Realistic Zoom Setting?

[Howiefly13 30]

I am using three 19 inch monitors and have been at a 30% zoom in the virtual cockpit.  I think that is too far out and am looking for suggestions as to just what is a realistic zoom setting?

 

Thanks a lot,

Howard

[patrice_bambou 85]

70% is almost the same as eye viewpoint

Patrice.

[LHookins 3,103]

This question has come up a few times, and based on the answers I'm going to guess that there IS no realistic zoom setting for everyone.  Part of the problem is that the zoom is different if you have widescreen on or off.  Part of it is that if you zoom in too far, something like TrackIR becomes mandatory.

 

For me, I use FSX with a wide screen and I usually have the zoom set to 1.5.  This makes the instruments look about life size on my screen, and makes the outside scenery look a lot more impressive.  One thing I noticed on a recent flight in real 172 was how big the runway looked on approach compared to what I was used to in the sim... at the time I used a lower zoom.  In order to get the runway to look right, you'll need a zoom that's probably higher than most people will put up with.

 

My advice is to try zooming in with successive flights until you're obviously too far in, then back it off a notch.  Once you get used to a higher zoom level, you probably won't want to go back to a lower one.  If you don't have TrackIR, your zoom level won't be as high as if you do.

 

Good luck.

 

Hook

[styckx 1,871]

Definitely a hard one to answer as everyones interpretation of "realistic" will vary due to various reasons..  I never liked .70 and set my global VC zoom at .60.   For me that is the perfect  balance between being up close enough to read the the gauges but far away enough to account for peripheral vision (as best as you can actually account for it in a video game).

[Howiefly13 30]

Thanks a lot for your advice.

[avhpilot 156]

This question has come up a few times, and based on the answers I'm going to guess that there IS no realistic zoom setting for everyone.  Part of the problem is that the zoom is different if you have widescreen on or off.  Part of it is that if you zoom in too far, something like TrackIR becomes mandatory.

 

For me, I use FSX with a wide screen and I usually have the zoom set to 1.5.  This makes the instruments look about life size on my screen, and makes the outside scenery look a lot more impressive.  One thing I noticed on a recent flight in real 172 was how big the runway looked on approach compared to what I was used to in the sim... at the time I used a lower zoom.  In order to get the runway to look right, you'll need a zoom that's probably higher than most people will put up with.

 

My advice is to try zooming in with successive flights until you're obviously too far in, then back it off a notch.  Once you get used to a higher zoom level, you probably won't want to go back to a lower one.  If you don't have TrackIR, your zoom level won't be as high as if you do.

 

Good luck.

 

Hook

 

i agree

 

i have flown for years with a zoom setting of 30-40% with 3 x 19 inch via matrox triple head and trackIR and only recently discovered that it has been wrong all the time.

 

by setting wide aspect = true and using zoom 1.5 the experience is so much better looking outside and inside the cockpit

 

i also think it is better for your framerates because less needs to be shown in the total picture

[FlyIce 354]

I'm flying zoom=0.3 all the time, and only zoom into 0.5 when landing. I always use TrackIR and wide screen. I agree that zooming in more feels more realistic, but zoom=1.5 is unthinkable to me. nonetheless I'll give it a try tonight...

[DarkstarF16 72]

I simply use 1.00 on my triple set up

[styckx 1,871]

Ugh.. I had brain fart.. Didn't see OP was talking about surround.. Yes, I agree with DarkstarF16.. 1.00 is perfect for me when I fly in surround.  .60 is what I use for single monitor.. 

[LHookins 3,103]

 

 

zoom=1.5 is unthinkable to me. nonetheless I'll give it a try tonight...

 

Don't expect to immediately like it.  There's a balance between being able to see instruments clearly, being able to have some peripheral vision to help you land, and being able to see enough instruments so you don't have to scroll your view around too much, even with TrackIR.

 

Try 1.0 first.  You might even try 1.25, which you can get with control/+ to zoom in slowly.  Or is it shift/+?  Try 'em both.

 

Hook

[mganz121 159]

I only use one widescreen large screen, but my zoom is set to 100%. I have also moved myself back into the seat back to give me slightly wider perspective and constantly use my POV to scan the cockpit instruments. But in reply to your question check out these two videos specifically related to FSX (and P3D) for an answer to your question. These are the definitive answer to your question and I know that because my wife is a commercial photographer and she agrees :lol:  :lol:     :-

 

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjbCFNSofpk#t=3

 

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

 

These videos, I believe, should be compulsory viewing for anybody that wants to post a screen shot and get rid of that fisheye and distorted effect that comes with a low zoom factor :wacko:   

[styckx 1,871]

I only use one widescreen large screen, but my zoom is set to 100%. I have also moved myself back into the seat back to give me slightly wider perspective and constantly use my POV to scan the cockpit instruments. But in reply to your question check out these two videos specifically related to FSX (and P3D) for an answer to your question. These are the definitive answer to your question and I know that because my wife is a commercial photographer and she agrees :lol:  :lol:     :-

 

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjbCFNSofpk#t=3

 

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

 

These videos, I believe, should be compulsory viewing for anybody that wants to post a screen shot and get rid of that fisheye and distorted effect that comes with a low zoom factor :wacko:   

 

 

That's a lot of math...  For those that fractions and scary numbers frighten them.. Is there a "explain it to me like I'm a 5 year old" way of figuring this out? I switch between single and surround a lot so I'd like to have correct zooms for both.

 

Edit: Nevermind... I finished it. All that just to say "set it for wideview at 1.0, all that math you don't need"

[Arwen 289]

When I use wide aspect = true, with a 1.0 zoom the outside view looks fine, but now I feel like I'm leaning forward, with my face practically against the windshield. 

 

Also I found that using Wide View Aspect gave me graphic tears (I have vert. sync locked, with triple buffering), so I unchecked it again, and switched to 0.50 zoom (for my single 1920 x 1080 monitor), technically this should be set to 0.56.

In either case, I have to move my eyepoint back quit a bit and tilt my view down a little to see my instruments correctly.

[LHookins 3,103]

 

 

now I feel like I'm leaning forward, with my face practically against the windshield.

 

Yeah, this is why I say that not everyone will like the effect of a high zoom.  There's really no one correct answer, and the Math involved is just a way to get to the wrong answers with confidence and accuracy. 

 

In the end, the correct zoom is the one you like the best, and it may not be the same for all aircraft.

 

Hook

[styckx 1,871]

Been playing with this.. Zoom 1.00 works well if the aircraft is forgiving enough with the eyepoint movement.. Carenado 182T is pretty liberal and I can move it back without clipping anything so I don't feel like I'm having gauges for breakfast. Others though, aren't so forgiving and you're easily colliding with walls and seats when moving the eyepoint to adjust to 1.00 properly..