Camera properties

The Camera Properties overlay displays the current camera location and direction values for a map or scene. View the camera properties to get feedback on the current camera location or to update the view directly from the overlay. You can copy all camera property values or just one to the clipboard. You can type or paste new values and zoom to the updated values. As you navigate around a view, the overlay updates to display the camera's current properties.

On the View tab, in the Navigation group, click the Camera Properties button Camera Properties to display the overlay in the view. Optionally right-click the map or scene to access the control from the context menu. Camera Properties is a moveable, on-screen overlay that opens for the first time in the left center of the view. You can minimize the overlay when it is not being used.

Note:

X, Y, and Z camera values are in the same units as the coordinate system of the map. Double-click the map in the Contents Pane to open the Map Properties dialog box. On the Coordinate Systems page, you can modify the map's coordinate system to use a different unit.

2D values

A 2D map displays the following values in the Camera Properties overlay:

PropertyDescription

X

The horizontal coordinate value on the x-axis where the camera is positioned.

Y

The horizontal coordinate value on the y-axis where the camera is positioned.

Scale

The scale the map is displayed at using the map units defined in the map's properties.

Rotation

The direction the camera is pointing as a compass bearing. Rotation ranges from 0 to 360, where 0 is facing north, 90 is facing east, and 180 is facing south.

3D values

A 3D scene (local or global) displays the following values in the Camera Properties overlay:

PropertyDescription

X

The horizontal coordinate value on the x-axis where the camera is positioned.

Y

The horizontal coordinate value on the y-axis where the camera is positioned.

Z

The vertical axis coordinate value (altitude), where the camera is positioned, shows as the height above mean sea level in meters.

Pitch

The deflection angle away from looking parallel to the surface, such as when a ships bow rises and dips when sailing into and out of waves. Pitch values range from -90 (looking straight down) to 90 (looking straight up toward the sky).

Roll

The rotation angle of the camera left or right from the view. Positive values will roll the camera to the right. Negative values will roll the camera to the left. Roll values range from 0 to 360, with 0 being horizontal and 180 being upside-down.

Heading

The direction the camera is pointing as a compass bearing. Heading ranges from 0 to 360, where 0 is facing north, 90 is facing east, and 180 is facing south.

Field of view

The diagonal field of view (FOV) angle for the camera. The range of angles must be between 1 and 170 degrees, where smaller FOV angles mimic a telephoto lens zooming in, and larger FOV angles mimic a fish-eye lens zooming out. The default angle is 55 degrees.

Related topics


In this topic
  1. 2D values
  2. 3D values