P3Dv4.2 camera malaise

[Javis]

I bought the new Aerosoft DC-8. It showed a flickering white wall in the VC. In the Aerosoft forum it was said that using P3Dv4.2 is imperative for the DC-8 to work correctly. I was still on v4.0 so i did the client only update to v4.2. No more flickering white wall indeed so that's great. But now my favourite custom camera view doesn't work anymore....

It's a replacement of the default 'Facilities Runway' [CameraDefinition.009] entry in the cameras.cfg and has always worked great. Until now... With this custom camera you can place yourself anywhere at any airport and watch your aircraft taxi-by, take-off, land, etc all from a spotter's perspective. If an airport has 6 runways you even have 6 cameras to place anywhere. IMHO it's the next best thing since sliced bread and the FS9 ultimate camera gem 'Active Camera' .

The thing is that, after having updated P3Dv4 to v4.2 these custom cameras can't seem to 'walk' anymore. Normally you can walk/run all over the place by using the Ctrl/Shift/Enter/Back key combo's. With v4.2, as it seem now, not anymore...

It's not like anybody else here uses this wonderful custom camera gadget by any chance, is there ?.... (i'd almost say "why not??" ... )

If anybody would like to try it, this is the replacement entry in the cameras.cfg for 'Facilities Runway' (IMHO completely useless in default config..)

[CameraDefinition.009]
Title = Facilities Runway
Guid = {607C4520-CA6F-4135-AE10-8BF28838068F}
Description = This is the description of the runway view.
Origin = Fixed
InstancedBased = Yes
SnapPbhAdjust = Swivel
SnapPbhReturn = False
PanPbhAdjust = Swivel
PanPbhReturn = False
TargetCategory = Container
Track = Track
ShowAxis = Yes
AllowZoom = Yes
InitialZoom = 1.0
SmoothZoomTime = 2.0
ShowWeather = Yes
XyzAdjust = TRUE
Transition = No
ShowLensFlare=FALSE
Category = Runway
CycleHideRadius = 7
ClipMode = Spot
CycleHidden=Yes


_________________________________________

Any help would be highly appreciated. Thanks very much on forehand !

Cheers,
Jan

[Javis]

Okay, it's clear nobody gives a hoot but i don't give up that easily.

Let me put it another way : it's not like nobody has any interest in viewing the aircraft the're flying from outside, is it ?.... Most external models do look awfully nice, don't they ! So what kind of view are you guys normally using, just the normal Spot- and Tower View or maybe some custom exernal views from special camera programs ?

And if so, do they provide an 'aircraft spotter' view like i describe in my post above ? ( i.e. stand along the runway and watch your take-off or landing in Replay mode ??.... )

Can't believe i'm the only who loves that....


Btw, this is what i mean : http://dai.ly/x24ehcc

[Navy Chief]

Thanks for your post, Javis. Me? I have been using ChasePlane. Awesome alternative to EZdok, in my opinion (having initially bought EZdok years ago) Chaseplane is quite cool! NC

https://youtu.be/hr2PKmP2yF0

[roger-wilco-66]

Same here, ever since I started to use Chaseplane I hardly ever switch to the default cameras. Now, I can't comment on the specific mode you used since I have never done it this way. When the aircraft is on the ground, you could switch to Avatar mode, put it in 3rd person view mode and walk or slew happily around wherever you want.

When your AC is moving or flying, departing it for viewing will be a spell for trouble though :-)

[EDIT:]
Did you try the cinematographer mode? Shift-F5? It maps the joystick to the camera axis. Never tried that myself. Check description:

https://www.prepar3d.com/SDKv3/Learn.../controls.html


Cheers,
Mark

[Javis]

Thanks for your post, Javis. Me? I have been using ChasePlane. Awesome alternative to EZdok, in my opinion (having initially bought EZdok years ago) Chaseplane is quite cool! NC

https://youtu.be/hr2PKmP2yF0

Bought it last year but couldn't for the life of me get that 'spotter' view i'm looking for. Just saw two half hour videos explaining ChasePlane possibillities. No such view shown neither..... I'd say it's the easiest and most common view one can think of, just being a spectator watching planes taxi by and take-off and land. No clue why such a view mode does not belong to the default view options ( and i believe not in any flightsim i ever tried neither ). The boys at Anticyclone understood, they offered just that (and a lot more) with their fantastic Active Camera for FS2K, K2 and FS9 but sadly gave up on it when FSX arrived ( i literally BEGGED them to reconsider.... ;-)

Perfectly happy with my custom spotter view via the camera.cfg mod but since P3Dv4.2 the Ctrl/Shift/Enter/Back key combo's do nothing anymore when this custom view mode is active. ( i'd go back to P3Dv4.0 just to have my custom view mode back again but then i can't use the new Aerosoft DC-8 anymore which i like very much)

cheers,
jan

[Javis]

Same here, ever since I started to use Chaseplane I hardly ever switch to the default cameras. Now, I can't comment on the specific mode you used since I have never done it this way. When the aircraft is on the ground, you could switch to Avatar mode, put it in 3rd person view mode and walk or slew happily around wherever you want.

When your AC is moving or flying, departing it for viewing will be a spell for trouble though :-)

You bet. Spend a few hours trying to make my plane taxi by. Got atleast something in the end but what a hassle ! ;-)

No, this program is not for me. A wagonload of options but what i am specifically looking for is not amongst it. Perfectly happy with the default VC, Spot and Fly By view. What i want is simply stand near the runway and watch my landings and take-off's, be it in a 747 or a Tiger Moth...

[EDIT:]
Did you try the cinematographer mode? Shift-F5? It maps the joystick to the camera axis. Never tried that myself. Check description:

https://www.prepar3d.com/SDKv3/Learn.../controls.html

Good tip, Mark, thanks ! Not helping with the view i need but a very interesting view mode anyway !

Cheers,
Jan

[modelr]

Don't really have anything to add here, except a friendly question. Javis, the way I read your view explanation, isn't the view you looking for what would be the one we all grew up with? Standing at the fence/viewing area at our local airport as a kid, watching the airplanes come and go? It would seem to me that this would be the second most used/popular view behind "tower view." Strange it is not one of the default views.

[Navy Chief]

Bought it last year but couldn't for the life of me get that 'spotter' view i'm looking for. Just saw two half hour videos explaining ChasePlane possibillities. No such view shown neither..... I'd say it's the easiest and most common view one can think of, just being a spectator watching planes taxi by and take-off and land. No clue why such a view mode does not belong to the default view options ( and i believe not in any flightsim i ever tried neither ). The boys at Anticyclone understood, they offered just that (and a lot more) with their fantastic Active Camera for FS2K, K2 and FS9 but sadly gave up on it when FSX arrived ( i literally BEGGED them to reconsider.... ;-)

Perfectly happy with my custom spotter view via the camera.cfg mod but since P3Dv4.2 the Ctrl/Shift/Enter/Back key combo's do nothing anymore when this custom view mode is active. ( i'd go back to P3Dv4.0 just to have my custom view mode back again but then i can't use the new Aerosoft DC-8 anymore which i like very much)

cheers,
jan

Maybe a question to the developers of Chaseplane might help? Perhaps if they don't have such a view, they might create one? NC

[Javis]

Don't really have anything to add here, except a friendly question. Javis, the way I read your view explanation, isn't the view you looking for what would be the one we all grew up with? Standing at the fence/viewing area at our local airport as a kid, watching the airplanes come and go?

Exactly !

It would seem to me that this would be the second most used/popular view behind "tower view."

I'd say so too but it was only Active Camera that provided such a view mode. Sadly they stopped support for FSX. I do like Tower View. Thankful that atleast that kind of view is available but IMHO it's far from as spectacular as viewing your aircraft from the side of the runway.

Strange it is not one of the default views.

My quess is that the MSFS devs thought of more important stuff to upgrade then additional view modes. And they were right of course. So it never came to that, a third party would probabely come to the rescue here, and it did but only sofar as FS9...

Are you by any chance still on P3Dv4.0 ??..... If so you can do yourself a favor and try the custom camera setup with the recipe as shown in my first post.

Cheers,
Jan

[Javis]

Maybe a question to the developers of Chaseplane might help? Perhaps if they don't have such a view, they might create one? NC

Thanks for your PM, Pete, looking forward to their answer !

[Javis]

[EDIT:]
Did you try the cinematographer mode? Shift-F5? It maps the joystick to the camera axis.

It *does* seem to help a bit, Mark, thanks again !

Using the Ctrl/Shift/Enter/Back key combo's now moves the eyepoint at the pace of a snail, literally. (before P3Dv4.2 you could run like Usain Bolt..) Using my joystick in cinematographer mode gets me atleast walking again. Wish i knew what exactly controls the speed of moving your eyepoint in external view mode...

cheers,
Jan

[Manschy]

Same here, Jan. Just tried to change some entries inside the camera.cfg, but nothing helps so far.... But it's a good improvement anyway.

[Priller]

I have a very similar problem. In spot view, some airplanes (JF Dunkirk Spit, Milviz Phantom F-4E) won't allow me to select a view angle using the numpad.

Anyone else has this?

Priller

[Javis]

It *does* seem to help a bit, Mark, thanks again !

Using the Ctrl/Shift/Enter/Back key combo's now moves the eyepoint at the pace of a snail, literally. (before P3Dv4.2 you could run like Usain Bolt..) Using my joystick in cinematographer mode gets me atleast walking again. Wish i knew what exactly controls the speed of moving your eyepoint in external view mode...

cheers,
Jan

For anybody interested: looking into this again i found this video explaining about P3D Cinematographer Mode. Proves that the movement speed can actually be adjusted, be it only so much. Still, it works much better now in my beloved 'aircraft spotter' camera mod. Not as wonderful as when the movement key-combo's were still working but it's a nice step into the right direction. The video (starts at the subject) is here: https://youtu.be/MgokBykIfOc?t=1167

Cheers,
jan