rotating camera around object -switching different axis views - similiar to unity gizmo

Questions & Answers
1

i want to make my camera rotates around selected object, very similiar to the unitys axis gizmo in the top right corner. select object, press f to focus it, then by pressing axis in the top right corner of editor view camera goes from one view to another. how to do that?

i was thinking about quarternions, that seemed too complicated, then i was thinking about rotated around, that seemed too simple, the point is that i dont know nothing about rotations, and i need some directions about this.

any help appreciated.

2

you mean like controllable rotation, Right, I would recommend the MouseOrbit script.

var target : Transform;
var distance = 10.0;

var xSpeed = 250.0;
var ySpeed = 120.0;

var yMinLimit = -20;
var yMaxLimit = 80;

private var x = 0.0;
private var y = 0.0;

@AddComponentMenu("Camera-Control/Mouse Orbit")
partial class MouseOrbit { }

function Start () {
    var angles = transform.eulerAngles;
    x = angles.y;
    y = angles.x;

    // Make the rigid body not change rotation
    if (rigidbody)
        rigidbody.freezeRotation = true;
}

function LateUpdate () {
    if (target) {
        x += Input.GetAxis("Mouse X") * xSpeed * 0.02;
        y -= Input.GetAxis("Mouse Y") * ySpeed * 0.02;

        y = ClampAngle(y, yMinLimit, yMaxLimit);

        var rotation = Quaternion.Euler(y, x, 0);
        var position = rotation * Vector3(0.0, 0.0, -distance) + target.position;

        transform.rotation = rotation;
        transform.position = position;
    }
}

static function ClampAngle (angle : float, min : float, max : float) {
    if (angle < -360)
        angle += 360;
    if (angle > 360)
        angle -= 360;
    return Mathf.Clamp (angle, min, max);
}

That should get you started! Happy making!

3

Adding to noname’s answer, here’s the way to orbit I meant, illustrated by superlol and solved by astorga.

The difference here is the first method is using Euler for the delta, while the second is using Quaternions:

Unity’s Traditional

x += Input.GetAxis("Mouse X") * xSpeed * distance* 0.02;
y -= Input.GetAxis("Mouse Y") * ySpeed * 0.02;

var rotation = Quaternion.Euler(y, x, 0);

or

var rotation = Quaternion.AngleAxis(x, Vector3.up);
rotation *= Quaternion.AngleAxis(y, Vector3.right);

front rotate
top spin instead of rotate

Regular Spatial

x = Input.GetAxis("Mouse X") * xSpeed * distance* 0.02;
y = -Input.GetAxis("Mouse Y") * ySpeed * 0.02;

var rotation *= Quaternion.Euler(y, x, 0);

front rotate
top rotate

4

One of the best tutorials for rotating views i found here.

5

You can try “gameObject.transform.RotateAround(Target.position, Vector3.up, rotate);”

6

Here is the script for the mobile version and i changed to c#:

//target object
	public Transform target;

	//set the distance 
	public float distance = 10.0f;

	//rotation speed for x an y
	public float xSpeed = 100.0f;
	public float ySpeed = 100.0f;

	//set the zoom speed
	public float zoomspeed = 10.0f;

	//set the minimum and maximum value of zoom
	public float zoomMin, zoomMax;

	//set the minimum and maximum value of y 
	public float yMinLimit, yMaxLimit;

	//x and y variable
	private float x, y;

	//set the vector2 value
	private Vector2 VecCur, PreCur;

	//set the magnitude and zval
	private float mag, zval;

	//set the position value
	private Vector3 position;

	//set the variable of roation
	private Quaternion rotation;

	 void Start () {

		//set the default x and y value
		var angles = transform.eulerAngles;
		x = angles.y;
		y = angles.x;
		
		// Make the rigid body not change rotation
		if (rigidbody)
			rigidbody.freezeRotation = true;
	}
	
	void FixedUpdate () {

		//check the target is assigned
		if (target) {

			//rotate the camera here
			if(Input.touchCount == 1)
			{
				if(Input.GetTouch(0).phase == TouchPhase.Moved)
				{
					//get the x and y position  value 
					x += Input.GetTouch(0).deltaPosition.x * Time.deltaTime * xSpeed;
					y -= Input.GetTouch(0).deltaPosition.y * Time.deltaTime * ySpeed;

					//clamp the value here
					y = ClampAngle(y, yMinLimit, yMaxLimit);
					
				}
			}

			//assign the x and y value of rotaion here
			rotation = Quaternion.Euler(y, x, 0);

			//zoom the camera here
			if(Input.touchCount == 2)
			{
				if(Input.GetTouch(0).phase == TouchPhase.Moved && Input.GetTouch(1).phase == TouchPhase.Moved)
				{
					//camera current positon
					VecCur = Input.GetTouch(0).position - Input.GetTouch(1).position;

					//camera previous position
					PreCur = ((Input.GetTouch(0).position - Input.GetTouch(0).deltaPosition) - (Input.GetTouch(1).position - Input.GetTouch(1).deltaPosition));

					//calculate the magnitude value
					mag = VecCur.magnitude - PreCur.magnitude;

					//zoom out if the magnitude value is greater than 1
					if(mag + 1 > 1)
					{
						distance -= Time.deltaTime * zoomspeed;
					}
					
					//zoom out if the magnitude value is less than 1
					if(mag + 1 <= 1)
					{
						distance += Time.deltaTime * zoomspeed;
					}

					//clamp the distance here
					distance = Mathf.Clamp(distance, zoomMin, zoomMax);

					//translate or zoom the camera here
					transform.Translate(0, 0, distance);
				}
			}

			//set the camera final position here
			position = rotation * new Vector3(0.0f, 0.0f, -distance) + target.position;

			//assign the camera final rotaion and position here
			transform.rotation = rotation;
			transform.position = position;
		}
	}

	//funciton to restrit the value from minimum to maximum
	static float ClampAngle (float angle, float min, float max ) {
		if (angle < -360)
			angle += 360;
		if (angle > 360)
			angle -= 360;
		return Mathf.Clamp (angle, min, max);
	}