How do you use the VC?

[Gridley 257]

I've never been one content with being grouped amoung the "hold-outs", but in reading the excellent review of FS2k4 here at avsim, it appears I've been allocated as such by bear, because of my preference for 2D cockpits (I've always liked the photoreal views...). With my copy of 2k4 enroute from amazon (hope you get your $2 PAI), and with an opinion I value so polarized towards the VC camp, I've decided I might be ignorant regarding virtual cockpits. I've always disliked them in 2k2 because of the slow panning and difficulty recentering the view (with head position etc.) while in flight, on approach in particular. So I've decided to solicit your input. Short of buying track IR, how do you all use the VC? How do you map your hats, sensitivity, etc.? Is there a key stroke to auto recenter your viewpoint? Things like that.Thanks for all of your info, in advance.sg

[Gridley 257]

I hate bumping my own posts, but this one has been dropping about 1 page per hour! In the interim, I read that the PIC A320 from Wilco ONLY has a virtual cockpit... I see the handwriting, can someone tell me how to use the wall?

[Guest goon]

I use the VC with a CH Flight Yoke, and it set it up to use the hat to pan by default. There is a value in the fs9.cfg file to change the rate of pan if you don't like it as is. All the default planes (and some addons) now allow you to click the switches in the VC (unlike FS2002, PIC A320 not withstanding). By default you can instantly recentre the view by pressing space bar, which I have mapped to my yoke. It's a great way to use FS, especially with the head latency provided by ActiveCam.Hope that helps,Gareth Evans

[Gridley 257]

Thanks, Gareth. Didn't know about spacebar = recenter. Also, how does one move the viewpoint of your head within the VC? In the FS2k4 review, bear shows a view from the curtiss peering out over the side of the fuselage. Can this be mapped to a hat and then "recentered" with the spacebar?Thanks!sg

[Guest goon]

You can move the view point in VC, but it's a cludgy combination of CTRL SHFT RETURN and BACKSPACE. You could remap them I suppose, and also map them to your controls, but I've never tried. Space would recentre any changes you made to the viewpoint with these keys too. I've used a utility called ActiveCamera for a long time now. It simplifies this, and adds a lot of other features too. There's a demo of it available here in the libraries.

[spotlope 0]

I agree, Active Camera is by far the way to go if you fly in VC mode. I got my full AC2004 copy yesterday, but I had FS2004 for a couple of days before that. It became comical how much I missed this one module when I had to fly without it for a couple of days... I kept grabbing for the mouse to pan around and getting frustrated because it didn't work! I guess that's the mark of a truly useful add-on; one that you can't even enjoy simming without. BTW, I also mapped the eyepoint up/down and back/forward motions to the 4-way hat on my CH Pro Throttle and the combination of that and ActiveCamera with my mouse is very fluid, easy to work with and gives a good sense of reality in the VC. I'd highly recommend it. Also, I've got a nifty little gizmo called the Belkin "Nostromo" Game Pad, which is a small keyboard with one 4-way hat and 10 keys, all ergonomically fitted to the hand for heads-up use. I've programmed it to recall various views in ActiveCamera and set the hat to do the fore/back and side-to-side movements of the eyepoint. Once I get my custom built throttle quadrant set up on the right (working on it now) and this baby on the left, there's no stopping me! Look into the Nostromo... they're cheap (around US$29), versatile and USB. One of the best controller bargains around, IMHO.Happy flying!

[Gridley 257]

I've seen active camera, but hadn't paid much attention to it. I can't justify the pricetag when Track IR is what I really want... Plus, if I could map the "cludgy keystrokes" for free, I'd be all set, right?sg

[Guest goon]

Yeah, but you are going to lack the head latency feature of ActiveCam, which is worth the price of admission in itself.

[Gridley 257]

>Yeah, but you are going to lack the head latency feature of>ActiveCam, which is worth the price of admission in itself.So doesn't FS2k4 do this to some extent by itself by enabling G-Effects? (Haven't received my copy yet, so I just don't know).Not sure I'd pay $15 bucks to bounce my head around anyway - although, I have spent a lot more of that on pints for a similar effect... ;)

[Guest goon]

It might, not really tried it. ActiveCam head latency is something else, especially in the GA stuff. If you're still on FS2002, there's a freeware version available (possibly here on Avsim), or try the shareware version for FS2004. Both are free, so you've got nothing to lose.

[Gridley 257]

Thanks for the tip - I'll be sure to check out the shareware!