P3D Tip - Spot Camera View Tweak

[Clutch Cargo 384]

Thought I would throw this out there for those who might be interested.

 

Currently, if you are in the outside Spot view if you have your viewpoint, say, looking right at the front of your aircraft, the camera will always look from that point of view no matter if turn your aircraft left or right. I always preferred the option as your aircraft turned (like when taxiing around), your view of the aircraft would change as well. This was an option way back in the good ol' FS2004 days. I think it was called Spot with the option 'Roll' as opposed to 'Fixed'. Think of it as a tower view but you are right near the aircraft.

 

A little hard to explain, so it is probably easier just to try it yourself and see if you like it. What you can do first is load up a flight and go to Spot view and place the viewpoint looking at the front of your aircraft (or side or whatever you want). Now taxi and turn your aircraft using your rudders. Note how the viewpoint spins as you turn? Save the flight if you wish to save a little time.

 

So let's try the new way. Very simple to do:

 

1. Go to your cameras.cfg file usually found in the following path: C:/Users/[your name]/AppData/Roaming/Lockheed Martin/Prepar3D. There is also a cameras.cfg file in the root folder of P3D but that is not the one you want.

 

2. Open up cameras.cfg in notepad and scroll down to [CameraDefinition.003]. There you will see the following:

 

[CameraDefinition.003]

Title = Spot

Guid = {BCA3FDD1-FB83-4BBA-8407-4922A7F0D00C}

Description = This is the description of the spot view.

Origin = Center

SnapPbhAdjust = Ordinal

SnapPbhReturn = False

PanPbhAdjust = Swivel

PanPbhReturn = False

Track = FixedChase

ShowAxis = No

AllowZoom = Yes

InitialZoom = 1.0

SmoothZoomTime = 2.0

ShowWeather = Yes

XyzAdjust = FALSE

Transition = Yes

ShowLensFlare=TRUE

Category = Outside

ClipMode = Spot

PitchPanRate=30

HeadingPanRate=75

PanAcceleratorTime=0

 

Make the one following change (marked in RED):

 

[CameraDefinition.003]

Title = Spot

Guid = {BCA3FDD1-FB83-4BBA-8407-4922A7F0D00C}

Description = This is the description of the spot view.

Origin = Center

SnapPbhAdjust = Ordinal

SnapPbhReturn = False

PanPbhAdjust = Swivel

PanPbhReturn = False

Track = FixedChase

//Track = FlatChase

ShowAxis = No

AllowZoom = Yes

InitialZoom = 1.0

SmoothZoomTime = 2.0

ShowWeather = Yes

XyzAdjust = FALSE

Transition = Yes

ShowLensFlare=TRUE

Category = Outside

ClipMode = Spot

PitchPanRate=30

HeadingPanRate=75

PanAcceleratorTime=0

 

(noticed I commented out the original line 'Track = FlatChase' by putting two hash marks in front of the line. That way if you do not care for the different view you can just delete the added line in red, and delete the two hash marks).

 

3. Save the file, restart P3D, use the same flight and now taxi/turn your aircraft. See the difference?

 

This is a little undocumented tweak I discovered. Hope you like it.

 

 

Clutch

[Kosta 122]

Yes, I love this setting, but I have been using it since the beginning of FSX! I actually had no urge to tell it to anyone, as I thought I was the only one who liked it. Since then I have ported my cameras.cfg from FSX to FSX and to P3D.

 

Thanks anyway!

[Chocorua 112]

Thanks for that Clutch, I like it...

thanks,

[volmmer 0]

Niiiice...

 

Another one is the pannable tower view that I picked up on another forum. I love this one for plane spotting, or just horsing around the tarmac

 

 

1.

Go to FSX / P3D keyboard assignments menu dialog. Look for the command " View Track/Pan Toggle". Assign it a keystroke

 

2.

In order to move the view you can make the tower view movable by editing the Cameras.cfg (the one in the folder with the P3D.cfg - not the one in the P3D root directory)

EDIT:

"NEAREST tower - camera definition 7"

XyzAdjust = TRUE

 

ADD:

XyzRate = 2.5

PitchPanRate=10

HeadingPanRate=45

PanAcceleratorTime=0

 

Try experimenting with the different settings to get your own perfect pan.

When in P3D hit the key assigned to activate the pannable tower view. Move mouse to pan the tower cam. Mouse wheel to zoom in and out.

Enjoy

 

BR Bob

[colang 2]

Very nice tweaks!!

I didn't know and I like a lot now I tried them.

Thanks for sharing this hint !!