Editing Graphics pipeline (section)

==== Camera Transformation ====
[[File:View transform.svg|thumb|upright=1.5|Left: Position and direction of the virtual viewer (camera), as defined by the user. Right: Positioning the objects after the camera transformation. The light gray area is the visible volume.]]

In addition to the objects, the scene also defines a virtual camera or viewer that indicates the position and direction of view relative to which the scene is rendered. The scene is transformed so that the camera is at the origin looking along the Z-axis. The resulting coordinate system is called the camera coordinate system and the transformation is called ''camera transformation'' or ''View Transformation''.

: The view matrix is usually determined from the camera position, target point (where the camera looks), and an "up vector" ("up" from the viewer's viewpoint). The first three auxiliary vectors are required:
:{{Code|1=Zaxis = normal(cameraPosition – cameraTarget)}}
:{{Code|1=Xaxis = normal(cross(cameraUpVector, Zaxis))}}
:{{Code|1=Yaxis = cross(Zaxis, Xaxis )}}
: With normal(v) = normalization of the vector v; 
: cross(v1, v2) = [[cross product]] of v1 and v2.

:Finally, the matrix: <math>\begin{pmatrix}
{xaxis}.x & {yaxis}.x & {zaxis}.x & 0\\
{xaxis}.y & {yaxis}.y & {zaxis}.y & 0\\
{xaxis}.z & {yaxis}.z & {zaxis}.z & 0\\
-{dot}({xaxis}, {cameraPosition}) & -{dot}({yaxis},{cameraPosition}) & -{dot}({zaxis},{cameraPosition}) & 1
\end{pmatrix}</math>
: with dot(v1, v2) = [[dot product]] of v1 and v2.