If you've been messing around in your game and realized the default view just isn't cutting it, learning a roblox studio camera script follow player setup is probably your next big step. Let's be real—Roblox's default camera is actually pretty good for a standard third-person game, but as soon as you want to make a side-scroller, a top-down tycoon, or a cinematic horror game, that default behavior starts to feel a bit clunky. You need something more tailored, something that feels smooth and professional.
Getting the camera to do exactly what you want is one of those things that separates a "starter" project from a polished game. It's not just about pointing a lens at a character; it's about how that movement feels to the player. Is it snappy? Is it floaty? Does it lag behind just enough to feel cinematic? In this guide, we're going to break down how to take control of the camera and make it follow the player exactly how you envision it.
Why the Default Camera Isn't Always Enough
When you first open a baseplate, Roblox gives you a camera that follows the player's head and lets them rotate the view with the mouse. That's fine for most "obby" games. However, think about a game like Pet Simulator 99 or a classic 2D platformer. Those cameras aren't just orbiting the player; they are locked to specific angles or use "interpolated" movement to follow the action without making the player feel motion sick.
By using a custom script, you can lock the camera's height, keep it at a fixed distance, or even make it look at a point slightly in front of the player so they can see where they are running. This is where the magic happens. To do this, we have to change the CameraType from Enum.CameraType.Custom to Enum.CameraType.Scriptable. Once you switch that toggle in your code, you're the boss. The default Roblox scripts stop fighting you, and you can tell the camera exactly where to sit in 3D space.
Setting Up Your First Custom Camera Script
To get started, we need to create a LocalScript. Since the camera is a client-side thing (meaning every player has their own view), we don't want the server handling this. If the server tried to move everyone's camera, it would be a laggy mess.
- Open Roblox Studio and find the StarterPlayer folder in your Explorer.
- Look inside for StarterPlayerScripts.
- Right-click it, go to "Insert Object," and pick LocalScript.
Now, let's write some code. Here is a basic version of a roblox studio camera script follow player that keeps the camera at a fixed offset.
```lua local RunService = game:GetService("RunService") local player = game.Players.LocalPlayer local camera = workspace.CurrentCamera
-- We need to wait for the character to actually exist local character = player.Character or player.CharacterAdded:Wait() local rootPart = character:WaitForChild("HumanoidRootPart")
-- Set the camera to Scriptable so we can control it camera.CameraType = Enum.CameraType.Scriptable
-- This is the distance from the player local OFFSET = Vector3.new(0, 10, 20)
RunService.RenderStepped:Connect(function() if rootPart then -- Calculate the new position local targetPosition = rootPart.Position + OFFSET -- Update the camera's CFrame camera.CFrame = CFrame.new(targetPosition, rootPart.Position) end end) ```
In this script, we use RenderStepped. This is super important because it runs every single frame right before the frame is rendered. If you used a simple wait() loop, the camera would look jittery and gross. RenderStepped makes it look buttery smooth.
Making it Smooth with Lerp
The script above is a good start, but it's very "stiff." The camera is basically glued to the player. If you want that professional, high-quality feel, you want the camera to "catch up" to the player. This is often called Lerping (Linear Interpolation).
Basically, instead of teleporting the camera to the target position every frame, we tell it to move a percentage of the way there. If it moves 10% of the distance every frame, it creates a trailing effect that looks amazing.
To do this, we change the line where we set the CFrame:
lua local smoothness = 0.1 -- Adjust this between 0 and 1 camera.CFrame = camera.CFrame:Lerp(CFrame.new(targetPosition, rootPart.Position), smoothness)
By adding that one little :Lerp function, the camera suddenly feels like it's being filmed by a drone rather than being a static object. It's a small change that makes a massive difference in how your game feels to play.
Creating a Side-Scroller or Top-Down View
One of the most common reasons people look for a roblox studio camera script follow player is to create a specific genre-style view. Let's say you want a 2.5D side-scroller. You don't want the camera to move forward or backward; you only want it to follow the player on the X and Y axes.
You'd modify your offset and the CFrame logic like this:
```lua local OFFSET = Vector3.new(30, 5, 0) -- Camera stays to the side
RunService.RenderStepped:Connect(function() local targetPosition = Vector3.new(rootPart.Position.X + OFFSET.X, rootPart.Position.Y + OFFSET.Y, rootPart.Position.Z) camera.CFrame = CFrame.new(targetPosition, rootPart.Position) end) ```
By locking one of the coordinates (in this case, Z), the player can run left and right, but the camera stays perfectly parallel to the action. It's the easiest way to make your game look like a completely different platform.
Handling the "Wait for Character" Problem
A common mistake when writing a roblox studio camera script follow player is forgetting that players die and respawn. When a player resets, their old HumanoidRootPart is destroyed, and a new one is created. If your script is still looking for the old one, it'll error out and the camera will just get stuck in the sky.
To fix this, you should always wrap your logic in a way that checks if the character still exists, or better yet, re-find the character whenever they respawn. You can do this by connecting to the player.CharacterAdded event.
It's also a good idea to put your script inside StarterCharacterScripts instead of StarterPlayerScripts. Scripts inside StarterCharacterScripts automatically restart every time the player respawns, which saves you the headache of managing the character variable manually.
Fine-Tuning and Extra Features
Once you have the basics down, you can start adding the "juice." Here are a few ideas to take your camera script to the next level:
- Field of View (FOV) Zoom: You can dynamically change
camera.FieldOfViewbased on the player's speed. If they start sprinting, widen the FOV to make it feel like they're going faster. - Camera Shake: When something explodes or the player lands a big jump, you can add a tiny bit of random math to the camera's CFrame to simulate a shake.
- Obstruction Check: One downside of custom cameras is they can go through walls. You might want to use
Raycastingto check if there's a wall between the player and the camera. If there is, you tell the camera to move closer so it doesn't clip.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
I've seen a lot of developers struggle with custom cameras, and usually, it's one of three things. First, setting the CameraType to Scriptable only once. Sometimes, Roblox tries to set it back to Custom when the character loads, so you might need to set it inside the RenderStepped loop or use a Task.wait() to make sure it sticks.
Second is the "Z-axis jitter." This happens if your math is slightly off or if you're fighting against the physics engine. Always make sure your camera updates happen on the client and are synced with the frame rate.
Lastly, don't forget about the mouse! If you lock the camera to a specific angle, you might want to disable the player's ability to rotate the screen, or perhaps make the mouse cursor stay visible so they can click on UI buttons easily. You can do this with UserInputService.MouseBehavior.
Final Thoughts
Building a roblox studio camera script follow player isn't just about technical coding—it's about cinematography. You are the director of your game. Whether you want a tight, over-the-shoulder action camera or a wide, sweeping strategic view, the code is your tool to make it happen.
Don't be afraid to experiment with the numbers. Change the offset, mess with the Lerp speed, and see how it feels. Sometimes a "bad" camera angle can lead to a really cool gameplay idea you hadn't thought of before. So, get into Studio, drop that LocalScript in, and start tweaking. Your players will definitely notice the extra effort you put into making the game feel "just right."