Computer-simulated three-dimensional environments include automatable and/or constrainable camera control, for video gameplay, real estate and/or landscape demonstrations, or any other digitizable environment. In gameplay applications, the system can be customizably programmed to automatically adapt to the environment based on the player' s location within the virtual environment, information about what the programmer believes is relevant (or wants to make relevant) in the scene being displayed, and other factors. Certain embodiments of the inventive apparatus and methods generally automatically incorporate and honor the ' rules of cinematography, ' but also preferably include other ' action video game' principles that can override or trump those rules.