May 28th, 2025:
I recently finished a Udemy Course on Unreal engine blueprint scripting :
I wanted to practice some of what I learned and since I have a practice game project that uses the PNC framework from the Unreal Marketplace:
I decided to attempt to add a new adaptive camera selector system with an on screen U.I. element.
I've already done a pass on a work in progress version, with place holder visuals. I did all this while scripting on the fly and making a bit of an outline on a whiteboard. I call this solo Vibe Scripting, no A.I. on this pass. Just me and my murder board like mental maps unfolding as I coast down the Confusopoly of scripting choices.
I considered consulting an A.I. but I felt like working in the Point and Click framework has made that a bit tricky in the past, with my current proficiency. Plus I'm trying to codify what I've learned from Udemy.
So now that I have a functional but messy first pass.
I'd like to formalize the process, refining elements as I back track.
Hopefully, rewatching key moments from the Udemy series while also refactoring, cleaning up my blueprints, and polishing some of the visual elements along the way. I'd like to do that in a series of blog posts here, updated infrequently or hyper frequently. Can't know yet, this is the monad [0] post.
So, I'm going to write to myself as a designer asking a system developer to solve a problem with a new system.
Then I'll be detailing the system while I'm refactoring my vibe scripting work. I'll potentially keep up the dialogue between my designer character and my systems developer character.
System Request Category: Gameplay Camera Control
System Name: Camera Selector Drop List Volumes
This is prototype/work in progress. The colors are all either default or random selections as I test out features.
The cameras update to new names on entering a new volume.
The system end goals:
The player should be able to select cameras from a drop-down list, the cameras will be context sensitive and selected by a designer per volume in a Scene.
A Scene is a specific term used in the Point and click framework - it is a level with a specialized scene component that directs Scene States given player driven events.
So we need our camera drop down list to work in this framework.
What does the system solve for?
There are times where designers would like the ability to setup cameras that offer scene important viewpoints but do not want to have to direct the player there at any specific time.
This will give the player the ability to switch to any camera at any time they want. Also there are times when using the current single volume trigger per camera causes Player navigation issues.
The player will want one camera angle while investigating an area, but will hit a trigger that switches the camera etc.
The Designer would like the ability to not only manually control the camera used but with this system would like to request the ability to also toggle on and off the per camera trigger volumes. Preferably with a solution to cases where the designer needs to force the auto camera switch feature on and off dynamically.
Stretch Goals/Polish/Could Be Better cases:
- Update UI color scheme and design images for it
- Sound effects for interaction?
- hide/unhide UI from Player facing output
- Player custom names for display on the droplist
- Sound effects for interaction?
- hide/unhide UI from Player facing output
- Player custom names for display on the droplist
This is an example of some of the issues with the autocam and why it would be great to be able to select a camera and select auto on or off.
As you can see in the video currently it's tricky to design a room with cameras that always get the best angle, also if doing the advanced camera there is a chance that once given the ability to select a camera the camera can be changed by an individual trigger and camera being activated.
By having a check box AutoCam feature the player will be able to select a camera and not have it swap out.
This will raise the issue of any time the designer has a Stage that needs more guided cameras or restrictive cameras, or even scenes where there are no custom selection options. More on those cases later.
