Camera Controller – Third person camera

Below is a simple third-person camera script for Unity. This script allows the camera to follow the player smoothly and provides basic user-friendly features like adjusting the distance of the camera from the player and setting the height at which the camera follows. This script is written in C# and is designed for learners with basic knowledge of programming.

ThirdPersonCamera.cs

using UnityEngine;

// This script provides a third person camera that follows the player.
public class ThirdPersonCamera : MonoBehaviour
{
    public Transform player; // Player's transform to follow
    public float smoothing = 5f; // Speed of the camera's follow
    public Vector3 offset = new Vector3(0f, 2f, -5f); // Offset of the camera relative to the player

    void FixedUpdate()
    {
        // Target position is the player's position plus the offset
        Vector3 targetCamPos = player.position + offset;

        // Smoothly interpolate between the camera's current position and the target position
        transform.position = Vector3.Lerp(transform.position, targetCamPos, smoothing * Time.deltaTime);

        // Always look at the player
        transform.LookAt(player);
    }
}

Instructions for Use:

1. Create the Script:
   • Open Unity and in your project’s Assets folder, right-click and choose Create > C# Script.
   • Name the script ThirdPersonCamera.
2. Attach the Script:
   • Drag the script onto your main camera in the scene.
3. Configure the Script:
   • Click on the camera and, in the Inspector window, you should see the ThirdPersonCamera script attached.
   • Drag the player’s character model (or the relevant GameObject) to the Player field in the script component.
   • Set the Smoothing value to adjust how quickly the camera follows the player. A higher number makes the camera more responsive.
   • Adjust the Offset to change the camera’s position relative to the player. This lets you position the camera above, behind, or to the side of the player as needed.
4. Test the Game:
   • Enter Play mode in Unity to test the camera’s behavior. Ensure the camera smoothly follows the player and that the offset and smoothing provide a good view of the character and environment.

This script is a basic starting point for a third-person camera system. As you get more comfortable with Unity and C#, you can expand on this script with additional features like camera collision detection, more complex smoothing functions, or dynamic offset adjustments based on gameplay elements.