More about camerapositions

[rts013]

The easiest way to make something look good is to make it real. So instead of having a separate incar-3d-model, that most games seems to have, the inside and outside should be made as one. This means that if you look through the windows from outside the car you should see exactly the same interior as if you where inside. If the 3d-model of the car is built up like this, it should be an easy thing to give the player total control of where he/she wants the camera. The player should be able to set x,y and z-axis position of the camera. If you set all to "0" you should end up somewere inside the car. Everybody seems to want different cameras so this must be the only solution.
Does anyone agree?

Thats a very good and doable idea. Rally Championship 2000 had sth similar. I remember that from an outside view, for example in replays, I could even see through the window the engine's RPMs on the dahsboard

Without a doubt, having a dedicated "dash only" view is going to provide a higher level of detail at a considerably less of a cost to performance....

Fundamentally, I agree that the concept is a good idea. But I don't think the hardware is there quite yet.

And again, for some (like me), I don't want to see the driver driving. I'm the driver, not the blocky chump sitting in the car. I find it really distracting to see the car itself, or steering-wheel/shifting animation since it is virtually impossible for them to mimic perfectly my movements.

[ March 21, 2002: Message edited by: Idjiit ]</p>

[rts013]

If you don't want to se the driver and stuff, you just move the camera forward by changing the cordinates. If you want to have the feeling of sitting in the drivers seat, place the camera just infront of the drivers head and if you dont want to see the wheel, move it just infront of the wheel... I said this would give you total control of where to put the camera. Just placi it exactly where you want to!

Another thing I was thinking of. To make the shifting-movement more realistic the hand should take hold of the shifter when the engine is reaching a high rev. Then when you actually shift the hand shuold pull the shifter and then grab hold of the wheel again.

I know what you're trying to say, but in practice placing a camera ahead of the steering wheel would give you a very poor view. The optimal view (for me) is where the driver's head would be. From that view, you'd see the wheel and hands.

The easy way around that (working with your idea), is to be able to toggle on/off the driver.

[ March 21, 2002: Message edited by: Idjiit ]</p>

[Günter]

I agree that the dashboard should be in the car and not on the screen. But the number for the gear should be large. So that's easy for the player to see in wich gear is the gearbox. That's important when you drive with the manual gear change.

Another suggestion for the cockpit view. In the cockpit view you have sometimes problems in hairpins and narrow corners to see the track inside the corner.
Maybe the developer can test a view where the angle of vision is changing. I mean when you drive straight ahead you need only a narrow angle of vision. But in a corner you need a wide angle of vision. So the view could change automatic from narrow to wide when the car is slow. I didn't know if this option is really good. If the changing of the view didn't is a bother for the player? Or how fast should change the view?
But it's only a idea.

[ March 22, 2002: Message edited by: Günter ]</p>

[rts013]

It's very difficult and confusing with a camera that is changing the view automatically. The camera should be stiff as long as it is placed in or on the car.
Trust me, I once played a game where the camera was really irritating because it wasn't fixed.