3d-camera-center

Sample code supporting Google Maps Platform JavaScript API documentation. author(s): Geo Developer IX Documentation Team

HTML

<!doctype html>
<!--
 @license
 Copyright 2026 Google LLC. All Rights Reserved.
 SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
-->

<html>
  <head>
    <title>3D Camera Position</title>

    <script>
      // prettier-ignore
      (g=>{var h,a,k,p="The Google Maps JavaScript API",c="google",l="importLibrary",q="__ib__",m=document,b=window;b=b[c]||(b[c]={});var d=b.maps||(b.maps={}),r=new Set,e=new URLSearchParams,u=()=>h||(h=new Promise(async(f,n)=>{await (a=m.createElement("script"));e.set("libraries",[...r]+"");for(k in g)e.set(k.replace(/[A-Z]/g,t=>"_"+t[0].toLowerCase()),g[k]);e.set("callback",c+".maps."+q);a.src=`https://maps.${c}apis.com/maps/api/js?`+e;d[q]=f;a.onerror=()=>h=n(Error(p+" could not load."));a.nonce=m.querySelector("script[nonce]")?.nonce||"";m.head.append(a)}));d[l]?console.warn(p+" only loads once. Ignoring:",g):d[l]=(f,...n)=>r.add(f)&&u().then(()=>d[l](f,...n))})({
            });
    </script>
  </head>

  <body>
    <gmp-map-3d
      center="40.7860524,-73.9634983"
      range="1500"
      tilt="70"
      heading="-150"
      mode="satellite">
      <gmp-marker
        position="40.7860524,-73.9634983"
        altitude-mode="clamp-to-ground"></gmp-marker>
    </gmp-map-3d>

    <div id="ui-container">
      <button id="switch-mode-btn" type="button">
        Switch to Camera Position
      </button>
    </div>
  </body>
</html>

CSS

/*
 * @license
 * Copyright 2026 Google LLC. All Rights Reserved.
 * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 */

html,
body {
  height: 100%;
  margin: 0;
  padding: 0;
}

#ui-container {
  position: absolute;
  top: 20px;
  left: 20px;
  z-index: 10;
}

button {
  background: rgba(15, 23, 42, 0.75);
  backdrop-filter: blur(12px);
  -webkit-backdrop-filter: blur(12px);
  border: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.1);
  color: #f8fafc;
  padding: 12px 20px;
  border-radius: 8px;
  cursor: pointer;
  font-size: 0.9rem;
  font-weight: 600;
  transition: all 0.2s ease;
  box-shadow: 0 8px 32px 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.37);
}

button:hover {
  background: rgba(56, 189, 248, 0.2);
  border-color: rgba(56, 189, 248, 0.4);
  transform: translateY(-1px);
}

button:active {
  transform: translateY(0);
}

JavaScript

'use strict';
/*
 * @license
 * Copyright 2026 Google LLC. All Rights Reserved.
 * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 */

async function init() {
  // Import the needed libraries.
  await google.maps.importLibrary('maps3d');

  const map3DElement = document.querySelector('gmp-map-3d');
  const btn = document.getElementById('switch-mode-btn');

  const initialCenter = { lat: 40.7860524, lng: -73.9634983, altitude: 0 };
  let isCenterMode = true;

  btn.addEventListener('click', () => {
    if (isCenterMode) {
      // Switch to Camera Position Mode.
      // Place the camera at the marker's location, but 50m up in the air
      map3DElement.cameraPosition = { ...initialCenter, altitude: 50 };
      map3DElement.tilt = 80;

      btn.textContent = 'Switch to Center Mode';
      isCenterMode = false;
    } else {
      // Revert back to Center Mode (looking AT the marker)
      map3DElement.center = initialCenter;
      map3DElement.tilt = 70;
      map3DElement.range = 1500; // Restore the original range value.

      btn.textContent = 'Switch to Camera Position';
      isCenterMode = true;
    }
  });
}

void init();