Is this a good and efficient First Person camera implementation?

Development Cinematics & Media
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1

Hi Guys, I’ve written a c++ code for a First Person camera, based on the UE4 templates and the First Person Shooter tutorial found on the wiki page. Here’s what I’ve got:

.h

GENERATED_UCLASS_BODY()

	UPROPERTY(VisibleAnywhere, BlueprintReadOnly, Category = Camera)
	TSubobjectPtr<class UCameraComponent>MainCamera;

	UPROPERTY(VisibleDefaultsOnly, Category = Mesh)
	TSubobjectPtr<USkeletalMeshComponent>FPChar;

	bool bIsHeroCrouched;

protected:
	void MoveForward(float value);
	void MoveRight(float value);
	void CrouchHero();
	void Tick(float DeltaTime);
	void SetupPlayerInputComponent(UInputComponent *InputComponent);

.cpp:

AUECharHero::AUECharHero(const class FPostConstructInitializeProperties& PCIP)
	: Super(PCIP)
{
	//Inicializa el tamaño del CapsuleComponent para el personaje, creo que tiene que ver con las físicas..?
	CapsuleComponent->InitCapsuleSize(46.0f, 96.0f);

	bIsHeroCrouched = false;
	
	//Usar el pitch, yaw y rooll del control en el control del personaje.
	bUseControllerRotationPitch = true;
	bUseControllerRotationRoll = true;
	bUseControllerRotationYaw = true;

	//Cración de la cámara
	MainCamera = PCIP.CreateDefaultSubobject<UCameraComponent>(this, TEXT("CharCamera"));
	MainCamera->AttachParent = CapsuleComponent;//Con eso se atacha al Capsule conponent cono un Child.
	MainCamera->RelativeLocation = FVector(0.0f, 0.0f, 10.0f + BaseEyeHeight);//Se fija la posición de la camara

	//Se crea para el personaje en primera persona
	FPChar = PCIP.CreateDefaultSubobject<USkeletalMeshComponent>(this, TEXT("FPChar"));
	FPChar->SetOnlyOwnerSee(true);         //solo el que juega va a verlo, los demás verían el personaje completo
	FPChar->AttachParent = MainCamera;     //se atacha a la cámara 
	FPChar->bCastDynamicShadow = false;    //No crea sombras
	FPChar->CastShadow = false;
	Mesh->SetOwnerNoSee(true);

	//CharacterMovement->bOrientRotationToMovement = false;

}


void AUECharHero::SetupPlayerInputComponent(UInputComponent *InputComponent)
{
	check(InputComponent);
	InputComponent->BindAxis("MoveForward", this, &AUECharHero::MoveForward);
	InputComponent->BindAxis("MoveRight", this, &AUECharHero::MoveRight);
	InputComponent->BindAction("Jump", IE_Pressed, this, &ACharacter::Jump);
	InputComponent->BindAxis("Turn", this, &ACharacter::AddControllerYawInput);
	InputComponent->BindAxis("LookUp", this, &ACharacter::AddControllerPitchInput);
	InputComponent->BindAction("Crouch", IE_Pressed, this, &AUECharHero::CrouchHero);
}



void AUECharHero::MoveRight(float value)
{
	if (Controller!=NULL && value != 0.0f)
	{
		const FRotator Rotation = Controller->GetControlRotation();
		const FRotator YawRotation(0, Rotation.Yaw, 0);

		// get right vector 
		const FVector Direction = FRotationMatrix(YawRotation).GetUnitAxis(EAxis::Y);
		// add movement in that direction
		if (!bIsHeroCrouched)
		{
			AddMovementInput(Direction, value);
		}
		else
		{
			AddMovementInput(Direction, value/2.0f);
		}
	}
}

void AUECharHero::Tick(float DeltaTime)
{
	FRotator Rotacion = Controller->GetControlRotation();
	FString Message;
	Message = Rotacion.ToString();
	if (GEngine)
	{
		GEngine->AddOnScreenDebugMessage(1, 1.0f, FColor::Blue, Message);
	}

	if (bIsHeroCrouched)
	{
		GEngine->AddOnScreenDebugMessage(2, 1.0f, FColor::Cyan, TEXT("Is Crouched"));
	}

}

void AUECharHero::MoveForward(float value)
{
	if (Controller !=NULL && value != 0.0f)
	{
		const FRotator Rotation = Controller->GetControlRotation();
		const FRotator YawRotation(0, Rotation.Yaw, 0);

		// get forward vector
		const FVector Direction = FRotationMatrix(YawRotation).GetUnitAxis(EAxis::X);
		if (!bIsHeroCrouched)
		{
			AddMovementInput(Direction, value);
		}
		else
		{
			AddMovementInput(Direction, value/2.0f);
		}
		
	}
	
}

void AUECharHero::CrouchHero()
{
	if (Controller != NULL)
	{
		if (!bIsHeroCrouched)
		{
			bIsHeroCrouched = true;
		}
		else
		{
			bIsHeroCrouched = false;
		}
	}
}

As I`m relatively new writing code in C++, i wanna know ¿is it efficient?, ¿Is there a better way to implement it?, Any comment on the code will be really appreciated.

Thanks!!

2

Doing a quick view and being a novice on UE 4, looks that there is nothing strange that could be inefficient.
But I see a error. On void AUECharHero::Tick (line 71), you have this code :

    if (GEngine)
    {
       GEngine->AddOnScreenDebugMessage(1, 1.0f, FColor::Blue, Message);
    }
 
    if (bIsHeroCrouched)
    {
       GEngine->AddOnScreenDebugMessage(2, 1.0f, FColor::Cyan, TEXT("Is Crouched"));
    }

You are checking that GEngine isn’t a nullptr before calling it to show “Message” variable, but you forgot to conver the second call to GEngine. Should be :

   if (GEngine)
   {
       GEngine->AddOnScreenDebugMessage(1, 1.0f, FColor::Blue, Message);

       if (bIsHeroCrouched)
       {
          GEngine->AddOnScreenDebugMessage(2, 1.0f, FColor::Cyan, TEXT("Is Crouched"));
       }
   }

Also, before posting on a English place, you should put your comments in english. Not all people here are spanish native like you and me.

3

yes, you’re right, I’ve should include the second IF INSIDE the GEngine IF, an honest mistake, and again, you’re right about the comments, I’ve totally forgot about them. Thanks for your answer!! (Y)