| name | roblox-camera |
| description | Use when scripting Roblox camera behavior, CFrame placement, screen raycasts, first or third-person views, or cutscenes. |
| last_reviewed | "2026-06-29T00:00:00.000Z" |
| sources | ["https://create.roblox.com/docs/reference/engine/classes/Camera","https://create.roblox.com/docs/reference/engine/enums/CameraType","https://create.roblox.com/docs/reference/engine/datatypes/CFrame"] |
When to Load
Load when scripting custom camera behavior (cutscenes, third-person follow, custom rotation), manipulating CFrame for placement/rotation, raycasting from the screen, or building a non-default player view. Client-only.
Quick Reference
The Camera: workspace.CurrentCamera — one per client. Set CameraType = Scriptable to disable defaults and take full control. Without it, defaults overwrite your CFrame every frame.
CameraType: Fixed, Attach/Watch/Track/Follow (subject-following), Custom (default), Scriptable (no default), Orbital (fixed Y, rotates around player). CameraSubject cannot be nil — setting it reverts.
Key properties: CFrame, CameraSubject, FieldOfView (deg), FieldOfViewMode (Vertical/Diagonal), NearPlaneZ, ViewportSize, HeadLocked, HeadScale, Focus.
CFrame essentials:
CFrame.new(pos)
CFrame.lookAt(at, lookAt, up?) -- preferred over deprecated CFrame.new(pos, lookAt)
CFrame.Angles(rx, ry, rz) -- XYZ Euler (radians)
cf * Vector3.new(0, 0, 10) -- local offset → world
cf:Lerp(goal, alpha) -- 0..1 linear interp
cf.LookVector / RightVector / UpVector -- world-space unit axes
Custom camera loop — always RenderStepped, never Heartbeat:
camera.CameraType = Enum.CameraType.Scriptable
RunService.RenderStepped:Connect(function(dt)
local desired = CFrame.lookAt(head.Position - offset, head.Position)
camera.CFrame = camera.CFrame:Lerp(desired, math.min(dt * 10, 1))
end)
Raycasting from camera: camera:ScreenPointToRay(mx, my) (accounts for GUI inset) vs camera:ViewportPointToRay(mx, my) (raw, NO inset). ScreenPointToRay returns a unit Ray (1 stud) — multiply Direction by length for actual raycast.
Pitfalls:
- Client-only. Server sets silently dropped.
- Without
Scriptable, defaults overwrite your CFrame every frame.
RenderStepped for camera (visual sync). Heartbeat adds 1-frame lag.Camera.CFrame lacks VR head rotation — use GetRenderCFrame() for true view.SetRoll is outdated — apply roll via CFrame.Angles(0, 0, roll) on CFrame.CameraSubject = nil reverts to previous.CFrame.new(pos, lookAt) is legacy (back-compat only) — use CFrame.lookAt(at, lookAt) for new code.ScreenPointToRay ≠ ViewportPointToRay (GUI inset). Use ScreenPointToRay for mouse input.
See references/full.md for first/third-person recipes, cutscenes, screen shake, mouse-look, full API.
