Setting the roblox studio camera type fixed mode is usually one of the first things you'll do when you want to move away from the basic third-person view. It's a bit of a classic move for anyone trying to make a game that feels a bit more structured or cinematic. Instead of the camera swinging wildly around the player's head as they run around, the fixed type keeps the perspective locked in one spot. It's pretty much the go-to choice for old-school horror games, specific puzzle rooms, or even just a simple shop menu where you don't want the player's character movement to mess with the UI.
If you've spent any time in Roblox Studio, you know that the camera is usually set to "Follow" or "Classic" by default. Those are great for obbies or simulators, but they don't give you much control over the player's visual experience. When you switch over to the roblox studio camera type fixed setting, you're essentially telling the engine, "Hey, stay right there and don't move." However, there's a bit of a nuance to it that catches a lot of people off guard when they first start scripting it.
Getting the Camera to Stay Put
The easiest way to see this in action is to jump into a playtest. If you go into your Explorer window while the game is running and look under the Workspace, you'll find an object called "Camera." If you click it and look at the Properties, you'll see the "CameraType" property. If you change that to Fixed, you'll notice the camera stops moving with your mouse.
The thing is, doing it manually in the Properties window doesn't help you much for an actual game. You need to handle it through a script. Usually, this is done in a LocalScript placed inside StarterPlayerScripts or StarterCharacterScripts. Since the camera is a client-side thing—meaning every player sees their own view—you have to tell the player's computer specifically to change that setting.
A lot of beginners make the mistake of trying to change the camera type from a server-side script. Trust me, that won't work. The server doesn't really care what the camera is doing; that's all handled on the player's end. So, you'll want to grab a reference to the workspace.CurrentCamera and set its CameraType property to Enum.CameraType.Fixed.
Fixed vs. Scriptable: Which One Do You Need?
I get asked a lot what the actual difference is between Fixed and Scriptable. It can be a little confusing because they both seem to "stop" the camera. Here's the deal: when you use the roblox studio camera type fixed setting, the camera stays at a specific point in space, but it still has some built-in logic. For instance, if you have a CameraSubject assigned (like the player's head), a fixed camera might still rotate to look at that subject even if it doesn't move its physical position.
Scriptable, on the other hand, is like the "manual mode" on a high-end camera. The engine stops doing anything for you. It won't rotate, it won't follow, and it won't even move unless you explicitly tell it where to go every single frame using code. For most people who just want a static view of a room, the fixed type is actually a lot easier to manage because you don't have to write a ton of math to keep the player in the frame.
I've found that the fixed setting is perfect for things like surveillance camera systems. Imagine you're making a Five Nights style game. You don't need the camera to be "Scriptable" because you just want it to sit in the corner of the room. You just set the camera's CFrame to the position of your camera part, set the type to fixed, and you're done.
Common Issues with the Fixed Setting
One of the most annoying things you might run into is the camera "snapping" back to the player. You might write a perfect script that sets the roblox studio camera type fixed, but then the player dies or resets, and suddenly they're back to the standard follow cam. This happens because Roblox likes to reset the camera whenever a new character spawns.
To get around this, you have to make sure your script runs every time the character loads. Or, a better way is to put your logic in a LocalScript and ensure it's constantly checking the camera state if it needs to be locked for the entire game. Another trick is to set the CameraType right after a small wait. Sometimes the engine is a bit too fast, and it tries to set the camera type before the camera object has even fully initialized for the new character. A simple task.wait() can save you a lot of headaches there.
Another weird quirk is the "CameraSubject." If your camera type is fixed but it's still wobbling or rotating in a way you don't like, check what the subject is. If it's set to the player's Humanoid, the camera is going to try its best to keep that Humanoid in view. If you want it totally, 100% frozen, you might need to set the CameraSubject to nil or just use the Scriptable type instead.
Making It Feel Natural
Even though the camera is fixed, it doesn't have to feel stiff. If you're using the roblox studio camera type fixed for a cutscene or a specific angle in a house, you can still play around with the Field of View (FOV). Lowering the FOV can give a "zoomed-in" look that makes a scene feel more professional or dramatic.
I've seen some really cool uses of fixed cameras in 2D platformers made on Roblox. By locking the camera to a fixed Z-axis but allowing it to move along the X and Y, you get that classic side-scroller feel. It's a bit more advanced than just clicking a button, but it all starts with understanding how the fixed camera type differs from the default behavior.
Also, don't forget about the CFrame. When you switch to a fixed camera, the camera is just going to stay exactly where it was at that millisecond. If you want it to look at a specific part of your map, you'll need to set the CurrentCamera.CFrame to the CFrame of a part you've placed in your world. I usually create a transparent, non-collidable part called "CamPart," position it exactly where I want the view to be, and then tell the script to move the camera to that part's position and orientation.
Wrapping Things Up
Working with the roblox studio camera type fixed setting is really about taking control of the player's perspective. It's a powerful tool when you want to create a specific atmosphere or guide the player's eye toward something important. Whether you're building a complex puzzle game or just want a cool-looking main menu, getting comfortable with how the camera type works is a huge step up in your game dev journey.
It might feel a little clunky at first, especially when you're dealing with character resets or figuring out why the camera won't stop looking at the player's feet, but once you get the hang of it, you'll find it's way better than leaving everything to the default settings. Just remember: keep it in a LocalScript, watch your CFrame values, and don't be afraid to experiment with the CameraSubject to get the exact look you're going for. Happy building!