Circular movement around a target

Unity Engine
1

Hey guys,

I got the camera working but if you try to move the player and camera at the same time it is choppy. Does anyone know how I can smooth out the movement? Maybe with a Mathf slerp or lerp function.

using UnityEngine;
using System.Collections;

public class CirculerMotionTest : MonoBehaviour {

    // center of the circle for rotation
    public float xCenter;
    public float yCenter;
    public float zCenter;

    //radius for the circle
    public float radius;

    // angle to use for rotation
    private float angleH;
    private float angleV;

    // timer to increment to initiate rotation
    private float degH;
    private float degV;

    // game object to rotate around
    public Transform target;

    // offset for camera when rotating around the axis so it can see player
    public Vector3 offset = new Vector3 (0, 5, 10);


    // Use this for initialization
    void Start () {
        // center of the circle will be at the center of the screen
        xCenter = target.position.x;// Screen.width / 2;
        yCenter = target.position.y;// Screen.height / 2;
        zCenter = target.position.z;
        radius = 10;
        degH = Mathf.PI;
        degV = 1.5f;
        angleH = degH;
        angleV = degV;
        transform.position = new Vector3 ((xCenter + Mathf.Sin (angleH) * radius), ((yCenter + offset.y) - Mathf.Cos (angleV) * radius), (zCenter + Mathf.Cos (angleH) * radius));

    }
   
    // Update is called once per frame
    void Update () {
        if (Input.GetKey (KeyCode.LeftArrow)) {
            degH += .03f;
        }
        if (Input.GetKey (KeyCode.RightArrow)) {
            degH -= .03f;
        }
        if (Input.GetKey (KeyCode.UpArrow)) {
            degV += .03f;
            degV = Mathf.Clamp (degV, 1.0f, 3.0f); // don't allow the player to go above this because it will start to rotat back down
        }
        if (Input.GetKey (KeyCode.DownArrow)) {
            degV -= .03f;
            degV = Mathf.Clamp (degV, 1.0f, 3.0f); //make sure the camera cant go below the floor
        }
        // always make sure the center is at the targets position
        xCenter = target.position.x;
        yCenter = target.position.y;
        zCenter = target.position.z;
        if (angleH != degH || angleV != degV) {
            angleH = degH;
            angleV = degV;
            Debug.Log ("degV = " + degV);
            transform.position = new Vector3 ((xCenter + Mathf.Sin (angleH) * radius), ((yCenter + offset.y) - Mathf.Cos (angleV) * radius), (zCenter + Mathf.Cos (angleH) * radius));
        }
    }
}
2

Try to use LateUpdate() instead of Update().

As a side note -it may work on your case or not-, you could save all the math by simply setting your orbital object at the radius distance from the center object, then add the orbital object as a child of the centered object.

Then, when the centered object (your “target”) rotates, the orbital object (the one with your script attached) will rotate accordingly using it as pivot.