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## Making a 3D model face the direction it's moving

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### #1football94  Members

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Posted 05 September 2013 - 03:04 AM

Hi guys

Ive been experimenting with the xna skinning sample(link below) and have begun trying to implement controller/keyboard input, right now Im able to move the model forward,backwards, left, and right but after different approaches I havent been able to find info on how to get the model to face the direction in which it is moving if anyone could point me in the right direction on how this is done it would be much appreciated.(the code I have so far is below)

Thankyou

http://xbox.create.msdn.com/en-US/education/catalog/sample/skinned_model

below is what I have so far in the draw method

 protected override void Draw(GameTime gameTime)
{
GraphicsDevice device = graphics.GraphicsDevice;

device.Clear(Color.CornflowerBlue);

Matrix[] bones = animationPlayer.GetSkinTransforms();
for (int i = 0; i < bones.Length; i++)
{
bones[i] *=
Matrix.CreateRotationX(Rotation.X) //Computes the rotation
* Matrix.CreateRotationY(Rotation.Y)
* Matrix.CreateRotationZ(Rotation.Z)
* Matrix.CreateTranslation(position)
* Matrix.CreateWorld(Translation, Vector3.Forward, Vector3.Up); //Move the models position
}

Matrix[] modelTransforms = new Matrix[currentModel.Bones.Count];
currentModel.CopyAbsoluteBoneTransformsTo(modelTransforms);

// Render the skinned mesh.
foreach (ModelMesh mesh in currentModel.Meshes)
{
foreach (Effect effect2 in mesh.Effects)
{

effect2.Parameters["Bones"].SetValue(bones);
effect2.Parameters["View"].SetValue(camera.viewMatrix);
effect2.Parameters["Projection"].SetValue(camera.projectionMatrix);

}

mesh.Draw();

DrawCity();
drawDebug();
fine1();

}

base.Draw(gameTime);
}


this is what I have so far for the input method

private void HandleInput(GameTime gameTime)
{
KeyboardState currentKeyboardState = Keyboard.GetState();

// Check for exit.
if (currentKeyboardState.IsKeyDown(Keys.Escape))
{
Exit();
}

float speed = 0.02f; //Dictates the speed
if (currentKeyboardState.IsKeyDown(Keys.Left))
{
position.Z -= speed * (float)gameTime.ElapsedGameTime.TotalMilliseconds;

}
if (currentKeyboardState.IsKeyDown(Keys.Right))
{
position.Z += speed * (float)gameTime.ElapsedGameTime.TotalMilliseconds;
}
if (currentKeyboardState.IsKeyDown(Keys.Up))
{
position.X += speed * (float)gameTime.ElapsedGameTime.TotalMilliseconds;
}
if (currentKeyboardState.IsKeyDown(Keys.Down))
{
position.X -= speed * (float)gameTime.ElapsedGameTime.TotalMilliseconds;
}

}


### #2Zerratar  Members

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Posted 05 September 2013 - 04:09 AM

Hi football94!

You can calculate the rotation between the two world points (Vector3)

This is what I used in my game:

	public Quaternion GetRotation(Vector3 targetPos)
{
return GetRotation(this.Position, targetPos);
}

public Quaternion GetRotation(Vector3 entityPos, Vector3 targetPos)
{
// the new forward vector, so the avatar faces the target
Vector3 newForward = Vector3.Normalize(entityPos - targetPos);

// calc the rotation so the avatar faces the target
var src = Vector3.Forward;

var dest = newForward;

src.Normalize();
dest.Normalize();

float d = Vector3.Dot(src, dest);

if (d >= 1f)
{
return Quaternion.Identity;
}
if (d < (1e-6f - 1.0f))
{
Vector3 axis = Vector3.Cross(Vector3.UnitX, src);

if (axis.LengthSquared() == 0)
{
axis = Vector3.Cross(Vector3.UnitY, src);
}

axis.Normalize();
return Quaternion.CreateFromAxisAngle(axis, MathHelper.Pi);
}

float s = (float)Math.Sqrt((1 + d) * 2);
float invS = 1 / s;

Vector3 c = Vector3.Cross(src, dest);
Quaternion q = new Quaternion(invS * c, 0.5f * s);
q.Normalize();

return q;
}


NewPosition = should be the target (future) position that your model is moving towards.

Quaternion RotationQuat = GetRotation(NewPosition);

then you need to store your RotationQuat and do NOT update it until your new "future" position is changed.

otherwise the model will rotate back the moment you stop moving.

for (int i = 0; i < bones.Length; i++)
{
bones[i] *=
Matrix.CreateFromQuaternion(RotationQuat)
* Matrix.CreateTranslation(position)
* Matrix.CreateWorld(Translation, Vector3.Forward, Vector3.Up); //Move the models position
...

I hope this helped

### #3MJP  Moderators

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Posted 06 September 2013 - 12:11 AM

Please don't use all caps for your thread titles, it makes it look like you're yelling at everyone.

### #4ankhd  Members

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Posted 06 September 2013 - 02:23 AM

Hi.

heres a not so wright way of doing it it works with x , z y should be set to 0.

first you need to define a 3dvector for the direction the mesh was facing when exported.

only set UnitsFacingDirection at init time when you create your asset

D3DXVECTOR3 toTarget = UnitsFacingDirection;

D3DXVec3Normalize(&toTarget,

&toTarget);

//first determine the angle between the heading vector and the target

FLOAT dot = D3DXVec3Dot(&vHeading, &toTarget);//this bit is a bit off needs fixing

dot = Clamp( dot, - 1.0f, 1.0f );

double Angle = acos(dot);

//return if the player is facing the target

if(Angle < 0.00001)

return;

//The next few lines use a rotation matrix to rotate the player's heading

//vector accordingly

//notice how the direction of rotation has to be determined when creating

//the rotation matrix

D3DXMatrixRotationY(&Rotation, Angle * s);

and that rotates it about the Y axis.

//------------------------ Sign ------------------------------------------

//

// returns positive if v2 is clockwise of this vector(v1),

// minus if anticlockwise (Y axis pointing down, X axis to right)

//------------------------------------------------------------------------

enum

{clockwise = 1, anticlockwise = -1};

int

Sign(const D3DXVECTOR3& v1, const D3DXVECTOR3& v2);

int Sign(const D3DXVECTOR3& v1, const D3DXVECTOR3& v2)

{

if (v1.z*v2.x > v1.x*v2.z)

{

return anticlockwise;

}

else

{

return clockwise;

}

### #5football94  Members

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Posted 06 September 2013 - 11:42 PM

Please don't use all caps for your thread titles, it makes it look like you're yelling at everyone.

So sorry I had no idea, and I appreciate the replies to my post thanks guys Ill let you know what I come up with.

### #6football94  Members

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Posted 07 September 2013 - 01:19 AM

It Worked!!!

Thanks Zerratar that worked perfectly!

code below is just a small sample of how I tested it

Vector3 NewPosition = new Vector3(55, 0, 77);

  if (currentKeyboardState.IsKeyDown(Keys.Left))
{

RotationQuat = GetRotation(NewPosition);
}


and Thanks again guys for responding to my post

### #7Zerratar  Members

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Posted 09 September 2013 - 06:08 AM

It Worked!!!

Thanks Zerratar that worked perfectly!

code below is just a small sample of how I tested it

Vector3 NewPosition = new Vector3(55, 0, 77);

  if (currentKeyboardState.IsKeyDown(Keys.Left))
{

RotationQuat = GetRotation(NewPosition);
}


and Thanks again guys for responding to my post

Hurray! I'm glad it worked for you!

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