Camera System

RCCP uses a single camera that switches between modes rather than placing multiple camera GameObjects in your scene. The main RCCP_Camera component parents itself to different positions depending on the active mode. This keeps your hierarchy clean and avoids the overhead of maintaining multiple cameras.

For general project setup, see Installation. For vehicle configuration, see Vehicle Setup.

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Camera Setup

Adding the Camera to Your Scene

Use the Unity menu:

Tools > BoneCracker Games > Realistic Car Controller Pro > Create > Scene > Add RCCP Camera

This instantiates the RCCP Camera prefab referenced in RCCP_Settings. The prefab contains:

• The RCCP_Camera component (the main controller)
• A child Pivot GameObject used for collision offsets
• A child Camera (the actual Unity Camera component)

How Targeting Works

RCCP_Camera uses a CameraTarget class that holds:

Field	Type	Description
playerVehicle	RCCP_CarController	The vehicle the camera follows
HoodCamera	RCCP_HoodCamera	Auto-found on the vehicle via GetComponentInChildren
WheelCamera	RCCP_WheelCamera	Auto-found on the vehicle via GetComponentInChildren

When a vehicle is registered as the player vehicle through RCCP_SceneManager, the camera's SetTarget() method is called automatically. If TPSAutoFocus is enabled (the default), the camera smoothly adjusts its distance and height to fit the vehicle's bounds.

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Camera Modes

The CameraMode enum defines all available modes:

Mode	Enum Value	Description
Third-Person	TPS	Default follow camera behind the vehicle
First-Person / Hood	FPS	View from inside the vehicle (dashboard area)
Wheel	WHEEL	Close-up view near a wheel
Fixed	FIXED	Scene-placed camera that watches the vehicle pass by
Cinematic	CINEMATIC	Auto-tracking camera with animation support
Top-Down	TOP	Overhead view, optionally orthographic
Truck-Trailer	TRUCKTRAILER	Specialized TPS mode for vehicles towing trailers

Enabling and Disabling Modes

Each mode (except TPS and TRUCKTRAILER) can be toggled on or off. When a mode is disabled, the camera skips it when cycling:

Property	Default	Controls
useHoodCameraMode	true	FPS mode availability
useWheelCameraMode	true	WHEEL mode availability
useFixedCameraMode	true	FIXED mode availability
useCinematicCameraMode	true	CINEMATIC mode availability
useTopCameraMode	false	TOP mode availability
useCrashCameraMode	true	Whether the crash cinematic may take this camera over -- not part of the cycle

TPS mode is always available and is the fallback when other modes encounter issues (such as occlusion in Wheel mode).

useCrashCameraMode sits with these in the inspector but is the odd one out: CRASH is never reached by cycling, so the toggle controls whether a heavy impact is allowed to take the camera over. See Crash Cinematic.

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Third-Person Mode (TPS)

The TPS camera follows behind the vehicle at a configurable distance and height. RCCP provides two TPS sub-modes:

Sub-Mode	Enum	Characteristics
TPS1	TPSMode.TPS1	Original implementation using SmoothDampAngle per axis
TPS2	TPSMode.TPS2	More stable approach using Quaternion.Slerp, includes drift support

Select the sub-mode via the tPSMode property. TPS2 is the default and recommended choice.

Transform Settings

Property	Range	Default	Description
TPSDistance	0 - 20	6.5	Distance behind the vehicle
TPSHeight	0 - 10	1.5	Height above the vehicle
TPSOffset	Vector3	(0, 0, 0.2)	Local offset relative to the vehicle
TPSRotationDamping	0 - 1	0.5	Smoothing factor for rotation tracking
TPSPitch	-45 to 45	7.5	Downward pitch angle
TPSYaw	-45 to 45	0	Lateral yaw offset

Rotation Locking

These control which vehicle rotation axes the camera follows:

Property	Default	Effect
TPSLockX	true	Camera tracks vehicle pitch
TPSLockY	true	Camera tracks vehicle yaw
TPSLockZ	false	Camera tracks vehicle roll

Dynamic Camera

When TPSDynamic is enabled, the camera distance, height, and pitch angle shift based on the vehicle's acceleration. This creates a more cinematic feel during rapid speed changes. The system uses a hidden TPSAccelerationPoint transform to smooth the acceleration offset.

Speed-Based FOV

The field of view interpolates between TPSMinimumFOV and TPSMaximumFOV based on vehicle speed, creating a sense of velocity.

Property	Range	Default	Description
TPSMinimumFOV	10 - 90	40	FOV when stationary
TPSMaximumFOV	10 - 160	60	FOV at high speed

Auto Focus

When TPSAutoFocus is true (the default), SetTarget() triggers a coroutine that calculates the vehicle's bounding-box extent and smoothly adjusts TPSDistance and TPSHeight over 2 seconds. This ensures each vehicle is framed correctly regardless of its size.

Auto Reverse

When TPSAutoReverse is true (the default), the camera automatically rotates 180 degrees to look forward when the vehicle reverses.

Camera Tilt

The camera tilts along the Z axis based on lateral velocity, creating a leaning effect during turns:

Property	Range	Default	Description
TPSTiltMaximum	0 - 25	15	Maximum tilt angle in degrees
TPSTiltMultiplier	0 - 1.5	1	Multiplier to fine-tune tilt intensity

Camera Shake

When TPSShake is true (the default), the camera applies subtle Perlin noise-based positional and rotational shake that increases with vehicle speed. Maximum shake occurs around 260 km/h.

Since V2.51 you can also trigger a one-shot impact jolt from code: RCCP_Camera.TriggerCollisionShake(float intensity) pushes the camera pivot briefly backward and upward with a randomized rotation kick. RCCP uses it internally for exhaust backfire and NOS jolts; call it from your own scripts for any custom VFX impulse (explosions, landings, scripted hits).

RCCP_SceneManager.Instance.activePlayerCamera.TriggerCollisionShake(1.5f);

Free Fall Behavior

When TPSFreeFall is true (the default), the camera rotation damping drops to near zero while the vehicle is airborne. This means the camera holds its orientation in the air rather than tracking the vehicle's tumbling.

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Hood Camera (FPS Mode)

The hood camera provides a first-person view from inside the vehicle, typically at dashboard level.

Setup

1. Create an empty GameObject as a child of your vehicle.
2. Position it where the driver's eyes would be (on or near the dashboard).
3. Add the RCCP_HoodCamera component to it.
4. (Optional) Add a ConfigurableJoint and Rigidbody to reduce camera shake. The component auto-connects the joint to the vehicle's Rigidbody on start.

The RCCP_Camera finds the RCCP_HoodCamera on the target vehicle automatically via GetComponentInChildren.

FOV

The hood camera uses hoodCameraFOV on the RCCP_Camera component (default 60, range 10-160 degrees).

Orbit in Hood Mode

When useOrbitInHoodCameraMode is true (the default), the player can look around using mouse or touch input while in FPS mode.

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Wheel Camera

The wheel camera provides a low-angle close-up of a vehicle wheel.

Setup

1. Create an empty GameObject as a child of your vehicle, near one of the wheels.
2. Orient it to point at the wheel.
3. Add the RCCP_WheelCamera component.

The RCCP_Camera finds it automatically. If occlusion is detected (an obstacle between the camera and the vehicle), the camera automatically reverts to TPS mode.

FOV

The wheel camera uses wheelCameraFOV on the RCCP_Camera component (default 60, range 10-160 degrees).

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Fixed Camera

The RCCP_FixedCamera is a singleton placed in the scene. When active, the RCCP Camera parents itself to the fixed camera's position. The fixed camera:

• Looks at the vehicle and adjusts FOV based on distance.
• Repositions itself when the vehicle moves beyond maxDistance (default 50 meters).
• Repositions using raycasts to find a valid viewpoint near the road.

Setup

1. Add an RCCP_FixedCamera component to a GameObject in your scene.
2. Set maxDistance to control how far the vehicle can travel before the camera relocates.
3. Configure minimumFOV (default 20) and maximumFOV (default 60) for zoom behavior.

Only one RCCP_FixedCamera should exist in a scene (it is a singleton).

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Cinematic Camera

The RCCP_CinematicCamera is a singleton that smoothly tracks the vehicle from a trailing position. It includes a Pivot child GameObject that can hold Unity animations for camera movement.

Setup

1. Add an RCCP_CinematicCamera component to a GameObject in your scene.
2. Optionally, add animations to its Pivot child for sweeping camera motions.
3. Use RCCP_FOVForCinematicCamera on the Pivot to feed animated FOV values back to the cinematic camera.

The cinematic camera rotates smoothly toward the vehicle's heading and maintains a following distance of about 10 meters.

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Top-Down Camera

The top-down camera provides an overhead view, useful for racing games with a top-down perspective.

Property	Default	Description
topCameraAngle	(45, 45, 0)	Euler angle of the overhead view
topCameraDistance	100	Distance from the vehicle
maximumZDistanceOffset	10	Forward offset based on speed
useOrthoForTopCamera	false	If true, switches to orthographic projection
minimumOrtSize	10	Orthographic size when stationary
maximumOrtSize	20	Orthographic size at speed

The camera position lerps smoothly toward the vehicle and adjusts the forward offset based on vehicle speed.

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Truck-Trailer Camera

When a vehicle has a connected trailer (RCCP_TrailerController), the TPS mode automatically switches to TRUCKTRAILER. This mode:

• Centers the camera between the truck and the trailer (averaged position).
• Uses AutoFocus to calculate combined bounds of both objects for proper framing.
• Supports manual override via RCCP_TrailerController.manualSetCameraDistanceAndHeight, which lets you set TPSDistance and TPSHeight on the trailer component directly.

When the trailer is disconnected, the camera automatically reverts to standard TPS mode.

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Orbit Controls

Orbit allows the player to rotate the camera around the vehicle using mouse or touch input in TPS and Hood modes.

Settings

Property	Default	Description
useOrbitInTPSCameraMode	true	Enable orbit in TPS
useOrbitInHoodCameraMode	true	Enable orbit in Hood/FPS
useOrbitOnlyHolding	true	Orbit only while mouse button is held
orbitXSpeed	100	Horizontal orbit speed
orbitYSpeed	100	Vertical orbit speed
orbitSmooth	25	Smoothing factor
minOrbitY	-15	Minimum vertical angle
maxOrbitY	70	Maximum vertical angle
orbitReset	true	Auto-reset orbit when vehicle is moving

Mobile Orbit

For mobile touch input, call RCCP_Camera.OnDrag(PointerEventData) from a UI drag panel. This feeds touch delta into the orbit system.

Look-Back

The lookBackNow property rotates the camera 180 degrees to face behind the vehicle. This is triggered by the look-back input binding (see Inputs).

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Zoom

In TPS mode, mouse scroll input adjusts the camera distance:

Property	Range	Default	Description
zoomScrollMultiplier	0.5 - 10	5	Sensitivity of scroll zoom
minimumScroll	0+	0	Minimum zoom offset
maximumScroll	0+	5	Maximum zoom offset

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Occlusion / Collision Detection

When useOcclusion is true (the default), the camera performs a SphereCast from the vehicle toward the desired camera position. If the ray hits a collider (excluding vehicle layers and triggers), the camera repositions to the hit point plus a small normal offset. This prevents the camera from clipping through walls and terrain.

The occlusionLayerMask controls which layers are checked. By default, it includes all layers except RCCP vehicle layers.

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Auto-Change Camera

When useAutoChangeCamera is enabled, the camera automatically cycles to the next available mode on a fixed interval. Since V2.51 the interval is configurable via autoChangeCameraInterval (default 10 seconds, minimum 0.1 — the default matches the previously hardcoded value). The autoChangeCameraTimer property tracks the current countdown. This is useful for demo scenes and attract modes.

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Switching Camera at Runtime

Cycle to Next Mode

// Using the static API
RCCP.ChangeCamera();

// Or directly on the camera component
RCCP_SceneManager.Instance.activePlayerCamera.ChangeCamera();

Switch to a Specific Mode

RCCP_Camera cam = RCCP_SceneManager.Instance.activePlayerCamera;
cam.ChangeCamera(RCCP_Camera.CameraMode.TOP);

Toggle Camera On/Off

RCCP_Camera cam = RCCP_SceneManager.Instance.activePlayerCamera;
cam.ToggleCamera(false); // Disables rendering
cam.ToggleCamera(true);  // Re-enables rendering

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Showroom Cameras

RCCP includes two additional camera components for menus and vehicle selection screens.

RCCP_ShowroomCamera

An orbiting camera for main menus and vehicle showcases.

Property	Default	Description
target	(none)	Transform to orbit around
distance	8	Distance from target
orbitingNow	true	Enable auto-rotation
orbitSpeed	5	Auto-rotation speed
smooth	true	Smooth position/rotation interpolation
smoothingFactor	5	Interpolation speed
minY / maxY	5 / 35	Vertical angle limits
dragSpeed	10	Manual drag rotation speed

Call OnDrag(PointerEventData) from a UI element to enable player-controlled rotation. Use ToggleAutoRotation(bool) to start or stop automatic orbiting.

RCCP_CameraCarSelection

A simpler orbiting camera specifically for vehicle selection UIs. It automatically rotates around the target at a fixed angle and distance. No manual drag input by default.

Property	Default	Description
target	(none)	Transform to orbit around
distance	5	Distance from target
speed	25	Rotation speed
angle	10	Vertical viewing angle

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Common Issues

Camera Does Not Follow the Vehicle

• Make sure a vehicle is registered as the player vehicle. Check that RCCP_SceneManager.Instance.activePlayerCamera.cameraTarget.playerVehicle is not null.
• Ensure the RCCP Camera prefab is in the scene. Use the menu command to add it if missing.
• If you are spawning vehicles via script, call RCCP.RegisterPlayerVehicle() or use RCCP.SpawnRCC() which handles registration automatically.

Camera Clips Through Walls

• Verify that useOcclusion is enabled on the RCCP_Camera component.
• Check the occlusionLayerMask to confirm it includes the layers of your environment colliders.
• Reduce the camera's near clip plane on the child Camera component if clipping occurs at very close range.

Hood or Wheel Camera Is Skipped

• The hood camera requires an RCCP_HoodCamera component on a child of the vehicle. If it is missing, the FPS mode is skipped when cycling.
• The same applies to RCCP_WheelCamera for wheel mode.
• Verify the component exists and is on an active GameObject.

Camera Shakes Excessively in Hood Mode

• Add a ConfigurableJoint and Rigidbody to the hood camera GameObject. RCCP_HoodCamera auto-connects the joint to the vehicle's Rigidbody.
• The FixShake() method is called automatically when switching to FPS mode.

Truck-Trailer Mode Activates Unexpectedly

• This is by design. When a trailer is connected, TPS automatically switches to TRUCKTRAILER mode to frame both objects. When the trailer is disconnected, it reverts to standard TPS.

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Photo Mode & Interior Audio Muffle (V2.55+)

Two opt-in camera-side extras. Both default off.

• Interior Audio Muffle (RCCP_Camera.useInteriorAudioMuffle) -- low-passes all audio while an interior camera mode (FPS or Wheel) is active, for a muffled in-cabin feel, and opens back up in exterior modes. Set the cutoff (interiorLowPassCutoff), per-mode toggles, and lerp speed (muffleSmoothness). The low-pass filter is added to the AudioListener at runtime and is never saved to the prefab.
• Photo Mode (RCCP_PhotoMode) -- freezes the simulation and orbits a temporary camera around the player vehicle (mouse orbit, scroll-wheel zoom) for screenshots, then captures a super-size PNG to persistentDataPath/Photos. Enter / exit / capture via RCCP.EnterPhotoMode(), RCCP.ExitPhotoMode(), and RCCP.CapturePhoto(), or wire the RCCP_UI_PhotoMode component's TogglePhotoMode() / Capture() methods to uGUI buttons (assign a UI root to hide during capture). See the API Reference.

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Crash Cinematic (V3.0)

RCCP_CrashCamera drops the world into slow motion on a catastrophic impact and cuts to a camera framed on the point of impact, so you can actually watch the bodywork deform. It exists mainly to make the soft-body deformation solver visible -- the solver's panels flex, overshoot and settle over about half a second, which at normal speed passes in a blur.

It is opt-in and not present by default. Add it via Tools > BoneCracker Games > Realistic Car Controller Pro > Add to Scene > Crash Camera, or from the Crash section of the RCCP_Camera inspector, which offers the same create / select button as the Fixed and Cinematic sections above it. Both routes create the same single director. A project that never adds it behaves exactly as before.

The camera's own Use Crash Camera Mode toggle (useCrashCameraMode, on by default) is the per-camera opt-out. Turn it off and that camera is never taken over, however hard the vehicle is hit and whether or not the system is in the scene. Every entry path respects it, including RCCP.TriggerCrashCam(), which then returns false.

What triggers it

A crash qualifies on Δv -- the speed the car instantly loses in a single impact, computed as collision.impulse.magnitude / rigidbody.mass. The default is 12 m/s, roughly 43 km/h of speed killed.

Δv is used rather than raw impulse because impulse scales with mass: a threshold tuned on a family car would fire constantly on a truck and never on a kart. Δv is mass-independent, so one value works across your whole fleet. It also rejects scrapes automatically -- sliding along a wall at 180 km/h produces a very small per-contact Δv.

What happens

1. The camera scores 24 candidate positions around the impact point, rejecting any that are behind geometry or below ground, and preferring ones that face the damaged panel while keeping the car in frame.
2. If no unoccluded angle exists -- inside a tunnel, under a bridge -- nothing happens at all. The cinematic is abandoned rather than framing a wall.
3. Otherwise, time slows, the camera cuts to the winning angle, and orbits while pushing in.
4. The shot ends when the deformation settles, after Maximum Duration, or as soon as you touch a driving control.

The car stays drivable the whole time. The cinematic never takes control away from you -- it is a camera and a time scale, nothing more.

Settings

Setting	Default	What it does
Auto Trigger	On	Fire automatically on a qualifying impact. Off = RCCP.TriggerCrashCam() only.
Minimum Speed Loss	12 m/s	How hard a crash has to be. Raise it for fewer, bigger moments.
Retrigger Cooldown	5 s	Stops a tumbling wreck firing the sequence repeatedly.
Slow Motion Scale	0.25	How far time slows. 1 keeps the camera cut without the slow motion.
Minimum / Maximum Duration	1 s / 3 s	Real-time bounds on the shot.
Recover Duration	0.75 s	How long time takes to ease back to normal.
Shot Distance	5 m	How far the camera sits from the impact. It pushes in to 75% of this.
Orbit Speed	7°/s	How fast the camera circles. 0 gives a locked-off shot.
Crash Field Of View	21°	Tighter than the chase camera, for a more dramatic frame.
Occlusion Mask	Everything	Layers that block the camera's view.
Crash Pitch	0.65	How far audio pitch drops during the cinematic. 1 leaves audio alone.
Cancel On Input	On	End the shot when the player makes a new driving input. Controls already held at the moment of impact don't count until released and pressed again.

The default audio pitch is provisional pending final calibration.

Scripting

RCCP.TriggerCrashCam();        // play it now, ignoring the Δv and cooldown gates
RCCP.CancelCrashCam();         // end it early
bool playing = RCCP.IsCrashCamActive;

RCCP_Events.OnRCCPCrashCamStarted += (vehicle, impactPoint) => { /* … */ };
RCCP_Events.OnRCCPCrashCamEnded   += vehicle => { /* … */ };

Important limitations

Multiplayer. The cinematic changes Time.timeScale, which is global and will desync a networked session (Photon, Mirror). For multiplayer builds, turn Auto Trigger off or set Slow Motion Scale to 1.

VR. Slow motion combined with a camera cut is a well-known nausea trigger. Not recommended for VR projects.

Photo Mode takes precedence. The cinematic will not start while photo mode is active, and ends immediately if photo mode is entered.

Related Topics

• Vehicle Setup -- adding hood and wheel cameras to your vehicle
• Settings -- configuring the camera prefab reference in RCCP_Settings
• Inputs -- camera switch and look-back input bindings
• Mobile -- touch-based orbit controls

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Support: bonecrackergames@gmail.com | www.bonecrackergames.com

Need help? See Troubleshooting