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CSS

CSS Overview Selectors Declarations Rule Sets Comments Reset/Normalize Origin Importance Order Specificity Inheritance Cascade Layers Inline Styles Internal Styles External Styles @import Absolute Units Relative Units Dynamic Viewport Angle Units Time Units Frequency Units: Resolution Units Keywords Color Formats Color Functions & Spaces Background Color Background Image Background Repeat Background Position Background Size Background Attachment Background Shorthand Multiple Backgrounds Linear Gradients Radial Gradients Conic Gradients Font Family Font Size Font Weight Font Style Line Height Text Align Text Decoration Text Transform Letter Spacing Word Spacing Text Shadow Text Wrap Variable Fonts Content Box Padding Box Border Box Margin Box Box Sizing Property Margin Padding Border Outline Box Shadow Block Display Inline Display Inline Block Display Static Position Relative Position Absolute Position Fixed Position Sticky Position Top Element Position Right Element Position Bottom Element Position Left Element Position Z Index Flexbox Box Layout Display Flex Flex Direction Flex Wrap Justify Content Align Items Align Content Gap, Row Gap & Column Gap Flex Grow Flex Shrink Flex Basis Flex Shorthand Order Property Align Self Practical Applications CSS Grid Layout Grid Display Grid Template Columns Grid Template Rows Grid Template Areas Justify Items Grid Auto Columns Justify Self Nested Grids Responsive Web Design Min Width Max Width Orientation Logical Operators Pointer Hover Prefers Color Scheme Fluid Images Flexible Typography Viewport Width Advanced CSS Features Defining variables Using variables Scope & Inheritance of CSS Variables Property Value Fallback Practical Applications :Hover :Active :Focus :Focus Visible :Visited :Link :First Child :Last Child :Nth Child :Nth of Type :Empty :Checked :Disabled :Enabled :Valid :Invalid :Required :Has :Not :Is :Where ::Before Pseudo Element ::After Pseudo Element ::First Letter ::First Line ::Selection ::Marker CSS 2D Transformations CSS 3D Transformations Transform Origin Transform Style Backface Visibility Transition Property Transition Duration Transition Timing Function Transition Delay Transition Shorthand Ease Timing Function Linear Timing Function Ease In Timing Function Ease Out Timing Function Ease In Out Timing Function Cubic Bezier Function Animations (@keyframes) Defining @keyframes Animation Name CSS Animation Duration Animation Timing Function CSS Animation Delay CSS Animation Iteration Count Animations Direction CSS Animation Fill Mode CSS Animation Play State CSS Filter Blur CSS Filter Brightness CSS Filter Contrast() CSS Drop Shadow CSS Grayscale CSS Hue Rotate CSS Invert CSS Opacity CSS Saturate CSS Sepia Mix Blend Mode Background Blend Mode Object Fit & Object Position Scroll Snap Type Scroll Snap Align Scroll Padding Scroll Margin Scroll Triggered Animations JS Variables

Transform Style

The transform-style property determines if the children of a transformed element are positioned in 3D space or are flattened into the 2D plane of their parent. The default value is flat, which causes child elements to not preserve their own 3D transformations. To create nested 3D scenes, you must set transform-style: preserve-3d on the parent container.

Example 1: Default flat Behavior

/* style.css */
.scene {
  width: 200px;
  height: 200px;
  perspective: 600px;
  transform-style: flat; /* This is the default value */
}
.cube {
  width: 100%;
  height: 100%;
  transform: rotateY(45deg);
}
.face {
  /* The child element's 3D transform is flattened */
  transform: rotateX(45deg);
}

Explanation Even though the .face element has a rotateX transform, it appears flattened into the same plane as its .cube parent. This is because the parent's transform-style: flat does not allow the child to be rendered in its own 3D space.

Example 2: Enabling 3D with preserve-3d

/* style.css */
.scene-3d {
  width: 200px;
  height: 200px;
  perspective: 600px;
}
.cube {
  width: 100%;
  height: 100%;
  /* This allows children to exist in a 3D space */
  transform-style: preserve-3d;
  transform: rotateY(45deg);
  transition: transform 1s;
}
.cube:hover {
  transform: rotateY(-45deg);
}
.face {
  /* This child's transform is now respected */
  transform: translateZ(50px);
}

Explanation By setting transform-style: preserve-3d on the .cube element, its child (.face) is now positioned in a 3D context. The translateZ(50px) on the child now correctly moves it forward in 3D space relative to its parent.

Example 3: Building a 3D Cube

/* style.css */
.container { perspective: 800px; }
.cube {
  width: 150px;
  height: 150px;
  position: relative;
  /* preserve-3d is essential for a 3D object */
  transform-style: preserve-3d;
  transform: rotateX(-30deg) rotateY(-30deg);
}
.face {
  position: absolute;
  width: 150px;
  height: 150px;
  opacity: 0.8;
}
.front { transform: translateZ(75px); background: red; }
.back  { transform: rotateY(180deg) translateZ(75px); background: blue; }

Explanation This code creates a 3D cube by positioning multiple div elements (.face) in 3D space. The transform-style: preserve-3d on the .cube container is what makes this composition possible, ensuring each face is transformed correctly.

Example 4: Nested 3D Rotations

/* style.css */
.parent {
  transform-style: preserve-3d;
  transform: perspective(500px) rotateX(20deg);
}
.child {
  /* This transform is relative to its parent's 3D space */
  transform: rotateY(40deg);
  background: #f39c12;
  width: 100px;
  height: 100px;
}

Explanation In this example, the .child element's rotateY transformation is combined with the parent's rotateX transformation. Because the parent has transform-style: preserve-3d, the child rotates within the already-tilted 3D plane created by the parent.

Example 5: transform-style on a Card Flip

/* style.css */
.card-container { perspective: 1000px; }
.card {
  width: 150px; height: 200px;
  position: relative;
  /* Allows front and back faces to share the same 3D space */
  transform-style: preserve-3d;
  transition: transform 0.8s;
}
.card:hover { transform: rotateY(180deg); }
.card-face { position: absolute; width: 100%; height: 100%; }
.front { background: #3498db; }
.back { background: #e74c3c; transform: rotateY(180deg); }

Explanation The transform-style: preserve-3d on the .card element is essential for the classic card-flip effect. It ensures that the .front and .back faces are positioned correctly in the same 3D space, allowing one to be revealed when the parent is rotated.

Example 6: Comparing flat and preserve-3d Side-by-Side

/* style.css */
.wrapper { display: flex; }
.box-container {
  width: 150px;
  height: 150px;
  perspective: 500px;
  margin: 20px;
  transform: rotateY(30deg);
}
.flat { transform-style: flat; }
.preserve { transform-style: preserve-3d; }
.inner-box {
  width: 100px;
  height: 100px;
  background: #27ae60;
  /* Apply a transform to the child */
  transform: rotateX(45deg);
}

Explanation This example visually demonstrates the difference. The child element in the .flat container will appear skewed but flat, while the child in the .preserve container will show its true rotateX transformation within the 3D scene.

Example 7: Multi-level Nested 3D Elements

/* style.css */
.grandparent {
  transform-style: preserve-3d;
  transform: perspective(600px) rotateZ(20deg);
}
.parent {
  transform-style: preserve-3d; /* Also needs preserve-3d */
  transform: rotateX(30deg);
}
.child {
  transform: translateZ(50px);
  background: #8e44ad;
  padding: 20px;
}

Explanation For multi-level nesting, every parent in the chain that should contain 3D-transformed children must have transform-style: preserve-3d. This ensures the final .child element's transformation is calculated correctly based on the accumulated transformations of all its ancestors.