# lookAt(..) up vector
**URL:** https://community.cesium.com/t/lookat-up-vector/671
**Category:** CesiumJS
**Created:** [August 15, 2013, 10:41pm UTC](https://community.cesium.com/t/lookat-up-vector/671 "2013-08-15T22:41:16Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Martin\_Guttesen](https://community.cesium.com/u/Martin_Guttesen)
#### Post date: [August 15, 2013, 10:41pm UTC](https://community.cesium.com/t/lookat-up-vector/671/1 "2013-08-15T22:41:16Z")
i am trying to set an initial view by using CameraController.lookAt(
i dont know how to set the up vector
i always end looking straight up into the sky
i have to poins in lat lon
var eyeposition = new Cesium.Cartographic(Cesium.Math.toRadians(-6.7954), Cesium.Math.toRadians(62.0247), 10000);
var eye = Cesium.Ellipsoid.WGS84.cartographicToCartesian(eyeposition);
var targetPos = new Cesium.Cartographic(Cesium.Math.toRadians(-6.7652), Cesium.Math.toRadians(62.1907), 100);
var target = eye.add(Cesium.Ellipsoid.WGS84.cartographicToCartesian(targetPos));
scene.getCamera().controller.lookAt(eye, target,vec);
how do i set the up vector or calculate it
---
### Author:  [@Dmitriy\_Pushkov](https://community.cesium.com/u/Dmitriy_Pushkov)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2013, 7:02am UTC](https://community.cesium.com/t/lookat-up-vector/671/2 "2013-08-16T07:02:26Z")
I don’t know what up vector exactly means because two points of eye and target could already give the direction of look. I had the similar problem as yours but found that Cesium.Cartesian3.UNIT\_Z can be set as up vector to orient the camera’s direction at the right angle relative to Earth’s surface.
```
var ellipsoid = cesiumWidget.centralBody.getEllipsoid();
var cameraCartographic = new Cesium.Cartographic.fromDegrees(longitude, latitude, elevation);
var cameraCartesian = ellipsoid.cartographicToCartesian(cameraCartographic);
var targetCartographic = new Cesium.Cartographic.fromDegrees(longitude, latitude, 0.0);
var targetCartesian = ellipsoid.cartographicToCartesian(targetCartographic);
var scene = cesiumWidget.scene;
var camera = scene.getCamera();
camera.controller.lookAt(cameraCartesian, targetCartesian, Cesium.Cartesian3.UNIT_Z);
```
---
### Author:  [@Dmitriy\_Pushkov](https://community.cesium.com/u/Dmitriy_Pushkov)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2013, 8:04am UTC](https://community.cesium.com/t/lookat-up-vector/671/3 "2013-08-16T08:04:06Z")
I found a good explanation of what the up vector is in OpenGL:
“Look at anything. Now tilt your head 90 degrees. Where you are hasn’t changed, the direction you’re looking at hasn’t changed, but the image in your retina clearly has. What’s the difference? Where the top of your head is pointing to. That’s the up vector.”
The important thing is that up vector cannot affect the direction of look determined by eye and target vectors. It affects only the angle of camera’s rotation about the axis of look direction.
---
### Author:  [@Martin\_Guttesen](https://community.cesium.com/u/Martin_Guttesen)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2013, 11:18am UTC](https://community.cesium.com/t/lookat-up-vector/671/4 "2013-08-16T11:18:56Z")
thanks that worked for me
---
### Author:  [@David3](https://community.cesium.com/u/David3)
#### Post date: [August 5, 2014, 9:27pm UTC](https://community.cesium.com/t/lookat-up-vector/671/5 "2014-08-05T21:27:25Z")
When I use similar code using the HelloWorld SandCastle it sends near africa when it should show me the united states.
here is my code:
var viewer = new Cesium.Viewer(‘cesiumContainer’);
var scene = viewer.scene
var transitioner = new Cesium.SceneTransitioner(scene);
transitioner.morphToColumbusView(1);
//change to bingmap
var imageryLayers = viewer.scene.imageryLayers;
imageryLayers.remove(imageryLayers[0]);
imageryLayers.addImageryProvider(new Cesium.BingMapsImageryProvider({
url: ‘[//dev.virtualearth.net](https://dev.virtualearth.net)’,
mapStyle: Cesium.BingMapsStyle.ROAD
}));
Sandcastle.addDefaultToolbarButton(‘test’, function() {
var ellipsoid = Cesium.Ellipsoid.WGS84;
var cameraCartographic = new Cesium.Cartographic.fromDegrees(-111, 41, 6000);
var cameraCartesian = ellipsoid.cartographicToCartesian(cameraCartographic);
var targetCartographic = new Cesium.Cartographic.fromDegrees(-111, 41, 0.0);
var targetCartesian = ellipsoid.cartographicToCartesian(targetCartographic);
var camera = scene.camera;
camera.lookAt(cameraCartesian, targetCartesian, Cesium.Cartesian3.UNIT\_Z);
});
``
any ideas why?
btw this is all of the code in the whole project, to test just copy paste into [https://cesiumjs.org/Cesium/Apps/Sandcastle/index.html](https://cesiumjs.org/Cesium/Apps/Sandcastle/index.html) java code area.
Could it be because I am in columbus view?
---
### Author:  [@David3](https://community.cesium.com/u/David3)
#### Post date: [August 5, 2014, 10:09pm UTC](https://community.cesium.com/t/lookat-up-vector/671/6 "2014-08-05T22:09:07Z")
> I cleaned up my code a bit and attempted it using the tranform to fixed frame method, now it goes to the coordinates I give it but my left mouse click now does the tilt, and I cant move to a different location (probably what fixed frame means…) any ideas how to fix that?
var viewer = new Cesium.Viewer(‘cesiumContainer’, {
sceneMode: Cesium.SceneMode.COLUMBUS\_VIEW,
//Hide the base layer picker
baseLayerPicker : false,
//Use BingMaps
imageryProvider : new Cesium.BingMapsImageryProvider({
url: ‘[//dev.virtualearth.net](https://dev.virtualearth.net)’,
mapStyle: Cesium.BingMapsStyle.ROAD
})
});
var scene = viewer.scene;
Sandcastle.addDefaultToolbarButton(‘test’, function() {
var center = Cesium.Cartesian3.fromDegrees(-111, 41);
var transform = Cesium.Transforms.eastNorthUpToFixedFrame(center);
// View in east-north-up frame
var camera = scene.camera;
Cesium.Matrix4.clone(transform, camera.transform);
camera.constrainedAxis = Cesium.Cartesian3.UNIT\_Z;
// Zoom in
camera.lookAt(
new Cesium.Cartesian3(-120000.0, -120000.0, 120000.0),
Cesium.Cartesian3.ZERO,
Cesium.Cartesian3.UNIT\_Z);
});
``
---
### Author:  [@David3](https://community.cesium.com/u/David3)
#### Post date: [August 5, 2014, 11:11pm UTC](https://community.cesium.com/t/lookat-up-vector/671/7 "2014-08-05T23:11:52Z")
well I never achieved getting the lookAt function to work but the fly to worked
viewer.scene.camera.flyTo({
destination: Cesium.Cartesian3.fromDegrees(longitude-.006, latitude-.015, height),
up: new Cesium.Cartesian3(0.0, 0.0, 1),
direction: new Cesium.Cartesian3(0.3, 0.5, -.5)
});
``
---
### Author:  [@Matt\_Amato](https://community.cesium.com/u/Matt_Amato)
#### Post date: [August 6, 2014, 12:57pm UTC](https://community.cesium.com/t/lookat-up-vector/671/8 "2014-08-06T12:57:47Z")
I submitted an issue here: [https://github.com/AnalyticalGraphicsInc/cesium/issues/2031](https://github.com/AnalyticalGraphicsInc/cesium/issues/2031) We definitely have plans to make the camera more consistent/easier to use; but unfortunately it wasn’t ready in time for 1.0. Hopefully in the next release or two.
---
### Author:  [@David3](https://community.cesium.com/u/David3)
#### Post date: [August 6, 2014, 10:29pm UTC](https://community.cesium.com/t/lookat-up-vector/671/9 "2014-08-06T22:29:59Z")
Thanks for your work, Cesium is amazing.