
Unity is a game engine that offers a variety of tools for developing 2D and 3D games. One of the essential aspects of game development in Unity is scene view navigation, which allows developers to move through the game world and adjust the camera to create the desired player experience. Panning is a crucial technique in this process, enabling the camera to move horizontally or vertically while maintaining a fixed angle. This can be achieved by modifying the camera's field of view property, which determines how much of the scene the camera can see. Additionally, Unity supports panning through touch and mouse input, allowing players to pan by dragging their fingers or using the mouse on desktop versions. Developers can also utilize the Flythrough mode in Unity to navigate the scene in a first-person perspective.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Navigation mode | Flythrough mode |
| Mouse buttons | Click and hold the right mouse button and move the mouse |
| Movement | Move forward or backward with W or S |
| Camera | Use the Cameras overlay to move the Scene Camera |
| Locking the view | Press Shift+F or go to Edit > Lock View to Selected |
| Orientation overlay | Displays the Scene Camera's current orientation and allows changing the viewing angle and projection mode |
| Panning | Tap and drag to pan on touch devices, click and drag to pan on desktop |
| Zooming | Pinch to zoom on touch devices, mouse-wheel scroll to zoom on desktop |
| Field of view | Defines how much the camera can see vertically in degrees |
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What You'll Learn

Panning with touch and mouse input
For touch input, users can pan the camera by dragging their finger across the screen. This gesture is supported on various touch-enabled devices, including Android, iOS, iPad, and iPhone. By implementing the CameraHandler script, developers can enable smooth panning and pinch-to-zoom functionality for touch controls. The panFingerId feature in Unity tracks the ID of the finger being used for panning, ensuring accurate input detection.
When it comes to mouse input, panning can be achieved by clicking and dragging the mouse cursor. In Unity's 2D mode, holding the right mouse button while moving the mouse allows users to pan around the scene view. Additionally, the mouse scroll wheel can be used for zooming in and out, providing a dynamic viewing experience. The ZoomCamera function in Unity takes into account the different speeds of mouse and touch-controlled zooming, allowing for a seamless user experience.
It's important to note that the camera's field of view plays a crucial role in both touch and mouse panning. By modifying the field of view, the camera's apparent distance and visible area can be adjusted. This can be done by changing the camera's fieldOfView property, which defines the vertical viewing angle of the camera in degrees.
To enhance the panning experience, Unity provides additional features such as the Scene Gizmo. Located in the upper-right corner of the Scene View, the Scene Gizmo displays the current orientation of the Scene View Camera. Users can quickly modify the viewing angle by clicking on the arms of the Scene Gizmo or toggling between different modes, such as Isometric and Perspective.
By combining touch and mouse input panning with features like Scene Gizmo and field of view adjustments, developers can create immersive and interactive experiences for their users, enabling them to explore and engage with the virtual environment in a natural and intuitive way.
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Using the Orientation overlay
The Orientation overlay is a useful tool in Unity that helps you navigate the Scene view by allowing you to change the viewing angle and projection mode. Here's a step-by-step guide on using the Orientation overlay:
Understanding the Orientation Overlay:
The Orientation overlay appears in the Scene view and displays the current orientation of the Scene Camera. It consists of a cube with a conical arm on each side, labelled with the X, Y, and Z axes. These arms represent the different viewing angles you can snap the camera to.
Changing Viewing Angles:
To change the viewing angle, simply click on one of the conical axis arms. For example, clicking on the top arm labelled "X" will snap the Scene Camera to the top view. Similarly, clicking on the left arm ("Y") will give you a left view, and the front arm ("Z") will provide a front view. This is a quick and easy way to change your perspective within the Scene.
Using the Right-Click Menu:
If you right-click on the cube in the centre of the Orientation overlay, a menu will appear with a list of viewing angles to choose from. This menu provides additional options for navigating the Scene. For instance, you can select "Free" from the menu to return to the default viewing angle. The right-click menu offers a convenient way to explore different perspectives without having to manually adjust the camera.
Toggling Perspective and Orthographic Modes:
The Orientation overlay also allows you to toggle between Perspective and Orthographic (or "isometric") projection modes. Clicking on the cube or the text below it will switch between these two modes. Perspective mode provides a realistic sense of depth and perspective, while Orthographic mode offers a uniform scale and size regardless of distance, similar to a 2D representation.
By utilising the Orientation overlay, you can efficiently navigate the Scene view in Unity, explore different viewing angles, and switch between projection modes to suit your specific needs.
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Flythrough mode
To enter Flythrough mode in Unity, you must be in 3D mode. Click and hold the right mouse button, then use the mouse to move the view. You can move forward and backward with 'W' and 'S', left and right with 'A' and 'D', and up and down with 'Q' and 'E'. To move faster, press and hold Shift. You can also change the speed by using the scroll wheel on your mouse or dragging two fingers on a trackpad.
The Scene Camera is what you control and look through when navigating the Scene view. To change the speed of the camera, select the Camera icon in the View Options overlay and adjust the Camera Speed property. The Orientation overlay displays the Scene Camera's current orientation and allows you to change the viewing angle and projection mode. Click on any of the conical axis arms to snap the camera to that axis, or right-click the cube to see a menu of viewing angles.
To centre the Scene view on a GameObject, select the GameObject in the Hierarchy and move the mouse over the Scene view, then press 'F'. If the GameObject is already selected, 'F' zooms in on the pivot point. To lock the view to the GameObject, even when it's moving, press Shift+F.
To exit Flythrough mode, you can use "Reset All Views" in the Edit menu, or "Frame Selected" (select something and hit 'F') or "Lock View to Selected" (Shift+F).
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Locking the view to a moving GameObject
To lock the view to a moving GameObject in Unity, you can use the following steps:
- Navigate to the "Edit" menu in the menu bar and select "Lock View to Selected". Alternatively, you can use the keyboard shortcut "Shift + F" to achieve the same result. This feature allows you to lock the view to the selected GameObject, even when it is in motion.
- To further customize the viewing angle and projection mode, utilize the Orientation overlay in the Scene view. This overlay displays the current orientation of the Scene Camera and provides options to adjust the viewing perspective.
- If you wish to orbit the Camera around a specific axis (X, Y, or Z), click on the respective conical axis arm in the Orientation overlay. Alternatively, right-clicking on the cube in the overlay will present a menu with various viewing angles to choose from.
- In Orthographic Mode, you can achieve a panning effect by clicking and holding the right mouse button, then moving the mouse. This will cause the view to orbit the Camera, simulating a panning motion.
- If you prefer the Camera to follow a specific GameObject, consider using an empty GameObject that the Camera can track. By panning this empty object, you can indirectly control the Camera's movement and rotation without it being directly tied to the player's perspective.
By following these steps, you can effectively lock the view to a moving GameObject in Unity, allowing for dynamic and immersive scene navigation.
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Using an empty GameObject
To pan in 3D Unity using an empty GameObject, you can follow these steps:
Firstly, understand the issue at hand. If you want to pan your camera around a GameObject, you might encounter a problem with your rotation script. This is because the script rotates around position 0,0,0, so once you move the camera, the rotation won't work correctly.
To solve this, you can use an empty GameObject and have your camera follow that. This way, you can pan the object to move the camera and use the object's position to rotate the camera around it.
- Create an empty GameObject: In Unity, you can create an empty GameObject by going to the "Game Object" menu and selecting "Create Empty". This will create a new, empty object in your scene.
- Position the empty GameObject: Move and rotate the empty GameObject to the desired position and orientation. This will be the centre point for your camera's rotation.
- Parent the camera to the empty GameObject: Select your main camera and, in the Inspector, find the "Transform" component. Drag the empty GameObject from the Hierarchy into the "Parent" field of the "Transform" component. This will make the camera a child of the empty GameObject, and it will follow its movements.
- Add a script to the empty GameObject: Create a new C# script and attach it to the empty GameObject. This script will handle the panning functionality.
- Implement the panning script: In your new script, you can use the "Input" class to detect keyboard or mouse input for panning. For example, you can use "Input.GetAxis("Horizontal")" and "Input.GetAxis("Vertical")" to detect horizontal and vertical mouse movement, respectively. You can then use these values to update the position of the empty GameObject, which will move the camera accordingly.
- Test the panning: Play your scene and try panning the camera by moving the mouse. The camera should follow the empty GameObject, and you should be able to rotate around the scene smoothly.
By using an empty GameObject as a pivot point for your camera, you can achieve smooth panning and rotation without issues caused by the default rotation script. This technique is particularly useful when you want to have more control over the camera's movement and create a dynamic viewing experience.
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Frequently asked questions
You can pan your camera by changing the rotation script to use the correct position. You can also create an empty game object and have the camera follow that game object.
You can pan the camera by using the mouse (click and drag) or using a touch device (drag finger).
In 2D mode, you can pan around the scene view by clicking and holding the right mouse button and moving the mouse.
The viewing angle can be changed by clicking on the conical axis arms of the Orientation overlay. The projection mode can be changed by clicking on the cube in the centre of the Orientation overlay.







































