Difference between revisions of "Camera Glance Keys"
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Main Menu/Player Setup/Player x Settings/Camera Input Configuration | Main Menu/Player Setup/Player x Settings/Camera Input Configuration | ||
| − | = Glancing | + | = What Is Glancing? = |
Glancing is the most common form of custom camera control. It causes the camera to face towards a specific direction and is controlled by the four glance keys "glance forward", "glance backward", "glance left" and - you guessed it - "glance right". Unless you changed them in the player options, the glance keys are the arrow keys. | Glancing is the most common form of custom camera control. It causes the camera to face towards a specific direction and is controlled by the four glance keys "glance forward", "glance backward", "glance left" and - you guessed it - "glance right". Unless you changed them in the player options, the glance keys are the arrow keys. | ||
| − | + | = Why Would I Want to Glance? = | |
| + | |||
| + | Glad you asked ;-). Using glancing, you can look in any direction, regardless of where you are driving to. You can glance backwards to check whether someone (friend or foe) is grinding your wall. You can glance right to check whether you or the opponent is ahead. You can watch what happens at a fortress while driving by or watch its interior while circling it. | ||
| − | + | The only disadvantage about glancing is that you might be so absorbed in the action around you that you forget to watch what might endanger your cycle ... | |
| − | + | = How Do I Glance? = | |
| − | + | Glancing is activated by pressing a glance key and maintained by keeping any glance key pressed. | |
| − | + | For instance, pressing "glance left" for a while will show you the area left of your cycle until you release the key, upon which the automatic camera control takes over again. | |
| − | + | More precisely, when you press a glance key, that key is associated with a request to face towards the corresponding direction, when you release the key, the request vanishes. While you are glancing, the most recent glance request is acted upon. Note that turning the cycle never affects a glance request; therefore the view does not change if you keep glancing while turning. | |
| − | = | + | = Any Suggestions On How To Make Good Use Of Glancing? = |
| − | + | If the camera fails to face ahead, you can use glance forward to force it to. | |
| − | + | By pressing the four glance keys in quick sequence, you can have the camera do a full circle around the cycle by pressing the four glance keys in order. | |
| − | + | If the automatic camera can not handle beeing in front of the cycle (such as the smartcam), avoid that situation by hitting glance forward before releasing a glance. | |
| − | = | + | = How Can I Configure Glancing? = |
| − | + | Aside from adjusting the glance keys, glance behavior is controlled by the following options: | |
| + | ;CAMERA_GLANCE_ANGULAR_VELOCITY | ||
| + | :Controls how swiftly the camera rotates towards the requested facing. More precisely, this setting contains the angular velocity (if the camera's facing is perpendicular to the requested facing). Unit: Radians per second. | ||
;CAMERA_GLANCE_MODE | ;CAMERA_GLANCE_MODE | ||
| − | :Controls | + | :Controls how the camera rotates towards the requested facing. Possible values are: |
:;0 | :;0 | ||
| − | ::The camera | + | ::The camera aproaches the requested facing with constant angular velocity. |
:;1 | :;1 | ||
| − | ::The camera | + | ::The camera approaches the requested facing with angular velocity propotional to angle left to travel. |
:;2 | :;2 | ||
| − | :: | + | ::The camera approaches the requested facing with constant angular velocity if the angle left is larger than 90°, otherwise with angular velocity proportional to sin(angle). |
| − | :; | + | :;any other setting |
| − | ::The camera always "jumps" instantly to its new position | + | ::The camera always "jumps" instantly to its new position. Totally useless IMHO. |
| − | ; | + | |
| + | Since the smart camera offers a (in the dev's humble opinion) poor perspective when glancing, its location is configurable independently: | ||
| + | |||
| + | ;CAMERA_SMART_GLANCING_BACK | ||
:How far the camera is moved behind the cycle when glancing | :How far the camera is moved behind the cycle when glancing | ||
;CAMERA_SMART_GLANCE_HEIGHT | ;CAMERA_SMART_GLANCE_HEIGHT | ||
:How far the camera is moved up. There is no pitch setting, the cycle always appears in the centre of the screen | :How far the camera is moved up. There is no pitch setting, the cycle always appears in the centre of the screen | ||
| + | |||
| + | Note that CAMERA_SMART_GLANCE_CUSTOM no longer exists. Those who prefer the old behavior are advised to use the preceeding options to simulate the old behavior. | ||
| + | |||
| + | = Known Limitations = | ||
| + | |||
| + | While glancing is maintained during turns, the meaning of the glance keys changes if you turn, so giving new glance orders while turning quickly might generate glance requests that you didn't intend. At present, the devs don't know a way to fix that without saddling us with worse problems. | ||
Revision as of 11:31, 9 February 2006
Manual Camera Control
While the camera tries to show the areas of the grid that are most interesting to you, the camera can not always anticipate your wishes. Manual camera control permits you to adjust the perspective while playing to show the things that really matter.
The keys for manual camera control can be configured in
Main Menu/Player Setup/Player x Settings/Camera Input Configuration
What Is Glancing?
Glancing is the most common form of custom camera control. It causes the camera to face towards a specific direction and is controlled by the four glance keys "glance forward", "glance backward", "glance left" and - you guessed it - "glance right". Unless you changed them in the player options, the glance keys are the arrow keys.
Why Would I Want to Glance?
Glad you asked ;-). Using glancing, you can look in any direction, regardless of where you are driving to. You can glance backwards to check whether someone (friend or foe) is grinding your wall. You can glance right to check whether you or the opponent is ahead. You can watch what happens at a fortress while driving by or watch its interior while circling it.
The only disadvantage about glancing is that you might be so absorbed in the action around you that you forget to watch what might endanger your cycle ...
How Do I Glance?
Glancing is activated by pressing a glance key and maintained by keeping any glance key pressed.
For instance, pressing "glance left" for a while will show you the area left of your cycle until you release the key, upon which the automatic camera control takes over again.
More precisely, when you press a glance key, that key is associated with a request to face towards the corresponding direction, when you release the key, the request vanishes. While you are glancing, the most recent glance request is acted upon. Note that turning the cycle never affects a glance request; therefore the view does not change if you keep glancing while turning.
Any Suggestions On How To Make Good Use Of Glancing?
If the camera fails to face ahead, you can use glance forward to force it to.
By pressing the four glance keys in quick sequence, you can have the camera do a full circle around the cycle by pressing the four glance keys in order.
If the automatic camera can not handle beeing in front of the cycle (such as the smartcam), avoid that situation by hitting glance forward before releasing a glance.
How Can I Configure Glancing?
Aside from adjusting the glance keys, glance behavior is controlled by the following options:
- CAMERA_GLANCE_ANGULAR_VELOCITY
- Controls how swiftly the camera rotates towards the requested facing. More precisely, this setting contains the angular velocity (if the camera's facing is perpendicular to the requested facing). Unit: Radians per second.
- CAMERA_GLANCE_MODE
- Controls how the camera rotates towards the requested facing. Possible values are:
- 0
- The camera aproaches the requested facing with constant angular velocity.
- 1
- The camera approaches the requested facing with angular velocity propotional to angle left to travel.
- 2
- The camera approaches the requested facing with constant angular velocity if the angle left is larger than 90°, otherwise with angular velocity proportional to sin(angle).
- any other setting
- The camera always "jumps" instantly to its new position. Totally useless IMHO.
Since the smart camera offers a (in the dev's humble opinion) poor perspective when glancing, its location is configurable independently:
- CAMERA_SMART_GLANCING_BACK
- How far the camera is moved behind the cycle when glancing
- CAMERA_SMART_GLANCE_HEIGHT
- How far the camera is moved up. There is no pitch setting, the cycle always appears in the centre of the screen
Note that CAMERA_SMART_GLANCE_CUSTOM no longer exists. Those who prefer the old behavior are advised to use the preceeding options to simulate the old behavior.
Known Limitations
While glancing is maintained during turns, the meaning of the glance keys changes if you turn, so giving new glance orders while turning quickly might generate glance requests that you didn't intend. At present, the devs don't know a way to fix that without saddling us with worse problems.
