A method for camera processing, the method comprising: receiving instructions from an application that specify a use case for a camera pipeline; determining, based on the instructions received from the application, whether the use case is directed to functionality associated with a camera application programming interface, API, or a camera interface; and i) if it is determined that the use case is directed to functionality associated with the API, triggering an override module that overrides application of the camera interface and processing the instructions with the API, wherein processing the instructions with the camera API comprises: routing image data through the camera pipeline, based on a topology specified by the instructions, to one or more fixed-function image signal processing nodes internal to a camera processor and to one or more processing engines external to the camera processor; and returning results of processing the image data with the one or more fixed-function image signal processing nodes internal to the camera processor and with the one or more processing engines external to the camera processor to the application; and ii) if it is determined that the use case is directed to functionality associated with a camera interface, processing the instructions with the camera interface of the camera processor. receiving instructions from an application that specify a use case for a camera pipeline; determining, based on the instructions received from the application, whether the use case is directed to functionality associated with a camera application programming interface, API, or a camera interface; and i) if it is determined that the use case is directed to functionality associated with the API, triggering an override module that overrides application of the camera interface and processing the instructions with the API, wherein processing the instructions with the camera API comprises: routing image data through the camera pipeline, based on a topology specified by the instructions, to one or more fixed-function image signal processing nodes internal to a camera processor and to one or more processing engines external to the camera processor; and returning results of processing the image data with the one or more fixed-function image signal processing nodes internal to the camera processor and with the one or more processing engines external to the camera processor to the application; and ii) if it is determined that the use case is directed to functionality associated with a camera interface, processing the instructions with the camera interface of the camera processor. i) if it is determined that the use case is directed to functionality associated with the API, triggering an override module that overrides application of the camera interface and processing the instructions with the API, wherein processing the instructions with the camera API comprises: routing image data through the camera pipeline, based on a topology specified by the instructions, to one or more fixed-function image signal processing nodes internal to a camera processor and to one or more processing engines external to the camera processor; and returning results of processing the image data with the one or more fixed-function image signal processing nodes internal to the camera processor and with the one or more processing engines external to the camera processor to the application; and routing image data through the camera pipeline, based on a topology specified by the instructions, to one or more fixed-function image signal processing nodes internal to a camera processor and to one or more processing engines external to the camera processor; and returning results of processing the image data with the one or more fixed-function image signal processing nodes internal to the camera processor and with the one or more processing engines external to the camera processor to the application; and ii) if it is determined that the use case is directed to functionality associated with a camera interface, processing the instructions with the camera interface of the camera processor.