I know there are many topics on camera configurations etc. but does anyone have a definitive (and easy) guide to setting up of locked spot views of different aircraft in FSX?

 

Currently I have a start up flight which has the default B738 sitting on the ramp on locked spot view at a zoom of 0.70 which looks nice on my 22in. screen. However, when I load another aircraft the same zoom view either has the aircraft too close or too far away and I have to adjust the zoom to get the spot view set properly.

 

Can this view be set by default for every time I load a particular aircraft?

 

Thanks

 

Shez

There is a utility that lets you set the spot view distance for each aircraft. Simple and very easy to use. Just click the link below and download the utility.

 

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/wiki/index.php?title=RADItor

 

Phill

Excellent Phil! Thanks.

 

Shez

There is a utility that lets you set the spot view distance for each aircraft.

 

Thank you SO much. This is exactly what I needed to fix a problem with one of my aircraft. Turns out the bounding box is way too big, so the computed radius when the model was compiled was too far away.

 

Note that sometimes when you load another aircraft in the same session, the viewing distance isn't correct. I don't know what causes this, but it gets really weird at times.

 

There may be some problems loading a saved game as well. I've got one saved game with the same aircraft that has a chasedistance in the saved .FLT file of 32, where "normal" was 124. I reset it to 80.

 

[Camera.1.6]

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

Zoom=1

Translation=0, 0, 0

ChaseDirection=-1.1269159317016602

ChaseDistance=80

ChaseAltitude=4.266298770904541

 

 

Hook

I used this program and it worked great. The only problem I found was that it did not read all MDL files (usually the native FS9 ones).

 

Shez

I used this program and it worked great. The only problem I found was that it did not read all MDL files (usually the native FS9 ones).

That's because the tool was made only for FSX models. FS9 models use a different method to record the wingspan. You can either use a hex-editor or the venerable but ancient AFCAD from Lee Swordy to change the wingspan entry for FS9 models.

AI Aircraft Editor can change FS9 parking radius, or wingspan entry, for FS9 planes.

 

You can find it here- http://www.interkultur.de/gossmann/fsx/pfn/navega.php?PHPSESSID=7a224d8b31656d49fc9b1e871cfcf333&dir=.%2FTools

 

regards,

Joe

AI aircraft editor does not appear to have options to work on spot view defaults. How does wing span have an effect on view distance?

 

Shez

AI aircraft editor does not appear to have options to work on spot view defaults. How does wing span have an effect on view distance?

 

Shez

 

Hi Shez,

 

In FSX it doesn't. For FS9 the spot view camera location is tied to the parking radius.

 

regards,

Joe

Hi Shez,

 

In FSX it doesn't. For FS9 the spot view camera location is tied to the parking radius.

 

regards,

Joe

Joe, in FSX the Spot View default distance is determined by the 1/2 wingspan as coded into the exterior .mdl file. Arno's RADItor utility may be used to (re)set that value, as Max/GMax doesn't always generate a reasonable number.

 

Depending on what special features are included in a compiled model (such as 3d landing/taxi lights) the 1/2 wingspan value calculated based on the bounding box can sometimes be as much as 5000 meters... :p0126: