Make the camera follow multiple characters

Newbie & Debugging Questions
#1

Currently, I use the following code to make the screen follow the main character:

				//focus is the entity the camera should focus on.
				float focusX = focus.currX + focus.width  / 2,
					   focusY = focus.currY + focus.height / 2;
				
				//visibleWidth and visibleHeight is the size of the container/window.
				//width and height is the size of the entire map
				translateX = Math.min(stage.width  - stage.visibleWidth,   Math.max(0, focusX - stage.visibleWidth  / 2)); 
				translateY = Math.min(stage.height - stage.visibleHeight,  Math.max(0, focusY - stage.visibleHeight / 2));
				//scaleX and scaleY are untouched

This code works fine as long as there is one entity to focus on.

I want a code that supports 2-4 objects. I have seen games that have it. Basically, when the entities are to far from each other, the scaleX and scaleY are decreased to zoom out.
But I am not sure how to code this.

Some help?

#2

I would take the distances between all Objects and see which of them is the biggest, then scale the whole scene for that distance (or a bit higher so that both characters would still fit on the screen without getting cut in half) and position it so that the character with the lowest x value is at the left side (for example allways 50 px away from the end of the visible display) and the character with the heighest x value is at the right side of the screen (again with 50 px distance to the end of the display) and do the same with the y coordinates (but maybe try to keep the relations of the Screen scaling the same cause it’ll look weird otherwise)

#3 

			// Camera Setup
			// X
			float minx = e1.x, maxx = e1.x;
			if (e2.x < minx) {
				minx = e2.x;
			}
			if (e3.x < minx) {
				minx = e3.x;
			}
			if (e4.x < minx) {
				minx = e4.x;
			}
			if (e2.x > maxx) {
				maxx = e2.x;
			}
			if (e3.x > maxx) {
				maxx = e3.x;
			}
			if (e4.x > maxx) {
				maxx = e4.x;
			}
			float difx = (maxx - minx) + 100;

			GL11.glScalef(800 / difx, 800 / difx, 1);
			GL11.glTranslatef(-minx + 50, 0, 0);

Does the Job for 4 Entities (Screen 800x600) but this is only based on x coordinates, so none of the entities can go out of the screen left or right, they still can go out top or bot. Called before rendering the entities

#4

Time to implement this.

Seiya02: Do you know how to use your code with OrthogonalCamera(LibGDX)?
Also, to add support for an Y axis, just copy the code and change the x variables with y?

#5

I’m not working with LibGDX sorry :s
and to add y support you should check if x or y is needed for the scale (if you scale with x and they have a huge difference on y they won’t be visible so you have to scale with y)

and the scaling with y is as you said: just change x to y :slight_smile: