Lighting & rendering · Beginner

Orthographic projection

A view with no perspective, where objects stay the same size at any distance

Also called orthographic view, ortho

What is orthographic projection?

Orthographic projection is a way of showing a 3D scene in which parallel lines stay parallel and objects keep the same size however far they are from the camera. There is no vanishing point and no shrinking with distance, which suits measuring, technical drawings and clean isometric styles.

Think of it like this

It is like a building’s blueprint: every wall is drawn at its true size, whether it stands at the front or the back.

Where it fits in a 3D project

  1. Create
  2. Surface
  3. Rig
  4. Animate
  5. Render
  6. Export

Render: Lighting the scene and turning it into images or video.

How orthographic projection works

  1. 01An orthographic camera looks along straight, parallel lines of sight.
  2. 02Each point is projected flat onto the image, with no vanishing point.
  3. 03Distance from the camera no longer changes how big objects look.
  4. 04An orthographic scale setting controls how much of the scene fits in frame.

Orthographic projection vs perspective

PropertyOrthographic projectionPerspective
Distant objectsSame sizeSmaller
Parallel linesStay parallelMeet at vanishing points
FeelsDiagrammatic, flatNatural, like a photo
Good forModeling views, plans, isometric artCinematic shots and realism

Use perspective for anything meant to feel like a camera shot, and orthographic when sizes must read accurately or you want a clean isometric look.

Where orthographic projection is used

  • Front, side and top views while modeling
  • Architectural plans and product drawings
  • Isometric game art and diagrams

Beginner tip

Model in orthographic front and side views to line up reference images precisely, then switch to perspective often to check the shape still looks right.

Terms related to orthographic projection

Orthographic projection FAQ

Is orthographic view the same as orthographic projection?
Yes, in practice. Orthographic view usually means the viewport or camera mode, and orthographic projection is the math behind it. Both show objects at a constant size with no perspective.
How do I set up an orthographic camera in Blender?
Select the camera, open its Object Data properties and change Type from Perspective to Orthographic. Then adjust Orthographic Scale to frame the scene. In the viewport, numpad 5 toggles orthographic view.
Is isometric the same as orthographic?
Isometric is one kind of orthographic view, tilted so the three main axes look equally shortened. Every isometric image is orthographic, but not every orthographic image is isometric.

Updated October 29, 2026 · Browse all 3D terms