Camera View

Demonstration of camera view.

The Camera view shows the current scene from the active camera’s viewpoint.

The Camera view can be used to virtually compose shots and preview how the scene will look when rendered. The rendered image will contain everything within the dashed frame.

See also

Camera Settings for details on how camera settings are used for display and rendering.

Hint

While in camera view, you can select the camera by clicking the dashed frame (assuming the camera object isn’t hidden).

Viewing the Active Camera

Reference

Mode:

All Modes

Menu:

View ‣ Cameras ‣ Active Camera, View ‣ Viewpoint ‣ Camera

Shortcut:

Numpad0

This switches the view to the active camera.

Setting the Active Camera

Reference

Mode:

Object Mode

Menu:

View ‣ Cameras ‣ Set Active Object as Camera

Shortcut:

Ctrl-Numpad0

Active camera (left) displayed with a solid triangle above it.

This sets the current active object as the active camera and switches to the camera view.

The active camera is the one that will be used for rendering, and which you’ll look through when choosing camera view.

Another way of setting the active camera is through the Scene tab of the Properties.

Note

The active camera is normally defined on the scene level, so that it’s the same across all 3D Viewports. However, it’s also possible to make a camera the active one within one Viewport only. See Local Camera.

Animated Camera Switching

While a scene contains only one camera by default, it’s possible to have multiple. You can then bind the cameras to specific time points in your animation to create jump cuts showing different viewpoints. See Animating Cameras.

Frame Camera Bounds

Reference

Mode:

All Modes

Menu:

View ‣ Cameras ‣ Frame Camera Bounds

Shortcut:

Home

Centers the camera view inside the 3D Viewport’s screen area and resizes the view to fit within the area’s bounds.

Zoom Camera 1:1

Reference

Mode:

All Modes

Menu:

View ‣ Navigation ‣ Zoom Camera 1:1

Zooms the view so that the camera frame has the exact same size as the output resolution. This allows you to preview exactly how large objects will be in the rendered image/animation.

Camera Positioning

There are several ways to position a camera in a scene. These tools allow aligning the camera to the viewport, navigating the scene while controlling the camera, or performing traditional cinematography-style camera moves.

Hint

The active “camera” can be any object used as the scene camera. These techniques can also be used to position and aim other objects, such as lights.

Align Active Camera to View

See Align Active Camera to View.

This operator aligns the active camera to match the current 3D View. It is useful when you have framed a composition in the viewport and want to place the camera exactly at that viewpoint.

Camera Navigation

Enable Lock Camera to View and switch to camera view (Numpad0). When this option is enabled, navigating the viewport will move the camera instead of the view.

Alternatively, the lock can be toggled using the navigation gizmo while in camera view.

This allows positioning the camera interactively using the standard viewport navigation controls.

See also

Fly/Walk Navigation can be used for first-person navigation that also moves the active camera.

Roll, Pan, Dolly, and Track

To perform these camera moves, the camera must first be selected so transform operations apply to it. The following actions also assume that you are in camera view. Having done so, you can now manipulate the camera using the same tools that are used to transform any object:

Roll

Press R to enter object rotation mode. The default will be to rotate the camera along its local Z axis (the axis orthogonal to the camera view), which is the definition of a camera “roll”.

Vertical Pan or Pitch

This is just a rotation along the local X axis. Press R to enter object rotation mode, then X twice. (The first press selects the global axis, the second the local axis. This works with any axis; see Axis Locking).

Horizontal Pan or Yaw

This corresponds to a rotation around the camera’s local Y axis. Press R, then Y twice.

Dolly

To dolly the camera, press G then MMB (or Z twice).

Sideways Tracking

Press G and move the mouse (you can use X or Y twice to get purely horizontal or vertical tracking).