--- title: AFM_Spectator product: Advanced Framework Pro version: 1.0 engine: Unreal Engine 5.8 updated: 2026-10-05 canonical: https://docs.human-codeable.com/plugins/afm-spectator.html --- Module # AFM_Spectator Spectator camera and manager, with modes for following a player and for fixed cinematic viewpoints. #### What it gives you - A spectator view independent of the VR player - Follow and fixed camera modes - A cleaner output for streaming and capture #### Requires None #### Required by None 4 assets20 API members ## Description A VR headset view makes poor video — it is shaky and mono. `AFM_Spectator` provides a second camera that can follow the player smoothly or sit at a fixed cinematic position, which is what you want for demos, trade shows and recorded footage. `BP_Manager_Spectator` coordinates the available cameras and modes; `BP_SpectatorCamera` is the placeable camera; `Comp_Spectator` drives the behaviour. ## Setup 1. Enable `AFM_Spectator`. 2. Place a `BP_Manager_Spectator` in the level. 3. Place `BP_SpectatorCamera` actors at the viewpoints you want. 4. Select a mode from `E_Spectator_Modes`. ## Usage ### Following the player Choose the follow mode; the camera smooths its motion rather than copying head movement directly. ### Fixed viewpoints Place cameras and switch between them for a multi-angle demo. ![The spectator view alongside the headset view](../images/AFM_Spectator_result.png) The spectator view alongside the headset view ## Key properties | Property | When to change | |---|---| | Spectator mode | Follow or fixed | | Camera smoothing | How closely the follow camera tracks | ## Extending Derive from `BP_SpectatorCamera` for custom framing behaviour. ## Example map Set up in the Showroom for demo purposes. ## Troubleshooting **The spectator view is still the headset view.** The spectator screen mode is set to a mirrored mode — the VR pawn sets `SingleEyeCroppedToFill` by default and the manager must override it. ## API reference Every blueprint asset in this plugin. Expand an asset to see its members. ### Blueprints **BP_Manager_Spectator**6 members extends `Actor` Coordinator holding every spectator camera in the level, keyed by name, and deciding which one feeds the headset's spectator screen. Activating one stops the previous one and applies the screen mode, whether that is the full screen or a corner inset. Spawned on demand by the first spectator component that looks for it, so place one only if you want to reach it from your own graph. | Kind | Name | Signature | Description | |---|---|---|---| | event | `ActivateSpecatorByKey` | `(Key: name)` | Activates the spectator registered under the given key, which is the Key set on the spectator component or the Name on a spectator camera actor. Keys that were never registered are ignored without a warning. | | event | `SetScreenMode` | `(ScreenMode: E_Spectator_Modes)` | Records the preferred layout and applies it to the headset mirror straight away. The two corner layouts are the reverse of their names: Texture Top Right fills the screen with the spectator feed and insets the headset view top right, while Eye Top Right shows the headset view full screen with the feed inset. | | event | `DeactivateSpectator` | `(Spectator: Comp_Spectator)` | Stops the given spectator's capture and returns the headset mirror to a single cropped eye, provided it is the one currently live. The record of the active spectator is left in place, so that same spectator cannot be started again until a different one has been activated. | | event | `DeactivateActiveSpectator` | `()` | Stops whichever spectator is currently the live feed and returns the headset mirror to a single cropped eye. Does nothing when no spectator has been activated yet. | | event | `ActivateSpectator` | `(Spectator: Comp_Spectator)` | Makes the given spectator the live feed: stops whichever one was running, starts its capture, broadcasts New Spectator Activated with the component, its owning actor and its render target, then reapplies the preferred screen mode. Does nothing if that spectator is already recorded as the active one. | | event | `RegisterSpectator` | `(SpectatorComponent: Comp_Spectator, Key: name)` | Files a spectator component in the coordinator's lookup under the given key so it can later be activated by name. Called by every spectator component at begin play; an empty key is refused with a log message, and two components sharing a key leave only the last one reachable. | **BP_SpectatorCamera**2 members extends `Actor` Ready-made spectator camera to place in a level: a spectator component, a name label drawn in the editor and a key binding that toggles this camera onto the spectator screen. Set Name and Key and it registers itself with the spectator coordinator at begin play. Use it as it stands, or add the spectator component to a camera actor of your own. | Kind | Name | Signature | Description | |---|---|---|---| | var | `Key` | `Key` | Input key that toggles this camera's feed on and off. The actor listens on player zero and does not consume the press, so the same key still reaches the rest of your input handling. | | var | `Name` | `name` | Identifier copied onto the camera's spectator component as its key when the actor is constructed, and shown on the label that floats above the camera in the editor. Left at None the camera never registers with the coordinator and cannot be selected by key. | ### Components **Comp_Spectator**10 members extends `CameraComponent` Camera component rendering a second view to the headset's spectator screen. It spawns its own scene capture helper and render target, registers with the spectator coordinator under Key at begin play, and captures only while it is the active spectator. Add it to any actor that should be able to take over the spectator view; each one needs a key of its own. | Kind | Name | Signature | Description | |---|---|---|---| | var | `Spectator Screen Size`Settings | `Vector2D` | resolution in ptx of the live feed the spectator component provides | | var | `Key`Settings | `name` | identifier this spectator component. Each spectator component of the level need an individual key for the spectator mode to work. | | fn | `getRenderTarget` | `(out RenderTarget: TextureRenderTarget2D)` | Returns the render target the feed is captured into, creating it at Spectator Screen Size with a target gamma of 2.2 and taking one capture immediately if it does not exist yet. Cached afterwards, so the resolution is fixed at the moment of the first call. | | fn | `getSpectatorCoordinator` | `(out SpectatorCoordinator: BP_Manager_Spectator)` | Returns the level's spectator coordinator, taking the first one it finds and spawning one if the level has none, then caching the result. Placing a coordinator by hand is therefore optional. | | fn | `getSpectatorHelper` | `(out SpectatorHelper: BP_Helper_Spectator)` | Returns the hidden capture actor that renders this feed, spawning it, attaching it to the component and pointing its scene capture at the render target the first time it is asked for. Cached afterwards; despite being a pure node it does spawn an actor on that first call. | | event | `ActivateSpectator` | `()` | Asks the coordinator to make this component the live spectator feed, stopping whichever feed was running before. The coordinator is found or spawned on demand, so it works without one placed in the level. | | event | `ToggleSpectator` | `()` | Switches this feed on or off according to whether it is currently capturing, and is what a spectator camera calls when its input key is pressed. Since the coordinator keeps its record of the active spectator when a feed stops, switching the same camera back on has no effect until another one has been activated. | | event | `DeactivateSpectator` | `()` | Asks the coordinator to stop this feed and return the headset mirror to a single cropped eye. Nothing happens if a different spectator is the live one. | | event | `StartCapture` | `()` | Begins capturing this feed: marks the component active so the scene is captured every tick, broadcasts Spectator Camera Activated with the component, its owning actor and the render target, and hands that target to the headset mirror. Called by the coordinator, so reach for Activate Spectator instead. | | event | `StopCapture` | `()` | Clears the active flag so the per-tick scene capture stops, leaving the last frame standing in the render target. Called by the coordinator; on its own it does not restore the headset mirror. | ### Helper **BP_Helper_Spectator**2 members extends `Actor` Scene capture actor behind a spectator component, spawned and attached by it. It holds the capture component, its post process settings and the field of view; the component points it at a render target and asks it to capture each frame while that spectator is the active one. Spawned for you rather than placed. | Kind | Name | Signature | Description | |---|---|---|---| | var | `Post Process Settings` | `PostProcessSettings` | Post-process settings copied onto the helper's scene capture as it is constructed, so the spectator feed can be graded apart from the player's view. A spectator component passes its own camera settings in on spawn; the copy happens in the construction script only, so later edits never reach the capture. | | var | `FOVAngle` | `float` | Field of view in degrees handed to the scene capture by the construction script, 75 by default to match the camera the helper stands in for. Spectator components hard-code 75 when they spawn their helper, so a different value only takes effect on helpers you spawn yourself. |