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Specific Camera Definition

E

eric_marciano

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531
Country
france
Hello experts,

I hope this is the right forum for my question.
For the 3D cockpit view, I am trying to define camera settings for a specific aircraft. I know the camera settings are defined in the camera.cfg file in the app data folder, but these settings are global and apply to all aircraft. I would like to have specific settings for each aircraft because they don’t all have the same cockpit.
I am sure there is a way of using camera.cfg as the default settings and have specific settings for each aircraft, but I couldn’t find the way to do this.

Any help is welcome.

Eric
 
You just add the camera definition to the plane's aircraft.cfg file. Here is one I use:

[CameraDefinition.001]
Title = "CalClassic VC View"
Guid = {195EAB58-9E4A-1E2A-A34C-A8D9D948F078}
Origin = Virtual Cockpit
MomentumEffect = Yes
SnapPbhAdjust = Swivel
SnapPbhReturn = False
PanPbhAdjust = Swivel
PanPbhReturn = False
Track = None
ShowAxis = YES
AllowZoom = FALSE //TRUE
InitialZoom = 1.0
SmoothZoomTime = 2.0
ZoomPanScalar = 1.0
ShowWeather = Yes
XyzAdjust = TRUE
ShowLensFlare=FALSE
Category = Cockpit
PitchPanRate=20
HeadingPanRate=60
PanAcceleratorTime=0
InitialXyz=0,0,0
InitialPbh=9, 0, 0

I use this instead of the default VC view because the default has a bug in FSX when you try to restore forward view using Ctrl-Space Bar.

Hope this helps,
 
Eric, camera definitions for a specific aircraft (FSX/P3D) are specified in that aircraft's aircraft.cfg file. You can define both exterior and interior custom cameras.
For exterior cameras, the header format is [CameraDefinition.x]
For interior cameras, the header format is [CameraDefinition.00x]

For example, here are two entries for custom cameras in the Milviz DHC-2 Beaver:
Code: 
[CameraDefinition.001]
Title = "Right Seat"
Guid = {195EAB58-9E4A-1E2A-A34C-A8D9D948F078}
Origin = Virtual Cockpit
MomentumEffect = Yes
SnapPbhAdjust = Swivel
SnapPbhReturn = False
PanPbhAdjust = Swivel
PanPbhReturn = False
Track = None
ShowAxis = YES
AllowZoom = TRUE
InitialZoom = 0.75
SmoothZoomTime = 2.0
ZoomPanScalar = 1.0
ShowWeather = Yes
XyzAdjust = TRUE
ShowLensFlare=FALSE
Category = Cockpit
PitchPanRate=20
HeadingPanRate=60
InitialXyz=0.65, 0.05, 0.0
InitialPbh=8, 0, 0

[CameraDefinition.002]
Title = "Radio Stack"
Guid = {195EAB58-9E4A-2E2A-A34C-A8D9D948F078}
Origin = Virtual Cockpit
MomentumEffect = No
SnapPbhAdjust = None
SnapPbhReturn = False
PanPbhAdjust = None
PanPbhReturn = False
Track = None
ShowAxis = FALSE
AllowZoom = TRUE
InitialZoom = 1.1
SmoothZoomTime = 2.0
ZoomPanScalar = 1.0
ShowWeather = Yes
XyzAdjust = TRUE
ShowLensFlare=FALSE
Category = Cockpit
PitchPanRate=20
HeadingPanRate=60
InitialXyz=0.66, 0.1, 0.15
InitialPbh=33, 0, 0
 
That's the point. I saw some camera definition in aircraft.cfg but I thought it was for exterior camera only. I am happy to learn it also works for internal camera such as VC camera.
If I understand correctly, the camera definition you give here as an example will replace the one defined in camera.cfg.
Will it replace the VC camera or will it create a new camera view?

Thanks.
 
It doesn't work :(
I am sure I did something wrong...

I copied/pasted the VC camera definition from camera.cfg to my aircraft.cfg and I generated a new GUID for it:

Code: 
[CameraDefinition.002]
Title = Virtual Cockpit
GUID = {7c915dba-9fe3-49eb-9a58-6ec4e835fd00}
Description = This is the description of the virtual cockpit view.
Origin = Virtual Cockpit
MomentumEffect = Yes
SnapPbhAdjust = Ordinal
SnapPbhReturn = False
PanPbhAdjust = Swivel
PanPbhReturn = False
Track = None
ShowAxis = YES
AllowZoom = TRUE
InitialZoom = 2.0
SmoothZoomTime = 2.0
ZoomPanScalar = 1.0
ShowWeather = Yes
XyzAdjust = TRUE
ShowLensFlare=FALSE
Category = Cockpit
PitchPanRate=30
HeadingPanRate=75
PanAcceleratorTime=0
HotKeySelect=1

As you can see, I intentionally set the zoom to 2.0 for debug purpose, to make sure I see the change. And I saw no change when I loaded my aircraft in FSX...
 
First, if this is your first definition in the aircraft.cfg file it might need to be [CameraDefinition.001], not [CameraDefinition.002]?

If that doesn't work, I'm not sure you can replace the default definitions? That's why I created another one. When in the dfault VC view I press the A key in FSX to get to *my* VC definition.
 
No, this is not the first definition, there are other ones defined as external cameras that I didn't want to remove. Anyway, as far as I know, the number is not really important because everything is based on the GUID, which is unique in that case.
I understand you have created another VC view, so you press A to make it appear, but it doesn't show immediately when you press F9. This is why I was looking for a way to REPLACE the default VC camera settings for my aircraft, the one that appears when F9 is pressed. Do you know if this is possible?
 
To replace the default generic VC camera view, you need to make it [CameraDefinition.000]...

The numbering is important because the "A" key will cycle VC views beginning with .000 and upwards. Shift-A will reverse the cycle of view positions.

What however is unique about the view you want that cannot be accomplished using the other aircraft.cfg / panel.cfg parameters?
 
Thank you Bill, I didn't know numbering was so important to manage the view cycling, good to know. I will give it a try by re-organizing the camera numbers in my aircraft.cfg and by setting the one I want as camera.000.
I am not sure I understood your question, let me try to answer. There is nothing really unique in the view I am trying to setup, I would just like to have a nice VC view that lets me see outside while seeing the main instruments (especially airspeed and altitude) to make proper landings. What I usually see when I press F9 is a nice view of the outside world, but no instrument is visible, which is not optimal for a good approach.
So when I press F9, I would like to have a well balanced view that shows the exterior world, especially the runway on approach, while leaving the main instrument visible. This camera setting is not the same for all aircraft, it cannot be the same for a "steam gauge" cockpit as for a glass-cockpit :)
 
Bill, I am afraid you were wrong, and I regret it...
I numbered my new camera view as 0, but still, it does not appear as the first view when I press F9. Another thing I noticed is the importance of the title: if I keep the "Virtual Cockpit" title, my new view does not appear, probably because FSX doesn't like duplicate titles even if GUID are different. So I renamed my new view as "Custom VC" and it appears when I press A several times after pressing F9, even though it has number 0.

What I understand here is that what I wanted to do is impossible. Having a specific aircraft VC view that replaces the standard VC view defined in camera.cfg is impossible. You can create a new one and add it to your aircraft, but when you press F9, the default VC view defined in camera.cfg appears first, then you can press A to have yours as an additional view.

Please let me know if I am wrong somewhere, I would be glad to be wrong :)
 
eric_marciano said:
What I usually see when I press F9 is a nice view of the outside world, but no instrument is visible, which is not optimal for a good approach.
So when I press F9, I would like to have a well balanced view that shows the exterior world, especially the runway on approach, while leaving the main instrument visible. This camera setting is not the same for all aircraft, it cannot be the same for a "steam gauge" cockpit as for a glass-cockpit :)
Click to expand...
In that case it is easily fixed by editing the VIEW_FORWARD_DIR= parameter in the panel.cfg file. There are 3 parameters:

1st parameter is adjust the view pitch (tilt up/down)

In the example below, this will tilt the "viewpoint" down 5º

Code: 
[VIEWS]
VIEW_FORWARD_ZOOM=1.0
VIEW_FORWARD_DIR=5.000, 0.000, 0.000
 
Hi Bill,

I know this parameter very well, I used it a lot in the past, when 2D panels were used much more than today.
I may be wrong, but I think this VIEW_FORWARD_DIR parameter is for 2D cockpit view only.
I will check this.
 
I am not able to replace the default VC view either, no matter the n number or the GUID or the Title. So that's why I added my own.
 
Is there a way to take pictures of a sideways “camera” view while still using the normal forward VC view? It would need to be a static view, not affected by any head steered view system.
I have never found a way to do this, but it would be very useful in multiplayer.
Roy
 
Roy Holmes said:
Is there a way to take pictures of a sideways “camera” view while still using the normal forward VC view? It would need to be a static view, not affected by any head steered view system.
I have never found a way to do this, but it would be very useful in multiplayer.
Roy
Click to expand...
Maybe setting the ZoomPanScalar to 0.0 would do the trick?
 
eric_marciano said:
I understand you have created another VC view, so you press A to make it appear, but it doesn't show immediately when you press F9. This is why I was looking for a way to REPLACE the default VC camera settings for my aircraft, the one that appears when F9 is pressed. Do you know if this is possible?
Click to expand...
Resurrecting this old thread to document my findings for future users to find....

Eric, I too find the default VC view too high for most aircraft and I am surprised there have not been more questions & answers on the subject.

I cannot offer you an exact solution (modifying VC view for individual aircraft) - I haven't tried modifying an individual aircraft config file.
This article: http://www.fstipsandaddons.com/understanding-cameras-fsx/ contains some useful knowledge though, specifically, the InitialPbh setting.

Inserting this into cameras.cfg has slightly tilted down the default VC. I only use GA aircraft so this lowers the view to just include throttle, mixture and switches:
[CameraDefinition.002]
Title = Virtual Cockpit
Guid = {C95EAB58-9E4A-4E2A-A34C-D8D9D948F078}
Description = This is the description of the virtual cockpit view.
Origin = Virtual Cockpit
MomentumEffect = Yes
SnapPbhAdjust = Swivel
SnapPbhReturn = False
PanPbhAdjust = Swivel
PanPbhReturn = False
Track = None
ShowAxis = YES
AllowZoom = TRUE
InitialZoom = 0.7
InitialPbh = 9, 0, 0 //this line added by me to tilt VC view down a little
SmoothZoomTime = 2.0
ZoomPanScalar = 1.0
ShowWeather = Yes
XyzAdjust = TRUE
ShowLensFlare=FALSE
Category = Cockpit
PitchPanRate=30
HeadingPanRate=75
PanAcceleratorTime=0
HotKeySelect=1
Click to expand...

Don't forget that the F9 view remembers it's last position, so it does NOT return to it's default angle when you press F9. You need to map a key to Centre View and use that after F9 to snap the view to the angles you defined in InitialPbh. If you are already in VC view, just press the Centre View key to return to you modified view.
 
I come back on this subject because it is especially important for an aircraft I just bought, in which I would like to adjust the InitialPbh.
Thank you David for your advice, I already tried this. Unfortunately, if you change this setting in cameras.cfg, it will affect ALL aircraft. What I would like to do is changing the virtual cockpit InitialPbh for each aircraft independently. This can only be done by creating a new camera definition in the aircraft.cfg, but then when you type F9, you switch to the default virtaul cockpit camera and NOT to the new camera you have defined.
Does it mean this problem has no solution? I can't believe this :)
 
Eric, as far as I know you can only adjust the [eyepoint] position via the aircraft.cfg insofar as x,y,z positions. Unfortunately there is no means of adjusting the PBH via the aircraft.cfg file... :confused:
 
I'm afraid you're right. I bought this topic back because of a good aircraft I have just bought (the Just Flight TB-20 Trinidad) that would be perfect if I could do this. But reading all the thread shows there is no possibility. I thought about creating a custom VC camera but there is no way I can access it with a single key like I do with F9.

Thanks for your help.
Eric
 
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