Working with Camera Components

In this tutorial you will be adding a Camera Component to a Character Blueprint class.

Cameras provide a perspective through which to view a level and can be attached to any Actor in the level including playable characters and non-playable Actors.

This tutorial will be covering how to add a Camera Component to a Character Blueprint class and set up a toggle between two different camera perspectives for the character.

Creating the Character Class

1. Begin by creating a New > Games > Blank > C++ project named CameraComponents.

2. From the C++ Class Wizard, create a new Character class named CameraCharacter, then navigate to the CameraCharactor.h file and declare the following class definitions:

   protected:
           // Arrow Component for the Camera shoulder viewpoint location
           UPROPERTY(EditDefaultsOnly, BlueprintReadWrite)
           class UArrowComponent* CameraRShoulderLocation;
   
           // Arrow Component for the Camera Origin viewpoint location
           UPROPERTY(EditDefaultsOnly, BlueprintReadWrite)
           class UArrowComponent* CameraOriginLocation;
   
           UPROPERTY(EditDefaultsOnly, BlueprintReadWrite)
           class UCameraComponent* CameraComp; 

3. Navigate to the CameraCharactor.cpp file and add the following class libraries:

   #include "Camera/CameraComponent.h"
   #include "Components/ArrowComponent.h"

4. In the ACameraCharactor::ACameraCharacter constructor method declare the following in order to to instantiate and attach the Arrow and Camera Components to the character's skeletal mesh.

   // Instantiating your class Components
   CameraRShoulderLocation = CreateDefaultSubobject<UArrowComponent>(TEXT("CameraRShoulderLocation"));
   CameraOriginLocation = CreateDefaultSubobject<UArrowComponent>(TEXT("CameraOriginLocation"));
   CameraComp = CreateDefaultSubobject<UCameraComponent>(TEXT("CameraComp"));
   
   // Attaching your class Components to the default character's Skeletal Mesh Component.
   CameraRShoulderLocation->SetupAttachment(GetMesh());
   CameraOriginLocation->SetupAttachment(GetMesh());
   CameraComp->SetupAttachment(GetMesh());

   [UProperty specifiers provide the capability of editing your class components and properties in Blueprint.

5. Compile the code.

6. From the Content Browser, navigate to the C++ Classes folder. Right-click the CameraCharacter class, select Create Blueprint class based on CameraCharacter from the dropdown menu, and name the Blueprint BP_CameraCharacter.

7. Double click the BP_CameraCharacter to open its Class Defaults.

8. In the Componentstab, select the Mesh Component and navigate to the Details panel. From the Mesh category, select Skeletal Mesh and from the dropdown menu search and select TutorialTPP.

   If you do not see any options listed in the dropdown menu, click View Options, and check the box for Show Engine Content.

9. From the Details panel, navigate to the Transform category and set the Mesh's Location to (0,0,-90) and the Rotation to (0,0,-90).

10. Select the CameraRShoulderLocation Arrow Component, from the Details panel and navigate to the Transform category to set its Location to (-30,0,150) and Rotation to (0,0,90).

11. Select the CameraOriginLocation Arrow Component from the Components tab, then navigate to the Transform category in the Details panel and set its Location to (0, -120, 150) and Rotation to (0,0,90).

    CameraOriginLocation and CameraRShoulderLocation are attached to the Skeletal Mesh Component to provide a visual representation of where the Camera Component will switch its viewpoint locations.

12. Select CameraComp from the Components tab, then navigate to the Transform category in the Details panel and set its Location to (0, -120, 150) and Rotation to (0,0,90)

13. Compile and Save.

14. The Components should appear as they in the viewport below.

Work In-Progress Code

CameraCharacter.h

// Fill out your copyright notice in the Description page of Project Settings.
#pragma once
#include "CoreMinimal.h"
#include "GameFramework/Character.h"
#include "CameraCharacter.generated.h"

UCLASS()
class CAMERACOMPONENTS_API ACameraCharacter : public ACharacter
{
    GENERATED_BODY()
public:
    // Sets default values for this character's properties
    ACameraCharacter();

protected:
    // Called when the game starts or when spawned
    virtual void BeginPlay() override;

public: 
    // Called every frame
    virtual void Tick(float DeltaTime) override;

    // Called to bind functionality to input
    virtual void SetupPlayerInputComponent(class UInputComponent* PlayerInputComponent) override;

protected:
    // Arrow Component for the Camera shoulder viewpoint location
    UPROPERTY(EditDefaultsOnly, BlueprintReadWrite)
        class UArrowComponent* CameraRShoulderLocation;

    // Arrow Component for the Camera Origin viewpoint location
    UPROPERTY(EditDefaultsOnly, BlueprintReadWrite)
        class UArrowComponent* CameraOriginLocation;

    UPROPERTY(EditDefaultsOnly, BlueprintReadWrite)
        class UCameraComponent* CameraComp;
};

CameraCharacter.cpp

// Fill out your copyright notice in the Description page of Project Settings.
#include "CameraCharacter.h"
#include "Camera/CameraComponent.h"
#include "Components/ArrowComponent.h"

// Sets default values
ACameraCharacter::ACameraCharacter()
{
    // Set this character to call Tick() every frame.  You can turn this off to improve performance if you don't need it.
    PrimaryActorTick.bCanEverTick = true;

    // Instantiating your class Components
    CameraRShoulderLocation = CreateDefaultSubobject<UArrowComponent>(TEXT("CameraRShoulderLocation"));
    CameraOriginLocation = CreateDefaultSubobject<UArrowComponent>(TEXT("CameraOriginLocation"));
    CameraComp = CreateDefaultSubobject<UCameraComponent>(TEXT("CameraComp"));

    // Attaching your class Components to the dDefault Character's Skeletal Mesh Component.
    CameraRShoulderLocation->SetupAttachment(GetMesh());
    CameraOriginLocation->SetupAttachment(GetMesh());
    CameraComp->SetupAttachment(GetMesh());
}

// Called when the game starts or when spawned
void ACameraCharacter::BeginPlay()
{
    Super::BeginPlay(); 
}

// Called every frame
void ACameraCharacter::Tick(float DeltaTime)
{
    Super::Tick(DeltaTime);
}

// Called to bind functionality to input
void ACameraCharacter::SetupPlayerInputComponent(UInputComponent* PlayerInputComponent)
{
    Super::SetupPlayerInputComponent(PlayerInputComponent);
}

Creating and Binding Input Key Event Functions

With the Character Blueprint class created, you need to set up some scripted logic in order to transition the Camera Component's relative location between the two different Arrow Component locations.

1. From the Level Editor's toolbar, navigate to Edit > Project Settings and open the Input page.Then from the Bindings category, click the + icon next to Action Mappings to create a new input mapping.

2. Name the action mapping SwitchCamera and select the Right Mouse Button key value from the dropdown menu.

3. Navigate to the CameraCharacter.h file and declare the following class definitions.

   protected:
       // Sets the CameraComp's relative location to CameraRShoulderLocation arrow component.
       void SetCameraShoulderLocation();
   
       // Sets the CameraComp's relative location to the CameraOriginLocation arrow component
       void SetCameraOriginLocation();

4. In the CameraCharacter.cpp file, implement the following class methods.

   void ACameraCharacter::SetCameraShoulderLocation()
   {
       CameraComp->SetRelativeLocation(CameraRShoulderLocation->GetRelativeLocation());
   }
   
   void ACameraCharacter::SetCameraOriginLocation()
   {
       CameraComp->SetRelativeLocation(CameraOriginLocation->GetRelativeLocation());
   }

5. Next navigate to the ACameraCharacter::SetupPlayerInputComponent method, and implement the following code.

   Super::SetupPlayerInputComponent(PlayerInputComponent);
   PlayerInputComponent->BindAction("SwitchCamera", IE_Pressed, this, &ACameraCharacter::SetCameraShoulderLocation);
   PlayerInputComponent->BindAction("SwitchCamera", IE_Released, this, &ACameraCharacter::SetCameraOriginLocation);

   For additional documentation on Player Controllers and possessing Pawn Actors refer to Possessing Pawns.

6. Compile the code.

Finished Code

CameraCharacter.h

// Fill out your copyright notice in the Description page of Project Settings.
#pragma once
#include "CoreMinimal.h"
#include "GameFramework/Character.h"
#include "CameraCharacter.generated.h"

UCLASS()
class CAMERACOMPONENTS_API ACameraCharacter : public ACharacter
{
    GENERATED_BODY()
    public:
        // Sets default values for this character's properties
        ACameraCharacter();

    protected:
        // Called when the game starts or when spawned
        virtual void BeginPlay() override;

    public: 
        // Called every frame
        virtual void Tick(float DeltaTime) override;

        // Called to bind functionality to input
        virtual void SetupPlayerInputComponent(class UInputComponent* PlayerInputComponent) override;

    protected:
        // Arrow Component for the Camera shoulder viewpoint location
        UPROPERTY(EditDefaultsOnly, BlueprintReadWrite)
            class UArrowComponent* CameraRShoulderLocation;

        // Arrow Component for the Camera Origin viewpoint location
        UPROPERTY(EditDefaultsOnly, BlueprintReadWrite)
            class UArrowComponent* CameraOriginLocation;

        UPROPERTY(EditDefaultsOnly, BlueprintReadWrite)
            class UCameraComponent* CameraComp;

    protected:
        // Sets the CameraComp's relative location to CameraRShoulderLocation arrow component.
        void SetCameraShoulderLocation();

        // Sets the CameraComp's relative location to the CameraOriginLocation arrow component
        void SetCameraOriginLocation();
};

CameraCharacter.cpp

// Fill out your copyright notice in the Description page of Project Settings.

#include "CameraCharacter.h"
#include "Camera/CameraComponent.h"
#include "Components/ArrowComponent.h"

// Sets default values
ACameraCharacter::ACameraCharacter()
{
    // Set this character to call Tick() every frame.  You can turn this off to improve performance if you don't need it.
    PrimaryActorTick.bCanEverTick = true;

    // Instantiating your class Components
    CameraRShoulderLocation = CreateDefaultSubobject<UArrowComponent>(TEXT("CameraRShoulderLocation"));
    CameraOriginLocation = CreateDefaultSubobject<UArrowComponent>(TEXT("CameraOriginLocation"));
    CameraComp = CreateDefaultSubobject<UCameraComponent>(TEXT("CameraComp"));

    // Attaching your class Components to the dDefault Character's Skeletal Mesh Component.
    CameraRShoulderLocation->SetupAttachment(GetMesh());
    CameraOriginLocation->SetupAttachment(GetMesh());
    CameraComp->SetupAttachment(GetMesh());
}

// Called when the game starts or when spawned
void ACameraCharacter::BeginPlay()
{
    Super::BeginPlay(); 
}

// Called every frame
void ACameraCharacter::Tick(float DeltaTime)
{
    Super::Tick(DeltaTime);
}

//Called to bind functionality to input
void ACameraCharacter::SetupPlayerInputComponent(UInputComponent* PlayerInputComponent)
{
    Super::SetupPlayerInputComponent(PlayerInputComponent);
    PlayerInputComponent->BindAction("SwitchCamera", IE_Pressed, this, &ACameraCharacter::SetCameraShoulderLocation);
    PlayerInputComponent->BindAction("SwitchCamera", IE_Released, this, &ACameraCharacter::SetCameraOriginLocation);
}

void ACameraCharacter::SetCameraShoulderLocation()
{
    CameraComp->SetRelativeLocation(CameraRShoulderLocation->GetRelativeLocation());
}

void ACameraCharacter::SetCameraOriginLocation()
{
    CameraComp->SetRelativeLocation(CameraOriginLocation->GetRelativeLocation());
}

Setting Up the Game Mode

With the character created and set up, you will need to modify the Game Mode in order to spawn the character when Play (PIE) is clicked.

1. Begin by navigating to the C++ classes folder. Right click the CameraComponentsGameModeBase class, select Create Blueprint Class based CameraComponentsGameModeBase from the dropdown menu, and name the Blueprint BP_CameraCompGameMode.

2. From the Details panel, navigate to the Classes category and select BP_CameraCharacter from the Default Pawn Class dropdown menu.

   The Default pawn class can also be set from theGameModeBase DefaultPawnClassDefault Pawn variable in the code.

3. Compile and save.

4. From the Unreal Engine toolbar, select Edit > Project Settings and navigate to the Maps & Modes settings. From the Default Modes category select the newly-created BP_CameraCompGameMode class.

5. From the Level Editor click the Play (PIE) button to start previewing these changes.

End Result

Next Steps

Now that you have worked with Camera Components you may want to move on to the Spring Arm Component tutorial.

This tutorial will demonstrate how to prevent a camera from being obstructed when moving into tight spaces or when an object blocks the camera's view of the player.