New POV Camera Mode Testing

Discussion in 'PA: TITANS: General Discussion' started by mikeyh, November 27, 2016.

  1. mikeyh

    mikeyh Post Master General

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    The POV camera is now live in build 105067.

    POV Camera Default Keyboard Bindings

    From settings > keyboard > camera:
    • ctrl-shift-m : toggle POV camera
    • t : track current selection as new tracking group
    • shift+t : add current selection to current tracking group
    • alt+t : show next unit in tracking group
    Based on free camera key bindings (shift to speed up):
    • i / k : pitch forward / back
    • j / l : yaw left / right around unit
    • r / f : up / down from unit
    • a / d : increase / decrease follow rate
    • w / s / scroll : zoom in / out from unit
    Grab camera:
    • middle mouse button

    Original Post


    The video is a recording of my twitch stream of a random FFA using the new POV camera mode and spectator selection I've been working on. eg still need to disable selection rings.

    It's a work in progress I hope to get into a PTE next week.

    This one is an older stream showing replays of the last #1 and #2 uber rank games:
    (only 1280 x 720 on low settings with my laptop)

    Updated with more recent YouTube video.
    Last edited: June 20, 2017
    vackillers, tracert, lulamae and 5 others like this.
  2. wpmarshall

    wpmarshall Planetary Moderator

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    Mikey, does work on this also impact tracking units while in Dynamic and Free-Cam?
    For example when I go into either, sometimes I am able to select and track a unit (Hover mouse + T), but others it doesn't work.
  3. mikeyh

    mikeyh Post Master General

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    Spectators now have full selection... not just the hover.

    If you watch the video you can see me selecting new units constantly to track or add to an existing track more units in the main holodeck or PIP holodecks while switching in and out of the POV camera mode.

    Tracking has the following improvements:
    • selection is converted to a separate tracking list per holodeck
    • if the current focus unit within a tracking group dies another unit within the group is automatically tracked (might tweak with sorting by distance depending on performance or by unit type eg titans track first)
    • there is a new key binding to track the next unit in group (alt-t)
    • there is a new key binding to add the current selection to existing tracking group (shift-t)
    Holodecks have the following improvements:
    • each holodeck now knows the current camera location, mode and tracking state
    • key bindings for camera modes automatically switch based on the camera mode of focused holodeck as you move between them
    • internally holodecks can now override the display state settings based on camera mode for strategic icons, metal spots, radar blips, stat bars, selection rings, etc
    The POV camera mode automatically:
    • starts tracking current selection or previous track group when enabled (shift-ctrl-m)
    • smoothly tracks unit orientation changes with adjustable smoothing for spin around (a/s)
    • supports zoom in/out (w/s), up/down (r/f), yaw (j/l), pitch (i/k) with shift to speed up
    • supports middle mouse look around and zoom (keyboard might be smoother)
    • adjusts initial position for unit size (needs more tweaking)
    • smooth tracks through teleporters and across orbital
    • works in holodeck PIPs (including Second PIP)
    • disables strategic icons
    • disables metal spots / radar blips
    • disables stat bars
    • disables selection rings (new since video)
    • disables break tracking for spectators with left click (right click now breaks tracking)
    I'm also considering disabling the orbital lines and drag rectangle for spectators.

    I've also restored the individual engine calls to:
    • toggle metal spots
    • toggle strategic icons
    • toggle stat bars
    These can now be individually enabled / disabled without disabling all visual aid overlays (ctrl-y).

    Still looking at the following:
    • key binding to jump to commander under attack
    • defaults for initial focus position when tracking in POV
    • fixing area selection in PIPs
    • tracking projectiles eg track a nuke launcher and then camera will follow nuke when launched
    Eventually I'd like the spectator selection on bottom left to show the unit composition for each army and the real time counts / trade in a combat.

    Might stream some more soon.
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  4. mikeyh

    mikeyh Post Master General

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  5. wpmarshall

    wpmarshall Planetary Moderator

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    Oh, something else I wanted to ask - in those videos are you using 2nd PIP mod, or is that also something you're working on?
    If it is, having 2 individually toggle-able PIPs would be fab for casting.
    e.g.
    Early game have 2 PIPs for each player's build order, then mid game close 1 to save screen space.
  6. mikeyh

    mikeyh Post Master General

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    That's Second PIP.

    Never got around to finishing More PIPs...which was the add as many as you want and drag them around the screen version.
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  7. tatsujb

    tatsujb Post Master General

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    nice!

    does this tie into getting multi-screen support? you have free reign to be brutally honest I'm not pressuring you to get that in.

    wasn't multi screen supposed to work thanks to PIP tech or did I get something wrong here?
  8. mikeyh

    mikeyh Post Master General

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    Multiple full screen displays using OpenGL with Coherent UI is an entirely different beast with so many performance and compatibility issues across platforms with the current supported specs.

    It was probably a nice idea in 2012 until someone actually tried to implement in anger during 2013.

    Not something I'm looking at and well outside my current skill set.
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  9. Engineer1234

    Engineer1234 Well-Known Member

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  10. cdrkf

    cdrkf Post Master General

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    Just a thought, would it be possible to allow a pip to be moved between monitors when the game is in windowed mode? or is that a direct X trick?
  11. mikeyh

    mikeyh Post Master General

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    Updated original post with YouTube version.
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  12. thetrophysystem

    thetrophysystem Post Master General

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    Now just need a mod to make a unit, called "battlefield photographer", who has no vision on his own including even point blank, has tiny model and hovers, and has no spacialdb so he isn't targetable (not actually sure if units can have that done to them like ammo can).

    Though I suppose the camera retains through a unit's death, so it already works well enough to the last unit in a wave.

    At any rate, it's nice to know people will get to appreciate individual models more often, rather than icon-wars. Though still impractical in a competitive or stressful game, at least spectator videos will be spectator-tacular.
  13. mikeyh

    mikeyh Post Master General

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    That was the plan. I wanted people to see how much is happening during massive battles and to experience the level of detail we normally miss while playing.

    I'm expecting lots of great videos.
    tracert, MrTBSC and cdrkf like this.
  14. MrTBSC

    MrTBSC Post Master General

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    machinimas incoming!
  15. g0hstreaper

    g0hstreaper Well-Known Member

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    Mikeyh for new Jabels 2017
  16. w33dkingca

    w33dkingca Active Member

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    So does this mean we can track a players camera movements in replays or in game? that would be so cool
  17. mikeyh

    mikeyh Post Master General

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    Yes it does.
  18. w33dkingca

    w33dkingca Active Member

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