Lack of perspective

[barryward12345 0]

One thing that I find very dissappointing in FS2004 is the lack of perspective .For example, in outside view, unless you are parked close to a known size object ( like a car or a person) or parked maybe in a GA a/c alongside a jet, it is very hard to get an idea of its real life size. So for example, I was not aware of the true size of a Pilatus PC12 until I saw one at an airshow.Also, when flying from the VC, say in a PC12, you don't get a feel for the size of the cockpit compared to say a Cesssna 182.Is this maybe a matter of what zoom factor you choose? I usually select 75%.Barry

[Forkboy2 27]

That's what happens when you try to look at the world through a 18" hole. In 10 or 15 years when we all have 100" OLED monitors running at 12,000 by 8000 resolution this problem shouldn't be as bad :)But I also agree, that FS could do a better job of this with today's technology. I think a lot of it has to do with the lighting, shadows, etc. Another part of it is there usually isn't a lot of smaller objects in FS laying around to use as reference. If you saw the PC12 next to an accurately sized car in FS, you could more easily tell how big it is. But harder when you see the PC12 next to a FS terminal building (which are often out of scale to begin with)Matt

[Guest ThrottleUp]

This is a great observation and is something I totally agree with.Sometimes when I fly an airliner like the 777 or A330 I find myself "walking" around the plane (using F1 View) to try and impress upon myself that I am "going to fly a massive airliner" but its so hard because of what the original poster bought up! -----------------------------------------------But harder when you see the PC12 next to a FS terminal building (which are often out of scale to begin with)-----------------------------------------------That is something they really need to sort out!

[barryward12345 0]

Maybe somebody could create a piece of scenery somewhere - exactly for this purpose. It could have say a car and a person and a building of some sort close by to the parking bay.Any volunteers?I have setup a startup situation at Meigs next to the fuel bay that kind of helps -- the Sim puts different a/c in the adjacent parking bays.Barry

[Guest Peter Sidoli]

BarryWhat an observation which doesnt seem to have been picked up,It is also strange that when I am flying the Level D 767 or for that fact even the PMDG 747 I better feel that I am behind the controls of the Citation Bravo I have flown real world rather than a massive heavy.Other than the numbers being wrong I often feel if I had a Citation panel either of these two birds would feel closer to the citation in feel and general size impression than what they arePeter

[Guest Ozark Dogfighter]

What really bothers me about the perspective is the fact that when I view a 47 in real life from 300 feet away, say in 3/4 view, the engines closest to me definately appear larger than the farther ones, but in FS they are represented as the same size regardless. Instantly smacks the realism out of it for me. Don't you hate that feeling? Flying around, seeing the sites, then BAM a bad studder or SMACK something looks "cartoonish", and it's only a game afterall.I would love the perspective thing fixed as well as lot's of other nice treatments, so I can get as much immersed into the game as possible.As it is, I try to avoid going outside the plane :)-JeremyThe Ozark DogfighterHappy Flying!

[NM5K 1]

Is this maybe a matter of what zoom factor you choose? I usually select 75%.............Thats quite a bit of it. When looking at outside views,I usually like to set the zoom so the aircraft is nearlyfilling up the screen from end to end. But in the VC's, it really varies according to the aircraft and the VCitself. I can't run all planes at the same zoom. IE: the default mooney in VC, I might use maybe 70% or so. Ditto for the baron.. But the kingair I'll zoom fartherback. Maybe the 50-60 % range, depending on the exactview I want. Ditto for the D-18 beechcraft using the VC.I'll usually run it at about 55% or so...Also most planes, I have to adjust my seat, etc for the best perspective. Many planes, the seat feels too far forward, and I'lladjust back to get me about the same position as the VCseatback. Nothings ever perfect on a monitor... :(I do find the VC's a great improvement in perspectivevs the old 2d panels. But...ya gotta have a big displayto really enjoy it...I run a 21 inch... Wish it was doublethat... :/ MK

[Guest Calb]

Give this some thought, Barry.IMO, your bashing of FS is misplaced -- you should be bashing the computer display makers. If we had BI-nocular instead of MOnocular vision displays, we would have depth perception and your problem would not exist.Unfortunately the "need" for 3D displays is still insufficient to spur serious development and they'll remain in the experimental stage for a while yet.Cal (CYXX)

[Guest]

Not so much the need as the cost.If they could be produced for an economically feasible cost and work in a simple way (without the need for special goggles and gloves, specially written software, etc. etc.) they'd likely take off like a rocket.But who's going to spend ten thousand or more on a screen that only works with some kind of space helmet, an electronic laden glove, and then can only be used to see a ball moving around a checkered room?

[Guest christian]

Yes, the zoom factor very much affects size. It works like binoculars or the other way round. To get correct scales without distortion you have to use a zoom factor of 100%. Now, this is of course only half the equation. The other half is how big the display is you're using and how far you're sitting away from your monitor.Christian

[brucek 38]

Hi Barry,Some of this issue is that you are seeing the world on a flat piece of glass or LCD screen, and that screen's about 12-24" away from you. Regardless of any sense of depth that scenery or other depth enhancing technologies FS may have, your eyes are focused on something very close to your nose (in relative terms). Add again the 2D vs. binocular 3D vision, and that doesn't help either.I also wish that more perspective were possible. I think that the lack of perspective (above comments) and movement (kinesthetic sense) is what we hope to make up for with good sound sets and other enhancements that we choose to further the illusion of reality. Smooth vision is another part of the illusion, for which we go build and buy big systems.I think that FS9 does really well, considering the above. But I also wish that a quick-fix ws around for the perspective :). Bruce.

[Rottenlungs 0]

One of the ways to get round the problem with the view being only 12 - 24 inches away from your eyes (i.e very short focal length) is to use a Collimator. These things adjust the image to a focal length much nearer to infinity. If you use a collimator on the outside view and then a normal LCD / CRT view for the instruments it would help a lot. Your eyes would need to adjust their focus as you looked down at the gauges.I agree - FS makes a really good attempt at trying to get as much as possible right. Cheers.Lungs

[RobbieHe 0]

This is an excellent point that the original poster makes. I see the lack of perspective in taking off and landing. You really don't get the feeling that you are going that fast. Buildings don't really look that 3D either. What kind of technology is currently available that might make FS10 do a better job in these domains without killing framerates too badly. Can simply off loading to video cards help in this regard like with lighting and shaders?Thanks!RH

[LAdamson 240]

>This is an excellent point that the original poster makes. I>see the lack of perspective in taking off and landing. You>really don't get the feeling that you are going that fast. >Buildings don't really look that 3D either. I use lots of possible combinations. 50- 75% zoom rate in a VC, or just quick switches to front corner & side views for the look of increased speed.An example of percieved speed, is using the "see thru" panel in X-Plane. The cockpit view & out the windscreen will look just like MSFS during landing & takeoff. Then you hit the see thru button which makes the panel semi transparent & everything appears to speed up, due to addtional peripheral vision to the sides & below. Nothing has really changed, but forward speed, to the eye, seems to increase.It's even the same when landing a "full size" plane. Sometimes the runway just seems to sit below, & you're near motionless, much the way a heavy commercial jet sometimes appears to be flying 5 mph, when you see it head-on from the ground.One other note:, even an ultra-light with no forward fuselage area, will appear to be going faster down the runway, than a Piper or Cessna, for the same reason stated above with the X-Plane transparent panel. You just see more to the sides & below.L.Adamson

[Guest DK8290]

Go into the view options and set the camera closer to the plane. It's great for that 'wide-angle' looking screenshot. It would be nice if there were real-time controls for moving the camera closer to or further from the plane.