# Bevy Cameras

> Use when spawning `Camera3d` or `Camera2d`, choosing a `Projection`, rendering to an image with the new 0.18 `RenderTarget` component (no longer a `Camera` field), wiring up `FreeCamera`/`PanCamera` from `bevy::camera_controller::*`, or setting a per-camera `AmbientLight` override. Covers Bevy 0.18 camera spawning, render targets, and built-in controllers.

- **Type:** Skill
- **Install:** `agentstack add skill-chrisgliddon-bevy-skills-bevy-cameras`
- **Verified:** Yes — security-reviewed for prompt injection and unsafe behavior
- **Seller:** [chrisgliddon](https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/chrisgliddon)
- **Installs:** 0
- **Category:** [Content & Media](https://agentstack.voostack.com/c/content-and-media)
- **Latest version:** 0.1.0
- **License:** MIT
- **Upstream author:** [chrisgliddon](https://github.com/chrisgliddon)
- **Source:** https://github.com/chrisgliddon/bevy-skills/tree/main/skills/bevy-cameras

## Install

```sh
agentstack add skill-chrisgliddon-bevy-skills-bevy-cameras
```

Requires the [AgentStack CLI](https://agentstack.voostack.com/docs/cli). Works with Claude Code, Cursor, and any MCP-compatible agent.

## About

# Bevy 0.18 — Cameras

## When to use this skill

- Spawning the main game camera.
- Rendering to a texture (mini-map, portal, post-process target).
- Wanting a drop-in free-look or pan controller without writing your own.
- Configuring multiple cameras with different `order` for overlays.
- Setting ambient brightness on a per-camera basis (new in 0.18).

## Canonical pattern

`FreeCamera`/`PanCamera` are gated behind Cargo features. In `Cargo.toml`:

```toml
bevy = { version = "0.18", features = ["free_camera", "pan_camera"] }
```

```rust
use bevy::asset::RenderAssetUsages;
use bevy::camera::RenderTarget;
use bevy::camera_controller::free_camera::{FreeCamera, FreeCameraPlugin};
use bevy::prelude::*;

fn main() {
    App::new()
        .add_plugins(DefaultPlugins)
        .add_plugins(FreeCameraPlugin) // adds the input wiring
        .add_systems(Startup, setup)
        .run();
}

fn setup(mut commands: Commands, mut images: ResMut>) {
    // 1. Main camera with the built-in free-look controller.
    commands.spawn((
        Camera3d::default(),
        FreeCamera::default(),
        Transform::from_xyz(0.0, 4.0, 8.0).looking_at(Vec3::ZERO, Vec3::Y),
    ));

    // 2. A texture target for an off-screen render pass (mini-map, portal).
    let size = bevy::render::render_resource::Extent3d {
        width: 512,
        height: 512,
        depth_or_array_layers: 1,
    };
    let mut image = Image::new_fill(
        size,
        bevy::render::render_resource::TextureDimension::D2,
        &[0; 4],
        bevy::render::render_resource::TextureFormat::Bgra8UnormSrgb,
        RenderAssetUsages::default(),
    );
    image.texture_descriptor.usage =
        bevy::render::render_resource::TextureUsages::TEXTURE_BINDING
            | bevy::render::render_resource::TextureUsages::COPY_DST
            | bevy::render::render_resource::TextureUsages::RENDER_ATTACHMENT;
    let image_handle = images.add(image);

    // 3. A second camera that draws into the texture.
    //    RenderTarget is now a *separate* component, not Camera.target.
    commands.spawn((
        Camera3d::default(),
        Camera { order: -1, ..default() }, // -1 = render before the main camera
        RenderTarget::Image(image_handle.into()),
        Transform::from_xyz(10.0, 5.0, 0.0).looking_at(Vec3::ZERO, Vec3::Y),
    ));
}
```

## Choosing a projection

```rust
use bevy::prelude::*;
use bevy::camera::Projection;

# fn _proj(mut commands: Commands) {
// Default perspective (90° FOV is the Bevy default).
commands.spawn((Camera3d::default(), Projection::default()));

// Orthographic for top-down or strategy views.
commands.spawn((
    Camera3d::default(),
    Projection::Orthographic(OrthographicProjection {
        scale: 10.0,
        ..OrthographicProjection::default_3d()
    }),
));
# }
```

## Ambient light: world default vs per-camera

```rust
use bevy::prelude::*;
use bevy::light::GlobalAmbientLight;

# fn _amb(app: &mut App, mut commands: Commands) {
// World default — applies everywhere unless a camera overrides.
app.insert_resource(GlobalAmbientLight {
    brightness: 200.0,
    ..default()
});

// Per-camera override (new in 0.18 — `AmbientLight` is now a Component).
commands.spawn((Camera3d::default(), AmbientLight { brightness: 1000.0, ..default() }));
# }
```

## Gotchas (0.18)

- **`RenderTarget` is a separate component.** `Camera { target: RenderTarget::Image(...) }` is gone — wrong shape in 0.18. Spawn it alongside `Camera3d` / `Camera`.
- **`AmbientLight` is no longer a `Resource`.** It's a per-camera component. The world default lives in the `GlobalAmbientLight` resource.
- **`ImageRenderTarget::scale_factor` is `f32`** (used to be wrapped in `FloatOrd`).
- **Camera `order` is signed.** Lower values render first. Use `order: -1` for off-screen passes you'll sample in the main pass.
- **`FreeCamera` / `PanCamera` need their plugin AND their Cargo feature.** They're feature-gated in 0.18: add `features = ["free_camera", "pan_camera"]` to the `bevy` dep. Spawning the component without `FreeCameraPlugin` / `PanCameraPlugin` does nothing — the input systems live in the plugin.
- **Imports**: `bevy::camera::RenderTarget`, `bevy::camera_controller::{free_camera::*, pan_camera::*}`, `bevy::light::GlobalAmbientLight`. None are in the prelude.

## See also

- `bevy-pbr-materials` — what cameras render through.
- `bevy-migration-0-17-to-0-18` — full `Camera.target` and `AmbientLight` rename.

## Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

- **Author:** [chrisgliddon](https://github.com/chrisgliddon)
- **Source:** [chrisgliddon/bevy-skills](https://github.com/chrisgliddon/bevy-skills)
- **License:** MIT

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.

## Pricing

- **Free** — Free

## Security capabilities

Automated source analysis of v0.1.0 — what this tool can access:

- **Network access:** no
- **Filesystem access:** no
- **Shell / process execution:** no
- **Environment & secrets:** no
- **Dynamic code execution:** no

*"Yes" means the capability is present in the source — more access means more to trust, not that it is unsafe.*


## Versions

- **0.1.0** — security scan: passed — Imported from the upstream source.

## Links

- Listing page: https://agentstack.voostack.com/l/skill-chrisgliddon-bevy-skills-bevy-cameras
- Seller: https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/chrisgliddon
- Browse the marketplace: https://agentstack.voostack.com/browse

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