Select platform: [Android](https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/maps-3d/android-sdk/configure-camera-controls.md.txt "View this page for the Android platform docs.") [iOS](https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/maps-3d/ios-sdk/configure-camera-controls.md.txt "View this page for the iOS platform docs.") [JavaScript](https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/javascript/3d/map-controls.md.txt "View this page for the JavaScript platform docs.")
Users can control the zoom, tilt, position, and rotation of the camera using
gestures on the map. You can also configure the camera programmatically.
## The Camera Position
The map view is modeled as a camera looking at a specific point in space. The
position and orientation of the camera are defined by
latitude/longitude/altitude coordinates (defined
as the "center", where the camera is pointing), heading, tilt, range,
and roll.
### Center (latitude, longitude, altitude)
The **center** defines the specific point in 3D space that the camera is
observing. This is specified using the
[`LatLngAltitude`](https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/maps-3d/android-sdk/reference/com/google/android/gms/maps3d/model/LatLngAltitude.md.txt)
class, which combines values for latitude, longitude, and altitude. This lets
you position the camera's focal point in three dimensions.
The latitude can be between -90 and 90 degrees, inclusive. Longitude
ranges between -180 and 180 degrees, inclusive. Altitude is specified in meters,
and how the altitude is interpreted is determined by the camera's
[`altitudeMode`](https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/maps-3d/android-sdk/reference/com/google/android/gms/maps3d/model/Camera.md.txt#altitudeMode())
([`AltitudeMode.ABSOLUTE`](https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/maps-3d/android-sdk/reference/com/google/android/gms/maps3d/model/AltitudeMode.md.txt#ABSOLUTE())
by default,
[`AltitudeMode.RELATIVE_TO_GROUND`](https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/maps-3d/android-sdk/reference/com/google/android/gms/maps3d/model/AltitudeMode.md.txt#RELATIVE_TO_GROUND()),
or
[`AltitudeMode.RELATIVE_TO_MESH`](https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/maps-3d/android-sdk/reference/com/google/android/gms/maps3d/model/AltitudeMode.md.txt#RELATIVE_TO_MESH())).
### Heading
The **heading** specifies the compass direction of the map, measured in degrees
clockwise from true North. North corresponds to 0 degrees, East to 90 degrees,
South to 180 degrees, and West to 270 degrees.
### Tilt
The **tilt** specifies the angle of the camera with respect to the vertical
axis, measured in degrees. A tilt of 0 degrees means the camera is pointing
straight down towards the Earth (
[nadir](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nadir)). A tilt of 90 degrees
means the camera is pointed horizontally in the direction specified by the
[heading](https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/maps-3d/android-sdk/configure-camera-controls.md.txt#heading_orientation).
### Range
The **range** defines the distance in meters between the camera's own position
and the center of the map. The range can vary from zero meters (very close up)
up to sixty-three million meters, allowing for views from very close up all the
way to a truly global perspective. This effectively controls how "zoomed in" or
"zoomed out" the map appears.
### Roll
The **roll** sets the angle of the camera with respect to the horizon, measured
in degrees. This parameter can be used to create effects like banking during
flight simulations or even a full barrel roll, rotating the camera around its
viewing axis.
## Controlling the camera
The following code sample demonstrates how to control the [`Camera`](https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/maps-3d/android-sdk/reference/com/google/android/gms/maps3d/model/Camera.md.txt) programmatically by calling the [`setCamera`](https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/maps-3d/android-sdk/reference/com/google/android/gms/maps3d/GoogleMap3D.md.txt#setCamera(com.google.android.gms.maps3d.model.Camera)) method on [`GoogleMap3D`](https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/maps-3d/android-sdk/reference/com/google/android/gms/maps3d/GoogleMap3D.md.txt). To use this code sample, follow the instructions in [Setup](https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/maps-3d/android-sdk/setup.md.txt) and [Add a 3D map to your
app](https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/maps-3d/android-sdk/add-a-3d-map) to set up your Android Studio project with a basic 3D map. Then, add the following code to the **`MainActivity.kt`** file:
> [!NOTE]
> **Note:** `AltitudeMode` can only be used by `flyTo` and `flyAround`. Setting `AltitudeMode` in the `camera` will have no effect on how altitude is interpreted. `setCamera` always interprets `altitudeMode` as `ABSOLUTE`.
```kotlin
// Add imports
import com.google.android.gms.maps3d.model.Map3DMode
import com.google.android.gms.maps3d.model.camera
import com.google.android.gms.maps3d.model.latLngAltitude
// Add to the onMap3DViewReady method, after the googleMap3D object has been initialized
googleMap3D.setMapMode(Map3DMode.HYBRID)
googleMap3D.setCamera(
camera {
center = latLngAltitude {
latitude = 38.743502
longitude = -109.499374
altitude = 1467.0
}
heading = 350.0
tilt = 58.1
range = 138.2
roll = 0.0
}
)
```
## UI controls
In addition to standard gestures, the Maps 3D SDK for Android also provides UI controls
for manipulating the position of the camera.
- The **Zoom control** displays "+" and "-" buttons for changing the zoom level of the map.
- The **Move control** displays "←", "→", "↑", and "↓" buttons for changing the center of the map.
- The **Rotate controls** displays "↺" and "↻" to change the camera's heading.
- The **Tilt control** displays "\^" and "⌄" to change the camera's tilt.
- The **Compass control** indicates the direction of compass north, and allows for resetting the camera to a northerly heading.
The following code sample shows how to change the visibility of the UI controls:
### Kotlin
```kotlin
// Add imports
import com.google.android.gms.maps3d.UiControlSettings
import com.google.android.gms.maps3d.model.CompassControl
import com.google.android.gms.maps3d.model.TiltControl
import com.google.android.gms.maps3d.model.ZoomControl
...
val uiControlSettings = googleMap3D.getUiControlSettings()
// Show UI controls on the trailing edge of the map
uiControlSettings?.setUiControlsPlacement(
listOf(CompassControl(), ZoomControl(), TiltControl()),
UiControlSettings.ControlPlacement.TRAILING
)
// Hide UI controls on the trailing edge of the map
uiControlSettings?.setUiControlsPlacement(
emptyList(),
UiControlSettings.ControlPlacement.TRAILING
)
```