Field of View question

[SamSam 0]

Hi there,I'm wondering what is the relation between the display size, resolution and the resulting field of view in FSX (given a zoom factor). In concrete terms, from 20" (1600 x 900) to 27" (2560 x 1440) does it improve the field of view (by allowing a zoom factor that remains readable) ? Or is the image just stretched ? Could someone that has played with multi-monitor and single large monitor give me a feedback ?Samuel

[january 19]

Hi there,I'm wondering what is the relation between the display size, resolution and the resulting field of view in FSX (given a zoom factor). In concrete terms, from 20" (1600 x 900) to 27" (2560 x 1440) does it improve the field of view (by allowing a zoom factor that remains readable) ? Or is the image just stretched ?Could someone that has played with multi-monitor and single large monitor give me a feedback ?Samuel

Samuel- Field of View is the "width" of the FS view (expressed in degrees) @ zero zoom.Since FS provides 8 different views- Fwd, Left or Right Fwd etc - each view spans an angle of 45º.Eight 45º views completes the full 360º of a full circle.When you apply Zoom, that angle changes- for example, 50% zoom in reduces the the angular width of any view from 45º to 22 1/2º. Objects seem closer but the "width" decreases. Similarly, zooming out increases the width or FoV but moves objects farther away- just the same as using binoculars wrong way around.The danger in using much zoom in or out is that apparent distance keeps altering- for example, an airport runway seems farther away when zoomed out to get wider lateral view- BUT the speed or RATE of the sim remains constant. Thus you seem to get to the runway threshold much faster than you expected! Field of View does not change with size of monitor- each view is always 45º at zero zoom regardless of monitor or screen width. But as it gets bigger you may have to increase resolution to avoid graininess. I suspect many users of large screens are forced to move the screen farther away to minimize this problem. Perspective is the width your eyes and brain see and that depends on how close your monitor(s) are to your nose. The greater the perspective, the more lifelike the scene since other visual distractions are elimnated. Think of how IMAX with triple screens produces a wide perspective that really immerses the viewer. To give a real example, I use 2 17" LCDs and an18" CRT combined to produce a 45" wide perspective. Each monitor displays a different 45º view (LFwd,Fwd,RFwd) for a combined 135º picture. By shifting the outer views a few degrees (in Panel CFG) to compensate for the bezels, one's eyes and brain see the whole as a single 45 " image- and the bezels "disappear'. Hope this helps. Search the AVSIM forums for "multi monitor"- lots written on this subject a couple of years ago.AR

[SamSam 0]

Thank you for the elaborate answer. So if I understand well, moving to a larger screen with better resolution to get a wider field of view is not a good option. I could zoom out a little but then I would loose the correct perspective (the one that let appreciate the distances correctly). The best option is to use multiple monitor assigned with different views. You may have save me a great deal of money !

[january 19]

Thank you for the elaborate answer. So if I understand well, moving to a larger screen with better resolution to get a wider field of view is not a good option. I could zoom out a little but then I would loose the correct perspective (the one that let appreciate the distances correctly). The best option is to use multiple monitor assigned with different views. You may have save me a great deal of money !

Samuel- The larger screen does not produce a wider Field of View- that remains the same until you Zoom Out or In.However, the bigger screen can widen your Perspective. That is, it can help to ensure your eyes and brain see ONLY Flight Sim and not objects outside the screen.But as mentioned, in many cases, the bigger screen simply gets moved further away to avoid resolution graininess and then you have really not gained anything.But it is possible with a large screen to display multiple views and so increase the FoV. The screen shot shows triple views and a 135º FoV on a single monitor!ARPMDG 747 3 views on 1 mon exper. "Aloft near CYVR" (Two windscreen posts are caused by also displaying the First Officer panel popup.)

[brucek 38]

Hi Sam,I recently moved from a 21" monitor to a 27". I also moved up in resolution to 1080p, although my diagonal ppi went down due to the change in screen size being larger than the change in resolution. The experience is totally different, I have tried various zoom settings but the larger screen gives me much more perspective at all zoom settings. Plus, my older monitor was over 5 years old and this new one has much better brightness, contrast and response time, as well as white led back lighting. And now I have a 120 Hz refresh rate too. But to get back to your question, the larger screen ( for me) is great for perspective.My only downside is that AA is more evident, but that doesn't affect my simming, I use NV Inspector to set AA. Still experimenting with 3D, I get some cool effects.Bruce.