Add optional CesiumJS-style Orbit / Map camera controls to CesiumCameraController

Cesium for Unity
1

Hello Cesium for Unity team,

The current CesiumCameraController works very well as a globe-aware fly / FPS-style camera.

I’m wondering if it would be possible to add an optional CesiumJS-style camera control mode (similar to ScreenSpaceCameraController in CesiumJS), while keeping the existing fly controls unchanged.

Specifically, a map/orbit mode that supports:

  • Left mouse drag: orbit around a picked point on the globe

  • Right mouse drag (or modifier): pan the globe

  • Mouse wheel: zoom toward / away from a pivot point on the terrain

  • Camera movement centered around a globe pivot instead of free flight

Ideally, this could be implemented as:

  • A new control mode (e.g. Fly / Orbit)

  • Or a separate Orbit/Map controller that reuses existing Cesium logic (GlobeAnchor, OriginShift, raycasting, clipping planes)

This would make it much easier for users coming from CesiumJS, as well as for GIS / digital twin / map-centric applications that expect “grab and rotate the globe” behavior.

Does this align with the direction of Cesium for Unity, and would such an addition be feasible within the current architecture?

Thanks for your time and for the great work on Cesium for Unity.

Best regards

2

Hi @fengbozs, welcome to the community!

Yes, that aligns very well with the direction of Cesium for Unity, and I believe it should be feasible in the current architecture. It’s definitely not trivial, but we would welcome someone from the community (like yourself!) taking it on, and we’re happy to answer any questions you may have.