first person XNA camera

More than likely you will have to write your own camera.

I assume your effect file takes View and Projection parameters (or ViewProjection).

The cameras job is to generate those Matrices. I use a camera with the following interface:

public interface ICamera : IComponent
{

Matrix View { get; set; }
Matrix Projection { get; set; }

// view properties (setting these invalidates the View matrix causing it to be recalculated next time it's retrieved)
Vector3 Position { get; set; }
Vector3 Target { get; set; }
Vector3 UpVector { get; set; }
// derived from Vector3.Normalize(Target-Position)
Vector3 Direction { get; set; }

// projection properties (setting these invalidates the Projection matrix causing it to be recalculated next time it's retrieved)
float AspectRatio { get; set; }
float FieldOfView { get; set; }
float ZFarPlane { get; set; }
float ZNearPlane { get; set; }
}

Then I make separate CameraController classes that "control" the "camera". One of these is the "FlyingCameraController". My flying controller listens for mouse input, and then modifies the cameras position and direction vectors. (I always keep the same UpVector). Since you want to fly around thru space and "roll" your spaceship, you will be changing the UpVector as well.

To look up:
Camera.Direction += Camera.UpVector * positiveFactor;

To look down:
Camera.Direction += Camera.UpVector * negativeFactor;

To look left or right
Camera.Direction += Vector3.Cross(Camera.UpVector, Camera.Direction) * someFactor

To roll left or right
Camera.UpVector += Vector3.Cross(Camera.UpVector, Camera.Direction) * someFactor

// all this is assuming that the Direction and UpVectors properties automatically normalize themselves in their setters.

hope this helps if you decide to write your own.

KrisNye at 2007-9-3 >