Camera System

RTS Camera Controller

The RTSCameraController is a fully-featured camera system designed for Real-Time Strategy (RTS) and similar top-down games. It provides smooth, intuitive controls that mimic classic RTS titles while also supporting modern gameplay styles like third-person action RPGs.

Overview

The camera controller is built around the concept of a pivot point on the ground. The camera orbits around this point at a configurable distance (zoom), pitch, and yaw angle. This design provides natural-feeling controls where:

• Movement translates the pivot point across the world

• Zoom moves the camera closer to or further from the pivot

• Rotation orbits the camera around the pivot

The RTSCameraController uses Unity's New Input System for all input handling. Ensure you have the Input System package installed and set as the Active Input Handling in Project Settings.

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Adding the Camera Controller

Using the Setup Wizard

The easiest way to add the camera controller is through the Setup Wizard:

1. Go to Tools > Enemy Masses > Setup Wizard

2. Complete the wizard steps for the RTS Type Enemy Crowd

3. The wizard automatically adds RTSCameraController to your Main Camera

Manual Setup

To add the controller manually:

1. Select your Main Camera in the Hierarchy

2. Add the RTSCameraController component

3. Also add GPUICamera (required for GPU Instancer Pro rendering)

4. Configure the settings in the Inspector

Main Camera
├── Camera (Unity built-in)
├── GPUICamera (GPU Instancer Pro)
└── RTSCameraController ← Add this

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Camera Presets

Camera presets are ScriptableObject assets that store all camera configuration settings. This allows you to:

• Create different camera styles for different game modes

• Switch between presets at runtime (e.g., tactical view vs. cinematic view)

• Share camera configurations across projects

Built-in Presets

Enemy Masses includes several pre-configured presets:

Preset	Description	Best For
Classic RTS	Edge pan, middle-mouse drag, scroll zoom. No rotation.	StarCraft, Age of Empires
Modern RTS	WASD movement, middle-mouse rotation, zoom-to-cursor	Company of Heroes
Total War	Edge pan, right-drag pan, middle-drag rotation	Total War series
Supreme Commander	Edge pan, middle-drag pan, right-drag rotation	Supreme Commander
Third Person	Follow target, right-mouse rotation, collision avoidance	Action RPGs, Diablo-style

Creating a Custom Preset

1. Right-click in the Project window

2. Select Create > Enemy Masses > Camera Preset

3. Configure the preset settings in the Inspector

4. Assign to the camera controller's Camera Presets list

Selecting the Default Preset

When you have multiple presets in the Camera Presets list, you must specify which preset is active by default.

For example, if your preset list contains:

• 0: Classic RTS

• 1: Modern RTS

• 2: Third Person

Set Active Preset Index to 2 to start with the Third Person preset.

The camera automatically applies the active preset on Awake(). You can switch presets at runtime using TransitionToPreset().

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Movement Controls

Edge Panning

Move the camera by positioning your mouse cursor at the screen edges.

Setting	Description	Default
Enable Edge Pan	Toggle edge panning on/off	true
Edge Pan Border	Pixel distance from edge to trigger (1-50)	10
Edge Pan Speed Multiplier	Speed modifier for edge panning	1.0
Disable Edge Pan Outside Window	Stop panning when cursor leaves game window	true

Keyboard Movement (WASD)

Standard keyboard-based camera movement.

Setting	Description	Default
Enable Keyboard Pan	Toggle WASD/Arrow movement	true
Move Speed	Base movement speed	20
Fast Move Speed	Speed when holding Shift	40
Move Acceleration	How quickly camera reaches target speed	8
Move Deceleration	How quickly camera stops	12
Smooth Movement	Enable smooth acceleration/deceleration	true

Default Key Bindings:

• W / ↑ - Forward

• S / ↓ - Backward

• A / ← - Left

• D / → - Right

• Left Shift - Sprint (fast move)

Drag Panning

Hold a mouse button and drag to pan the camera (like dragging a map).

Setting	Description	Default
Enable Drag Pan	Toggle drag panning	true
Drag Pan Button	Mouse button (Left/Middle/Right)	Middle
Invert Drag Pan	Reverse drag direction	false
Drag Pan Sensitivity	Movement sensitivity (0.1-5.0)	1.0

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Zoom Controls

Control the camera's distance from the pivot point using the scroll wheel.

Setting	Description	Default
Enable Zoom	Toggle zoom functionality	true
Zoom Speed	Scroll wheel sensitivity	10
Min Zoom Distance	Closest camera distance	5
Max Zoom Distance	Furthest camera distance	100
Smooth Zoom	Enable smooth zoom interpolation	true
Zoom Smooth Speed	Interpolation speed	8
Zoom To Cursor	Zoom towards mouse position (Google Maps style)	true

Zoom to Cursor provides a more intuitive zoom experience, especially when zooming in on specific units or locations. The camera moves towards wherever your cursor is pointing.

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Rotation Controls

Rotate and tilt the camera to view the battlefield from different angles.

Setting	Description	Default
Enable Rotation	Toggle rotation controls	true
Rotation Button	Mouse button to hold for rotation	Right
Rotation Speed	Mouse sensitivity for rotation	1.0
Rotate Without Button	Always rotate with mouse movement	false
Enable Tilt	Allow vertical camera tilt (pitch)	true
Min Tilt Angle	Minimum pitch angle (°)	30
Max Tilt Angle	Maximum pitch angle (°)	80
Smooth Rotation	Enable smooth rotation interpolation	true
Rotation Smooth Speed	Interpolation speed	10

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Camera Bounds

Restrict camera movement to a defined area (useful for keeping players within map boundaries).

Setting	Description	Default
Enable Bounds	Toggle movement boundaries	true
Min X / Max X	Horizontal (X-axis) boundaries	-100 / 100
Min Z / Max Z	Vertical (Z-axis) boundaries	-100 / 100
Bounds Mesh Renderer	Optional: Auto-set bounds from a mesh's AABB	null

Assign a Bounds Mesh Renderer to automatically calculate camera bounds from a plane or terrain mesh. This is especially useful when your map size changes during development.

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Camera Bookmarks

Save and recall camera positions quickly using keyboard shortcuts—essential for competitive RTS gameplay.

Setting	Description	Default
Enable Bookmarks	Toggle bookmark system	true
Bookmark Slots	Number of available slots (1-9)	4
Smooth Bookmark Transition	Animate when recalling bookmarks	true
Bookmark Transition Speed	Animation speed	5

Default Controls:

• Alt + 1-9 - Save current camera position to bookmark slot

• 1-9 - Recall saved bookmark position

Using Bookmarks via Script

// Save bookmark to slot 0
cameraController.SaveBookmark(0);

// Load bookmark from slot 0
cameraController.LoadBookmark(0);

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Follow Mode (Third Person)

The camera can follow a target transform, useful for third-person gameplay or following selected units.

Setting	Description	Default
Follow Target	Transform to follow	null
Follow Mode	Enable/disable following	false
Follow Smoothness	How quickly camera catches up	5
Follow Target Offset	Offset from target position	(0, 0, 0)
Follow Offset In Target Space	Apply offset in target's local space	false
Follow Use Target Height	Use target's Y position for pivot height	false
Follow Target Height Offset	Vertical offset when using target height	1.5

Look-Ahead Settings

For smoother following of moving targets:

Setting	Description	Default
Enable Lookahead	Predict and lead target movement	false
Lookahead Time	Seconds to project ahead	0.2
Lookahead Smooth Time	Smoothing for lookahead changes	0.15
Max Lookahead Distance	Maximum lookahead offset	3

Starting/Stopping Follow Mode

// Start following a target
cameraController.StartFollowing(playerTransform);

// Stop following
cameraController.StopFollowing();

// Set target without changing mode
cameraController.SetFollowTarget(unitTransform);

// Toggle follow mode
cameraController.SetFollowMode(true);

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Camera Collision

Prevent the camera from clipping through walls and terrain—essential for third-person gameplay.

Setting	Description	Default
Enable Camera Collision	Toggle collision avoidance	false
Camera Collision Layers	Layer mask for collision detection	Everything
Camera Collision Radius	Size of collision probe sphere	0.25
Camera Collision Buffer	Extra distance from surfaces	0.1
Camera Collision Ignore Triggers	Skip trigger colliders	true

Line of Sight Ground Repositioning

For cameras with negative pitch (looking upward):

Setting	Description	Default
Enable Line Of Sight Ground Reposition	Move camera along line-of-sight when blocked	false
Line Of Sight Ground Buffer	Extra distance from ground	0.1

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Terrain Following

Keep the camera at a consistent height above the terrain.

Setting	Description	Default
Terrain Following	Toggle terrain height tracking	false
Height Above Ground	Target height above terrain	0
Ground Layer	Layer mask for ground detection	Everything

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Preset Transitions

Smoothly animate between different camera presets at runtime.

Setting	Description	Default
Enable Preset Transitions	Toggle smooth transitions	true
Preset Transition Duration	Animation duration (seconds)	0.6
Preset Transition Curve	Animation easing curve	EaseInOut

Transitioning Between Presets

// Transition by index
cameraController.TransitionToPreset(1);

// Transition by name
cameraController.TransitionToPreset("Third Person");

// Transition with a specific follow target
cameraController.TransitionToPreset("Third Person", playerTransform);

// Transition without using cached state
cameraController.TransitionToPreset(0, null, useCachedState: false);

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Integration with Other Systems

Game Creator 2 Integration

When using Game Creator 2 alongside the RTS Camera Controller, you typically want Game Creator's camera system to handle the camera initially (e.g., during menus, cutscenes, or third-person gameplay), then transition to RTS controls when needed.

Recommended Setup:

1. On the RTSCameraController, disable Control Active On Start

2. Use Game Creator 2's camera system as your primary camera

3. When you want to switch to RTS controls, call SetControlActive(true) via a Game Creator Action or script

| Setting | Description | Default | |---------|-------------|---------|| | Control Active On Start | Whether the camera controller processes input immediately | true |

If Control Active On Start is enabled while Game Creator 2 is also controlling the camera, both systems will fight for control, causing erratic camera behavior.

Example: Switching from Game Creator to RTS Camera

// Disable Game Creator's camera motor first
// Then enable RTS camera control
cameraController.SyncFromCameraTransform(); // Match current camera position
cameraController.SetControlActive(true);

Disabling Camera Control

When using cutscenes, other camera systems, or UI dialogs, you may need to temporarily disable the camera controller:

// Disable camera control (camera maintains position)
cameraController.SetControlActive(false);

// Re-enable camera control
cameraController.SetControlActive(true);

// Check if control is active
if (cameraController.IsControlActive)
{
    // Camera is accepting input
}

Syncing with External Cameras

If another system moves the camera (e.g., Game Creator 2, Cinemachine), sync the controller when returning:

// Sync internal state from current camera transform
cameraController.SyncFromCameraTransform();

Suppressing Zoom Input

Prevent scroll wheel conflicts with other systems (e.g., formation cycling):

// Suppress zoom for 0.2 seconds
cameraController.SuppressZoom(0.2f);

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Public API Reference

Position & Movement

// Get current pivot position
Vector3 pos = cameraController.GetPosition();

// Set pivot position instantly
cameraController.SetPosition(new Vector3(50, 0, 50));

// Focus on a world position
cameraController.FocusOnPosition(targetPosition, instant: false);

// Focus on a transform
cameraController.FocusOnTarget(enemyTransform, instant: true);

Zoom

// Get current zoom level
float zoom = cameraController.GetZoom();

// Set zoom instantly
cameraController.SetZoom(25f);

Rotation

// Get current rotation (yaw, pitch)
Vector2 rotation = cameraController.GetRotation();

// Set rotation instantly
cameraController.SetRotation(yaw: 45f, pitch: 60f);

Bounds

// Set camera bounds
cameraController.SetBounds(minX: -200, maxX: 200, minZ: -200, maxZ: 200);

// Get current bounds
cameraController.GetBounds(out float minX, out float maxX, out float minZ, out float maxZ);

Effects

// Screen shake effect
cameraController.Shake(intensity: 0.5f, duration: 0.3f);

Enable/Disable Controls

// Disable all input processing
cameraController.SetControlsEnabled(false);

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Events

Subscribe to camera events for integration with other systems:

// Called when SetControlActive(true) is invoked
cameraController.OnControlEnabled += (cam) => {
    Debug.Log("Camera control enabled");
};

// Called when SetControlActive(false) is invoked
cameraController.OnControlDisabled += (cam) => {
    Debug.Log("Camera control disabled");
};

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Advanced Settings

Unscaled Time

Setting	Description	Default
Use Unscaled Time	Camera works during Time.timeScale = 0	true

This allows camera movement even when the game is paused.

Initial Setup

Configure the camera's starting state:

Setting	Description	Default
Initial Zoom	Starting camera distance	20
Initial Pitch	Starting vertical angle	45
Initial Yaw	Starting horizontal angle	0

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Troubleshooting

Camera Not Moving

1. Ensure Control Active On Start is enabled

2. Check that the relevant movement options are enabled (Enable Edge Pan, Enable Keyboard Pan, etc.)

3. Verify Input System is properly configured

Camera Clipping Through Geometry

1. Enable Enable Camera Collision

2. Set Camera Collision Layers to include your wall/terrain layers

3. Increase Camera Collision Radius if camera still clips

Zoom Conflicts with Formation Cycling

The RTS Controller uses scroll wheel for formation cycling. Use SuppressZoom() or the built-in integration handles this automatically.

Jerky Movement During Rotation

1. Enable Smooth Movement and Smooth Rotation

2. Increase Rotation Smooth Speed

3. Ensure frame rate is stable

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Best Practices

1. Use Presets: Create ScriptableObject presets rather than configuring in-scene for reusability

2. Tune Bounds Early: Set up camera bounds that match your playable area

3. Test at Different Zooms: Ensure edge panning and drag panning feel good at both close and far zoom levels

4. Consider Follow Mode: For Action RPG hybrids, use the Third Person preset with collision enabled

5. Save Performance: Disable unused features (e.g., terrain following if you have flat terrain)

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Related Components

• EnemyMassesRTSController - Unit selection and commands

• RTSMinimapController - Minimap rendering

• FogOfWarLite - Visibility system