CSS perspective effect: Should the perspective attribute be placed on the parent element or the child element?

CSS 3D effect: Apply the perspective attribute to the parent element or the child element?

This article analyzes the optimal application position of perspective attribute when creating CSS three-dimensional effects and explains the effect differences brought by different positions. We will explore why perspective should usually be applied to parent elements containing 3D transform elements.

A common question is: Does perspective attribute have to be placed on the parent element of the element with transform-style: preserve-3d attribute? The following cube rotation example is an example. When perspective is applied to the parent element of the cube, the rotation effect is normal, showing the expected three-dimensional perspective effect. But if you apply perspective to the cube element itself, the rotation effect will be distorted.

The key is that perspective attribute defines the viewpoint position of the observer, which determines the distance between the observer and the three-dimensional scene, thereby affecting the perspective effect of the three-dimensional element. When perspective is applied to the parent element, the viewpoint is outside the parent element, and all children are bound by the viewpoint, maintaining the correct perspective relationship. As the cube rotates, each face maintains the correct proportion and depth visually.

However, when perspective is applied to a child element (cube), the viewpoint is located inside the cube. During the rotation process, the distance from each face to the viewpoint changes dynamically, breaking the expected perspective relationship and causing the cube to deform rather than the normal rotation effect.

To observe this deformation more clearly, borders can be added to each face of the cube. Applying perspective attributes to parent elements ensures that all children maintain the correct perspective relationship during the three-dimensional transformation, thus presenting a more natural and realistic three-dimensional effect. Therefore, the best practice is to apply perspective to the parent element that contains transform-style: preserve-3d element.

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