How do I change the camera axis in blender?

In Blender, you typically change the camera's orientation relative to its axes (or the world axes) by rotating it. To rotate your camera around a specific axis, you use the Rotate (R) tool followed by the desired axis key (X, Y, or Z). You can choose whether to rotate around the global axes or the camera's own local axes.

Understanding Camera Orientation and Axes in Blender

A camera in Blender, like any other object, has its own local coordinate system (its "axes"). By default:

• The Local -Z axis points forward (into the scene, away from the camera).
• The Local Y axis points upwards.
• The Local X axis points to the right.

When you "change the camera axis" in the context of movement or orientation, you are usually referring to rotating the camera around one of these axes or the corresponding global axes.

Rotating the Camera Around Specific Axes

The most common way to manipulate the camera's orientation is through rotation. Blender offers precise control over the axis of rotation:

1. Select your camera in the 3D Viewport.
2. Press R to activate the rotation tool. You will see a visual indicator allowing you to rotate the camera freely.
3. To constrain the rotation to a specific axis, press the key for that axis (X, Y, or Z).
   • Pressing the axis key once (R then X, R then Y, or R then Z) locks the rotation to the Global axis.
   • Pressing the axis key twice (R then X then X, R then Y then Y, or R then Z then Z) locks the rotation to the object's Local axis.

As referenced: Press R to enter object rotation mode, then X twice. This specific sequence rotates the selected object (your camera) around its local X-axis. This works with any axis; pressing the axis key a second time toggles to local axis rotation.

Once the axis is locked, you can move your mouse to perform the rotation or type a specific angle value and press Enter.

Axis Locking Explained

The ability to press an axis key once or twice provides flexibility in how you orient your camera:

Key Sequence	Rotation Axis	Description	Use Case Example
R then X	Global X-Axis	Rotates around the world's horizontal (usually left/right) axis.	Panning the camera horizontally relative to the world.
R then Y	Global Y-Axis	Rotates around the world's vertical (usually up/down) axis.	Tilting the camera up or down relative to the world.
R then Z	Global Z-Axis	Rotates around the world's depth (usually front/back) axis.	Rotating the camera around its view direction (rare).
R then X then X	Local X-Axis	Rotates around the camera's own right/left axis.	Rolling the camera (like a camera on its side).
R then Y then Y	Local Y-Axis	Rotates around the camera's own up/down axis.	Tilting the camera based on its current orientation.
R then Z then Z	Local Z-Axis	Rotates around the camera's own forward/backward axis.	Panning the camera left or right based on its view.

Note: You can press the axis key a third time to switch to the Normal axis orientation (based on averaged normals of selected elements in Edit Mode, less common for whole objects like cameras), or even define custom orientations.

Practical Examples

Here are a few common actions you might perform with your camera and the key presses involved:

• Tilt the camera up or down (relative to the horizon): Select camera, press R, then Y.
• Pan the camera left or right (keeping the horizon level): Select camera, press R, then Z. (This rotates around the global Z, useful for turntable animations). Or, if you want to rotate relative to the camera's current view direction, select camera, press R, then Z then Z.
• Roll the camera (like tilting your head sideways): Select camera, press R, then Z then Z. Correction: Rolling is typically around the camera's local Z axis (pointing forward), so R then Z then Z. (My previous table description had this slightly off). Let's correct the table mentally and ensure the text is correct. Yes, local Z is the 'forward' axis, so R + Z + Z rotates around the view vector, causing a roll.
• Rotate the camera around its local 'up' axis: Select camera, press R, then Y then Y.

By mastering the R key combined with the axis keys (X, Y, Z) and the double-press for local axes, you gain precise control over your camera's orientation in 3D space.