Q2 Client Side Effect - a 3rd Person Camera

Copyright info

All code in this tutorial is protected by the [GPL License].
All text in this tutorial is protected by the [FDL License].

Tutorial by: psychospaz

Mailto: psychospaz@telefragged.com

STEP 1:

[cl_main.c,client.h :: set up the variables]

-open "cl_main.c" add this at top with other cvar declarations...

 
 
 cvar_t *cl_3dcam;
 cvar_t *cl_3dcam_angle;
 cvar_t *cl_3dcam_dist;
 
 

-then find the function CL_InitLocal() and add this inside...

 
 
 cl_3dcam = Cvar_Get ("cl_3dcam", "0", CVAR_ARCHIVE);
 cl_3dcam_angle = Cvar_Get ("cl_3dcam_angle", "30", CVAR_ARCHIVE);
 cl_3dcam_dist = Cvar_Get ("cl_3dcam_dist", "50", CVAR_ARCHIVE);
 
 

-now go into "client.h" and add this anywhere...

 
 
 extern cvar_t *cl_3dcam;
 extern cvar_t *cl_3dcam_angle;
 extern cvar_t *cl_3dcam_dist;
 
 

STEP 2:

[cl_ents.c :: set up the view angles ]

-find the "CL_CalcViewValues" function and add this to the bottom of it...

 
 
 if (cl_3dcam->value)
 {
 vec3_t end, oldorg, camPos;
 float dist_up, dist_back, angle;
 
 if (cl_3dcam_angle->value<0)
 Cvar_SetValue( "cl_3dcam_angle", 0 );
 if (cl_3dcam_angle->value>60)
 Cvar_SetValue( "cl_3dcam_angle", 60 );
 
 if (cl_3dcam_dist->value<0)
 Cvar_SetValue( "cl_3dcam_dist", 0 );
 
 //this'll use polar coords for cam offset
 angle = M_PI * cl_3dcam_angle->value/180.0f;
 dist_up = cl_3dcam_dist->value * sin( angle );
 dist_back = cl_3dcam_dist->value * cos ( angle );
 
 VectorCopy(cl.refdef.vieworg, oldorg);
 
 VectorMA(cl.refdef.vieworg, -dist_back, cl.v_forward, end);
 VectorMA(end, dist_up, cl.v_up, end);
 
 ClipCam (cl.refdef.vieworg, end, camPos);
 
 //now we will adjust aim...
 {
 vec3_t newDir, dir;
 
 //find where 1st person view is aiming
 VectorMA(cl.refdef.vieworg, 8000, cl.v_forward, dir);
 ClipCam (cl.refdef.vieworg, dir, newDir);
 
 VectorSubtract(newDir, camPos, dir);
 VectorNormalize(dir);
 vectoangles2(dir, newDir);
 
 //now look there from the camera
 AngleVectors(newDir, cl.v_forward, cl.v_right, cl.v_up);
 VectorCopy(newDir, cl.refdef.viewangles);
 }
 
 VectorCopy(camPos, cl.refdef.vieworg);
 }
 
 

STEP 3:

[cl_ents.c :: add client side clipping]

-put this at the top of the file after includes and var/function decalarations...

 
 
 trace_t CL_Trace (vec3_t start, vec3_t end, float size, int contentmask)
 {
 vec3_t maxs, mins;
 
 VectorSet(maxs, size, size, size);
 VectorSet(mins, -size, -size, -size);
 
 return CM_BoxTrace (start, end, mins, maxs, 0, contentmask);
 }
 void ClipCam (vec3_t start, vec3_t end, vec3_t newpos)
 {
 trace_t tr = CL_Trace (start, end, 5, -1);
 VectorCopy(tr.endpos, newpos);
 }
 
 

STEP 4:

[cl_ents.c :: remove the 1st person model]

-put this at the top of the "void CL_AddViewWeapon(*,*)" function after variable declarations...

 
 
 //dont draw if outside body...
 if (cl_3dcam->value)
 return;
 
 

STEP 5:

[cl_ents.c :: add the client model to the render list]

-find the funtion void "CL_AddPacketEntities(*)"

-find this line...

 
 
 for (pnum = 0 ; pnumnum_entities ; pnum++)
 {
 
 

-and add this right after it...

 
 
 qboolean isclientviewer = false;
 
 

-now replace this...

 
 
 if (s1->number == cl.playernum+1)
 {
 ent.flags |= RF_VIEWERMODEL; // only draw from mirrors
 
 // FIXME: still pass to refresh
 if (effects & EF_FLAG1)
 V_AddLight (ent.origin, 225, 1.0, 0.1, 0.1);
 else if (effects & EF_FLAG2)
 V_AddLight (ent.origin, 225, 0.1, 0.1, 1.0);
 else if (effects & EF_TAGTRAIL)  //PGM
 V_AddLight (ent.origin, 225, 1.0, 1.0, 0.0); //PGM
 else if (effects & EF_TRACKERTRAIL)  //PGM
 V_AddLight (ent.origin, 225, -1.0, -1.0, -1.0); //PGM
 
 continue;
 }
 
 

-with this...

 
 
 if (s1->number == cl.playernum+1)
 {
 ent.flags |= RF_VIEWERMODEL; // only draw from mirrors
 isclientviewer = true;
 
 // FIXME: still pass to refresh
 if (effects & EF_FLAG1)
 V_AddLight (ent.origin, 225, 1.0, 0.1, 0.1);
 else if (effects & EF_FLAG2)
 V_AddLight (ent.origin, 225, 0.1, 0.1, 1.0);
 else if (effects & EF_TAGTRAIL)  //PGM
 V_AddLight (ent.origin, 225, 1.0, 1.0, 0.0); //PGM
 else if (effects & EF_TRACKERTRAIL)  //PGM
 V_AddLight (ent.origin, 225, -1.0, -1.0, -1.0); //PGM
 
 if (!cl_3dcam->value)
 continue;
 }
 
 

-now after this line...

 
 
 if (s1->modelindex2)
 {
 
 

-add this...

 
 
 if (isclientviewer)
 ent.flags |= RF_VIEWERMODEL; // only draw from mirrors
 
 

-also after this...

 
 
 if (s1->modelindex3)
 {
 
 

-add this..

 
 
 if (isclientviewer)
 ent.flags |= RF_VIEWERMODEL; // only draw from mirrors
 
 

-and lastly after this...

 
 
 if (s1->modelindex4)
 {
 
 

add this again...

 
 
 if (isclientviewer)
 ent.flags |= RF_VIEWERMODEL; // only draw from mirrors
 
 

STEP 6:

[cl_view.c :: make the 3rd person model visible]

-find the funtion void "V_AddEntity(*)"

-add this in at the top of the function...

 
 
 if (ent->flags&RF_VIEWERMODEL) //here is our client
 { 
 int i; 
 for (i=0;i<3;i++)
 ent->oldorigin[i] = ent->origin[i] = cl.predicted_origin[i];
 
 if (cl_3dcam->value)
 ent->flags&=~RF_VIEWERMODEL;
 }
 
 

STEP 7:

[cl_ents.c :: smooth out prediction]

-find the funtion void "CL_CalcViewValues()"

-replace this...

 
 
 // calculate the origin
 if ((cl_predict->value) && !(cl.frame.playerstate.pmove.pm_flags & PMF_NO_PREDICTION))
 { // use predicted values
 unsigned delta;
 
 backlerp = 1.0 - lerp;
 for (i=0 ; i<3 ; i++)
 {
 cl.refdef.vieworg[i] = cl.predicted_origin[i] + ops->viewoffset[i] 
 + cl.lerpfrac * (ps->viewoffset[i] - ops->viewoffset[i])
 - backlerp * cl.prediction_error[i];
 }
 
 // smooth out stair climbing
 delta = cls.realtime - cl.predicted_step_time;
 if (delta < 100)
 {
 cl.refdef.vieworg[2] -= cl.predicted_step * (100 - delta) * 0.01;
 }
 }
 
 

-with this (adding in cl.predicted_origin[] smoothing)...

 
 
 // calculate the origin
 if ((cl_predict->value) && !(cl.frame.playerstate.pmove.pm_flags & PMF_NO_PREDICTION))
 { // use predicted values
 unsigned delta;
 
 backlerp = 1.0 - lerp;
 for (i=0 ; i<3 ; i++)
 {
 cl.refdef.vieworg[i] = cl.predicted_origin[i] + ops->viewoffset[i] 
 + cl.lerpfrac * (ps->viewoffset[i] - ops->viewoffset[i])
 - backlerp * cl.prediction_error[i];
 
 //this smooths out platform riding
 cl.predicted_origin[i] -= backlerp * cl.prediction_error[i];
 }
 
 // smooth out stair climbing
 delta = cls.realtime - cl.predicted_step_time;
 if (delta < 100)
 {
 cl.refdef.vieworg[2] -= cl.predicted_step * (100 - delta) * 0.01;
 cl.predicted_origin[2] -= cl.predicted_step * (100 - delta) * 0.01;
 }
 }
 
 

FINISH:

[test :: play the game]

- Play with the cvars to get the cam how you like it

- Tweak until content

Tutorial Originally found at: