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perspective-origin

The perspective-origin CSS property determines the position at which the viewer is looking. It is used as the vanishing point by the perspective property.

Syntax

/* One-value syntax */
perspective-origin: x-position;

/* Two-value syntax */
perspective-origin: x-position y-position;

/* When both x-position and y-position are keywords,
   the following is also valid */
perspective-origin: y-position x-position;

/* Global values */
perspective-origin: inherit;
perspective-origin: initial;
perspective-origin: unset;

Values

x-position
Indicates the position of the abscissa of the vanishing point. It can have one of the following values:
  • <length-percentage> indicating the position as an absolute length value or relative to the width of the element. The value may be negative.
  • left, a keyword being a shortcut for the 0 length value.
  • center, a keyword being a shortcut for the 50% percentage value.
  • right, a keyword being a shortcut for the 100% percentage value.
y-position
Indicates the position of the ordinate of the vanishing point. It can have one of the following values:
  • <length-percentage> indicating the position as an absolute length value or relative to the height of the element. The value may be negative.
  • top, a keyword being a shortcut for the 0 length value.
  • center, a keyword being a shortcut for the 50% percentage value.
  • bottom, a keyword being a shortcut for the 100% percentage value.

Formal syntax

<position>

where
<position> = [ [ left | center | right ] || [ top | center | bottom ] | [ left | center | right | <length-percentage> ] [ top | center | bottom | <length-percentage> ]? | [ [ left | right ] <length-percentage> ] && [ [ top | bottom ] <length-percentage> ] ]

where
<length-percentage> = <length> | <percentage>

Examples

Changing the perspective origin

This example shows cubes with popular perspective-origin values.

Result

HTML

<table>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <th>
        <code>perspective-origin: top left;</code>
      </th>
      <th>
        <code>perspective-origin: top;</code>
      </th>
      <th>
        <code>perspective-origin: top right;</code>
      </th>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>
        <div class="container">
          <div class="cube potl">
            <div class="face front">1</div>
            <div class="face back">2</div>
            <div class="face right">3</div>
            <div class="face left">4</div>
            <div class="face top">5</div>
            <div class="face bottom">6</div>
          </div>
        </div>
      </td>
      <td>
        <div class="container">
          <div class="cube potm">
            <div class="face front">1</div>
            <div class="face back">2</div>
            <div class="face right">3</div>
            <div class="face left">4</div>
            <div class="face top">5</div>
            <div class="face bottom">6</div>
          </div>
        </div>
      </td>
      <td>
        <div class="container">
          <div class="cube potr">
            <div class="face front">1</div>
            <div class="face back">2</div>
            <div class="face right">3</div>
            <div class="face left">4</div>
            <div class="face top">5</div>
            <div class="face bottom">6</div>
          </div>
        </div>
      </td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <th>
        <code>perspective-origin: left;</code>
      </th>
      <th>
        <code>perspective-origin: 50% 50%;</code>
      </th>
      <th>
        <code>perspective-origin: right;</code>
      </th>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>
        <div class="container">
          <div class="cube poml">
            <div class="face front">1</div>
            <div class="face back">2</div>
            <div class="face right">3</div>
            <div class="face left">4</div>
            <div class="face top">5</div>
            <div class="face bottom">6</div>
          </div>
        </div>
      </td>
      <td>
        <div class="container">
          <div class="cube pomm">
            <div class="face front">1</div>
            <div class="face back">2</div>
            <div class="face right">3</div>
            <div class="face left">4</div>
            <div class="face top">5</div>
            <div class="face bottom">6</div>
          </div>
        </div>
      </td>
      <td>
        <div class="container">
          <div class="cube pomr">
            <div class="face front">1</div>
            <div class="face back">2</div>
            <div class="face right">3</div>
            <div class="face left">4</div>
            <div class="face top">5</div>
            <div class="face bottom">6</div>
          </div>
        </div>
      </td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <th>
        <code>perspective-origin: bottom left;</code>
      </th>
      <th>
        <code>perspective-origin: bottom;</code>
      </th>
      <th>
        <code>perspective-origin: bottom right;</code>
      </th>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>
        <div class="container">
          <div class="cube pobl">
            <div class="face front">1</div>
            <div class="face back">2</div>
            <div class="face right">3</div>
            <div class="face left">4</div>
            <div class="face top">5</div>
            <div class="face bottom">6</div>
          </div>
        </div>
      </td>
      <td>
        <div class="container">
          <div class="cube pobm">
            <div class="face front">1</div>
            <div class="face back">2</div>
            <div class="face right">3</div>
            <div class="face left">4</div>
            <div class="face top">5</div>
            <div class="face bottom">6</div>
          </div>
        </div>
      </td>
      <td>
        <div class="container">
          <div class="cube pobr">
            <div class="face front">1</div>
            <div class="face back">2</div>
            <div class="face right">3</div>
            <div class="face left">4</div>
            <div class="face top">5</div>
            <div class="face bottom">6</div>
          </div>
        </div>
      </td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

CSS

/* Shorthand classes for perspective-origin values */
.potl {
  perspective-origin: top left;
  -webkit-perspective-origin: top left;
}

.potm {
  perspective-origin: top;
  -webkit-perspective-origin: top;
}

.potr {
  perspective-origin: top right;
  -webkit-perspective-origin: top right;
}

.poml {
  perspective-origin: left;
  -webkit-perspective-origin: left;
}

.pomm {
  perspective-origin: 50% 50%;
  -webkit-perspective-origin: 50% 50%;
}

.pomr {
  perspective-origin: right;
  -webkit-perspective-origin: right;
}

.pobl {
  perspective-origin: bottom left;
  -webkit-perspective-origin: bottom left;
}

.pobm {
  perspective-origin: bottom;
  -webkit-perspective-origin: bottom;
}

.pobr {
  perspective-origin: bottom right;
  -webkit-perspective-origin: bottom right;
}

/* Define the container div, the cube div, and a generic face */
.container {
  width: 100px;
  height: 100px;
  margin: 24px;
  border: none;
}

.cube {
  width: 100%;
  height: 100%;
  backface-visibility: visible;
  perspective: 300px;
  transform-style: preserve-3d;
  -webkit-backface-visibility: visible;
  -webkit-perspective: 300px;
  -webkit-transform-style: preserve-3d;
}

.face {
  display: block;
  position: absolute;
  width: 100px;
  height: 100px;
  border: none;
  line-height: 100px;
  font-family: sans-serif;
  font-size: 60px;
  color: white;
  text-align: center;
}

/* Define each face based on direction */
.front {
  background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.3);
  transform: translateZ(50px);
  -webkit-transform: translateZ(50px);
}

.back {
  background: rgba(0, 255, 0, 1);
  color: black;
  transform: rotateY(180deg) translateZ(50px);
  -webkit-transform: rotateY(180deg) translateZ(50px);
}

.right {
  background: rgba(196, 0, 0, 0.7);
  transform: rotateY(90deg) translateZ(50px);
  -webkit-transform: rotateY(90deg) translateZ(50px);
}

.left {
  background: rgba(0, 0, 196, 0.7);
  transform: rotateY(-90deg) translateZ(50px);
  -webkit-transform: rotateY(-90deg) translateZ(50px);
}

.top {
  background: rgba(196, 196, 0, 0.7);
  transform: rotateX(90deg) translateZ(50px);
  -webkit-transform: rotateX(90deg) translateZ(50px)
}

.bottom {
  background: rgba(196, 0, 196, 0.7);
  transform: rotateX(-90deg) translateZ(50px);
  -webkit-transform: rotateX(-90deg) translateZ(50px);
}

/* Make the table a little nicer */
th, p, td {
  background-color: #EEEEEE;
  padding: 10px;
  font-family: sans-serif;
  text-align: left;
}

Specifications

Specification Status Comment
CSS Transforms Level 2
The definition of 'perspective-origin' in that specification.
Editor's Draft Initial definition.
Initial value 50% 50%
Applies to transformable elements
Inherited no
Percentages refer to the size of bounding box
Media visual
Computed value for <length> the absolute value, otherwise a percentage
Animation type simple list of length, percentage, or calc
Canonical order One or two values, with length made absolute and keywords translated to percentages

Browser compatibilityUpdate compatibility data on GitHub

Desktop
Chrome Edge Firefox Internet Explorer Opera Safari
Basic support 12
Prefixed
12
Prefixed
Prefixed Requires the vendor prefix: -webkit-
12
12
12
Prefixed
Prefixed Requires the vendor prefix: -webkit-
16
16
10
Prefixed
Prefixed Requires the vendor prefix: -moz-
49
Prefixed
Prefixed Requires the vendor prefix: -webkit-
45
Prefixed Disabled
Prefixed Requires the vendor prefix: -webkit-
Disabled From version 45: this feature is behind the layout.css.prefixes.webkit preference (needs to be set to true). To change preferences in Firefox, visit about:config.
10 15
Prefixed
15
Prefixed
Prefixed Requires the vendor prefix: -webkit-
Yes
Prefixed
Yes
Prefixed
Prefixed Requires the vendor prefix: -webkit-
Mobile
Android webview Chrome for Android Edge Mobile Firefox for Android Opera for Android iOS Safari Samsung Internet
Basic support 3
Prefixed
3
Prefixed
Prefixed Requires the vendor prefix: -webkit-
? Yes
Yes
Yes
Prefixed
Prefixed Requires the vendor prefix: -webkit-
16
16
10
Prefixed
Prefixed Requires the vendor prefix: -moz-
49
Prefixed
Prefixed Requires the vendor prefix: -webkit-
45
Prefixed Disabled
Prefixed Requires the vendor prefix: -webkit-
Disabled From version 45: this feature is behind the layout.css.prefixes.webkit preference (needs to be set to true). To change preferences in Firefox, visit about:config.
Yes
Prefixed
Yes
Prefixed
Prefixed Requires the vendor prefix: -webkit-
Yes
Prefixed
Yes
Prefixed
Prefixed Requires the vendor prefix: -webkit-
?

See also

© 2005–2018 Mozilla Developer Network and individual contributors.
Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License v2.5 or later.
https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/perspective-origin