Creating a Third-Person Controller in Godot Engine

In this tutorial, we will walk through the process of setting up a third-person controller in Godot Engine. Before we dive in, ensure you have a basic level set up with essential elements like walls, ramps, and floors all properly configured with collisions. Additionally, have a world environment set up. Let's get started by building a character body in 3D.

Setting up the Character Body

First, create a mesh instance in Godot and name it "Player." For the mesh, you can use a capsule shape for now. Ensure to add a material to the mesh for visual appeal. Create a collision shape 3D, set it as a capsule slightly larger than the mesh, considering the camera placement and character orientation.

To enhance the visual aspect, add two eyes to the front of the character for reference. Moving on, create a new node, "CameraOrigin," positioned strategically atop the character's head. Next, create a "SpringArm" node with a length of about 2 units and a margin of 0.5 units to enable smoother camera movement around the player without clipping issues.

Attach a 3D camera to the SpringArm, positioning it at the end of the SpringArm to get the desired third-person view. This setup ensures that the camera avoids clipping through objects and adjusts proximity to the player during collisions.

Input Mapping and Scripting

Head to the input map settings and define mappings for movements (e.g., left, right, up, down) and an exit command (e.g., 'W', 'A', 'S', 'D', 'Escape'). If you already have these set up, you may reuse them.

Create a new script for the player character. In the script, set the input mode to capture the mouse within the game window to prevent it from moving outside. Introduce an 'sensitivity' variable (initially set at 0.5) for adjusting the camera responsiveness.

Implement functionality to handle quitting the game when the 'Escape' key is pressed. Additionally, create a function to handle mouse motion events for rotating the character and the camera based on the mouse movement. Ensure smooth rotation by applying sensitivity controls and limiting camera movement angles to prevent unnatural behavior.

Testing and Refinements

Upon running the game, you should be able to freely navigate the environment while looking around. The character's movements should align with the camera adjustments, allowing for realistic interactions. If adjustments to camera distance are necessary, modify the SpringArm length accordingly.

Feel free to access the complete script on GitHub, linked in the description below for your reference. For queries or feedback, drop a comment in the section below. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and stay tuned for more content!

Meta description: Learn how to create a third-person controller in Godot Engine. Follow this step-by-step guide for setting up character controls and camera movements effectively.

Keywords: Godot Engine, third-person controller, character setup, camera configuration, input mapping, scripting, game development.

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