect and game_pc_camera_disconnect, respectively.

"[...] what are these look_x_distance and look_y_distance variables? Are they what determines the distance away from sonic?"

They are indeed used that way. For example, in player_is_looking_up, the camera's behavior is changed and the look_time is set:

	    game_pc_camera_direct(id, game_pc_camera_state_looking);

	    with (camera) {
	        look_time = default_look_time;
	    }

Then in that behavior script (game_pc_camera_state_looking,) the look_y_distance is modified:

	if (look_time <= 0) {
	    if (look_y_distance > look_distance_up) {
	        look_y_distance -= 2;
	    }
	} else if (look_y_distance != 0) {
	    look_y_distance -= 2 * sign(look_y_distance);
	}

This is then applied by game_pc_camera_state_common.

[Feli0TheWriter]

Awesome, thanks again!!