Basis "rotation wrapping" issue

Help Programming
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1

Godot Version

v4.4.1.stable.mono.official

Question

Hi, I was working on a camera follow script and I use the GlobalBasis.Z of the following target to determine the camera rotation with Basis.LookingAt().

The problem is if the target.GlobalBasis.Z exceedes 180 degrees on the X-Axis, up or down, the camera realigns itself to the horizon, which is unintended behaviour.

Camera realigns itself after the ship does an 180 degree rotation
Camera realigns itself after the ship does an 180 degree rotation1115×553 67 KB

I’m aware that this is just how rotation works in Godot, and this wouldn’t be a huge problem at ALL if it affected only the camera… but I do use the GlobalBasis.Z for other things that use Cross() and they also have the same exact problem. Here’s the relevant code that causes trouble:

private Node3D cam;

private Node3D ship;
private ShipReferences references; //stores all data from the ship

private const byte rotationTime = 4;

private void Rotation(float delta)
{
    Vector3 shipDir = ship.GlobalBasis.Z; //forward vector, also the bane of my existance.

    float ahead = Mathf.Max(references.Velocity.LinearVelocity, rotationTime); //get the ship's current velocity
    cam.GlobalBasis = cam.GlobalBasis.Orthonormalized().Slerp(
        Basis.LookingAt(shipDir * ahead), //(ship.GlobalPosition - cam.GlobalPosition) has the same exact issue as shipDir
        1 - Mathf.Exp(-(ahead * 2.72f) * delta)
    );
    GD.Print(shipDir); //x value goes back and forth?
}

There’s some posts that kinda mention this issue, but their solution doesn’t seem to apply to this (i think):

Any help would be greatly appreciated as after so much time looking for answers online, this is my last resort. Thanks.

2

I think I know what the problem really is; it’s the way I’m trying to use Basis.LookingAt. I realize that I haven’t specified what I want to do very well, but the idea is that if the ship gets upside down, the camera also has to be upside down. I think the looking at function probably does exactly what it implies: “Just look at the thing, I don’t care how, just do it.”

The work around that immediately comes to my head is very convoluted but basically, copy the X rotation of the ship and then apply the Y and Z of Basis.LookingAt, but again, it feels very wrong to do this. So now I’m still looking for alternatives to the way I have the rotation setup. Anything that doesn’t feel as hacky as this.