Thanks for posting this.  I'm in the same boat as you - just upgraded to FSX and looking to get into making some videos.

 

On your last video how did you get around, or did you fix, the FS Recorder issue of recording entire flights; or did you just run the screen capture program throughout a live flight?

I found the problem recording entire flights to be with the alpha version of FS Recorder I was using. I'm now using the current stable version 2.1 and everything including recording entire flights works just fine.

 

The video linked above is a combination of recording "live" and FS Recorder clips. The main video (cockpit view) was recorded in real time and all the extra views were recorded using FS Recorder after the actual flight.

I also would like to know the best way to quickly plane spot. I'm so use to how the replay mode works in X-Plane as it works so easily. In X-Plane you can simply hit C to detach your view from the airplane and use the mouse and keyboard to move freely all around while the aircraft is landing. This works amazingly well. But in FSX, it's a bit confusing. I have FSRecorder installed but haven't gotten into much since it seems kind of complex. What I want to do is simply watch replays of me landing, taking off or flying around the airport from different locations on the ground. I don't really care to actually "record" or make a film.

 

Could one explain to me what the best way to do this in FSX with and without using FSRecorder. I saw that someone mentioned earlier in this thread that they somehow managed to create their own camera's primarily for the purpose of spotting planes. Would love to know how to do this as well.

 

Thanks!

Really nice vid Richard.  Do some more!

I also would like to know the best way to quickly plane spot. I'm so use to how the replay mode works in X-Plane as it works so easily. In X-Plane you can simply hit C to detach your view from the airplane and use the mouse and keyboard to move freely all around while the aircraft is landing. This works amazingly well. But in FSX, it's a bit confusing. I have FSRecorder installed but haven't gotten into much since it seems kind of complex. What I want to do is simply watch replays of me landing, taking off or flying around the airport from different locations on the ground. I don't really care to actually "record" or make a film.

 

Could one explain to me what the best way to do this in FSX with and without using FSRecorder. I saw that someone mentioned earlier in this thread that they somehow managed to create their own camera's primarily for the purpose of spotting planes. Would love to know how to do this as well.

 

Thanks!

AFAIK you can't detach the camera in standard FSX. Using FS Recorder you can create a spot camera and configure it as a free camera. You can then move the camera to anywhere you like using the default shortcuts in FSX to move your viewpoint.

 

I've used this method in next movie I'm about to put together, can post the link here when it's finished.

 

However I'm far from an expert on FS Recorder myself and I find the method I mention here using a free spot camera in FS Recorder quite cumbersome so if anyone has some tips on how to best use FS Recorder or maybe some other software please share your experience.

 

One particular question I have about setting up a free spot camera in FS Recorder is how to save it so it will be in the same location next time you start FSX.

Really nice vid Richard. Do some more!

Thanks :-)

Well it looks like it may be fruitless for me after all!  I installed FS Recorder and it is making my EZDok camera crash and not work at all while FS Recorder is enabled.  Disabled FS Recorder and EZDok starts working normally.  It appears I'm not the only one with this issue.

 

Oh well - no way am I disabling EZDok!

Ok, sorry to hear that because you can do some really cool stuff using FS Recorder but I understand you're not willing to sacrifice EZDok although I'm not using it myself.

Yeah.  After using EZDok only a handful of flights now there is no way I am giving it up - it is just too good and adds so much to the immersion and capabilities of FSX.  I'll keep searching around for a fix and see what I can come up with.

Okay, I am trying to set up a spot cam and want to place it at a particular spot near the end of the runway by the fence. Problem is how do I move the camera? My up, left, right, down arrow keys don't seem to do anything in FSRecorder. I am able to pan and zoom by holding down the space bar, but I can't move around freely to place the cam exactly where I want.

To move the camera/view use the default FSX key combination for moving the viewpoint. In my case (and I don't think I changed them) it's CTRL-BACKSPACE to move forward, CTRL-ENTER to move backwards etc...

Strange, It would make more sense to use the arrow keys to move the camera. Don't know why they make things so unnatural. 

 

Thanks for the help.

I guess these key combinations are used by FS Recorder simply because they are already the default keys in FSX instead of trying to find new ones and risking they would conflict with other key combinations but if you want you can change them yourself in FSX to something that feels more natural but be prepared you will then also have to change whatever is already assigned to the key combinations you choose so you don't get a conflict.

For anyone interested here's my latest video where I've used FS Recorder a lot to make the different camera views/angles.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DIM3Xwkwtw

Those keys for moving back and forward is extremely slow and cumbersome for me, its not fluid at all. Is it the same for you?

Yep, they act the same way for me. What you can do is keep them down for a while, then the speed will increase but be prepared you will need to then do the same thing to decrease the speed again so you don't stop too late...

 

Depending on what you want to accomplish I actaully found a much better way defining a camera/view in FS Recorder in an old post over at the FS Recorder forum. If you want a spot camera located at a specific location such as simulating you're standing at the end of the runway plane spotting you can define a tower camera in FS Recorder rather than a spot camera (although you will use the camera as a spot camera). I used this technique in my last movie linked above for example if you look in that clip at 34:56 into the movie.

 

What you do is first in the FS Recorder menu choose to create a new tower camera. Then edit this camera and select FS Tower (or Aircraft, both will work). You can then adjust the altitude by enter whatever altitude you want this camera to be at.

 

Next in FSX right click and choose Custom and then pick FS Recorder Tower camera and after doing that you can move the camera where ever you want to have it by using the arrow keys on your keypad (8=forward, 2=backwards, 4=left, 6=right) and these keys will move your view much easier and quicker.

 

You can also pan around to look in whatever direction you want by either using your POV (hat switch) on your yoke/joystick or hold SPACE and move the view using the mouse. Note though that for this to work you must first deselect the option for the camera in FS Recorder to automatically follow your aircraft.

 

So...deselect that option and then move the camera to where you want to have it using the numpad 2, 4, 6, 8 keys and your POV switch (or mouse while holding the SPACE key) and when happy with your camera position re-select the option to have the camera automatically follow your aircraft again.

 

Hope this helps and made any sense, got dizzy myself after reading through what I just wrote :wink:

 

If not just let me know and I'll try to explain it better!