Hi guys, I have a problem with my new camera class... as soon as the camera's forward vector is too near to the world`s up vector, the camera starts to flip. I guess it's a problem with the viewmatrix, could also be that it's a gimbal lock. I don't really know how to solve this. (I don't really want to limit the rotation, though) Can anyone give me a clue how to do this? Thanks, Martin

The behavior you are seeing is the expected behavior. It is a result of trying to extract a direction from a zero-length vector. In general, you will have this problem anytime you try to look in the direction of the up vector.

If you want the camera to point straight up (or nearly straight up), you can't use the world's up vector as the up vector. Try using the camera's current up vector instead.

Ok, that's what I do:

// part of my code for rotations
Vector3 RotateAroundArbitrary(float angle, Vector3 axis, Vector3 vector)
{
Vector3 ret = new Vector3();

float cosine = (float)Math.Cos(angle);
float sinus = (float)Math.Sin(angle);

ret.X = vector.X*(axis.X*axis.X + cosine*(1 - axis.X*axis.X))
+ vector.Y*(axis.X*axis.Y*(1 - cosine) - axis.Z*sinus)
+ vector.Z*(axis.X*axis.Z*(1 - cosine) + axis.Y*sinus);
ret.Y = vector.X*(axis.X*axis.Y*(1 - cosine) + axis.Z*sinus)
+ vector.Y*(axis.Y*axis.Y + cosine*(1 - axis.Y*axis.Y))
+ vector.Z*(axis.Y*axis.Z*(1 - cosine) - axis.X*sinus);
ret.Z = vector.X*(axis.X*axis.Z*(1 - cosine) - axis.Y*sinus)
+ vector.Y*(axis.Y*axis.Z*(1 - cosine) + axis.X*sinus)
+ vector.Z*(axis.Z*axis.Z + cosine*(1 - axis.Z*axis.Z));

this.m_bFrustumUpToDate = this.m_bViewMatrixUpToDate = this.m_bVolumesUpToDate =false;
return ret;
}

public void PitchEP(float angle)
{
this.m_Forward = this.RotateAroundArbitrary(angle, this.m_Right, this.m_Forward);
this.m_Up = this.RotateAroundArbitrary(angle, this.m_Right, this.m_Up);

this.m_LookAtPoint = this.m_LookAtPoint - this.m_Eye;
this.m_LookAtPoint = this.m_Eye + this.RotateAroundArbitrary(angle, this.m_Right, this.m_LookAtPoint);
this.UpdateCoordinateSystem();

this.m_bFrustumUpToDate = this.m_bViewMatrixUpToDate = this.m_bVolumesUpToDate = false;
}





// part of my code for the viewmatrix and coordinate stuff
void UpdateViewMatrix()
{
this.m_ViewMatrix = Matrix.LookAtRH(this.m_Eye, this.m_LookAtPoint, this.m_Up);
this.m_bViewMatrixUpToDate = true;
}


Well, it seems to me, that I already do what you suggested.
Maybe I just misunderstand what's wrong...

[Edited by - gammaGT on July 8, 2006 1:44:09 PM]