# Imgui Gizmo

**URL:** <https://forum.defold.com/t/imgui-gizmo/82133>\
**Category:** The Defoldmine\
**Created:** [December 23, 2025, 11:14am UTC](https://forum.defold.com/t/imgui-gizmo/82133 "2025-12-23T11:14:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![d954mas](https://forum-defold.b-cdn.net/user_avatar/forum.defold.com/d954mas/32/5401_2.png) [@d954mas](https://forum.defold.com/u/d954mas)\
**Post date:** [December 23, 2025, 11:14am UTC](https://forum.defold.com/t/imgui-gizmo/82133/1 "2025-12-23T11:14:05Z")

</div>

# ImGui Gizmo Demo (Defold)

Small demo project for testing ImGui Gizmo in Defold: object picking, transforms via gizmo, and a mini camera view manipulator.

> **[GitHub - d954mas/defold-imgui-gizmo](https://github.com/d954mas/defold-imgui-gizmo)**
>
> Contribute to d954mas/defold-imgui-gizmo development by creating an account on GitHub.

## Features

- Camera view gizmo.
- Object gizmo (translate/rotate/scale).
- Grid rendering.

## Screenshot

 ![2025-12-23_15-54-13](https://forum-defold-uploads.b-cdn.net/original/3X/2/2/22600ff54c342f6720287334379dc5f4be1ab7cc.png)

## Controls

- Click an object to select it.
- The left panel lets you change gizmo mode and edit TRS values manually.
- Enable Snap for stepped changes.

## Example

Lua header usage (API + constants) and a minimal per-frame call:

```lua

function init(self)
    imgui_gizmo.set_context()
    ...
end

function update(self, dt)
    -- At least one ImGui call is required each frame to trigger NewFrame().
    imgui.get_frame_height()
    imgui_gizmo.set_rect(0, 0, self.display_width, self.display_height)
    imgui_gizmo.set_drawlist_foreground()
    local manipulated = imgui_gizmo.manipulate(
        self.view,
        self.projection,
        imgui_gizmo.OPERATION_SCALEU,
        imgui_gizmo.MODE_LOCAL,
        self.matrix
    )
    if manipulated then
        -- handle updated matrix here
    end
end

```

## Notes

- The Lua header in `imgui_gizmo/imgui_gizmo_header.lua` is the API entry point (constants and bindings).
- You must call at least one ImGui function every frame so the extension can trigger `NewFrame()`. A no-op like `imgui.get_frame_height()` is sufficient.
- Call `imgui_gizmo.set_context()` before using any gizmo functions. Call this once during initialization in your main collection

## Key Files

- `main/gizmo_demo.script` — demo logic and ImGui Gizmo usage.
- `imgui_gizmo/imgui_gizmo_header.lua` — ImGui Gizmo API (constants + bindings).

## Setup

You can use ImGui Gizmo in your own project by adding ImGui and this project as Defold library dependencies.  
Open your `game.project` file and in the dependencies field under project add:

```lua
https://github.com/britzl/extension-imgui/archive/master.zip
https://github.com/d954mas/defold-imgui-gizmo/archive/master.zip

```

Or point to ZIP files of specific releases.

Call `imgui_gizmo.set_context()` once during initialization before any gizmo use.

You need least one ImGui call is required each frame to trigger NewFrame() in ImGui extension.  
`imgui.get_frame_height()`

## API

```lua

---@meta

---@class imgui_gizmo
imgui_gizmo = {}

---Set ImGui context for ImGuizmo. Call once after imgui init.
function imgui_gizmo.set_context() end

---Set drawlist for ImGuizmo (default current window).
function imgui_gizmo.set_drawlist() end

---Set drawlist to ImGui foreground.
function imgui_gizmo.set_drawlist_foreground() end

---Set drawlist to ImGui background.
function imgui_gizmo.set_drawlist_background() end

---Set rect for gizmo drawing.
---@param x number
---@param y number
---@param width number
---@param height number
function imgui_gizmo.set_rect(x, y, width, height) end

---Use orthographic projection.
---@param value boolean
function imgui_gizmo.set_orthographic(value) end

---Enable or disable gizmo.
---@param value boolean
function imgui_gizmo.enable(value) end

---Return true if mouse is over gizmo.
---@return boolean
function imgui_gizmo.is_over() end

---Return true if mouse is over specific operation.
---@param operation number
---@return boolean
function imgui_gizmo.is_over_operation(operation) end

---Return true if mouse is over position within radius.
---@param position vector3
---@param radius number
---@return boolean
function imgui_gizmo.is_over_position(position, radius) end

---Return true if gizmo is used.
---@return boolean
function imgui_gizmo.is_using() end

---Return true if view gizmo is used.
---@return boolean
function imgui_gizmo.is_using_view_manipulate() end

---Return true if any gizmo is used.
---@return boolean
function imgui_gizmo.is_using_any() end

---Set gizmo size in clip space.
---@param value number
function imgui_gizmo.set_gizmo_size_clip_space(value) end

---Allow axis flip.
---@param value boolean
function imgui_gizmo.allow_axis_flip(value) end

---Set axis visibility limit.
---@param value number
function imgui_gizmo.set_axis_limit(value) end

---Hide axes by mask.
---@param x boolean
---@param y boolean
---@param z boolean
function imgui_gizmo.set_axis_mask(x, y, z) end

---Set plane visibility limit.
---@param value number
function imgui_gizmo.set_plane_limit(value) end

---Manipulate transform matrix.
---@param view matrix4
---@param projection matrix4
---@param operation number
---@param mode number
---@param matrix matrix4
---@param snap vector3|number|nil
---@param local_bounds table|nil
---@param bounds_snap vector3|number|nil
---@return boolean
---@return matrix4|nil
function imgui_gizmo.manipulate(view, projection, operation, mode, matrix, snap, local_bounds, bounds_snap) end

---Decompose matrix to translation, rotation (degrees), scale.
---@param matrix matrix4
---@return vector3
---@return vector3
---@return vector3
function imgui_gizmo.decompose_matrix(matrix) end

---Recompose matrix from translation, rotation (degrees), scale.
---@param translation vector3
---@param rotation vector3
---@param scale vector3
---@return matrix4
function imgui_gizmo.recompose_matrix(translation, rotation, scale) end

---Draw grid.
---@param view matrix4
---@param projection matrix4
---@param matrix matrix4
---@param grid_size number
function imgui_gizmo.draw_grid(view, projection, matrix, grid_size) end

---Draw cubes from matrices array.
---@param view matrix4
---@param projection matrix4
---@param matrices table
function imgui_gizmo.draw_cubes(view, projection, matrices) end

---View manipulate (camera gizmo).
---@param view matrix4
---@param length number
---@param position vector3
---@param size vector3
---@param background_color number
function imgui_gizmo.view_manipulate(view, length, position, size, background_color) end

---View manipulate with projection and matrix.
---@param view matrix4
---@param projection matrix4
---@param operation number
---@param mode number
---@param matrix matrix4
---@param length number
---@param position vector3
---@param size vector3
---@param background_color number
function imgui_gizmo.view_manipulate(view, projection, operation, mode, matrix, length, position, size, background_color) end

---Get style table.
---@return table
function imgui_gizmo.get_style() end

---Set style from table.
---@param style table
function imgui_gizmo.set_style(style) end

---Get style color by index.
---@param index number
---@return vector4
function imgui_gizmo.get_style_color(index) end

---Set style color by index.
---@param index number
---@param color vector4|table
function imgui_gizmo.set_style_color(index, color) end

---Convert Euler degrees to quaternion.
---@param euler vector3
---@return quat
function imgui_gizmo.quat_from_euler(euler) end

---Convert basis vectors to quaternion.
---@param right vector3
---@param up vector3
---@param forward vector3
---@return quat
function imgui_gizmo.quat_from_basis(right, up, forward) end

---Look-at quaternion from position.
---@param position vector3
---@param target vector3
---@param up vector3
---@return quat
function imgui_gizmo.quat_look_at(position, target, up) end

imgui_gizmo.MODE_LOCAL = 0
imgui_gizmo.MODE_WORLD = 1

imgui_gizmo.OPERATION_TRANSLATE = 7
imgui_gizmo.OPERATION_ROTATE = 120
imgui_gizmo.OPERATION_SCALE = 896
imgui_gizmo.OPERATION_SCALEU = 14336
imgui_gizmo.OPERATION_UNIVERSAL = 15359
imgui_gizmo.OPERATION_TRANSLATE_X = 1
imgui_gizmo.OPERATION_TRANSLATE_Y = 2
imgui_gizmo.OPERATION_TRANSLATE_Z = 4
imgui_gizmo.OPERATION_ROTATE_X = 8
imgui_gizmo.OPERATION_ROTATE_Y = 16
imgui_gizmo.OPERATION_ROTATE_Z = 32
imgui_gizmo.OPERATION_ROTATE_SCREEN = 64
imgui_gizmo.OPERATION_SCALE_X = 128
imgui_gizmo.OPERATION_SCALE_Y = 256
imgui_gizmo.OPERATION_SCALE_Z = 512
imgui_gizmo.OPERATION_BOUNDS = 1024
imgui_gizmo.OPERATION_SCALE_XU = 2048
imgui_gizmo.OPERATION_SCALE_YU = 4096
imgui_gizmo.OPERATION_SCALE_ZU = 8192

imgui_gizmo.COLOR_DIRECTION_X = 0
imgui_gizmo.COLOR_DIRECTION_Y = 1
imgui_gizmo.COLOR_DIRECTION_Z = 2
imgui_gizmo.COLOR_PLANE_X = 3
imgui_gizmo.COLOR_PLANE_Y = 4
imgui_gizmo.COLOR_PLANE_Z = 5
imgui_gizmo.COLOR_SELECTION = 6
imgui_gizmo.COLOR_INACTIVE = 7
imgui_gizmo.COLOR_TRANSLATION_LINE = 8
imgui_gizmo.COLOR_SCALE_LINE = 9
imgui_gizmo.COLOR_ROTATION_USING_BORDER = 10
imgui_gizmo.COLOR_ROTATION_USING_FILL = 11
imgui_gizmo.COLOR_HATCHED_AXIS_LINES = 12
imgui_gizmo.COLOR_TEXT = 13
imgui_gizmo.COLOR_TEXT_SHADOW = 14
imgui_gizmo.COLOR_COUNT = 15

```

## Background

Based on the Defold “basic 3D” template and uses 3D physics.