TPS Third Person Controller Unity 3D - Third Person Camera Follow Unity Game Engine Course 2022

Introduction

This tutorial guides you through creating a third-person camera follow system in Unity 3D, essential for developing dynamic gameplay in your third-person perspective (TPP) game. By the end of this guide, you will understand how to set up the camera to smoothly follow your character, enhancing your game's user experience.

Step 1: Setting Up Your Unity Scene

• Open Unity and load your existing project or create a new one.

Create a new Game Object for your player character

• Right-click in the Hierarchy panel.
• Select 3D Object > Capsule to represent the player.
• Rename the capsule to "Player" for better organization.

Step 2: Adding the Camera

Create a new Camera

• Right-click in the Hierarchy panel.
• Select Camera.

Position the Camera

• Set the camera's position to (0, 3, -5) in the Inspector to position it behind the player.

Step 3: Creating the Camera Follow Script

Create a new script

• Right-click in the Project panel under Assets.
• Select Create > C# Script and name it "CameraFollow".
• Open the script in your preferred code editor.
• Write the following code to allow the camera to follow the player:

using UnityEngine;

public class CameraFollow : MonoBehaviour
{
    public Transform player; // Reference to the player's transform
    public Vector3 offset; // Offset distance between the player and camera

    void Start()
    {
        offset = transform.position - player.position; // Calculate initial offset
    }

    void LateUpdate()
    {
        transform.position = player.position + offset; // Update camera position
    }
}

Step 4: Attaching the Script to the Camera

Attach the CameraFollow script

• Select the Camera in the Hierarchy.
• Drag the CameraFollow script from the Project panel to the Camera's Inspector panel.

Set the player reference

• In the Inspector, find the CameraFollow component.
• Drag the Player GameObject from the Hierarchy into the player field.

Step 5: Adjusting Camera Settings

Modify Camera settings for a better visual experience

• Set the Field of View (FOV) in the Camera component to 60 for a wider view.
• Adjust the Clipping Planes if needed to ensure the camera can see the player.

Step 6: Testing the Camera Follow

• Hit the Play button in Unity to test the functionality.
• Move the player object using the keyboard input (if you have movement scripts set up).
• Ensure the camera follows the player smoothly and maintains the desired offset.

Conclusion

You have successfully set up a third-person camera follow system in Unity 3D. This functionality is crucial for creating immersive gameplay experiences in TPP games. Next, consider implementing character movement and animations to further enhance your game. Happy game developing!