Part 6 – RTS Camera Boundaries – Master Your Map's Limits!

Part 6 – RTS Camera Boundaries – Master Your Map's Limits!

Published: August 14, 2025 • Series: RTS Camera Series • Level: beginner

unreal ue5 rts camera blueprint collision boundaries gamedev ue5 tutorial

Welcome back! In Part 6 of the RTS Camera Series, we’re tackling something every strategy game needs:
map boundaries that stop the camera from wandering outside the playable area.

This idea came directly from the community — shoutout to @UnlessItsCrap for the request.
We’ll build a collision-based solution that requires no clamping math or messy calculations.

By the end, your camera will be fully locked inside the map, and you’ll have a clean, scalable system that works with everything we’ve built so far.

🎯 What You’ll Learn

  • Create a dedicated collision channel just for your RTS camera pawn
  • Use a Box Collision as the pawn’s root for accurate blocking
  • Configure custom collision presets that only affect your camera
  • Enable Sweep movement for smooth stops against boundaries
  • Place and scale Blocking Volumes to form invisible map edges
  • Test and duplicate walls until your entire map is enclosed

📝 Chapters

  • 0:00 – Intro & what we’re building
  • 0:06 – Subscribe reminder
  • 0:10 – Viewer request credit
  • 0:17 – Overview of the “no math” method
  • 0:24 – Collision channel setup
  • 0:40 – Finding collision settings in Project Settings
  • 0:55 – Creating RTS Pawn channel
  • 1:11 – Adding Box Collision to BP_RTSPlayer
  • 1:22 – Why the box is the camera’s “body”
  • 1:32 – Custom collision presets
  • 1:54 – Sweep option in Set Actor Location
  • 2:19 – Box Extent for accuracy
  • 2:43 – Adding Blocking Volume
  • 2:54 – Positioning first boundary
  • 3:06 – Scaling Brush Settings
  • 3:28 – Collision setup on Blocking Volume
  • 3:44 – Testing boundary wall
  • 3:52 – Duplicating for all sides
  • 4:07 – Enclosed playable area
  • 4:17 – Outro & next tutorial preview
  • 4:28 – Call for feedback
  • 4:46 – Subscribe wrap-up

⚙️ Step 1: Create a Custom Collision Channel

  1. Open Project Settings → scroll to Engine → Collision.
  2. Under Object Channels, click New Object Channel.
  3. Name it: RTS_Pawn
  4. Default Response = Block.

👉 This channel will be used only for our RTS camera pawn, ensuring boundaries affect it but not other actors.

⚙️ Step 2: Add Box Collision to Camera Pawn

  1. Open BP_RTSPlayer.
  2. Add a Box Collision component.
  3. Drag it above the current root and set it as the new root component.

This box becomes the physical body of the camera pawn.

📌 Why?
Instead of blocking the camera directly (which is awkward), we block this box. Boundaries will treat it like any other physical actor.

⚙️ Step 3: Configure Custom Collision

With the box selected:

  • Collision Presets = Custom
  • Object Type = RTS_Pawn
  • Response to RTS_Pawn = Block

This ensures blocking volumes tagged for RTS Pawns will stop the camera pawn, but won’t interfere with players, units, or other actors.

⚙️ Step 4: Enable Sweep on Movement

Earlier, we used Set Actor Location in Tick to move the pawn.

👉 Go back to that node and check Sweep.
Now Unreal will check collisions before moving the pawn, so it stops at walls instead of clipping through.

⚙️ Step 5: Adjust Box Extent (Optional)

To match your camera footprint more precisely:

  • Select Box Collision → Box Extent
  • Example: X=300, Y=300, Z=32

These values define the “hitbox” of your camera pawn. Adjust to fit your game’s top-down view.

⚙️ Step 6: Add Blocking Volumes

  1. In the Main Map, go to Quick Add → Volumes → Blocking Volume.
  2. Place it where you want your first boundary wall.
    • Example: Location: X=0, Y=2000, Z=0
  3. Scale via Brush Settings:
    • X = 7000
    • Y = 200
    • Z = 10000

This ensures the wall is tall enough that the camera pawn can’t climb or slip over it.

⚙️ Step 7: Collision Setup on Blocking Volumes

With the Blocking Volume selected:

  • Object Type = RTS_Pawn
  • RTS_Pawn Response = Block

👉 Now this volume specifically blocks the camera pawn, leaving other gameplay actors unaffected.

⚙️ Step 8: Test & Duplicate

  1. Hit Play and move toward the wall.
    • The camera pawn should stop cleanly at the edge.
  2. Duplicate the Blocking Volume (Alt + Drag) and place 3 more walls for all map edges.
  3. Scale them until the entire playable area is enclosed.

✅ Final Result

  • RTS Camera is locked inside the map.
  • No math, no vector clamping, no jittery logic.
  • Fully collision-based → lightweight and easy to debug.
  • Works seamlessly with WASD movement, Zoom, and Rotation from earlier parts.

🔮 Next Up

In Part 7, we’ll cover edge mouse movement, a classic RTS feature where the camera moves when your mouse touches the edge of the screen.

🔗 Resources

📺 Watch the full tutorial here:
👉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZJiGCw7IiI