Expert patterns for 2D/3D camera control including smooth following (lerp, position_smoothing), camera shake (trauma system), screen shake with frequency parameters, deadzone/drag for platformers, look-ahead prediction, and camera transitions. Use for player cameras, cinematic sequences, or multi-ca

NEVER Do NEVER use global position = target.global position every frame — Instant position matching causes jittery movement. Use lerp() or position smoothing enabled = true . NEVER use offset for permanent camera positioning — offset is for shake, sway, or temporary recoil effects only. Use position for permanent framing. NEVER forget limit smoothed = true for Camera2D — Hard boundaries cause jarring visual stops. NEVER enable multiple Camera2D nodes in the same viewport simultaneously — Only the last enabled camera takes precedence. Explicitly disable inactive cameras. NEVER use SpringArm3D without a collision mask — It will clip through terrain and walls. Set it to the world/environment layer. NEVER implement screen shake by randomizing position (or randf on offset as the whole system) — Use a dedicated Trauma/Noise system layered on follow ([camera shake trauma pro.gd](scripts/camera shake trauma pro.gd)). NEVER parent the Camera directly to a high speed physics body as the default rig — Physics stutter or parent rotation causes motion sickness. Prefer RemoteTransform2D/3D / phantom decoupling with rotation sync disabled ([remote transform decoupling.gd](scripts/remote transform decoupling.gd), [phantom decoupling.gd](scripts/phantom decoupling.gd)). NEVER use look at() in 3D without a fallback for the 'Up' vector — Targets directly above/below flip the camera; use guards or Quaternion math. NEVER rely on SubViewport defaults for Mini maps — Set render target update mode to UPDATE WHEN VISIBLE or a lower fixed rate. NEVER use linear interpolation for Zoom — Prefer exponential lerp or Tween TRANS CUBIC . Parenting / Decoupling (resolved) Rig When Script Default: RemoteTransform / phantom Player is CharacterBody / high speed / rotates [remote transform decoupling.gd](scripts/remote transform decoupling.gd), [phantom decoupling.gd](scripts/phantom decoupling.gd) Camera as child of player Slow top down / locked rotation / prototype only Explicit caveat: disable if motion sickness or physics jitter appears; never combine with position overwrite shake SpringArm3D + Camera3D Third person occlusion [spring lerp camera 3d.gd](scripts/spring lerp camera 3d.gd) — mask required Available Scripts MANDATORY : Read before implementing the matching behavior. No randf shake samples in project code. [camera shake trauma pro.gd](scripts/camera shake trauma pro.gd) — MANDATORY for any screen shake / impact juice. [camera shake trauma.gd](scripts/camera shake trauma.gd) — Lighter trauma variant. [remote transform decoupling.gd](scripts/remote transform decoupling.gd) — MANDATORY default for physics body follow. [phantom decoupling.gd](scripts/phantom decoupling.gd) — Alternate stable follow phantom. [spring lerp camera 3d.gd](scripts/spring lerp camera 3d.gd) — MANDATORY before custom 3D follow springs. [deadzone drag margins.gd](scripts/deadzone drag margins.gd) — Platformer drag/deadzone. [camera follow 2d.gd](scripts/camera follow 2d.gd) — Smooth 2D follow helpers. [zoom damping controller.gd](scripts/zoom damping controller.gd) — Non linear zoom. [camera state machine.gd](scripts/camera state machine.gd) — Follow / Static / Cinematic transitions. [cinematic framing logic.gd](scripts/cinematic framing logic.gd) — Rule of thirds / lead room. [minimap viewport manager.gd](scripts/minimap viewport manager.gd) — SubViewport update modes. [split screen setup.gd](scripts/split screen setup.gd) — Local multi camera viewports. [first person sway.gd](scripts/first person sway.gd) — FPS bob/sway on offset. [juice camera.gd](scripts/juice camera.gd) — Combined juice helpers. [framing box camera 2d.gd](scripts/framing box camera 2d.gd) — Multi target AABB framing + zoom fit. [occlusion aware camera 3d.gd](scripts/occlusion aware camera 3d.gd) — Raycast occlusion when SpringArm is insufficient. [trauma debugger.gd](scripts/trauma debugger.gd) — On screen trauma decay curve (debug builds). Expert Camera Architectures 1. Multi target framing Compute AABB of targets → lerp camera to center → zoom/distance to fit with margin. Keep juice shake on offset only. MANDATORY: [framing box camera 2d.gd](scripts/framing box camera 2d.gd). 2. Occlusion (3D) Prefer SpringArm3D with world collision mask; custom rigs use intersect ray between ideal camera pos and target — [occlusion aware camera 3d.gd](scripts/occlusion aware camera 3d.gd) (peer godot raycasting queries ). 3. Trauma audit Plot trauma decay (debug draw) while tuning [camera shake trauma pro.gd](scripts/camera shake trauma pro.gd) — wire [trauma debugger.gd](scripts/trauma debugger.gd) to get trauma() . Never validate feel with raw randf offset demos. MANDATORY for multi target framing, custom occlusion rigs, 2D/3D follow recipes, and cinematic transitions: [camera expert patterns.md](references/camera expert patterns.md). Do NOT Load when golden path scripts already cover your rig. Reference Progressive disclosure: open Official Documentation links only when researching a specific API; load Related Skills when routing to a peer domain — do not preload the whole lattice. Official Documentation [Camera2D](https://docs.godotengine.org/en/stable/classes/class camera2d.html) — Position/drag margins, limit / limit smoothed , and position smoothing that underpin 2D follow, deadzones, and level bounds. [Camera3D](https://docs.godotengine.org/en/stable/classes/class camera3d.html) — Projection, look at , current camera rules, and environment overrides used by third person, FPS, and cinematic 3D rigs. [Third person camera with spring arm](https://docs.godotengine.org/en/stable/tutorials/3d/spring arm.html) — Why parenting a Camera3D alone clips geometry and how SpringArm3D length/shape keep the view clear. [SpringArm3D](https://docs.godotengine.org/en/stable/classes/class springarm3d.html) — Collision mask, margin, and spring length API required before third person occlusion pulls feel trustworthy. [Using Viewports](https://docs.godotengine.org/en/stable/tutorials/rendering/viewports.html) — Multiple cameras, SubViewport architecture, and when split screen / minimap views share or isolate worlds. [SubViewport](https://docs.godotengine.org/en/stable/classes/class subviewport.html) — render target update mode and audio listener flags that decide minimap and local coop GPU/audio cost. [RemoteTransform2D](https://docs.godotengine.org/en/stable/classes/class remotetransform2d.html) — Decouple camera position from player rotation/scale without parenting the camera under a physics body. [Interpolation](https://docs.godotengine.org/en/stable/tutorials/math/interpolation.html) — Lerp / exponential follow and zoom damping math so custom cameras do not feel robotic or jittery. [Physics interpolation (introduction)](https://docs.godotengine.org/en/stable/tutorials/physics/interpolation/physics interpolation introduction.html) — Why cameras following CharacterBody motion stutter when render and physics ticks disagree. [FastNoiseLite](https://docs.godotengine.org/en/stable/classes/class fastnoiselite.html) — Coherent noise for trauma/offset shake instead of raw randf position thrashing. [PathFollow2D](https://docs.godotengine.org/en/stable/classes/class pathfollow2d.html) — Progress ratio driven cinematic paths when Tweening a camera along a Path2D. [Mouse and input coordinates](https://docs.godotengine.org/en/stable/tutorials/inputs/mouse and input coordinates.html) — Wheel zoom and mouse look coordinate spaces so FPS pitch/yaw and tactical zoom stay consistent across viewports. Related Skills Prerequisites [godot project foundations](https://github.com/thedivergentai/gd agentic skills/blob/main/skills/godot project foundations/SKILL.md) — Stretch mode, default viewport, and input map setup decide how Camera2D limits and SubViewport sizes behave before any follow script runs. [godot gdscript mastery](https://github.com/thedivergentai/gd agentic skills/blob/main/skills/godot gdscript mastery/SKILL.md) — Typed nodes, physics process vs process , and Tween/await patterns used by state machines and spring follow. [godot input handling](https://github.com/thedivergentai/gd agentic skills/blob/main/skills/godot input handling/SKILL.md) — Captured mouse, look axes, and mouse wheel events feed FPS look, zoom damping, and camera orbit controls. Complements [godot tweening](https://github.com/thedivergentai/gd agentic skills/blob/main/skills/godot tweening/SKILL.md) — Camera transitions between Follow/Static/Cinematic should use Tweens (ease/trans), not hard snaps or linear zoom. [godot characterbody 2d](https://github.com/thedivergentai/gd agentic skills/blob/main/skills/godot characterbody 2d/SKILL.md) — Look ahead and deadzone cameras need real velocity / floor state from the platformer body they frame. [godot physics 3d](https://github.com/thedivergentai/gd agentic skills/blob/main/skills/godot physics 3d/SKILL.md) — SpringArm collision layers and CharacterBody3D motion are the 3D counterparts to stable third person and FPS sway parents. [godot raycasting queries](https://github.com/thedivergentai/gd agentic skills/blob/main/skills/godot raycasting queries/SKILL.md) — Custom occlusion aware cameras that do not use SpringArm still need correct intersect ray masks and excludes. [godot state machine advanced](https://github.com/thedivergentai/gd agentic skills/blob/main/skills/godot state machine advanced/SKILL.md) — Formalize Follow/Static/Cinematic (and cutscene ownership) when camera state machine outgrows a simple enum. [godot signal architecture](https://github.com/thedivergentai/gd agentic skills/blob/main/skills/godot signal architecture/SKILL.md) — Trauma add, cutscene handoff, and multi target framing should be signal driven so gameplay never reaches into camera internals. Downstream / consumers [godot performance optimization](https://github.com/thedivergentai/gd agentic skills/blob/main/skills/godot performance optimization/SKILL.md) — Escalate when SubViewport minimaps, split screen, or always on secondary cameras still dominate frame time after update mode tuning. [godot monte carlo balancer](https://github.com/thedivergentai/gd agentic skills/blob/main/skills/godot monte carlo balancer/SKILL.md) — Simulate shake intensity, zoom fairness, and multi target framing so camera juice never hides hitboxes or competitive information. [godot adapt single to multiplayer](https://github.com/thedivergentai/gd agentic skills/blob/main/skills/godot adapt single to multiplayer/SKILL.md) — Consumes split screen SubViewport patterns when local coop needs per player cameras and listener ownership. [godot debugging profiling](https://github.com/thedivergentai/gd agentic skills/blob/main/skills/godot debugging profiling/SKILL.md) — Use monitors and visualizers to prove camera jitter sources (physics tick, RemoteTransform, trauma) before rewriting follow math. Master [godot master](https://github.com/thedivergentai/gd agentic skills/blob/main/skills/godot master/SKILL.md) — Library router and mirrored module entry; open when discovering which Domain Skill owns a cross cutting camera concern.

godot-camera-systems