Helixer (Camera Engine)

Helixer Camera Engine is a high-precision camera system built for strategy games, world viewers, simulations, editors, and professional tools.

At its core, Helixer is powered by the Helixer Engine, a native C++ motion backend (Helixer.dll) designed for stable, precise, and high-performance camera control.

Helixer includes three camera modes:

• RTW Mode — large-scale world-view camera movement using a spherical world-space system

• RTS Mode — strategy-style planar movement with height control, pitch response, configurable Bounds, and Auto Terrain Lift

• RTS / RTW Mode — combines RTS and RTW behavior in a single camera controller with controlled runtime switching between both systems

Performance Demonstration:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hioOacTUR7I

Setup:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDoXWMKS6gY

Other Videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8o8jzUAZpHA

The RTW camera does not require a GameObject or Transform target as a pivot.

Instead, it operates using a mathematical world-space sphere and evaluates motion through the native C++ engine, providing stable and deterministic camera behavior independent of the Unity frame update rate.

RTS provides a dedicated strategy-camera control model with planar movement, camera height control, pitch response, configurable world Bounds, movement tuning, and terrain-aware camera lifting.

RTS / RTW allows both camera systems to operate through the same controller, with a dedicated transition system for switching between RTW world viewing and RTS gameplay.

The switch system includes configurable:

• Switch Pitch

• Transition Duration

• Settle Angular Tolerance

• Visual Pitch Tolerance

• Forward Distance

• Independent RTW Max Pitch

Helixer also includes dedicated camera sequencing tools.

The RTW Sequencer provides scripted control over RTW camera parameters including pitch, yaw, FOV, and Camera Slow Motion.

The RTS Sequencer supports cinematic camera routes using world-space markers together with Rotate, Height, Wait, Camera Slow Motion, During Travel / On Arrival timing, configurable cancellation controls, and reusable Sequence Assets.

Key Features

✓ Native C++ motion engine (Helixer.dll)

✓ RTW camera mode

✓ RTS camera mode

✓ RTS / RTW camera mode

✓ High-precision native camera calculations

✓ Framerate-independent motion behavior

✓ Built-in smoothing and camera stabilization

✓ FOV-based zoom control

✓ Configurable pitch behavior

✓ Upper Hemisphere and Full Sphere RTW coverage

✓ No Roll / None and Airplane rotation behavior

✓ Configurable RTS world Bounds

✓ Auto Terrain Lift

✓ Independent RTW Max Pitch in RTS / RTW mode

✓ Configurable RTS / RTW transition behavior

✓ Developer-controlled Forward Distance

✓ RTW Sequencer

✓ RTS cinematic Sequencer

✓ Editor gizmos and visual helpers

✓ Built-in Known Issues panel

✓ Optional editor-side Bug Reporting

✓ No additional runtime dependencies

✓ Compatible with Built-in, URP, and HDRP

A demo scene is included to demonstrate the camera systems and recommended configuration patterns.

RTS / RTW — In Development

RTS / RTW is functional and available in version 1.0.2, but remains marked In Development while additional combinations of Bounds size, pitch range, terrain configuration, camera height, and transition settings continue to be tested.

RTW remains the established core camera mode, while RTS and RTS / RTW continue to receive additional refinement and testing.

What’s Next

Helixer is planned to expand its camera pipeline with an optional built-in Helixer Post Processing system.

The goal is to extend Helixer beyond camera motion and provide developers with direct control over the final camera image through ready-to-use visual presets such as Helixer Filmic.

Planned controls include:

• Exposure

• Bloom

• Tonemapping

• Color Grading

• Sharpening

• Additional advanced image adjustments

Core post-processing logic, presets, runtime state, parameter management, and transitions are planned to be handled by the native Helixer Engine.

Lightweight Unity rendering bridges and custom HLSL shaders are planned to integrate the system with Built-in, URP, and HDRP.

The system is intended to operate independently of Unity’s Volume and Post Processing frameworks.

Planned features may evolve during development.