# Question: how to place the camera to make sure snapshot the whole dataset in python script (NOT in GUI)
**URL:** https://discourse.paraview.org/t/question-how-to-place-the-camera-to-make-sure-snapshot-the-whole-dataset-in-python-script-not-in-gui/2789
**Category:** ParaView Support
**Created:** [October 17, 2019, 1:41am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/question-how-to-place-the-camera-to-make-sure-snapshot-the-whole-dataset-in-python-script-not-in-gui/2789 "2019-10-17T01:41:02Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Robinnie](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/Robinnie)
#### Post date: [October 17, 2019, 1:41am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/question-how-to-place-the-camera-to-make-sure-snapshot-the-whole-dataset-in-python-script-not-in-gui/2789/1 "2019-10-17T01:41:02Z")
I am using python script to snapshot the 3D datasets. A lot of datasets. It seems the camera position/placement, etc will affect the snapshot(it may snapshot the whole dataset, or just part of it) as shown as the attached picture. The 4 pictures are actually using 2 sets of parameters to blindly snapshot the datasets (parameters are from the tracing python script for the 1st data in paraview GUI ).
I checked and found different dataset size will have different camera position/placement parameter as below lines shown to make sure snapshot the whole dataset, while I can not figure out how to calculate these parameters based on the dataset size (and maybe the window size?)
```
# current camera placement for renderView1
renderView1.CameraPosition = [-553.2213163882634, 1225.361636475504, 1340.9145427277479]
renderView1.CameraFocalPoint = [249.5, 249.5, 249.5]
renderView1.CameraViewUp = [0.2719455703783571, 0.8080929324180035, -0.5225240849259124]
renderView1.CameraParallelScale = 432.1466764884349
```
My question: how to calculate the cameral placement parameters according to the dataset size, in order to make sure snapshot the whole dataset?
   
---
### Author:  [@mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/mwestphal)
#### Post date: [October 17, 2019, 2:05am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/question-how-to-place-the-camera-to-make-sure-snapshot-the-whole-dataset-in-python-script-not-in-gui/2789/2 "2019-10-17T02:05:27Z")
what about `ResetCamera()` ?
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### Author:  [@Robinnie](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/Robinnie)
#### Post date: [October 17, 2019, 2:09am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/question-how-to-place-the-camera-to-make-sure-snapshot-the-whole-dataset-in-python-script-not-in-gui/2789/3 "2019-10-17T02:09:44Z")
renderView1.ResetCamera() does not do the job:(
It was in my script already.
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### Author:  [@mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/mwestphal)
#### Post date: [October 17, 2019, 2:11am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/question-how-to-place-the-camera-to-make-sure-snapshot-the-whole-dataset-in-python-script-not-in-gui/2789/4 "2019-10-17T02:11:15Z")
It should.
Can you share a simple script that shows this behavior ?
---
### Author:  [@Robinnie](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/Robinnie)
#### Post date: [October 17, 2019, 2:17am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/question-how-to-place-the-camera-to-make-sure-snapshot-the-whole-dataset-in-python-script-not-in-gui/2789/5 "2019-10-17T02:17:36Z")
I realized my mistakes. I was using the tracing script and put the `enderView1.ResetCamera()` before the
# current camera placement for renderView1
```
renderView1.CameraPosition = [-553.2213163882634, 1225.361636475504, 1340.9145427277479]
renderView1.CameraFocalPoint = [249.5, 249.5, 249.5]
renderView1.CameraViewUp = [0.2719455703783571, 0.8080929324180035, -0.5225240849259124]
renderView1.CameraParallelScale = 432.1466764884349
```
Which make make the ResetCamera() not working.
When I add another `enderView1.ResetCamera()` before snap, my problem solved.
Thanks a lot. Mr. Mathieu WestPhal. It is relief as I don’t need to calculate those parameters…
---
### Author:  [@wascott](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/wascott)
#### Post date: [October 17, 2019, 2:26am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/question-how-to-place-the-camera-to-make-sure-snapshot-the-whole-dataset-in-python-script-not-in-gui/2789/6 "2019-10-17T02:26:59Z")
There is a small section on camera controls in the Sandia National Laboratory Tutorials, available from the ParaView Help menu. Look at ParaView and Python. Link is: [https://www.paraview.org/Wiki/ParaView\_and\_Python#Control\_the\_camera](https://www.paraview.org/Wiki/ParaView_and_Python#Control_the_camera)
---
### Author:  [@aron.helser](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/aron.helser)
#### Post date: [October 17, 2019, 1:45pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/question-how-to-place-the-camera-to-make-sure-snapshot-the-whole-dataset-in-python-script-not-in-gui/2789/7 "2019-10-17T13:45:56Z")
Tools … Start Trace is your friend 🙂 . I think you want to use the ‘resetCamera’ button, which will be recorded as a command you can use in your Python script.
HTH,
Aron