How to create a Glitch 3D Camera - The Complete Guide [Update]

[ballisticola]

You may have noticed a new menace creeping up on us and threatening to steal our framerates The menace of which I speak is the new Glitch 3D Camera

Ok, I've tried to streamline it, make it easier, with a few little pictures I made to explain

Pre-Tweaking

Step 1 - Place a block of Dark Matter (with a Big Grid).
Step 2 - Set the Grid to Small & Angle Snap to 90% and leave it.
Step 3 - Place a Microchip in the dead centre.
Step 4 - Place a Game Camera inside the Microchip (Movie Cameras do not work).

Dark Matter, Grid & Angle Snap settings are there for precision. If the Microchip doesn't snap easily to the dead centre, side & bottom of the Dark Matter block, move it about, this will aligne it to the Small Grid. Dark Matter is one of the only materials to let you snap a Microchip perfectly to the bottom and sides. You can change the material after, with no effect on the cameras.

Tweaking

Up The Screen Camera

Step 1 - Move the block to the Front Layer (the Glitch Front Layers 1 & 2 also work)
Step 2 - Move the block at least 32 (Big) blocks from the ground [Now no longer a problem].
Step 3 - Open the Microchip and tweak the camera
Step 4 - Set Player Tracking to 0% and Local Space to Yes.
Step 5 - The zoom of the camera should be in the middle of the Microchip, with no angle.
Step 6 - Copy the camera twice and place them. You should now have 3 of the same camera (it's the only camera to need 3).
Step 7 - Move the Microchip down until it snaps to the bottom.
Step 8 - Change the zoom. 25% for the biggest view and 600% for the closest.

The floor of Create Mode interferes with the camera, that's why you need to be 32 blocks from the floor.

I consider this pretty much pointless now, in light of new techniques, but some may still want it.

Top Down Non-Horizontal Camera (Ballisticam)
This camera is wide angle, top down.

Step 1 - The zoom of the camera should be in the middle of the Microchip, with no angle.
Step 2 - Place the Microchip on the side you require.
Step 3 - Tweak the camera, set Player Tracking to 0% and Local Space to Yes.
Step 4 - Using the Left Stick, move out of the screen. The angle should dramatically increase.
Step 5 - Use R1 & R2 to turn the camera on it's side, lining it up with the edge of Create Mode, you will probabaly need to use the Right Stick to straighten it up.
Step 6 - The camera should be set. If not, it's because you haven't increased the angle enough. This is a simple fix, just go back in and click R3, this resets the angle and you can start again.


The diagrams show the direction you must move in. Right to Left, Left to Right, Down the Screen & Up the Screen.

You will never see the horizon in this view, because of the way the camera is angled down.

When setting the down the screen view, you will need to use 1% Player Tracking.
You can set the zoom at anytime, the angle is the important thing. As a rule of thumb (for all the cameras), the zoom is best set to 600% at first, because this is aways the closest view and will aways be the first to take the angle, where as 25% will be the last and will mostly be pointlessly far away anyway.

Third & First Person Horizontal Camera (Fubalicam)
As suggested, this camera sits right behind the player.

Step 1 - Set Angle Snap to 90% [was 45% before patch 1.06].
Step 2 - Set Player Tracking to 10-20% and Local Space to Yes.
Step 3 - Move the zoom of the camera to the Left or Right. Anywhere between 20-50 Big blocks is fine.

Step 4 - Move the Right Stick against the direction you just went. So if you went Right, you are pushing Left to change the angle to look Right.
Step 5 - Move the Microchip on to the side and rotate the block 90% [was 45% before patch 1.06].
Step 6 - [New for patch 1.06] Now you have to rotate the view with R1 & R2, to straighten up. This is new, before you only needed to straighten up on more sharper angles. If you rotate the block back 90%, you get that Behind Sackboy view, that robbit10 and evret use

Using this camera means the horizon is always in the middle of the screen.
Player Tracking is more useful than you think, it acts like a zoom and is needed to lock the camera in position. It's important to understand these things when trying to work out how to replicate the cameras consistently. And also how I created new camera angles.

The differences after patch 1.06. Due to the inclusion of the Move DLC some cameras were broken...or in fact improved. The first camera now doesn't react with the ground. And the last now sets at 90% rather than the previous 45% (although, previously it was natural and required no more tweaking).

Getting the Angles

Originally, the last two cameras could only go in 4 directions, because they need certain angles to work. These angles aren't always set by the Right Stick, which normally deal with the angles, sometimes they are set with the Left Stick, which normally deal with the position or even R1 & R2, which deal with rotating. It's counterintuitive and even though I've just said it, it still confuses me.
This is the reason why I recommend starting with the angles that are easiest. Fubalicam's easiest angle is at 90% [45% before patch 1.06], because as soon as you've rotated the block, it's easy to rotate the view, it basically snaps level [before the patch, there was no need to rotate]. Once you have that camera it's easy to set the rest. And it's all about the angles. Try this:-

Step 1 - Set the Angle Snap to 5%.
Step 2 - Turn the block by that 5%.
Step 3 - Now look at the view you now have...it's not right is it.
Step 4 - All you have to do is correct it with R1 & R2.
Step 5 - There you have it, another angle.
Step 6 - But you need to have the camera facing the exact angle when you turn it on.
Step 7 - So take a Selector and attach one of the outputs to the camera.
Step 8 - Now place a Gyro at your new angle and attach the same output to it.
Step 9 - Now both will activate at the same time.

Obviously, it doesn't need to be 5%, just an example.

Ballisticam's easiest angle is dead straight from the sides. The others can be set in the same way. It works but it's better when closer to the player. The wide view doesn't really need alot of camera movement in my opinion.
Also to make it easier, opposite sides can be copied straight over, because the settings are exactly the same. Looking directly down doesn't work as well as the others.

Turning Around

In theory, turning around sounds easy. All you need to do is revolve the world around the player. The only way to truly do this is with rotators. You move over a rotator it turns the world. But in practice, you need alot of rotators and a lot of space. Because if you go to one side of the room, turn around, then go back to the other side and keep doing it...eventually the world hits the sides of Create Mode.

I'm still working on this. And another secret aspect regarding 3D

Credits - Basti059, Irriadiat, Fubalicious, Bremnen, robbit10, evret, Dexist, Aya042, Kurobit and gevurah22

[smerf1]

Is this the same method as the "Real 3D Platform" Level?
I've literally just found out about this and can't test it out (PSN maintenance)

[gevurah22]

Let's assume we are looking north in those pictures. The biggest limitation when looking east and west is when you point the cameras in that direction and you don't have the same perspective as when you're looking north. I'd be interested to hear if you found a way to fix that. Another thing I've noticed when messing around with the 3 camera system over the weekend was the fact that the POV is not as level as Fubalicious' camera. I will say that distance draw is much better using this system versus the other way.

Thanks for your work on this. =)

[Yassen]

Let's assume we are looking north in those pictures. The biggest limitation when looking east and west is when you point the cameras in that direction and you don't have the same perspective as when you're looking north. I'd be interested to hear if you found a way to fix that. Another thing I've noticed when messing around with the 3 camera system over the weekend was the fact that the POV is not as level as Fubalicious' camera. I will say that distance draw is much better using this system versus the other way.

Thanks for your work on this. =)

I believe Strangepom has already worked a solution for that problem, so may wanna contact him for that.

[ballisticola]

@ smerf1 - That's Dexist's...sorry The Dutch Master's And yes, it's the same method, I just recreated it using very precise methods. You don't need PSN to test this, I haven't done a demo because it takes a couple of minutes to make...that and I'd still be making the demo next week

[Dexist]

Tried this and compared it with my own made cam, and it looked just the same!

So, great job you did there to easy it up

And getting darkmatter to get the microchip perfectly on the bottom, is genius, i didnt tought about that, and thats probably why I struggled some time to get the same effect


also, cvb23e and KuroBit did come up too with this "3 cameras" on a Mc trick. I played kurobits level, and asked myself: hmmz can i recreate/find out how this cam is made myself too?Seems i could. , so big thanks to them too

So Dutch Master is a big word I did just found out how some one else did it

[smerf1]

@ smerf1 - That's Dexist's...sorry The Dutch Master's And yes, it's the same method, I just recreated it using very precise methods. You don't need PSN to test this, I haven't done a demo because it takes a couple of minutes to make...that and I'd still be making the demo next week

Thank you for the answer I should of rephrased what I meant by not being able to test it. I meant not being able to test the actual level this is used for

[gevurah22]

I believe Strangepom has already worked a solution for that problem, so may wanna contact him for that.

I actually came up with a pretty solid workaround last night as well, but messing around with Fubalicious' camera glitch instead.

Thanks for the heads up though!

[ballisticola]

Let's assume we are looking north in those pictures. The biggest limitation when looking east and west is when you point the cameras in that direction and you don't have the same perspective as when you're looking north. I'd be interested to hear if you found a way to fix that. Another thing I've noticed when messing around with the 3 camera system over the weekend was the fact that the POV is not as level as Fubalicious' camera. I will say that distance draw is much better using this system versus the other way.

Thanks for your work on this. =)

I assumed just turning the block would do it...but it doesn't. In Step 2 when you place the Microchip, I tried to turn it on it's side, before placing it on the bottom, but didn't work. I'll have a look now

[gevurah22]

Yeah, it has the same issues as a regular camera when rotating it. It rotates, but the perspective doesn't stick. Multiple camera angles should have kept that perspective as well, but under the assumption you're working on a top down level, it still looks like you're leaning to the side perspective wise when looking east/west. And when you look south, you're looking upside down, lol.

[smerf1]

So which camera is best at the moment? anyone care to link me to the best camera giveaway LBP.me?

[ballisticola]

With the risk of sound so amazingly arrogant...when you die and you go through those Pearly Gates, St. Peter will send you through to the massive office at the end of the corridor. When you open that door you will see ME!!! Because I am God!!! That's how unbelievably excited I am right this very second. Because gevurah22 you gave me a challenge and I smash that challenge into next week!!!

People of the LittleBigPlanet, open your eyes and just look!!!

That's my column, that column goes up, need I say more?

Yes, that thing on the left is me (Raiden) OUTSIDE of the area (because I'm using Holographic Material which can pass through it), you can literally zoom so far up it pointless because you can't see anything!


I'm now making a demo to better show this off. Of course I'll tell you how it's done, but yesterday that took me 6 hours (I am not a fast writer, just writing this has taken a hour ), so I'll never get the demo done.

I'm shaking I'm that excited To the demo, then sleep...if I can?!

[gevurah22]

But that's only when you pull away from the actual camera (and twisting the perspective so that it shoots out that far). You can get that affect while tweaking with either the 3 camera tech or Fubalicious' version. This is cool if you wanted to make a Sim City type level, but you have to be really wary about the amount of complexity that gets covered in that view. Also, it doesn't solve the up-close perspective where you want the "horizon" to be at level sight with the middle of your POV.

[Boscoe]

I'm shaking I'm that excited To the demo, then sleep...if I can?!

Hee hee! Me too! I totally can't wait to design a level specifically for this effect!

[Fubalicious]

Quick update, people : I've kinda "merged" Robbit/Evret's rear-cam with mine, and you can now also look to the left, right and back, still with the same perspective as in my tech-demo. By the time i had released it, Gevurah already had figured out how to do it. So, it's not difficult, but at least it's already made (yet controls need to be perfected - but i leave that to you).
Anyway, if you're interested in seeing this slightly improved version, or grabbing it to mess with it, look for '3D cam improvement', or just browse my profile! (http://lbp.me/search?q=fubalicious)
(Oh, and sorry for hijacking your thread - as it's 3D related, i didn't see the point of creating a new topic)