Great little Utility program-Banking Camera..

[papab]

Found this on Simviation in the Utilities section:
Banking Camera ver 1.0
(http://www.simviation.com/simviation/download.php?ID=10570)262.09kb (1254 downloads)
Automatically banks the camera view as you bank the aircraft - enables you to 'look where you're going' without having to pan around using the HatSwitch. As you roll wings level, the camera banks level again. It's almost like a head-tracking device, but without all the hardware strapped to your head! Software is free and may be copied/distributed unaltered. Code by Justin Probert, South Africa


Works great!
Rick

[Cazzie]

Let's see some screens or better yet, a video. Would br interested in seeing how it looks and how it may affect frame rates.

Caz

[papab]

Dont know how to produce a video--Will try to do some screens tomorrow
Frame rates were not affected at all

Been using it for every flight since I downloaded it this weekend
Rick

[peter12213]

Thanks for that I'll definately try it and if it's good I'll post a vid of how it looks!

[Navy Chief]

A most interesting utility. I installed it, and it indeed acts the way you stated.

I bought EZDok Camera some time back. It operates in a very similar manner.

It's curious that there is not a readme file associated with this program. No means to access any options or help whatsoever. The settings are apparently set, and not changeable.

Strange.

NC

[imn2sims]

Yes, strange indeed. It's tempting, but personally I won't run an exe. without a better idea of the origin or what it's doing......just saying.

Steve

[gradyhappyg]

After thinking it over a few days decided to go ahead and go for it.

Pros: it does exactly what it says real nice for those cramped approach bush airports. It does have a pause feature to turn it off or exit it under the add ons menu. Doesn't seem to effect frame rates at all. Lots cheaper than those head tracking systems as in free.

Cons: When on it changes the view no matter what view you are using all cockpit views except 2/d and all external views will recenter after a few seconds. No documentation to tell you what is modfied.

Bottom line I like it and will keep it.

Thanks Justin.:salute:

[OleBoy]

As stated above. I figured why not try it. I ran the installer and chose to have a short-cut put on the desktop. Once you start FSX and get to the aircraft settings/selection screen, double click the short-cut for the camera to activate it. A dos box will pop up and tell you it is then connected. Continue with the normal routine and get in the VC. As stated, it self centers itself. It leans as the aircraft leans into a banking corner. Follows your every turn to make it feel more realistic.
.....I tested it in spot view also. It works there too!!. The way it moves as you bank up and over the hill-tops and down into the gullies and ravines is neater than all get out!!

I like this!!!!

A better example (for me) is, while sitting at your desk is, turn your head to the left and up in a smooth motion. Then to the right and up. Come back to center. Then raise your chin slowly as if looking at the ceiling. Center. Then visualize (somewhat) how it would feel looking at the horizon and then slowly (meaning not jerky) looking downwards. It's all pretty smooth transitioning except for the movement back to center. And that's after you've used your hat switch and went beyond the range of movements set in banking camera. Banking camera self sets itself to the direction angle being traveled.

I highly suggest if you've always wanted TrackIR (like me), to really try this. The realism it adds is truly amazing.
Thanks for the heads up on this nifty tool :ernae:

[papab]

Hopefully Peter12213 will like it and make a video...

Rick

[skyhawka4m]

doesn't seem to be working for me. I onl;y have latency going on...no camera turning.

[Chuck_Jodry-VJPL]

As stated it works a treat, but it’s not for Aerobatics as hard manoeuvring will over pan the viewpoint right or left, but for regular flying i think it’s a superb addition to FSX , my thanks to its developer. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

[skyhawka4m]

how do you activate this thing? I clicked on the desktop ICON and it says its activated but I'm getting nothing. Waste of time and space for me right now.

[Navy Chief]

It should automatically work when you are in VC view. It takes over (in my case at any rate) the panning option with my joystick.

NC

[gera]

Great little tool for Bush flying, its more real.....works like a charm.

[OleBoy]

I was going to say earlier, I think this should be a sticky!!

[skyhawka4m]

well, not sure why but my system is not supporting this tool. Too bad, it sounds like a good one.

[Bjoern]

An automated installer from hell.

...for just one single .exe. :a1451:

[robcap]

Sounds great, i installed it, but it keeps saying I need to start FSX first.
Why?
With zone alarm I noriced it was trying to acces the internet (probably only communicating with FSX) I clicked deny anyway, and now it doesn't see FSX.

Strange....

Would love to try it. Any possibility to get Zone Alarm forgetting this setting, and the program to find FSX?

Cheers, Rob

[papab]

Rob,
All I do is start up FSX and click the desktop icon and it will say connect to FSX
Then go flying in the VC mode and check it out
Works great

Rick

[Paul K]

Yep, get FSX going and then click on the Banking Camera desktop icon. It will confirm that its now active.

Everyone should try this, because I think more people are going to like it than not. Its particularly useful when you are on base leg turning to line up on finals, ideal for visual approaches into small ILS-less strips.

Great stuff !

[robcap]

I de installed, deleted program settings from Zone Alarm,
redownloaded, re-installed. Still it doesn't connect to FSX.
All other programs that need to use simconnect, work fine, Hmmmm.
I's love to try it.

R.

[gradyhappyg]

I de installed, deleted program settings from Zone Alarm,
redownloaded, re-installed. Still it doesn't connect to FSX.
All other programs that need to use simconnect, work fine, Hmmmm.
I's love to try it.

R.

What OS are you using if windows7/vista try running as administrator.
Also if running FSX in compatability mode make sure you are running banking camera in the same mode.

[Paul K]

Robcap, are you getting the window ( it looks like an old DOS screen) that Banking Camera is active ? If so, minimize it, don't close it.

[PRB]

I was going to say earlier, I think this should be a sticky!!

Ok. :running:

Does this thing rotate the VC so it's "banked" and the horizon stays horizontal, with respect to your computer screen? if that's what it does I don't think I want it...

[merida72]

installed ...

only that I find very annoying that it automatically returns to the center ... after a few seconds ... no time to set the radio! grrrrrr!

[gradyhappyg]

194971949619495
Here are a few screenies from inside the default 172 banking left and right.

[robcap]

Robcap, are you getting the window ( it looks like an old DOS screen) that Banking Camera is active ? If so, minimize it, don't close it.
Yep, I get the dos box, and it says I need to start FSX first!
FSX is running ofcourse.

What OS are you using if windows7/vista try running as administrator.
Also if running FSX in compatability mode make sure you are running banking camera in the same mode. I'm running Win XP, and both programs are not running in a compatibility mode.

Thanks for your help so far.

We'll see, maybe I must pass this thing.

R.

[gradyhappyg]

Yep, I get the dos box, and it says I need to start FSX first!
FSX is running ofcourse.
I'm running Win XP, and both programs are not running in a compatibility mode.

Thanks for your help so far.

We'll see, maybe I must pass this thing.

R.

Sorry I couldn't help but thats about all I can think of (not much of a PC wizz).

It's a neat lil gizmo perhaps the developer will put out some documentation for those having problems.

[peter12213]

Well I didn't think much of this, it didn't work how I expected so here a little vidio to show you how it looks, sorry for the quality but I still havent mastered the old video software yet! I promise it wasn't that stuttery during filming?? Strange??


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXdxJzn9oaY

[TeaSea]

Works like its supposed to.....

I'm just not sure I like it. I'm going to run it a while and see if I get used to it. Like Merida said....hard to change the radio freq when the view changes on you.

But it does exactly what it's advertised to do.

[papab]

Peter
Great Video!
Rick

[HighGround22]

Pete:

As indicated earlier, it's not meant for any sort of aerobatic manoeuvres. So your 90-degree rolls are causing the thing to over-extend its intended function.

A good example of its use, and where it'd perhaps shine, would maybe be in a Cub, making a base-leg and approach to a small runway.

Cheers.

[peter12213]

Yeah mate I know I simply wanted to show what would happen in all axis of flight, what really put me off was what merida said, that it resets itsself when panning around the vc, flicking switches radios and checking instruments for instance, it's a really good idea though so credit where it's due!

[skyhawka4m]

Robcap, are you getting the window ( it looks like an old DOS screen) that Banking Camera is active ? If so, minimize it, don't close it.



Yep this fixed it for me.....thank you and it is very cool!

[dvj]

Makes me dizzy watching the video. I think I'll pass on this one. Thanks for posting.

[expat]

Makes me dizzy Yes, me too, but that is what it is really like when piloting a small aircraft IRL. I like it but only turn it on at certain times. When you takeoff and make the initial turn and also, as mentioned, turning base leg to land, is when your eye mostly looks in the direction you are turning, so it adds some realism in these instances. Combat and aerobatic manoeuvers on the other hand may be another matter, as situational awareness requires you to look both away and toward the direction of the turn, and you can't look away easily with this running.

What is intriguing is how the author got it to do what it does - congrats - and whether it can be improved, e.g. in addition to it snapping back to neutral just as you are entering your ILS freq or talking to ATC, it freezes the ability to change the VC zoom. This is important to me as e.g. a carrier trap with 30% zoom is difficult and unrealistic and you want the zoom up to 80-100% to get the correct perspective and parallax but can't with this utility running. The best thing - probably not possible - would be if you get the same effect as well while panning around within the VC - i.e. like TrackIR. But to do that you probably need TrackIR.

[Javis]

Thanks for the video, Peter.

Question: this is NOT Banking Camera ONLY at work here, is it ??..... You are panning around yourself too, right ??....

I'm asking this because my Banking Camera pans nicely to the left and right during a turn but that's it..... I'm stuck to foreward view only, no more panning around the cockpit, if i move my hatswitch the screen just shakes about a little bit, won't move left or right, up or down.... In Spotview i'm likewise stuck to Tailview only.....

If i pauze BankCam panning returns to normal....

Anybody else being stuck to forward view only when Bankcam is active ??....

Thanks!

cheers,
jan

[Dain Arns]

Well, it does give you a little taste of what TrackIR can do...

Remember, with TIR you are in control of the view, so you can adjust you head forward/back and side to side as well, if need be.
Also with TIR, I've never had any 'hardware' strapped to my head.
Just a cap with a clip.
Hardware stays above the monitor. ;)

[Lateral-G]

only that I find very annoying that it automatically returns to the center ... after a few seconds ...

I noticed that to. When you pan and leave it the view re-centers. Not the most ideal but the program is still pretty cool.

[peter12213]

Thanks for the video, Peter.

Question: this is NOT Banking Camera ONLY at work here, is it ??..... You are panning around yourself too, right ??....

I'm asking this because my Banking Camera pans nicely to the left and right during a turn but that's it..... I'm stuck to foreward view only, no more panning around the cockpit, if i move my hatswitch the screen just shakes about a little bit, won't move left or right, up or down.... In Spotview i'm likewise stuck to Tailview only.....

If i pauze BankCam panning returns to normal....

Anybody else being stuck to forward view only when Bankcam is active ??....

Thanks!

cheers,
jan

It was indeed just the camera only at the last moment 33 -37 secs into the vid did I use the hat switch, yeah ok I forgot I do it without thinking now lol, old habits die hard lol, personally I wouldn't recommend this for ACM or Aerobatics but I do feel that GA and Tube liner pilots will like this addon, what as said I don't like is the fact that the camera resets itself when looking down into or out of the cockpit, apart from that it's a good idea but maybe a second version would be better rectifying these problems!

[expat]

I'm stuck to foreward view only, no more panning around the cockpit, if i move my hatswitch the screen just shakes about a little bit, won't move left or right, up or down.... In Spotview i'm likewise stuck to Tailview only.....

If i pauze BankCam panning returns to normal....

Anybody else being stuck to forward view only when Bankcam is active ??....


Exactly the same experience here.

[modelr]

I'm asking this because my Banking Camera pans nicely to the left and right during a turn but that's it..... I'm stuck to foreward view only, no more panning around the cockpit, if i move my hatswitch the screen just shakes about a little bit, won't move left or right, up or down.... In Spotview i'm likewise stuck to Tailview only.....

If i pauze BankCam panning returns to normal....

Anybody else being stuck to forward view only when Bankcam is active ??....

Thanks!

cheers,
jan

Not totally, I could still pan around, but if I stopped the pan anywhere for about 3-5 seconds, then it would revert. Just enough time to glance at a gauge, but not study it. Same with looking outside, couldn't focus on anything long enough to locate a particular item/spot. Would be nice if it could be paused from a button, instead of having to use a drop down menu click.

The outside view/trailing camera turns backwards, as it follows as if it is being towed, looking in the area ouside the turn, instead of inside it like you want when in outside view. Would like it to look in the vertical direction, also.

Overall, I like it, I didn't get airsick like I have lately using my TIR. I think TIR's problem is that you have to move your head while keeping eyes in one spot, thus causing inner ear dizzyness.

[OleBoy]

Would be nice if I could find anything relevant to the installer. Config file or something to see if settings can be changed. I searched both hard drives and the registry and found nothing. The installer was made by Void Star Marketing. I can't find a trace anywhere.

[papab]

Maybe he author will find this thread...

[b52bob]

I like it! Not too much movement but enough to see where you're going to. I don't like the snap back to the forward view after a few seconds. As previously noted, it interferes with other tasks, like switches.
Bob

[roger-wilco-66]

I tried it and thought it to be interesting, but after flying for a while it gets on your nerves, because one starts to fight with the 3 second timeout for manual view changes (which often are related to pushing switches and other important stuff).

Would be nice if there would be the possibility to switch the function on/off by mapping a key or stick button to it.

Cheers,
Mark