How to toggle to camera view via python?

Question

Is there a way to programmatically achieve the same thing as pressing the 0 key the numpad?

Answer 1

The operator for switching the 3D view which is associated with numpad keys is view3d.viewnumpad(). You have to be in the right context (3d_view) to use it and select which view you want to set:

import bpy

for area in bpy.context.screen.areas:
    if area.type == 'VIEW_3D':
        override = bpy.context.copy()
        override['area'] = area
        bpy.ops.view3d.viewnumpad(override, type = 'CAMERA')
        break

Another way, without the operator would be:

import bpy

for area in bpy.context.screen.areas:
    if area.type == 'VIEW_3D':
        area.spaces[0].region_3d.view_perspective = 'CAMERA'
        break

Which is equivalent to:

import bpy

area = next(area for area in bpy.context.screen.areas if area.type == 'VIEW_3D')
area.spaces[0].region_3d.view_perspective = 'CAMERA'

Other options are [‘PERSP’, ‘ORTHO’, ‘CAMERA’]

Answer 2

the best way is to put it into a function (e.g in the main of the template: simple operator)

def main(context):
    
    if context.region_data.view_perspective in  {'PERSP','ORTHO'}: 
        context.region_data.view_perspective = 'CAMERA'
    else:                            
        context.region_data.view_perspective = 'PERSP'
    return {'FINISHED'}

notice region_data
another example to not do a loop over areas...

def execute(self, context):
    context.space_data.overlay.show_extra_indices^= True

to switch show_extra_indices (edit mode) show_extra_indices