XICamera - Allows You To Set The Camera Distance

Hiya!
For the longest time I was always frustrated with how close XI's camera was positioned from your character. Countless epic fights where we get amazing visuals...of NM kneecaps. So I tried to do something about it.

XICamera allows you to set the camera distance. This is different than Ashita's Zoom addon, which allows a greater range of zooming.

I have an addon versions for Windower 4 and Ashita, and they are available on Github.

Current version
v0.7.8 - Added ability to adjust camera panning speed. Added camera increment and decrement functions for use with keybinds.
v0.7.6 - Address the battle audio issues. Battle audio shouldn't drop out when camera distance is set further out.
v0.7.5 - KenshiDRK helped with making more resilient signatures. Hopefully it'll survive future client updates.
v0.7 - Fairly significant changes to how I'm adjusting the camera location. Addon implementations for Windower 4/5, and Ashita 3/4. There's a plugin version for Ashita 3.
v0.6 - Ashita 3 plugin fix. Added lua implementations for Ashita

Install and usage instructions are included in the README files.

Windower
//lua load xicamera
//camera|cam|xicamera|xicam

Ashita Addon
/addon load xicamera
/camera|cam|xicamera|xicam

Functions
d|distance ## - Default 6
b|battle ## - Default 8.2
hs|hspeed ## - Default 3
vs|vspeed ## - Default 10, forces vert speed auto calc off
in|incr - Increments camera distance by 1
de|decr - Decrements camera distance by 1
bin|bincr - Increments battle camera distance by 1
bde|bdecr - Decrements battle camera distance by 1
soi|saveOnIncrement - defaults off, saves new camera distance in settings
acv|autoCalcVertSpeed - defaults on, will ignore Vert pan speed settings and auto calc based on camera distance.

I have tested this while running around on my own XI private server and haven't run into issues, but I've not had anyone test this on retail.

I'd really like to thank the author of XIPivot and the author(s) of xiloader as I had no clue how to do any of this stuff when I started out. A huge portion of the code base will look very similar to XIPivot, and many places will look identical. I very much appreciate their work as I couldn't have made this without their contributions to the community.

Thanks

Might need to install c++ distributables
https://aka.ms/vs/16/release/vc_redist.x86.exe

I want your Babies <3

Awesome, just pure awesomeness

thank you very much, Sir

Downloaded the windower version.
Extracted the XICamera into the Windower/addons folder to:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Windower\addons

Loaded FFXI.
Where I typed text, I entered:

//lua load XICamera

That started it up. Fooled around with it and learned that:

//cam d 45

makes it look like:
This is *** gorgeous. I have been waiting for something like this forever.

Oh, and I have the following, unrelated-to-this-camera-thinger, set as well:

//config ClippingPlane 5

just to make personal graphics draw out things farther away.

With regards to my attempt inside a "cave" area:
More random fun! The view of nearly directly above. I feel like moving only up-down-left-right in squaretiles like Final Fantasy 1 for NES.

Oh, and I can still use the camera keys to zoom in and out (to max distance set by XICamera) with no need to jump into the console or anything. Very VERY smoothly integrated. Would have been a *** if you would have to manually toggle/adjust the zoom via commands instead. Feels... perfect.



Side-effects include: When zoomed out to 45 distance, it feels as if you're moving slowly, but your speed hasn't changed. It's just perception. When turned off (and your chase cam view is set back to normal), it feels like your camera is up your character's *** since you're used to such a larger view.

I love this as well! Will donate when I can!

I'm glad its working well on retail. Thanks for taking the time to check it out and report back.

Some other things. You'll quickly notice in some zones that Square took some shortcuts with the textures, and often renders nothing in areas that the camera previously couldn't see. Since you can push the camera out further, you'll be able to see gaps in the environments.

Also, there are probably a few cutscenes that may not play well with this. I wasn't able to test all of them, but there are some that take control of the camera...and this might interfere with those.

As far as ban potential? I don't think it would. I hope it wouldn't. I'm not modifying any packets, character position, or character speed.

The easiest cutscene with a forced cam that I can think of off of the top of my head to test with is the Mhaura/Selbina boat rides. I guess someone could check that out, but it won't be me. Have in-game things to do.

Yes just some Camera colision on walls and ceiling if pushed too far....but bring another Dimension to the game.

We wanted that for years, now you can Omen Boss and others, and have a Better Global Aera view of member's position.

A Better Ride on Mount Trip.

A Better PH pop position.

A Better view of those outdoor HD skins.

A Better FFXI.........

A Better ??? hunt....

(Lazy *** SE....... won't bother to work on....)

Thank's Again.

Always wondered if npc draw distance/clipping pane radius extends from your character or where the camera is, with this add-on zoomed super far out is anyone able to answer that? If you could swing your camera around you could potentially see and target (not interact with) things that a normal player wouldn't be able to see from the same spot

Yes I know the terminology I used is probably way way wrong

I just wanted to thank everyone in the community who provided positive feedback. I believe I've identified and fixed the cause of the hitching that some people were experiencing. You should also be able to specify distances greater than 45 now, though I've only tested up to a distance of 100.

So what's the default distance?

The game normally tries to maintain a camera distance between 3 and 6 yalms out of battle, and 7.2 to 8.6 while target locked in battle. In battle shifts the focal point of the camera from you to the monster.

When the addon first loads up, I am setting a 6 yalm default. I am trying to save the distance entered into the addon so that it'll use your own personal default on load... so if that's not working let me know and I'll look into it.

Just tried this on recommendation from linkshell and it is amazing. Great views of the landscape, actually completely changes your perspective of the zones. Very very cool, much respect and appreciation. Highly recommend it

Just tried this and it’s awesome. 10/10 will recommend to others.

I liked it a lot at first, but had to unload it because when you tab to a different char and tab back it kinda loses focus and moves the camera.

I believe I have that odd camera movement fixed in the most recent release.

Are you a midget?

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

This is INSANE

Coming back from a break. Using windower, how do I use

//lua load xicamera at the beginning when I log in automatically? So I don't have to type it to load it when I log in?

Add the line "lua load xicamera" (without quotes) to your Init.txt script. Should be found in the scripts folder.

You tab over? Huh, I’ve always just used the mouse to select characters when I Multibox

Yes I like to keep them all borderless full screen.

Also this addon crashes you when you logout with it on. Tried to go to a different character and it freezes the game.

Unload Xicamera??

//lua unload xicamera


Thanks!

[ADDENDUM]
I tested this in my mog garden. I logged out and back in again from their. When I logged back in, the Xicamera was still in memory. There the screen was black for just a few seconds too long. I started to panic and then the image came up on screen. Until improvements are made to this code, I think I'd use it very sparingly.

Thank you very much for your understanding.

Regards,
Bill

Anyone glitch while using this addon when getting charmed by NM? two times straight my character disappeared and I could not move or act. Could still see log and chat, was weird. Had to terminate game

I have had this glitch, didn't know it was cause of xicamera.

I got charmed the other day and didn't happen, haven't seen this. Although it still crashes if I log out into another character with it on.

It may not have been this add-on, just trying to narrow it down. It happened twice immediately after charm. Not sure if it was this or from xivparty, skillchains, or equipviewer.

High meva has become so meta that it's now a fix for bugs