After some research "on the field" and a bit of calculations, I've come up with a formula useful to set the "most realistic" zoom in FS9.With the term "most realistic", I mean setting a zoom factor that lets you see what you would really see if you'd carry your monitor chassis on the plane and watch through it. This should provide the same sense of speed and keep the same "dimension" of objects as in the real world."Most realistic" can be interpreted in a different way as well, i.e. setting a zoom factor that "squeezes" on the screen the whole angle of view human eyes are capable of. This, on the other hand, provides excellent peripheral view.So, each of them is the "most realistic" in some aspects. They cannot be fulfilled both, unless you have a screen providing a very wide angle of view (e.g., a projector).Here however, I'm referring to the FIRST interpretation.So, here's the formula:ZOOM = 0.86 x d / Lwhere (see the lame picture attached):d = distance between your eyes and the screen;L = horizontal dimension of the visible area of the screen;(use same units of measure for d and L);The precision of the formula should be >90%Please note, setting this zoom in some a/c, you can have problems seeing the runway during approach, especially when in 2D cockpit. This is probably due to the way the a/c designer has set view parameters and 2D cockpit. Virtual cockpits should present less problems.Marco http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/123233.jpg

Hi,in many panels the zoom factor is 0.75 or thereabout.in most cases d>L.in my case for instance d/l ~ 2 - 2.5according to your formula, I should set my zoom at 2 ??!isn't that a tad too much??//Michael

I once wrote elaborate post on the subject.When I see your formula Marco however I am immediately suspicious however. IF you attempt to come up with a best zoom when in the cockpit view (either 2D or VC) such formual should *not* have a distance between your eyes and the monitor. The distance between your eyes and monitor only counts when you want to compute best zoom for those who do not display any part of their cocpkit (for example for home-built cockits).My approach for best zoom is simple in concept - you should see exactly the same amount of scenery in relation to your cockpit width as in real aircraft. Then your sensation of speed will be preserved. If this how you define most realistc view then distance between your eyes and monitor doesn't come into play at all. The actual computation involves series of steps that I once described.Michael J.

This subject was discussed just recently (I can't find the thread). I believe the originator stated they had to set the zoom to 0.75 in order get what *they* felt was realistic perception of speed when on the runway during takeoff and landing.Several real world pilots, including myself, unanimously agreed that zoom factor 1.0 gave the most realistic perception of speed and distance.I have made hundreds and hundreds of approach & landings in the real world, both day and night so I think I have a fair idea of what it looks like out the front window. I heavily use Milton's Dash 7 and Beech 18. They both come with the zoom set to 0.75 in cockpit view. At first, I was having trouble consistently making proper approaches -- I wasn't aware I was looking thru binoculars backwards because Cockpit View does not display zoom factor except briefly when you come back to it from another view. When I went into the Panel.cfg file and changed it to 1.0, everything was fine.With all due respect to the calculations and the work and study you guys went to, I'm afraid it just doesn't work out.Cal (CYXX)

>Several real world pilots, including myself, unanimously>agreed that zoom factor 1.0 gave the most realistic perception>of speed and distance.>Don't count me in, I usually prefer .75L.Adamson

I have the use of only one eye, I like .375. It takes a village!bt

>Several real world pilots, including myself, unanimously>agreed that zoom factor 1.0 gave the most realistic perception>of speed and distance.Maybe, but I wouldn't bet on this 'unanimity'. The most realistic zoom factor calculated specifically for the 2D 767PIC panel (in the FS2002 days) was 0.70-0.73 (yes, it is panel dependant) and a few big iron pilots agreed it was absolutely correct at the time. One of those who agreed was Peter James if this name means anything to you.Michael J.

>>Several real world pilots, including myself, unanimously>>agreed that zoom factor 1.0 gave the most realistic>perception>>of speed and distance.>>Maybe, but I wouldn't bet on this 'unanimity'. The most>realistic zoom factor calculated specifically for the 2D>767PIC panel (in the FS2002 days) was 0.70-0.73 (yes, it is>panel dependant) and a few big iron pilots agreed it was>absolutely correct at the time. One of those who agreed was>Peter James if this name means anything to you.You're right that it's panel dependant. The zoom setting if often used to compensate for other things. You mentioned 767PIC having it's zoom setting confirmed by real pilots, but not the fact that it's not too realistic to sit in the cockpit and see that the horizon is almost at the top of your screen whilst sitting on the runway. The outside view was (is?) so narrow that zoom is used to compensate for this.I doubt there is a right answer, as at the end of the day, realism (like beauty) is in the eye of the beholder.Personally, I go for a zoom of 1 and I've yet to read adverse comments on the zoom setting in the 727.http://www.dreamfleet2000.com/gfx/images/F...BANNER_PAUL.jpg

Ah, Pete, I miss him, I think he'd appreciate the heavy wind sounds I build into my sounds since he always seemed to stress that no-one did that. =/

Me either. I agree, a zoom of .70-.75 seems right in just about all situations.Doug

Hi Michael!>I once wrote elaborate post on the subject.If you can find it with no efforts, I'd like to read it. :)>When I see your formula Marco however I am immediately>suspicious however. IF you attempt to come up with a best zoom>when in the cockpit view (either 2D or VC) such formual should>*not* have a distance between your eyes and the monitor. The>distance between your eyes and monitor only counts when you>want to compute best zoom for those who do not display any>part of their cocpkit (for example for home-built cockits).I think I understood your point. But IMHO you're partly correct only regarding 2D panel. 2D panel is a "fake" panel not influenced by zoom factor: we can say it's displayed at a fixed zoom determined by designer.Hence, when changing zoom factor in 2D panel, you lose IN ANY CASE the proportion between 2D cockpit and external view. But it's probable the original proportion (default zoom decided by designer) is a compromise anyhow.I respectfully do not agree with you regarding VC (actually it's where my formula is most useful and thought to be used): the VC (on the contrary of 2D panel) modifies along with zoom factor.See the other lame picture attached: the ratio between L and d (not L or d itself) determines the zoom (actually, zoom factor simply varies "alfa" angle).>My approach for best zoom is simple in concept - you should>see exactly the same amount of scenery in relation to your>cockpit width as in real aircraft.I am not sure I understood correctly. With "cockpit width", do you mean the width of the portion of cockpit of the real a/c, that is visible in 2d cockpit view?Marcohttp://forums.avsim.net/user_files/123317.jpg

>I believe the originator stated they had to set the zoom to>0.75 in order get what *they* felt was realistic perception of>speed when on the runway during takeoff and landing.>>Several real world pilots, including myself, unanimously>agreed that zoom factor 1.0 gave the most realistic perception>of speed and distance.>>I have made hundreds and hundreds of approach & landings in>the real world, both day and night so I think I have a fair>idea of what it looks like out the front window. I heavily use>Milton's Dash 7 and Beech 18. They both come with the zoom set>to 0.75 in cockpit view. At first, I was having trouble>consistently making proper approaches -- I wasn't aware I was>looking thru binoculars backwards because Cockpit View does>not display zoom factor except briefly when you come back to>it from another view. When I went into the Panel.cfg file and>changed it to 1.0, everything was fine.>>With all due respect to the calculations and the work and>study you guys went to, I'm afraid it just doesn't work out.>>Cal (CYXX)As Mr. Paul Golding said, realism in the eye of the beholder :)I certainly trust you when you say a zoom factor of 1.0 is agreed by most pilots as the most realistic (I am not a pilot myself).My formula, as stated, simply lets you see what you would see through your monitor chassis if you'd carry it on a real cockpit. In this sense, the term "most realistic" is not intended in an absolute or exclusive way.Probably, there are other factors (psychological, too) playing a role in the perception of speed and distance. Maybe, if someone'd see through a monitor chassis in a real cockpit, he'd have problems with perception of speed and distance, too.As stated, my formula is most useful with VC cockpits. Probably even more useful with monitors capable of wide angles or projectors. However, please note my formula usually gives a zoom factor greater than 1, and hardly a zoom factor less than 1.Marco

>Hi,>in many panels the zoom factor is 0.75 or thereabout.>in most cases d>L.>in my case for instance d/l ~ 2 - 2.5>according to your formula, I should set my zoom at 2 ??!>isn't that a tad too much??>>//MichaelTry to move a bit closer to the monitor and obtain a d/l < 1.8 (and therefore a zoom of 1.5 or so). Zoom factors of more than 1.5 are less practical. On the other hand, with zoom factors less than 1 the image begins to become distorted. So it should be preferably in the range 1-1.5.Marco

The human eye is often taken to have an angle of view of about 47deg. (The 50mm focal length lens on a 35mm camera was chosen to approximate this.) This implies that if you are sitting at one end of a 5000ft runway a "wall" 10724ft long across the other end of the runway would fill your field of view horizontally.However, the ratio d/L determines the angle of view you get on the monitor. This angle is 2*atan(d/2*L). With L = 400mm (for a 21in monitor) and d = 600mm (about 2ft), the angle of view is 37deg, which is less than the eye's angle of view.Does anyone know what is the actual angle of view in FS with zoom set to 1? One way to determine it would be to experiment with a "wall".Choosing the best zoom must be a compromise. It could be set so that the "wall" would just fill the monitor, which, although not accurate would respesent the eye's angle of view on the monitor Alternatively, it could be set so that the wall would occupy the full 47deg, resulting in its ends being cut-off. IF the FS angle of view is 47deg, then a zoom of 37/47 = 0.79 would be needed to fit the "wall" to the screen. Your formula gives 1.29.

>Hence, when changing zoom factor in 2D panel, you lose IN ANY>CASE the proportion between 2D cockpit and external view. But>it's probable the original proportion (default zoom decided by>designer) is a compromise anyhow.Not sure what you mean by this "losing". The idea is just the opposite - get the correct proprtions between the panel and scenery.Imagine sitting in a real 767 at some airports and looking at some building in front of you. You can clearly see how much building fits between say your left window post and the center window post. You can do the same in FS9 - assuming this bulding is there - with the correct zoom setting you will see exactly the same portion of the building between the to window posts (window posts can be replaced by any part of the panel - for example the CRT). So what we are after here are compatible angles - the angle between those window posts must be the same in FS9 as in real life. It is possible to use top-view in FS9 to measure such angle directly.Michael J.WinXP-Home SP2,AMD64 3500+,Abit AV8,Radeon X800Pro,36GB Raptor,1GB PC3200,Audigy 2http://www.precisionmanuals.com/images/forum/747400.jpghttp://www.hifisim.com/images/asv_beta_member.jpg