Camera

Documentation Unreal Engine Player Combat Camera

UPC Camera Rig gives the player a third-person camera: the combat style or weapon in hand sets its distance and view, a tag such as sprinting blends in a change, and it follows a locked target.

Set it up

5 minutes
  1. 1

    Add the rig to the character

    The demo character BP_UPC_Character has the rig; skip to step 2. On your own character (Character Setup), finish the Sprint and Speed quick start first, since step 3 reads UPC.State.Sprinting. Click Add and pick UPC Camera Rig. It takes the character's one camera and its spring arm, or builds both when play starts on a character with none. With several cameras it binds none: call Bind Rig (Choosing one camera of several).
    Components
    + Add
    BP_MyCharacter (Self)
    SpringArm
    TPSCamera
    UPCCameraRig
    Add
    UPC Character Base does not add the rig.
    A spring arm pulls the camera in when a capsule or mesh blocks the Camera channel, so an enemy walking between camera and player snaps the view onto the player's back. UPC Character Base ignores that channel (Ignore Camera Collision, on by default); on any other character, enemies included, set the capsule's and mesh's Camera response to Ignore.
  2. 2

    Give the combat style a Camera Rig fragment

    In the Combat component's Style (Combat Styles), add a Camera Rig fragment. Its Settings are the style's camera: 350 cm back, 90 degree view.
  3. 3

    Add a camera state for sprinting

    In the fragment's States, add a row: Label Sprinting, Required Tags UPC.State.Sprinting. Tick Arm Length (80, Mode Add) and Field Of View (1.1, Mode Scale).
    CombatStyle_MyStyle
    ▾States
    Label 
    Required Tags 
    Arm Length350
    Arm Length ModeReplace
    Field Of View90
    Field Of View ModeReplace
    While the character sprints, the camera sits 80 cm further back and sees a tenth wider.
  4. 4

    Press Play and sprint

    Hold sprint while moving: the camera eases back and widens over half a second.

How the rig builds the view

What the player sees, top firstEach layer works over the ones below it
1
Camera states
the style's States rows
Stack by Priority, the higher on top. Each changes only the values it ticks, as far as it has blended in.
2
Base settings
the weapon in hand, the combat style or the rig's Default Settings
The first of the three that has one supplies the whole set.
Arm Length, Socket Offset and the lag speeds go onto the spring arm; Field Of View and Camera Tilt go onto the view itself, so the player's aim never moves. A shoulder swap, Blueprint layers, requested views and shots sit above these; each has its section below.

Set the camera's distance and framing

The base is one whole set: the Camera Rig fragment on the weapon in hand, else the style's, else the rig's Default Settings. A weapon fragment that changes only Arm Length still brings its own Field Of View. Put it on the item definition or its item preset; only the item that gives the character its moves counts (Equipment). On a change, distance, offset, tilt and field of view ease over; lag speeds and follow settings switch at once.
Details
UPCCameraRig
Camera
Output Mode
Automatic
Create Rig if Missing
Default Settings
Field Of View
90
Arm Length
350
Socket Offset
0.0
40.0
60.0
Camera Tilt
0
Position Lag Speed
10
Rotation Lag Speed
0
Settings Blend Speed
8
Follow Soft Target
Soft Follow Speed
3
Soft Follow Deadzone
8
Soft Follow Resume Delay
0.75
Shoulder
Shoulder Swap Seconds
0.35
Default Settings is the camera a character gets when neither its combat style nor the weapon in hand brings one.
SettingDoes
Field Of ViewHorizontal view in degrees, 5 to 170; 90 to start.
Arm LengthDistance behind the spring arm's pivot, in centimeters; 350 to start. Needs a spring arm.
Socket OffsetMoves the camera from the arm's end: Y over a shoulder (40), Z up (60).
Camera TiltTilts the view from the aim, -45 to 45 degrees, negative looking down; a raised camera needs a downward tilt. The aim stays put.
Position Lag Speed, Rotation Lag SpeedHow fast the arm catches up with movement (10) and turning (0); 0 turns that lag off.
Settings Blend SpeedHow fast a change of settings settles; 8, and 0 applies at once.
The rig writes Arm Length, Socket Offset and both lag speeds onto the spring arm every frame, and Field Of View onto the view. Edit them on the rig's settings, not on the arm or camera.

Change the camera while a tag is on

A row in the style's Camera Rig States applies while the character carries all its Required Tags (a parent tag met by any child; empty always met) and none of its Blocked Tags. It changes only ticked values and blends on its own clock.
Details
CombatStyle_MyStyle
Style
Fragments
1 Array element
Index [ 0 ]
Camera Rig
Settings
Field Of View
90
Arm Length
350
Socket Offset
0.0
40.0
60.0
Camera Tilt
0
Position Lag Speed
10
Rotation Lag Speed
0
Settings Blend Speed
8
Follow Soft Target
Soft Follow Speed
3
Soft Follow Deadzone
8
Soft Follow Resume Delay
0.75
States
2 Array elements
Sprinting
Label
Sprinting
Required Tags
1 Gameplay Tag
UPC.State.Sprinting
Blocked Tags
0 Gameplay Tags
Priority
0
Blend in Seconds
0.50
Blend Out Seconds
0.75
Blend Option
Hermite-Cubic InOut
Arm Length
80
Arm Length Mode
Add
Socket Offset
0.0
40.0
60.0
Camera Tilt
0
Field Of View
1.1
Field Of View Mode
Scale
Engaged
Label
Engaged
Required Tags
1 Gameplay Tag
UPC.State.Engaged
Blocked Tags
0 Gameplay Tags
Priority
1
Blend in Seconds
0.50
Blend Out Seconds
0.75
Blend Option
Hermite-Cubic InOut
Arm Length
400
Arm Length Mode
Replace
Socket Offset
0.0
40.0
120.0
Socket Offset Mode
Replace
Camera Tilt
-15
Camera Tilt Mode
Replace
Field Of View
90
The Sprinting row from the quick start, and an Engaged row at Priority 1 that pulls the camera back to 400 cm, raises it and tilts it down while enemies are near. An unticked value keeps whatever the layers below give. The panel shows the Camera Rig fragment alone; the style's other fragments stay beside it.
SettingDoes
PriorityA higher row goes on top and works on the result of the rows below; on a tie, a row lower in the list goes on top.
Blend in Seconds, Blend Out SecondsTime to take over (0.5) and hand back (0.75); 0 cuts.
Blend OptionThe easing, Hermite-Cubic InOut to start; Custom reads Custom Blend Curve.
Arm Length, Socket Offset, Camera Tilt, Field Of ViewTick one to change it. Mode Replace sets the value, Add adds to the layers below, Scale multiplies them (a Field Of View of 0.9 narrows the view to 90 percent).
Two rows, Sprinting and Engaged (Priority 1, Arm Length 400 Replace), over a base Arm Length of 350 and Field Of View of 90:
The character isArm LengthField Of View
Sprinting350 + 80 = 43090 × 1.1 = 99
Engaged400 (Replace)90 (unticked on Engaged)
Sprinting and engaged400: Engaged sits on top and replaces the 430 below it99: only Sprinting changes it
Any tag drives a row: UPC.State.Sprinting at sprint pace, UPC.State.Engaged while enemies are near (Engaged Radius, and Engage Neutrals for a team-less dummy: Targeting), UPC.State.LockedOn while locked, or your own through Add Loose Gameplay Tags.
AlternativeNo combat style? Push the change from Blueprint
Begin Camera Layer adds the same change with no tag and no style, until you pass its handle to End Camera Layer, which blends it out. Give it a Source (such as self) and a camera layer (a state row's Priority, blends and ticked values, without tags).
When the moment starts
UPCCameraRig
Sprint Layer
Begin Camera Layer
Target is UPCCamera Rig Component
Target
Sourceself
Layer
Return Value
SETSprint Layer Handle
When the moment ends
UPCCameraRig
Sprint Layer Handle
End Camera Layer
Target is UPCCamera Rig Component
Target
Handle
A pushed layer stacks with the style's states by Priority, above a state of equal Priority; a newer one sits above an older one. Destroying the Source ends its layer. The rig warns and refuses a layer with no Source or an unusable value, and every layer while switched off.

Swap the camera to the other shoulder

Swap Shoulder slides the camera to the other shoulder in Shoulder Swap Seconds (0.35; 0 cuts); a second call brings it back. It mirrors the sideways part of every Socket Offset (a centered camera stays put) on top of the states. Set Shoulder Mirrored picks a side; Is Shoulder Mirrored reads it.

Follow the soft target

Tick Follow Soft Target and, while nothing is locked, the camera turns toward the soft target at Soft Follow Speed (3; 0 turns it off). It leaves the view alone inside Soft Follow Deadzone (8 degrees) and waits Soft Follow Resume Delay (0.75 s) after the player turns the camera. Tick the Targeting Config's Continuous Selection so a target stays picked as the player moves.

The camera while locked on

While a lock is held, the style's lock camera fragment turns the camera: Camera, Lock Follow aims at the target, Camera, Frame Both between character and target, keeping both in frame. A style with neither uses the lock-on ability's Fallback Camera (a Lock Follow at defaults; None turns the follow off). Targeting covers locking on.
Details
Camera, Lock Follow
Style
Fragments
1 Array element
Index [ 0 ]
Camera, Lock Follow
Rotation Interp Speed
10
Interp Speed by Angle
None
Min Pitch
-55
Max Pitch
35
Deadzone Angle Degrees
0
Stabilize Close Range
Close Range Full Strength Distance
150
Close Range Fade End Distance
450
Close Range Min Pitch
-20
Camera, Frame Both carries the same fields plus Framing Bias (0.5, halfway between the character and the target) and Aim Height Offset (0 cm). The panel shows this fragment alone; the style's other fragments stay beside it.
SettingDoes
Rotation Interp Speed, Interp Speed by AngleTurn speed toward the lock; 8 to 14 reads as a firm souls-like follow, 0 stops the turn. The curve, when set, reads how far off the target the camera is.
Min Pitch, Max PitchHow far down and up the camera may point while locked; equal values hold one pitch.
Deadzone Angle DegreesAn angle around the target inside which the follow stops turning; 0 corrects all the time.
Stabilize Close RangeSteadies the camera as the target comes close: full strength at 150 cm, faded by 450 cm, pitch held no lower than -20 degrees.
AdvancedA lock-on camera of your own
Make a Blueprint child of the Camera, Lock Follow fragment and override Compute Locked View Rotation. It receives the character, the camera's rotation and location, the look-at point and Delta Time, and returns where the camera points (return the current rotation to leave it where the player put it). Add it to the style in place of the built-in fragment.

Take over the view for a moment

Begin Camera Override shows a world-space view in place of the gameplay camera and returns a handle; the view holds until you pass it to End Camera Override. Play Camera Shot plays a Camera Shot asset (UPC > Presentation > Camera Shot) of camera keys, ending at its last key or earlier through End Camera Override. Both blend in and out and sit above everything else: the highest Priority wins (the newest on a tie).
AdvancedRequests and shots in detail
NodeDoes
Begin Camera OverrideShows a location, rotation and field of view, at Priority 0 with blends of 0.25 seconds.
Update Camera OverrideMoves a requested view without restarting its blend; a Camera Shot cannot move.
End Camera OverrideBlends to the next request or the gameplay camera.
Play Camera ShotPlays a shot on the game clock, placed by Reference Transform, an offset from Reference Actor when set. Priority 100, blends of 0.35 seconds, Play Rate 1.
Has Camera OverrideTrue while a request or its blend back holds the view.
  • A request does no collision check, so a view inside a wall shows the wall. Destroying its Source ends it.
  • A shot's keys each hold a time in seconds, a location and rotation relative to the shot's reference, a field of view, and Linear, Smooth (default) or Hold to the next key. The first key sits at 0, times rise, and the last key's time is the shot's length; Use Tangents curves the path through a key.

Cameras for paired actions

Three hooks on a paired action's role change that player's camera (the character needs the rig). Add them to the role's Hooks in the Pairing Editor, which also keys a shot.
HookDoes
Auto Cinematic ViewFrames this role and a partner from an angle around the action's anchor (the ground point it is placed on), sweeping for walls, then blends back when the role ends.
Authored Camera ShotPlays a Camera Shot on the action's own clock from Start Time Seconds.
Camera LayerPushes a camera layer while the role runs, such as a zoom.
AdvancedPaired camera hook settings
  • Auto Cinematic View: Focus Role (None picks the nearest active participant), Framing Margin (1.2), Height Offset (50 cm), View Angle (90; 0 is in front of the anchor, 90 to its right, 180 behind) and Choose Nearest Side. Advanced: Field Of View 60, Minimum Distance 250 cm, Follow Speed 5, Probe Radius 12 cm, blends of 0.35 seconds, Priority 100.
  • Authored Camera Shot: Shot and Start Time Seconds. Advanced: Reference Role (None places the keys on the action's anchor), Look at Role, Look At Offset, blends and Priority 100.
  • Camera Layer: the values a camera state ticks, at Priority 20 with blends of 0.15 and 0.4 seconds.

Debug it

Log LogUPCCamera Verbose raises the camera's log. Get Resolved Settings returns the settings the camera is at now, every layer and the shoulder side included.
AdvancedChoosing one camera of several
Call Bind Rig with the camera and the spring arm it hangs from (an ancestor of the camera on the same character); with no arm, the rig tunes no distance, offset or lag. The choice survives switching the rig off and on, an output change and repossession; pass no camera to clear it. Bind Rig does not activate the camera: the engine shows the first active camera, so activate yours (binding an inactive one warns). Create Rig if Missing off stops the rig building its own arm and camera.
AdvancedWhat the rig touches
  • On the spring arm the rig writes Target Arm Length, Socket Offset, Camera Lag Speed and Camera Rotation Lag Speed (turning position and rotation lag on or off with them) and leaves the rest. Switching the rig off puts those back on an arm it did not build and destroys an arm and camera it built.
  • Field Of View and Camera Tilt go onto the view through the player's camera manager, so the camera component's own Field Of View does nothing while the rig runs; camera shakes still apply on top.
  • The soft follow never aims lower than 55 degrees down or higher than 35 up, ignores a target behind the view, and pauses while a request holds the screen. Notify Look Input starts its pause for a look input that does not turn the controller.
  • A shoulder swap never mirrors a request, and neither the soft follow nor the lock-on camera turns the controller while one holds the view.
AdvancedDriving your own camera system
When another system owns the camera (your own camera manager, Gameplay Cameras), set Output Mode to External (or call Set Output Mode). The rig then builds no camera, writes nothing on a spring arm, never turns the controller and runs no soft follow. Your system calls Evaluate Camera View each update with its view and the elapsed seconds and uses the location, rotation and field of view it returns (including every state's, layer's and request's tilt and field of view), and reads Get Resolved Settings for distance, offset and lag. The lock-on ability turns the controller toward a locked target itself.
The demo
  • BP_UPC_Character carries a SpringArm, a TPSCamera and the rig, and calls Swap Shoulder from IA_UPC_SwapCamera.
  • Over Shoulder carries a close camera over the shoulder. Freeflow carries two rows: Engaged pulls the camera back while enemies are near, and Sprinting while it runs.
MultiplayerWhat runs where
  • The camera is local: the rig runs only on the controlling player's machine, and states, layers, requests, shots and shoulder side replicate nothing. A dedicated server refuses every request, layer and shot, and Evaluate Camera View returns the view it was given.
  • A state reads the tags on the player's own machine (UPC.State.Sprinting also sits on the server). A loose tag added only on the server never reaches the camera; add it with Should Replicate ticked, or through a gameplay effect on an ability system replicating in Mixed or Full mode.
  • A possession change drops every request and pushed layer, except at the pawn's first possession, which keeps anything pushed before the controller arrived. The shoulder side stays.
  • The paired action camera hooks act only for the local player in their role, read the action's record every machine holds, and send nothing.
C++C++
  • UUPCCameraRigComponent::EvaluateCameraView(const FUPCCameraView& BaseView, float DeltaSeconds) is the entry for an External integration; GetResolvedSettings() returns an FUPCCameraRigSettings.
  • The lock-on ability asks the pawn for an IUPCCameraControlProvider (found with FindComponentByInterface) and leaves the controller alone while OwnsCameraFollow() answers true. A camera component of your own implements it to take the lock follow over; the interface is C++ only. The rig answers true while it runs in Automatic output for the local player, and while a request holds the view in External output.
  • UUPCStyleFragment_Camera::ResolveForLock(const AActor* Character) answers which camera fragment turns the view: the style's, else the lock-on ability's FallbackCamera, else the class default. A subclass overrides ComputeLockedViewRotation_Implementation and can call the protected FollowStep for the built-in follow math.
  • A paired view hook of your own subclasses UUPCPairedActionHook_CameraView and implements BuildView(float DeltaSeconds, FUPCCameraView& OutView), answering Show, Wait or End each frame; the base owns the request, its Priority and its blends.
AdvancedTroubleshooting
Warning saysFix
Camera Rig on ... could not discover one cameraSeveral cameras: pick one with Bind Rig. None and no root component: give the character a root.
Camera Rig on ... has invalid camera settingsA value in the weapon's, style's or rig's settings is outside the ranges above; built-in defaults apply.
Begin Camera Layer on ... was refusedThe layer has no Source or an unusable value.
Begin Camera Override on ... refusedThe Source is gone, the view is not finite, its field of view is outside 5 to 170, or a blend time is not a number.
Play Camera Shot on ... requires a shot with valid keys...Fewer than two keys, a first key not at 0, key times not rising, a field of view outside 5 to 170, a Play Rate of 0 or less, a Reference Transform that is not finite, or a Reference Actor in another world.
Validating the Combat Style fails Camera Rig settings or a row holding a value the camera cannot use, and a row whose Required and Blocked Tags share a tag. A row with no tags, no ticked value, or a Custom blend with no curve warns.