The primary method to rotate the camera (view) in Blender using the keyboard involves using the numpad keys.
Here's a breakdown:
- Numpad 8: Rotates the view up.
- Numpad 2: Rotates the view down.
- Numpad 4: Rotates the view left.
- Numpad 6: Rotates the view right.
These rotations are in discrete steps. For finer control, consider these options:
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Holding Shift While Rotating: Holding the
Shiftkey while using the numpad rotation keys (8, 2, 4, 6) allows for smaller, more precise increments. -
Turntable View (Emulate 3 Button Mouse): If you don't have a middle mouse button (or prefer a keyboard-only method), you can enable "Emulate 3 Button Mouse" in Blender's Preferences. With this enabled,
Alt + Left Mouse Button Dragwill simulate the middle-mouse-button rotation behavior. Then you can use Ctrl + Alt + Left Mouse Button Drag in the 3D Viewport to rotate the view. -
Using Transform Properties: You can directly manipulate the camera object's rotation values in the Properties panel (accessed by pressing 'N' in the 3D Viewport). Select the camera, go to the "Object" tab, and modify the X, Y, and Z rotation values. This is useful for precise adjustments.
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Walk Navigation: You can also use the "Walk Navigation" feature (Shift + `) to move and rotate the camera using WASD keys (or the arrow keys). You rotate the camera by moving the mouse while in walk navigation mode. Pressing the space bar will enable gravity.
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Fly Navigation: Similar to Walk Navigation, Fly Navigation (Shift + F) lets you move the camera freely. The rotation is controlled by the mouse movement.
In summary, the numpad provides direct keyboard control for camera rotation, while alternative methods offer finer adjustments or mouse-based rotation emulation.
