I have a number of questions re FSX and Views.

 

(1) What's the difference between Spot View and Locked Spot View?

 

(2) I'm trying to figure out how to set a hot key for my outside Spot view. I go into the setup dialog and do a View->change key setting to F9 and then click OK, but when I'm back in the cockpit and press F9 nothing happens!

 

I should mention that I am using Ezdok but I do not have any outside views at all in Ezdok. I don't like the way they work so I have deleted them all. I only use Ezdok for cockpit views.

 

I can get by with one outside view and I like the Spot view but I can't seem to get a hot key to work for that view.

 

(3) Also, I would love to see a map of what what outside views are mapped to the Settings->View Camera 0, View Camera 1, View Camera 2, etc. I can't find that anywhere! One of them (I think) must be for the Spot view?

 

Thanks for any help...

 

I will start by saying I don't have EZDok so I can't know how it changes the default camera settings.

(1) What's the difference between Spot View and Locked Spot View?

Not much.

 

If you move the Spot View camera with the hat switch on your joystick/yoke the camera will kind of float into position.

 

Locked Spot doesn't "float".

 

The default key assignment for Locked Spot is F11. EZ-Doc may override that.

 

You should be able to access these 2 cameras by right-clicking on the screen and Outside > Spot or Locked Spot.

 

(2) I'm trying to figure out how to set a hot key for my outside Spot view. I go into the setup dialog and do a View->change key setting to F9 and then click OK, but when I'm back in the cockpit and press F9 nothing happens!

 

I should mention that I am using Ezdok but I do not have any outside views at all in Ezdok. I don't like the way they work so I have deleted them all. I only use Ezdok for cockpit views.

 

I can get by with one outside view and I like the Spot view but I can't seem to get a hot key to work for that view.

See above.

 

(3) Also, I would love to see a map of what what outside views are mapped to the Settings->View Camera 0, View Camera 1, View Camera 2, etc. I can't find that anywhere! One of them (I think) must be for the Spot view?

The 2 default Outside view keys are F11 for Locked Spot and F12 for Top Down View.

 

You should be able to find these on the Buttons/Keys tab of the Settings-Controls GUI in the sim, "Views" Event category.

 

FSX allows 10 hotkey views and only 4 of them are mapped by default.

 

In the GUI you will find View camera 0 and View camera 4-9 that you can assign hotkeys to.

 

View camera 4 should be set to F12, which is Top Down View.

 

You will also find Locked Spot View (shortcut), which it sounds like you may already have done.

 

The other hotkeys can be used in the cockpit if you wish, you have to edit the aircraft.cfg. They could also be assigned to an outside view in the aircraft.cfg if you wanted.

 

Hope this helps.

 

regards,

Joe

Thank you Joe.

 

>In the GUI you will find View camera 0 and View camera 4-9 that you can assign hotkeys to.
>View camera 4 should be set to F12, which is Top Down View.

 

What view are those other camera views mapped to? cam0 is what view? and cam5-9 are what views?

 

You've clarified that cam4 is the top-down view.

>You will also find Locked Spot View (shortcut), which it sounds like you may already have done.

 

No I don't have a hotkey assigned to my Spot View because it doesn't seem to be settable (for me). I'm interested in the Spot View because I want to move around so I don't care about the Locked Spot View.

 

I guess I'm also asking which cam view is the Spot View? Then I can try to set a hotkey for that camera.

What view are those other camera views mapped to? cam0 is what view? and cam5-9 are what views?

Those cameras are not mapped to anything. They are there for us to use at our pleasure.

 

I use one of them, for example, to change to the radio view for planes that I regularly fly.

 

I don't have a hotkey assigned to my Spot View because it doesn't seem to be settable (for me). I'm interested in the Spot View because I want to move around so I don't care about the Locked Spot View.

I don't think you understand what Locked Spot is. You can still pan around the plane in Locked Spot.

 

Try right-clicking on the screen with your mouse and then Outside > Locked Spot or Spot view. Then test them both, it will only take a minute to see the difference between the two. Most people use Locked Spot as far as I know. I don't like Spot View myself.

 

If you decide you would rather have Spot View than Locked Spot view you will have to edit the camera.cfg, which is in the same folder as your FSX.cfg.

 

You might want to look at that file just for reference, it can be opened with Notepad.

 

And again, I have no idea what EZdoc does to all of this. Maybe someone with that program can chip in.

 

regards,

Joe

I looked at Locked Spot and Spot. I like Spot.

 

What I don't understand is that while I can select the Spot View from a menu, I can't see how to assign Spot View to a hot key? I don't see Spot View (and/or I don't know what camera spot view is associated with) in the Settings-Controls.

SPOT view seems to smooth out Instant replay of jerky movements

What I don't understand is that while I can select the Spot View from a menu, I can't see how to assign Spot View to a hot key? I don't see Spot View (and/or I don't know what camera spot view is associated with) in the Settings-Controls.

To assign Spot View to a hotkey you will have to edit the cameras.cfg with Notepad.

 

C:\Users\your name\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\FSX\cameras.cfg

 

Scroll down until you find...

[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 = 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

[CameraDefinition.004]
Title = Locked Spot
Guid = {BCA3FDD1-FB83-4BBA-8407-4922A7F0D00D}
Description = This is the description of the spot view.
Origin = Center
SnapPbhAdjust = Swivel
SnapPbhReturn = False
PanPbhAdjust = Swivel
PanPbhReturn = False
Track = FixedChaseLocked
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
HotKeySelect=3

Move HotKeySelect=3 up to [CameraDefinition.003] and you will (should) have Spot View set to F11.

 

For the record, HotKeySelect=n is equal to View camera n in the Settings GUI.

 

regards,

Joe

Well, I did that but F11 does nothing. I have deactivated my Ezdok add-on.

 

If HotKeySelect=3 equals F11 why doesn't camera3 show up in the Settings? Its missing so I cannot set F11 as the hotkey, isn't that why F11 isn't working for Spot View? Unless F11 is 'hard wired' to the Spot View?

There's a "Sport View"?

If HotKeySelect=3 equals F11 why doesn't camera3 show up in the Settings?

HotKeySelect=3 equals F11 by default, it is possible that Ezdok changed that.

 

...why doesn't camera3 show up in the Settings?

There are dozens of settings options that don't show up in the Settings.

 

Its missing so I cannot set F11 as the hotkey, isn't that why F11 isn't working for Spot View? Unless F11 is 'hard wired' to the Spot View?

Go to C:\Users\your name\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\FSX\Controls and open Standard.xml with Notepad.

 

This file is where FSX stores your keystroke settings.

 

In Notepad, do a search (Ctrl+F) for F11.

 

You should find...

        <Entry>
            <Key>F11</Key>
            <Down>VIEW_CAMERA_SELECT_3</Down>
        </Entry>

If you don't Find the above entry, search for VIEW_CAMERA_SELECT_3 and see what shows up.

 

If nothing shows up, add the above entry right after...

 

<SimBase.Document
        Type="Controls"
        version="1,0"
        id="Standard">
    <Descr>Controls Mapping File</Descr>
    <Filename>Standard.XML</Filename>
    <SimControls.Map>
        <Name>KEYBOARD_MAIN</Name>

 

...so it looks like...

<SimBase.Document
        Type="Controls"
        version="1,0"
        id="Standard">
    <Descr>Controls Mapping File</Descr>
    <Filename>Standard.XML</Filename>
    <SimControls.Map>
        <Name>KEYBOARD_MAIN</Name>
        <Entry>
            <Key>F11</Key>
            <Down>VIEW_CAMERA_SELECT_3</Down>
        </Entry>

Copy and paste so there are no typos. Close and save changes.

 

Now test and report back.

 

regards,

Joe

Joe, that finally worked...!!! I now have a hotkey for my Spot View.

 

Thanks for all the help...!!!