[ODE] Camera Questions Again

[David Walters]

> Hi everybody
>
> I want to follow with my camera a moving body. The lookup point is the
> center of mass of the body. The camera have to be
> always behind the body even when the body rotates. I have tried everything
> that i found in the threads, but my camera is placed
> always on the wrong place. Can i determine where the camera should be, only
> using the body position and rotation. Can somebody give me a
> formula or  link to tutorial or something like that.

This isn't really physics related more of a maths question, but the
simple solution is the take the rotation matrix of the follow object.
Use the forward axis vector ( usually column 2 of the matrix )
multiplied by some negative distance factor, added to the position of
the follow object.

That should be a position 'distance' units behind the follow object.
Note that you probably want to output the forward vector, follow
position and camera position as you fly around, because there's a very
good chance I should have said 'row' instead of 'column' and your
camera might fly off in some other direction when you turn.

Still, that's the theory behind it.

HTH,
Dave