Camera Troubles (I don't understand CFrames very well)

Help and Feedback Scripting Support
#1

Hey! I’m having a lot of trouble right now trying to make a camera that points towards the mouse. I want it to move smoothly around the screen, but with limitations so the player can’t look anywhere they want. It’s sort of hard to explain, but I want this:

(But with a greater range of where you can move your camera)

What I have right now does not do anything close to that
I have slightly modified code from another forum post that I tried asking ChatGPT for help with (to no avail)

My current non-functioning code:

---------- Services -----------

local RunService = game:GetService("RunService")
local UIS = game:GetService("UserInputService")
local TweenService = game:GetService("TweenService")

---------- Variables -----------

local Camera = workspace.CurrentCamera
local CameraPos = workspace:WaitForChild("CameraPos")
local Mouse = game:GetService("Players").LocalPlayer:GetMouse()
local LastMousePos = nil

local MaxX = 15
local MaxY = 15

---------- Code ----------

Camera.CameraType = Enum.CameraType.Scriptable

task.wait(2)

---------- Function to find where to look at ----------

local function FindLookDirection(MouseHit: CFrame)
	local LookCFrame = CFrame.lookAt(CameraPos.Position, MouseHit.Position)
	
	local RotX, RotY = LookCFrame:ToOrientation()
	RotX = math.deg(RotX)
	RotY = math.deg(RotY)
	
	print(RotX, RotY)
	
	local ClampedX = math.clamp(RotX, CameraPos.CFrame.LookVector.X - MaxX, CameraPos.CFrame.LookVector.X + MaxX)
	local ClampedY = math.clamp(RotY, CameraPos.CFrame.LookVector.Y - MaxX, CameraPos.CFrame.LookVector.Y + MaxX)
	
	return CameraPos.CFrame * CFrame.Angles(math.rad(ClampedX), math.rad(ClampedY), 0)
	
end

RunService.RenderStepped:Connect(function()
	if UIS:GetMouseLocation() ~= LastMousePos then
		LastMousePos = UIS:GetMouseLocation()
		local MouseHit = Mouse.Hit
		
		local TargetCFrame = FindLookDirection(MouseHit)
		
		TweenService:Create(Camera, TweenInfo.new(.25), {CFrame = TargetCFrame}):Play()
	end
end)

What this code does:

I think the big problem here is I don’t know a lot about CFrames. They are too confusing!!! Any help is appreciated!

#2

You can use CFrame.LookAt() and calculate angle from it to see if it’s not above the limit, use head’s CFrame soo player can only look forward

#3

What do you mean by use head’s cframe so player can only look forward? How would I do that. Also that code is already trying to use CFrame.lookat()

1 Like
#4

I tried a different approach entirely, to little avail.

---------- Services -----------

local RunService = game:GetService("RunService")
local UIS = game:GetService("UserInputService")
local TweenService = game:GetService("TweenService")

---------- Variables -----------

local Camera = workspace.CurrentCamera
local CameraPos = workspace:WaitForChild("CameraPos")
local Mouse = game:GetService("Players").LocalPlayer:GetMouse()
local LastMousePos = nil

local MaxX = 50
local MaxY = 15

---------- Code ----------

Camera.CameraType = Enum.CameraType.Scriptable

task.wait(2)

Camera.CFrame = workspace.CameraPos.CFrame

---------- Function to find where to look at ----------

RunService.RenderStepped:Connect(function()
	if UIS:GetMouseLocation() ~= LastMousePos then
		LastMousePos = UIS:GetMouseLocation()
		local TargetCFrame = CFrame.lookAt(CameraPos.Position, Mouse.Hit.Position)
		print(TargetCFrame.LookVector)
		local ClampedX = math.clamp(TargetCFrame.LookVector.X, 0.3, .4)
		local ClampedY = math.clamp(TargetCFrame.LookVector.Y, -0.6, 0.6)
		
		Camera.CFrame = CFrame.lookAt(CameraPos.Position, (CameraPos.Position + Vector3.new(ClampedX, ClampedY, TargetCFrame.LookVector.Z)))
	end
end)

The result (at least it moves farther now I guess??)

I’m starting to get really annoyed. CFrames make zero sense to me. Lookvector can’t be assigned to and trying to print a cframes rotation prints just as many values as normally printing a cframe does.

1 Like
#5

You can get Angle by doing

local x,y,z = CFrame.LookAt(Player.Head.CFrame.Position, mouse.Hit.Position):ToOrientation()
1 Like