How to Set Active Camera in Blender?

Setting the active camera in Blender is crucial for controlling which camera is used for rendering your final image or animation, and also for defining the viewpoint when you switch to camera view in the 3D viewport.

You can set the active camera in Blender using the Scene tab of the Properties Editor, or through other methods in the 3D Viewport and Outliner.

Why is the Active Camera Important?

The active camera dictates:

• The perspective shown when you press Numpad 0 to switch to "Camera View".
• Which camera's settings (like focal length, depth of field) are used during rendering.

Having multiple cameras in a scene allows you to set up different shots or perspectives, but only one can be the active camera at any given time for rendering or standard camera view navigation.

Methods to Set the Active Camera

There are several convenient ways to designate a specific camera object as the active one in your Blender scene.

1. Using the Scene Properties (Reference Method)

Based on the provided information, one primary way to set the active camera is in the Scene tab of the Properties Editor. This method gives you a clear dropdown list of all camera objects in your scene.

1. Locate the Properties Editor. This is typically on the right side of the Blender interface by default.
2. Click on the Scene Properties tab (it looks like a cone with a sun/moon symbol).
3. Find the Camera setting within this tab.
4. Click the dropdown menu next to the "Camera" label.
5. Select the desired camera object from the list.

Note: As the reference mentions, the active camera can be specific to a given view (Local Camera) or globally locked to the whole scene. The standard setting in the Scene tab controls the global active camera.

2. Using the 3D Viewport

This is often the quickest method if the camera you want to activate is visible and selectable in your 3D view.

1. In the 3D Viewport, select the camera object you want to make active.
2. Go to the Object menu in the 3D Viewport header.
3. Hover over Set Parent To or look for a direct "Set Active Camera" option (in newer Blender versions, it's often Object > Cameras > Set Active Object as Camera). Click this option.

Alternatively, a common keyboard shortcut combination exists:

1. Select the camera object in the 3D Viewport.
2. Press Ctrl + Numpad 0. This simultaneously sets the selected object as the active camera and switches the current 3D view to the camera's perspective.

3. Using the Outliner

The Outliner provides a hierarchical list of all objects in your scene, making it easy to select cameras even if they are hidden or far away in the 3D view.

1. In the Outliner window, find the camera object you want to activate.
2. Right-click on the camera object's name.
3. From the context menu, select Set Active Camera.

In some Blender versions, you might also see a camera icon next to scene collections or scenes in the Outliner; clicking this icon can sometimes switch the active camera, but the right-click method on the camera object itself is more standard.

Comparison of Methods

Using these methods, you can easily switch between different cameras to preview your scene from various angles and prepare for rendering.