Camera

// Create a camera looking down the negative z-axis, positioned at the origin,
// with a field of view of 60 degrees, and 1:1 aspect ratio.
var camera = new Cesium.Camera(scene);
camera.position = new Cesium.Cartesian3();
camera.direction = Cesium.Cartesian3.negate(Cesium.Cartesian3.UNIT_Z);
camera.up = Cesium.Cartesian3.clone(Cesium.Cartesian3.UNIT_Y);
camera.frustum.fovy = Cesium.Math.PI_OVER_THREE;
camera.frustum.near = 1.0;
camera.frustum.far = 2.0;

Members

constrainedAxis :Cartesian3

If set, the camera will not be able to rotate past this axis in either direction.

Default Value:

• undefined

defaultLookAmount :Number

The default amount to rotate the camera when an argument is not provided to the look methods.

Default Value:

• Math.PI / 60.0

defaultMoveAmount :Number

The default amount to move the camera when an argument is not provided to the move methods.

Default Value:

• 100000.0;

defaultRotateAmount :Number

The default amount to rotate the camera when an argument is not provided to the rotate methods.

Default Value:

• Math.PI / 3600.0

defaultZoomAmount :Number

The default amount to move the camera when an argument is not provided to the zoom methods.

Default Value:

• 100000.0;

direction :Cartesian3

The view direction of the camera.

directionWC :Cartesian3

Gets the view direction of the camera in world coordinates.

frustum :Frustum

The region of space in view.

Default Value:

• PerspectiveFrustum()

See:

• PerspectiveFrustum
• PerspectiveOffCenterFrustum
• OrthographicFrustum

heading :Number

Gets or sets the camera heading in radians.

inverseTransform :Matrix4

Gets the inverse camera transform.

Default Value:

• Matrix4.IDENTITY

inverseViewMatrix :Matrix4

Gets the inverse view matrix.

See:

• UniformState#inverseView
• czm_inverseView
• Camera#viewMatrix

maximumTranslateFactor :Number

The factor multiplied by the the map size used to determine where to clamp the camera position when translating across the surface. The default is 1.5. Only valid for 2D and Columbus view.

Default Value:

• 1.5

maximumZoomFactor :Number

The factor multiplied by the the map size used to determine where to clamp the camera position when zooming out from the surface. The default is 2.5. Only valid for 2D.

Default Value:

• 2.5

position :Cartesian3

The position of the camera.

positionWC :Cartesian3

Gets the position of the camera in world coordinates.

right :Cartesian3

The right direction of the camera.

rightWC :Cartesian3

Gets the right direction of the camera in world coordinates.

tilt :Number

Gets or sets the camera tilt in radians

transform :Matrix4

Modifies the camera's reference frame. The inverse of this transformation is appended to the view matrix.

Default Value:

• Matrix4.IDENTITY

See:

• Transforms
• Camera#inverseTransform

up :Cartesian3

The up direction of the camera.

upWC :Cartesian3

Gets the up direction of the camera in world coordinates.

viewMatrix :Matrix4

Gets the view matrix.

See:

• UniformState#view
• czm_view
• Camera#inverseViewMatrix

Methods

cameraToWorldCoordinates

Transform a vector or point from the camera's reference frame to world coordinates.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Argument	Description
vector	Cartesian4		The vector or point to transform.
result	Cartesian4	<optional>	The object onto which to store the result.

Returns:

Cartesian4 The transformed vector or point.

clone

Returns a duplicate of a Camera instance.

Returns:

Camera A new copy of the Camera instance.

createCorrectPositionAnimation

Create an animation to move the map into view. This method is only valid for 2D and Columbus modes.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Description
duration	Number	The duration, in milliseconds, of the animation.

Throws:

DeveloperException : duration is required.

Returns:

Object The animation or undefined if the scene mode is 3D or the map is already ion view.

getMagnitude

Gets the magnitude of the camera position. In 3D, this is the vector magnitude. In 2D and Columbus view, this is the distance to the map.

Returns:

Number The magnitude of the position.

getPickRay

Create a ray from the camera position through the pixel at windowPosition in world coordinates.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Argument	Description
windowPosition	Cartesian2		The x and y coordinates of a pixel.
result	Ray	<optional>	The object onto which to store the result.

Returns:

Object Returns the Cartesian3 position and direction of the ray.

getRectangleCameraCoordinates

Get the camera position needed to view an rectangle on an ellipsoid or map

Parameters:

Name	Type	Argument	Description
rectangle	Rectangle		The rectangle to view.
result	Cartesian3	<optional>	The camera position needed to view the rectangle

Returns:

Cartesian3 The camera position needed to view the rectangle

look

Rotate each of the camera's orientation vectors around axis by angle

Parameters:

Name	Type	Argument	Description
axis	Cartesian3		The axis to rotate around.
angle	Number	<optional>	The angle, in radians, to rotate by. Defaults to defaultLookAmount.

See:

• Camera#lookUp
• Camera#lookDown
• Camera#lookLeft
• Camera#lookRight

lookAt

Sets the camera position and orientation with an eye position, target, and up vector. This method is not supported in 2D mode because there is only one direction to look.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Description
eye	Cartesian3	The position of the camera.
target	Cartesian3	The position to look at.
up	Cartesian3	The up vector.

Throws:

• DeveloperError : lookAt is not supported in 2D mode because there is only one direction to look.
• DeveloperError : lookAt is not supported while morphing.

lookDown

Rotates the camera around its right vector by amount, in radians, in the opposite direction of its up vector.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Argument	Description
amount	Number	<optional>	The amount, in radians, to rotate by. Defaults to defaultLookAmount.

See:

• Camera#lookUp

lookLeft

Rotates the camera around its up vector by amount, in radians, in the opposite direction of its right vector.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Argument	Description
amount	Number	<optional>	The amount, in radians, to rotate by. Defaults to defaultLookAmount.

See:

• Camera#lookRight

lookRight

Rotates the camera around its up vector by amount, in radians, in the direction of its right vector.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Argument	Description
amount	Number	<optional>	The amount, in radians, to rotate by. Defaults to defaultLookAmount.

See:

• Camera#lookLeft

lookUp

Rotates the camera around its right vector by amount, in radians, in the direction of its up vector.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Argument	Description
amount	Number	<optional>	The amount, in radians, to rotate by. Defaults to defaultLookAmount.

See:

• Camera#lookDown

move

Translates the camera's position by amount along direction.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Argument	Description
direction	Cartesian3		The direction to move.
amount	Number	<optional>	The amount, in meters, to move. Defaults to defaultMoveAmount.

See:

• Camera#moveBackward
• Camera#moveForward
• Camera#moveLeft
• Camera#moveRight
• Camera#moveUp
• Camera#moveDown

moveBackward

Translates the camera's position by amount along the opposite direction of the camera's view vector.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Argument	Description
amount	Number	<optional>	The amount, in meters, to move. Defaults to defaultMoveAmount.

See:

• Camera#moveForward

moveDown

Translates the camera's position by amount along the opposite direction of the camera's up vector.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Argument	Description
amount	Number	<optional>	The amount, in meters, to move. Defaults to defaultMoveAmount.

See:

• Camera#moveUp

moveForward

Translates the camera's position by amount along the camera's view vector.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Argument	Description
amount	Number	<optional>	The amount, in meters, to move. Defaults to defaultMoveAmount.

See:

• Camera#moveBackward

moveLeft

Translates the camera's position by amount along the opposite direction of the camera's right vector.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Argument	Description
amount	Number	<optional>	The amount, in meters, to move. Defaults to defaultMoveAmount.

See:

• Camera#moveRight

moveRight

Translates the camera's position by amount along the camera's right vector.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Argument	Description
amount	Number	<optional>	The amount, in meters, to move. Defaults to defaultMoveAmount.

See:

• Camera#moveLeft

moveUp

Translates the camera's position by amount along the camera's up vector.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Argument	Description
amount	Number	<optional>	The amount, in meters, to move. Defaults to defaultMoveAmount.

See:

• Camera#moveDown

pickEllipsoid

Pick an ellipsoid or map.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Argument	Default	Description
windowPosition	Cartesian2			The x and y coordinates of a pixel.
ellipsoid	Ellipsoid	<optional>	Ellipsoid.WGS84	The ellipsoid to pick.
result	Cartesian3	<optional>		The object onto which to store the result.

Returns:

Cartesian3 If the ellipsoid or map was picked, returns the point on the surface of the ellipsoid or map in world coordinates. If the ellipsoid or map was not picked, returns undefined.

rotate

Rotates the camera around axis by angle. The distance of the camera's position to the center of the camera's reference frame remains the same.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Argument	Description
axis	Cartesian3		The axis to rotate around given in world coordinates.
angle	Number	<optional>	The angle, in radians, to rotate by. Defaults to defaultRotateAmount.
transform	Matrix4	<optional>	A transform to append to the camera transform before the rotation. Does not alter the camera's transform.

Example

// Rotate about a point on the earth.
var center = ellipsoid.cartographicToCartesian(cartographic);
var transform = Cesium.Matrix4.fromTranslation(center);
camera.rotate(axis, angle, transform);

See:

• Camera#rotateUp
• Camera#rotateDown
• Camera#rotateLeft
• Camera#rotateRight

rotateDown

Rotates the camera around the center of the camera's reference frame by angle downwards.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Argument	Description
angle	Number	<optional>	The angle, in radians, to rotate by. Defaults to defaultRotateAmount.
transform	Matrix4	<optional>	A transform to append to the camera transform before the rotation. Does not alter the camera's transform.

See:

• Camera#rotateUp
• Camera#rotate

rotateLeft

Rotates the camera around the center of the camera's reference frame by angle to the left.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Argument	Description
angle	Number	<optional>	The angle, in radians, to rotate by. Defaults to defaultRotateAmount.
transform	Matrix4	<optional>	A transform to append to the camera transform before the rotation. Does not alter the camera's transform.

See:

• Camera#rotateRight
• Camera#rotate

rotateRight

Rotates the camera around the center of the camera's reference frame by angle to the right.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Argument	Description
angle	Number	<optional>	The angle, in radians, to rotate by. Defaults to defaultRotateAmount.
transform	Matrix4	<optional>	A transform to append to the camera transform before the rotation. Does not alter the camera's transform.

See:

• Camera#rotateLeft
• Camera#rotate

rotateUp

Rotates the camera around the center of the camera's reference frame by angle upwards.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Argument	Description
angle	Number	<optional>	The angle, in radians, to rotate by. Defaults to defaultRotateAmount.
transform	Matrix4	<optional>	A transform to append to the camera transform before the rotation. Does not alter the camera's transform.

See:

• Camera#rotateDown
• Camera#rotate

setPositionCartographic

Moves the camera to the provided cartographic position.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Description
cartographic	Cartographic	The new camera position.

setTransform

Sets the camera's transform without changing the current view.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Description
The	Matrix4	camera transform.

twistLeft

Rotate the camera counter-clockwise around its direction vector by amount, in radians.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Argument	Description
amount	Number	<optional>	The amount, in radians, to rotate by. Defaults to defaultLookAmount.

See:

• Camera#twistRight

twistRight

Rotate the camera clockwise around its direction vector by amount, in radians.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Argument	Description
amount	Number	<optional>	The amount, in radians, to rotate by. Defaults to defaultLookAmount.

See:

• Camera#twistLeft

viewRectangle

View an rectangle on an ellipsoid or map.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Argument	Default	Description
rectangle	Rectangle			The rectangle to view.
ellipsoid	Ellipsoid	<optional>	Ellipsoid.WGS84	The ellipsoid to view.

worldToCameraCoordinates

Transform a vector or point from world coordinates to the camera's reference frame.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Argument	Description
cartesian	Cartesian4		The vector or point to transform.
result	Cartesian4	<optional>	The object onto which to store the result.

Returns:

Cartesian4 The transformed vector or point.

zoomIn

Zooms amount along the camera's view vector.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Argument	Description
amount	Number	<optional>	The amount to move. Defaults to defaultZoomAmount.

See:

• Camera#zoomOut

zoomOut

Zooms amount along the opposite direction of the camera's view vector.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Argument	Description
amount	Number	<optional>	The amount to move. Defaults to defaultZoomAmount.

See:

• Camera#zoomIn