# Google Timeline Visualizer Camera Movement Presets Explained > Explore the Google Timeline Visualizer's camera movement presets: fixed zoom, steady following, and dynamic following. Learn how these presets enhance your journey playback. - Repository: [mahlernim/google-timeline-visualizer](https://github.com/mahlernim/google-timeline-visualizer) - Tags: deep-dive - Published: 2026-08-22 --- **The Google Timeline Visualizer ships with three built-in camera movement presets—fixed zoom, steady following, and dynamic following—that control how the map view tracks your journey during playback.** The camera movement presets in the `mahlernim/google-timeline-visualizer` repository determine the cinematic behavior of the map visualization, allowing you to choose between static framing, smooth tracking, or adaptive zooming based on travel speed. These presets are exposed through both the command-line interface and the web-based UI, making them accessible regardless of how you run the visualizer. ## Available Camera Movement Presets The visualizer defines three distinct camera movement presets in the source code, each designed for different viewing experiences. ### Fixed Zoom The **fixed zoom** preset maintains a constant zoom level throughout the entire journey. The camera stays anchored to the center of the map without panning, meaning the map tiles and overlays move beneath a static viewport while the journey plays. This preset is defined in [`web/index.html`](https://github.com/mahlernim/google-timeline-visualizer/blob/main/web/index.html) (lines 124-126) and mapped in [`visualizer.py`](https://github.com/mahlernim/google-timeline-visualizer/blob/main/visualizer.py) (line 65) under the CLI option value `"fixed"`. ### Steady Following **Steady following** is the default camera movement preset that provides a smooth tracking experience. The camera continuously centers on the current position along the path while maintaining a consistent zoom level, creating a stable "follow-the-traveler" effect without abrupt movements. According to the source code in [`visualizer.py`](https://github.com/mahlernim/google-timeline-visualizer/blob/main/visualizer.py), this preset corresponds to the `"steady"` option value and serves as the fallback when no specific movement mode is specified. The HTML interface in [`web/index.html`](https://github.com/mahlernim/google-timeline-visualizer/blob/main/web/index.html) (lines 124-127) marks this as the selected default in the dropdown menu. ### Dynamic Following The **dynamic following** preset offers a cinematic experience by adjusting the zoom level dynamically based on travel speed and direction changes. This mode implements zoom hysteresis in [`web/src/camera.ts`](https://github.com/mahlernim/google-timeline-visualizer/blob/main/web/src/camera.ts) (lines 381-384), causing the camera to zoom in and out gradually rather than instantaneously. When travel speed increases, the camera pulls back to show more context; when slowing down, it zooms in for detail. This behavior is controlled by the `MOVEMENT_PROFILES` implementation in the TypeScript camera controller. ## How to Configure Camera Movement Presets You can select camera movement presets through either the command-line interface or the web UI. ### Command-Line Configuration In [`visualizer.py`](https://github.com/mahlernim/google-timeline-visualizer/blob/main/visualizer.py), the application parses the `--camera-movement` argument to set the active preset. The `CAMERA_MOVEMENTS` mapping accepts three string values: ```bash # Use fixed zoom python visualizer.py --camera-movement fixed ... # Use steady following (default) python visualizer.py --camera-movement steady ... # Use dynamic following python visualizer.py --camera-movement dynamic ... ``` The CLI handler at line 65 of [`visualizer.py`](https://github.com/mahlernim/google-timeline-visualizer/blob/main/visualizer.py) validates these inputs against the available camera movement presets before initializing the visualization pipeline. ### Web Interface Selection The web interface exposes these options through a dropdown selector defined in [`web/index.html`](https://github.com/mahlernim/google-timeline-visualizer/blob/main/web/index.html) (lines 124-127): ```html ``` When users change this selection, the JavaScript event listener triggers `updateSelection()`, which propagates the chosen camera movement preset to the rendering engine. The runtime logic in [`web/src/camera.ts`](https://github.com/mahlernim/google-timeline-visualizer/blob/main/web/src/camera.ts) then applies the corresponding `MOVEMENT_PROFILES` configuration to control viewport calculations. ## Summary - The **fixed zoom** preset keeps the camera static at a constant zoom level while the map moves beneath it. - **Steady following** provides the default smooth tracking behavior that centers the path while maintaining consistent zoom. - **Dynamic following** adjusts zoom based on travel speed using hysteresis algorithms in [`camera.ts`](https://github.com/mahlernim/google-timeline-visualizer/blob/main/camera.ts) for cinematic effect. - All presets are accessible via the `--camera-movement` CLI flag in [`visualizer.py`](https://github.com/mahlernim/google-timeline-visualizer/blob/main/visualizer.py) or through the HTML dropdown in [`web/index.html`](https://github.com/mahlernim/google-timeline-visualizer/blob/main/web/index.html). - The implementation uses `CAMERA_MOVEMENTS` for CLI mapping and `MOVEMENT_PROFILES` for runtime camera control. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is the default camera movement preset in Google Timeline Visualizer? **Steady following** is the default camera movement preset. When you run [`visualizer.py`](https://github.com/mahlernim/google-timeline-visualizer/blob/main/visualizer.py) without specifying the `--camera-movement` flag, or load the web interface for the first time, the system automatically selects the steady following mode to provide balanced tracking behavior. ### How does dynamic following differ from steady following? While **steady following** maintains a consistent zoom level throughout the journey, **dynamic following** actively adjusts the zoom based on your travel speed and direction changes. The dynamic mode implements zoom hysteresis in [`web/src/camera.ts`](https://github.com/mahlernim/google-timeline-visualizer/blob/main/web/src/camera.ts) to prevent jarring transitions, smoothly zooming out during high-speed travel and in during slower segments. ### Can I change camera movement presets during playback? The source code structure in [`web/index.html`](https://github.com/mahlernim/google-timeline-visualizer/blob/main/web/index.html) includes an event listener on the camera movement dropdown that calls `updateSelection()` when changed. This suggests the web interface supports switching presets during visualization, though the exact runtime behavior depends on how the `MOVEMENT_PROFILES` state management is implemented in [`web/src/camera.ts`](https://github.com/mahlernim/google-timeline-visualizer/blob/main/web/src/camera.ts). ### Where are the camera movement presets defined in the codebase? The preset definitions are split across three key files: [`visualizer.py`](https://github.com/mahlernim/google-timeline-visualizer/blob/main/visualizer.py) (line 65) contains the `CAMERA_MOVEMENTS` mapping for CLI options, [`web/index.html`](https://github.com/mahlernim/google-timeline-visualizer/blob/main/web/index.html) (lines 124-127) defines the UI dropdown options, and [`web/src/camera.ts`](https://github.com/mahlernim/google-timeline-visualizer/blob/main/web/src/camera.ts) (lines 381-384) implements the runtime logic through `MOVEMENT_PROFILES` that actually controls the camera viewport calculations.