## Calculate camera position from 3x4 projection matrix

I have a 3 x 4 projection matrix $P$ given that calculates a homogeneous 2-Vector ${\bf i}=(u,v,w)^T$ on some screen (e.g.) from a homogeneous 3-Vector ${\bf x}=(x,y,z,w)^T$ in world space by $P \cdot {\bf x} = {\bf i}$.

How can I calculate the position of the camera in world space from that?

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Dear Jakob, no offense intended, but this forum is for research-level math questions, and I fear that yours isn't quite. You might have more luck at the related site: math.stackexchange.com – André Henriques Jun 21 2011 at 14:12
thanks for your hint - i really was not aware that there are two maths sites in the stackoverflow universe. i'll give it a try. – Jakob Jun 21 2011 at 16:23

Sorry for answering my own question, but just now a colleague told me the solution and I want to share it - maybe it is of some use for anybody else some day.

1. Separate $P$ into a 3x3 matrix $P'$ (including the first three columns) and a vector $\bf F'$ (the last column).
2. Invert $P'$
3. The projection reference point (i.e., the 'camera') is then ${\bf F}=P'^{-1} \cdot {\bf F'}$.
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Check out

Computer Graphics: Principles and Practice in C (2nd Edition) by James D. Foley, Andries van Dam, Steven K. Feiner and John F. Hughes (Hardcover - Aug 14, 1995)

And all will be revealed.

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 thank you for your suggestion. i will have a deeper look into it, but at first sight the book does not really seem to answer my question. – Jakob Jun 21 2011 at 16:25