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Cameras and triggers
The game has no free camera: it follows the llama on its own, and special objects in the level change how it does that – camera zones, focus points and cut scenes. Other invisible objects react when the llama enters an area or comes close: secrets, cut-scene triggers, force zones. This chapter shows how to see, set up and tune all of them.
How the game camera works
During play the camera hangs behind the llama at a certain distance and height and turns with it smoothly. Camera objects change these values while the llama is inside their area:
- a camera zone sets the height, distance and often a fixed view direction (yaw),
- a focus point turns the camera towards an object when the llama is near,
- a cut scene takes over the camera completely and flies it along a path.
All camera objects are invisible in the game. In the editor they are drawn as markers, their areas as boxes and their cameras as frusta (pyramids showing the view).
The start camera
The Llama (the player start) owns a waypoint chain of camera start positions. When the level begins, the game takes the first node that lies within 2.5 cells of the llama as the camera position, looking at the llama. If that node's field unk2 is not 0, its distance and height to the llama also become the camera distance – until the llama first moves. In the original levels there is one node per entry door; a node that sits on the llama would put the camera into the llama's head.
The Player start setup gives a new Llama a single node 2 cells behind it. Moving the start takes the nodes near the old start along (and turns them with the llama), leaves the door nodes where they are, and adds a node if none is in range. The Place tool's rotate knob turns the near nodes too. Level → Check warns when the start camera would sit inside the llama.
The villages also start with a fly-by: a CutSceneTrigger stands on the player start (radius 0.7). When you move the start, the setup moves this trigger along and sets its "end behind the player" flag (parameter 6, bit 1), so the fly-by ends behind the llama at the new start instead of at the old one.
The Llama's Camera mode parameter switches between the normal and an alternative camera behaviour.
Camera zones
A camera zone is an object with a box: two waypoints marking opposite corners on the ground. While the llama stands inside the box (the game only tests x and z), the zone controls the camera. Edit the box with the Zones and triggers tool.
CameraSide
The most common camera zone. Its parameters (Inspector → Object parameters):
| Parameter | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Height | Camera height above the llama, 0 = keep the current value |
| Distance | Horizontal distance behind the llama, 0 = keep |
| Yaw mode | free; node yaw – the camera looks in the direction of the zone's first node; node yaw ±180° – that direction or the opposite one, whichever is closer to the current view; mode 3, mode 4 (unknown) |
| Height limit | Only active while the llama is below the first node's height |
| Flag 0x10000 | Sets an object flag (purpose unknown) |
| Several boxes | The chain holds several boxes (node pairs 1–2, 3–4 …) |
| Height offset | Added to the camera height |
| Alt. height / Alt. distance | Used instead of Height / Distance in a special game state |
| p5 … p9 | Not decoded (originals use small values) |
With the Camera frusta layer on, a selected CameraSide shows where the game camera will be: the editor assumes the llama in the centre of the first box (and distance 2, height 1 when the parameters are 0).
Tip: The easiest way to set up a CameraSide is Look through camera: select the zone, press Ctrl+Shift+L and fly the viewport to the view you want. Height, distance and the node yaw follow.
CameraLift
A camera zone for lifts and object-relative views, with one box.
| Parameter | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Yaw source | none, object yaw (the camera turns with the zone object) or player yaw |
| Use helper position | Tests the box against a helper object instead of the llama |
| Smooth | Softer camera movement |
| Height limit | Only while the llama is below the node's height |
| Flag 0x10000, p2 | Not fully understood |
CameraSetDistance and CameraFocusPoint
- CameraSetDistance sets several camera values while it is active: Height and four raw values (Value g82, g68, g83, g73) whose exact effect is not known yet.
- CameraFocusPoint turns the camera towards the object while the llama is within Radius. Further parameters: Min. height, Max. angle (largest angle between object and view), Height limit, three flags and Blend (0–1, how fast the camera turns). The radius can be dragged in the viewport (see Radius triggers).
Cut scenes
Cut scenes are made of two kinds of objects:
- CutSceneTrigger starts a scene when the llama comes within its Radius. Its chain is the camera path. Parameters: Character (the trigger is a talking character: drops onto the floor), Radius, Event bit (the scene is skipped once this progress bit is set – so it plays only once), Height check (the llama must also be above the trigger), Flags (1 = face the llama, 2 = cannot be skipped) and two flags whose purpose is unknown.
- CutSceneCameraDirectional is the camera of a scene. Every node of its chain is a camera position; the node's yaw and pitch give the view direction. Parameters: Event bit, Mode, Wait, Disabled (removes itself at the start), End mode.
The dialogue, animations and character movements of a scene are part of the object scripts and cannot be edited – but you can move, re-aim and re-time the camera, move the trigger and change its radius.
Camera frusta layer
The Camera frusta layer (options bar → Layers, on by default) draws, for the selected objects:
- CameraSide / CameraLift – the computed game camera looking at the zone,
- cut-scene cameras and camera nodes – a frustum at every node, pointing along the node's yaw and pitch.
The game's field of view is approximated with 60°.
Look through camera
View → Camera → Look through camera (pilot) (Ctrl+Shift+L), or the Look through buttons in the Inspector and the options bar of the Zones and triggers tool, turns the viewport into the selected camera:
| Selection | The viewport shows | Flying changes |
|---|---|---|
| A camera node (any waypoint) | The view from the node | Node position, yaw and pitch |
| A cut-scene camera or other camera object | The view from the first node of its chain | That node's position, yaw and pitch |
| A CameraSide zone | The game camera of the zone | Height, Distance and the first node's yaw |
| A CameraLift zone | The game camera of the zone | The first node's yaw |
While pilot mode is on, fly as usual (right mouse button + W A S D, Q / E) – the camera object follows the viewport, and the whole pilot session is one undo step. Press Ctrl+Shift+L again, or select something else, to end it. The status bar shows Piloting … while it is active.
Note: The first node of some original cut-scene cameras is a fly-in start point, so looking through it may show a wall.
The Zones and triggers tool (J)
The Zones & triggers tool (toolbar, key J) adds handles to the selected object:
- pink corner handles at the four corners of each box of a box zone – drag a corner to resize the box; the opposite corner stays,
- a yellow radius knob for every radius parameter (CutSceneTrigger, CameraFocusPoint, guards' view and chase ranges, ForcePlayerMovement, Bunny) – drag it to change the radius; the status bar shows the value.
Grid snapping applies (Ctrl inverts it). Clicks elsewhere select as usual. The options bar has a Look through camera button for camera zones. Each drag is one undo step.
Box zones
These types use one box (two nodes) – or, for CameraSide with Several boxes, several pairs:
| Type | Effect while the llama is inside |
|---|---|
| Secret | Shows the secret message and counts the secret (needs Box area on) |
| CameraSide, CameraLift | Camera control, see Camera zones |
| ObjectDontDropInBox | Objects (for example fruit from smashed pots) are not dropped here |
| FallOffNoHurt | Falling off costs no energy (optional Game state condition) |
| RiverCurrentBox | River current (not decoded in detail) |
The box is a rectangle on the ground; the game ignores the height. The editor draws it with an estimated height of about 1.2 cells above the lower node.
Radius triggers
Radius parameters are distances in cells. The scripts compare the squared distance, which the editor handles for you – just enter or drag the radius. The Zone areas & trigger radii layer draws the circles of the selected objects.
Force and water objects
- ForcePlayerMovement pushes or steers the llama towards the points of its chain while it is within Radius: Active, Radius, Game state (only in that state), Lock controls, Align yaw (the llama turns to the node's yaw).
- WaterReboundPoints (and WaterReboundPointsTurnsOff): the points of its chain are where the llama is thrown back to after falling into water. Parameter Active.
Zone areas layer
The Zone areas & trigger radii layer draws the boxes of all zone objects as outlines and fills the boxes and radius circles of the selected ones. Switch it off in a busy original level if the outlines get in the way.
Known limits
- The camera preview of CameraSide assumes the llama in the box centre and the default distance and height when the parameters are 0; the real camera also depends on where the llama enters.
- Zone heights in the viewport are estimates; the game tests x and z only.
- Many camera parameters are only partly understood (p5 … p9, Value g…). Copying values from similar zones in the original levels works best.
- Cut-scene content (dialogue, animation) cannot be edited.