Changing pilots view point

[Steven190]

I have been trying to fly the ETO FW190A-8 JG3

I find it hard to sight with the gunsight to the right. I waste more ammo trying to center the fire first.

So I have been trying to change the view point to get the pilot behind the sight so it is more centered on the screen. I have changed all the settings in the fw190a.xdp file. Nothing works except I have positioned the pilot in the cockpit to far back and up. All the changes to the retical view has done no change.

Am I working the wrong file?

Can it even be done?

[ndicki]

You can, but it's a bit iffy.

Open the xdp file and look for these lines:

<Views>
<View Event="HeadStop"/>
<View Event="HeadPitchUp" Azimuth="0" Elevation="-30"/>
<View Event="HeadPitchDown" Azimuth="0" Elevation="30"/>
<View Event="HeadPitchUpLeft" Azimuth="-45" Elevation="5"/>
<View Event="HeadPitchUpRight" Azimuth="45" Elevation="5"/>
<View Event="HeadRotLeft" Azimuth="-90" Elevation="-5"/>
<View Event="HeadRotRight" Azimuth="90" Elevation="-5"/>
<View Event="HeadPitchDownLeft" Azimuth="-154" Elevation="0"/>
<View Event="HeadPitchDownRight" Azimuth="154" Elevation="0"/>
</Views>

If you add the following onto the first entry, you'll get what you want.


<View Event="HeadStop" Azimuth="0" Elevation="0" X="0" Y="0.0" Z="0"/>

X is left-right, Y is up/down, and Z is back/forwards. If I remember rightly... Anyway, it'll give you something to mess about with.

[hairyspin]

Bear in mind the .xdp uses dimensions in metres, not feet or even inches. So making X, Y or Z something like 4 is going to move the viewpoint 4 metres in the X direction (to the right). Nigel is right about the directions for each axis:-

http://img683.imageshack.us/img683/6281/coordsystemxdp.jpg

[wsmwsm]

Maybe I am misunderstanding the problem, but just try hitting F6. The view will shift behind the gunsight on the right.

[hairyspin]

Quite correct, wsmwsm!

[Steven190]

Dah

That solved my problem


Thanks
Now on to the next item

[ndicki]

Bear in mind the .xdp uses dimensions in metres, not feet or even inches. So making X, Y or Z something like 4 is going to move the viewpoint 4 metres in the X direction (to the right). Nigel is right about the directions for each axis:-

http://img683.imageshack.us/img683/6281/coordsystemxdp.jpg

That looks like a MkII Tempest - am I wrong?

[hairyspin]

That looks like a MkII Tempest - am I wrong?

Quite right Nigel, but there's more work to do before the VC is as complete.

[dancat]

I guess I should have noted that f6 brings you into the sight view in the read me.
from now I'll make a note of that.

[Steven190]

I was hitting most of the keys and trying to assign a key in the setup. nothing was working.

Is there a PSD for the FW190A 8?

[dancat]

did you mean PDF or PSD for the skin??
I never made a PDF with info on the plane because I was in a rush to get the plane you to the ETO team.

[Steven190]

The PSD Photo Shop for the skin.


I just started one and was wondering if there was one availible, it would save some time. Making all the rivets takes days.

[ndicki]

Set your pencil to single pixel square, with spacing at around 500 - 600. Just brush them in white, and use added shadows. Takes minutes. Sorry I can't be more specific, but my copy of Photoshop is in French, and I have no idea about the English terms!

[dancat]

yip, I can send ya a template.
or just upload it here.
I'ld like to see what Nigel can do with it too after seeing his work on the stock 109's!

[Steven190]

You are correct, but I am running out of time to really finnish one.

Nigel is doing great work, better than I can. I was call mediocre and an amateurish the last plane I posted.

Also nicki is very impressive, Great detail. VERY NICE

[lewis11777]

Nigel this is a great trick, of all the things I have learned to modify this little tip has eluded me. Thanks for posting!


You can, but it's a bit iffy.

Open the xdp file and look for these lines:

<Views>
<View Event="HeadStop"/>
<View Event="HeadPitchUp" Azimuth="0" Elevation="-30"/>
<View Event="HeadPitchDown" Azimuth="0" Elevation="30"/>
<View Event="HeadPitchUpLeft" Azimuth="-45" Elevation="5"/>
<View Event="HeadPitchUpRight" Azimuth="45" Elevation="5"/>
<View Event="HeadRotLeft" Azimuth="-90" Elevation="-5"/>
<View Event="HeadRotRight" Azimuth="90" Elevation="-5"/>
<View Event="HeadPitchDownLeft" Azimuth="-154" Elevation="0"/>
<View Event="HeadPitchDownRight" Azimuth="154" Elevation="0"/>
</Views>

If you add the following onto the first entry, you'll get what you want.


<View Event="HeadStop" Azimuth="0" Elevation="0" X="0" Y="0.0" Z="0"/>

X is left-right, Y is up/down, and Z is back/forwards. If I remember rightly... Anyway, it'll give you something to mess about with.

[ndicki]

Glad it wasn't wasted then! If you put in a new position, add 180 degrees to the azimuth and lift the viewpoint up by a couple of feet, you can pretend you've got a rear-view mirror even on aircraft that don't have one. It's a bit iffy, as I said, but it sort of works.

[lewis11777]

Ok Nigel here is CFS3 guru question for you. If you have 3 pilot views that you can toggle with F6, can you change which one is the default initial view by altering something in the .xpd file?

[ndicki]

I admit I've tried. Possibly hacking the model file to make viewpoint 1 into viewpoint 0 might work? Too late in the day to think coherently about this, but I'm sure it's possible. I may have already done it by alternating the entries. Can't remember.

[lewis11777]

Nigel I have tried alternating the .xpd station entries and that did not work. I ask because the G55 Centauro has the initial view with head sway and the next view is without. I was trying to reverse this because I hate the whole head sway thing and I don't want to hit f6 everytime I start a mission in that plane. When you can think coherently if you know of a way please fill me in.

[dancat]

it should work just fine if you change the default view from view0 to view1 and just delete the other view.

[lewis11777]

Let me test that theory! :jump:

[lewis11777]

No worky?