orbitcontrole

Orbitcontrole, in the context of computer graphics and interactive visualization, refers to a camera control technique that lets a user move the camera around a fixed focal point. The goal is to inspect objects or scenes from multiple angles while maintaining a stable center of interest.

The core idea is to represent the camera position relative to a target point using spherical coordinates: distance (radius), azimuth (horizontal angle), and elevation (vertical angle). A control system adjusts these values in response to user input, applying constraints such as minimum and maximum distance, and limits on the polar angle to prevent awkward flips. Many implementations include damping or inertia to create smooth, gradual motion and may offer auto-rotation for passive viewing. Collision handling can also be incorporated to prevent the camera from passing through scene geometry.

Interaction typically relies on common input methods: dragging with a mouse or finger to rotate around the target, right-drag or two-finger drag to pan the target plane, and scrolling or pinch-to-zoom to adjust distance. Keyboard shortcuts or touch gestures may provide quick resets or fine-grained control. Libraries often expose parameters for the target point, damping factors, and enablement flags for rotation, panning, and zooming.

Orbitcontrole is widely used in 3D editors, product visualization, architectural walkthroughs, and data dashboards, where an intuitive and controllable viewpoint around a central object enhances exploration. Notable implementations include orbit camera systems in libraries such as Three.js, as well as equivalent features in various game engines and visualization frameworks.