Sonic Adventure 2/Camera Information

This is a basic guideline on the cameras in Sonic Adventure 2.

Camera information for the game's levels is usually stored within files labeled as STG??CAM.PRS. Unlike the camera data seen in Sonic Adventure, cameras are not tied to specific characters in each stage. Functionality exists for such a feature in the game's code, but it's never used.

Generally speaking, cameras are split between two overarching components: Camera Objects and Camera Points. Camera Objects control the properties of the camera data, such as how it maneuvers and reacts to the player/environment, and Camera Points handle the positions of the cameras and how they're intended to interact with one another in gameplay while using the Space camera mode.

File Structure

The following section will contain information pertaining to the CAM files.

Header

The header always has a set size of 32 bytes, with the last four bytes acting as a buffer.

Offset	Type	Description
0	INT32	Content flags
4	INT32	Total 1P Camera objects size
8	INT32	Total 1P Camera points size
C	INT32	Total Demo Camera objects size
10	INT32	Total Demo Camera points size
14	INT32	Total Multiplayer Camera objects size
18	INT32	Total Multiplayer Camera points size
1C	INT32	Null

Content Flags

ID	Description
0	Null
2	Has Cameras
3	Has Points
4	Has Demo Cameras
5	Has Demo Points
6	Has Multiplayer Cameras
7	Has Multiplayer Points

Camera Object Data

Offset	Type	Name	Description
0	INT32	Camera Mode	Please see the Camera Modes section below.
4	INT32	Camera Adjustment Mode	Mode in which the camera will transition into the newly active volume.
8	INT32	Priority	This sets the priority of the camera when the player may be in multiple zones. If the priority is higher than 0, the volume will become active when the player enters it, but it will also stop being active once the player leaves the volume.
C	INT32	Camera Volume Shape	Shape of the volume, shapes are Sphere (1), Plane (2), and Block (Cube) (3)
10	Float(3)	Collision Position
1C	INT32(3)	Collision Rotation
28	Float(3)	Collision Scale
34	Float(3)	Camera Position
40	INT32(3)	Camera Rotation
4C	Float(3)	Target Position
58	INT32(8)	Additional properties	This section's usage varies by camera mode. Please look through the Camera Modes section to see what information currently exists on what these properties do for the cameras where they're applicable.
78	Float(8)	Additional properties	This section's usage varies by camera mode. Please look through the Camera Modes section to see what information currently exists on what these properties do for the cameras where they're applicable.

Camera Modes

Below is information on each camera type.

ID	Type	Description
0	None	Has no impact if the player enters the volume.
1	User	Unknown how it works precisely. It acts the same as None.
2	Follow	Follows the player without any rotation. Camera will be locked to the direction it was facing when the player enters the volume. Camera can pass through level geometry in this mode.
3	Knuckles	Default camera mode. Follows the player, rotating with the player and respecting level geometry.
4	Editor	Non-functional.
5	Editor2	Non-functional.
6	SnapShot	User controlled camera. DPad will move the camera, L and R triggers will raise and lower the camera. Holding Start + using the joystick will rotate the camera.
7	Klamath	Camera mode focuses on a point on the same XZ plane as the camera itself using the Target Position. Y axis of the Target Position is not used. Properties: Float Property 1: Distance to Player Float Property 2: Additional Vertical Camera Height The Distance to Player property will also modify the height of the camera if the Additional Vertical Camera Height is set to 0.
8	Point	Camera points to a Target while keeping the player in view. Properties: Float Property 1: Distance to Player Float Property 2: Additional Vertical Camera Height
9	Ashland	Camera is in a fixed position and tracks the player as they move. Properties: Int Property 1: Camera FOV The Camera FOV is treated like an exact degree value rather than BAMs. This means that setting it to 90 means the FOV is 90d.
10	Fix	Camera is in a fixed position and points to a fixed Target, does not target the player to any degree.
11	Leave	When active, the camera will lock itself to its last set location and track the player like the Ashland camera does.
12	Space	This enables use of the Camera Points while active. Below is information on the Points Player Point Radius This is the scale of the sphere for the player point. When the player enters this point, it activates the camera. Camera Position This is the position of the camera for the point. Points Each point has six potential links it can be assigned to. These create lines of movement for the camera based on where the player may move to. In the editor in Blender, these need to be linked to other Point objects otherwise the link will fail to write when exporting. Enable Player Point This enables the point to be functional when the player enters its radius. When it's disabled, the point can still be linked to, but it will not become the "active" point when the player is within its radius. Enable Tracking Player This is a bit mislabeled currently, but it changes how the camera moves between the points as the player moves through them. It makes it so the player is actually ignored in terms of being kept in view and instead just smooths out the movement of the camera. The only level that makes use of this feature seems to be Radical Highway.
13	Carmel	Functions similarly to Knuckles cameras, except it better respects the level geometry in terms of following the player around corners.
14	Motion	Crashes the game, no other information at this time.
15	BossInit	Crashes the game, presumably only valid within boss levels and is likely handled by the game, not by the camera file.
16	BossPoint	Crashes the game, presumably only valid within boss levels and is likely handled by the game, not by the camera file.
17	Collision	Volume collider for the camera.
18	PStone	Similar to GakuGaku, but it will keep following the player until it eventually stops moving and locks into place.
19	Init	Extremely snappy movements when the player moves. This includes rotating as the player turns using the joystick.
20	EasySet	Crashes the game, no other information at this time.
21	BossKlamath	Crashes the game, presumably only valid within boss levels and is likely handled by the game, not by the camera file.
22	GakuGaku	Similar to the Leave mode except the camera locks to a fixed position and rotation, and it will not track the player while the volume is active.
23	KnucklesL	Same as the Knuckles mode, except it is further away from the player.
24	Fix2	Similar to GakuGaku, but it will keep following the player until it eventually stops moving and locks into place.
25	PStone2	Crashes the game, no other information at this time.
26	SS	Crashes the game, no other information at this time.
27	ColliLR	Volume collider for the camera, but this is only active when the player is actively using the L or R triggers to rotate the camera. Otherwise the camera ignores the collision volume.

Camera Adjust Modes

ID	Type
0	None
1	User
2	Half
3	Three1
4	Three2
5	Three3
6	Three4
7	Three5
8	Relative1
9	Relative2
10	Relative3
11	Relative4
12	Relative5
13	Relative6

Camera Point Data

Offset	Type	Name	Description
0	Float(3)	Player Point	This is the position of the sphere for the player point. When the player enters this point, it activates the camera.
C	Float	Player Point radius
10	Float(3)	Camera Point	This is the position of the camera for the point.
1C	Float	Camera Point radius
20	INT16(6)	Links	Indices to any linked point objects in the scene
2C	INT16	Flow index	Indicates the travel direction of the linked cameras. When used, the camera will flow along an average of the line of points for a more fluid movement. Is prone to crashing when using indices that are not connected to the point in the Links section.
2E	Boolean	Enable player point	When true, the point will interact with the player. If false, the point can still be referenced by other points.
2F	Boolean	Track player	When a flow index is set, this enables the camera to retain tracking the player along its path. If disabled, the camera follows the fixed path along the points without attempting to keep the player in view.