Smart View
by KOTO28
Smart View lets a player switch between first-person and third-person camera angles by holding a key, with the view returning to normal on release.
What it does
Holding a bound key switches the camera to a third-person view, and releasing it returns the player to the standard first-person view. Two bindings in the Smart View category control the back and front third-person angles, so the player can look at the character from behind or from the front. Players set the keys under Options, then Controls, in the Smart View category, and the hold behavior needs each binding assigned first.
Smart View is a client-side utility for Fabric and Forge, so only the player's own game needs it and servers run without it. It requires Fabric API on Fabric. Builds cover 1.8.9 – 1.20.1 across six game versions, and the code is open source under the MIT License, with source code and an issue tracker published.
Key features
Hold-to-view camera
Holding the bound key switches the camera to the chosen view, and letting go restores first-person.
Back and front views
Separate bindings for ThirdPersonView Back and ThirdPersonView Front select which third-person angle is shown.
Controls menu setup
Keys are assigned in the Controls screen under the Smart View category, where each binding is listed.
Unset keys by default
The default key set is empty, so each binding has to be chosen before the view can be switched.
Compatibility
Latest build for each game version and loader.
Only full game releases are shown. This mod publishes no snapshot builds.
Requirements
Dependencies declared by the latest file for each loader.
Required 1
Use cases
Checking a build from behind
A player building a structure can hold the back key to see the character's position against the walls without leaving survival.
Filming and screenshots
Holding the front key shows the character from the front, which helps frame a screenshot of the player's build.
Who it’s for: Players who use the third-person camera often and want it on a key they hold, rather than a toggle. The mod suits single-player and client-side multiplayer setups, since servers do not need it.
Questions
Does Smart View need Fabric API?
Does the server need Smart View installed?
Why does the third-person view not work after installing?
In the catalog
Smart View is one of 36,990 Utility mods on ModsFinder, and one of 25,772 Utility mods for Fabric. 34,764 mods support Minecraft 1.20.1.
Similar mods
What the author says
A Minecraft mod that allows you to switch viewpoints by holding down the button. This mod provides the ability to switch viewpoints by holding down the button. By default, no key binding is set, so you must first set the key.
Official listing
- Modrinth page
- modrinth.com/mod/smart-view
- Owner
- KOTO28
- Published
- 2025-08-21
- Updated on Modrinth
- 2026-02-12
- Facts verified
- 2026-10-15