Camera view program that allows click and follow?

[KL Oo 695]

Hi all,

 

Back in FS9 days there was a program called Active Camera. One of it's great features was to (from the cockpit) right click somewhere on the nearby scenery and it would automatically generate a camera at that point. You'd then cycle to that camera and from that view point could follow (track) your aircraft. You could do this multiple times and each time you right clicked the camera point would just update itself. 

 

It was great for watching taxi and landings. On landings you could pause at 300 feet AGL, right click the mouse somewhere adjacent to the runway and then watch the aircraft autoland or watch it in instant replay from that point.

 

I'm looking for any program that might do that for P3DV3.

 

I own EZDOK and OpusFSI. Neither seems to have this function. I know EZDOK has a world camera function but you need to put your aircraft on the spot you want the camera and thats impractical in my opinion for the purpose I'm after.

 

Does anybody know a program or method of doing this? I know that P3DV3.4 has some new camera management features, but I don't see a way of doing it.

 

Cheers,

AB

 

[bosflo 53]

Been asking this for years and still have not had any solutions. Plenty of suggestions but nothing works and I don't think people understand what I am asking for so I don't think I am getting the right suggestions. Most people say alter the camera positions in the P3D camera section but for me, it's very hard to understand what does what to start tinkering around with it. I will follow this thread because I would love to see what responses you get. Good luck

[Superluminal 15]

The old FSNavigator program had a feature like this.

You right-clicked on the map and selected "set spot view to here".

It was a perfect feature to get an end-of-runway landing view.

Sadly, i've not seen this feature anywhere else.

[KL Oo 695]

Thanks for the replies guys. It's odd that we've got a couple of good camera apps out there but none of them seem to have been able (or interested) in this feature.

 

I found it a great program. I wonder if there is anyway of getting it working with current software. Alas I don't think I even have a copy of it any more.

[RALF9636 1,898]

Hi all,

 

Back in FS9 days there was a program called Active Camera. One of it's great features was to (from the cockpit) right click somewhere on the nearby scenery and it would automatically generate a camera at that point. You'd then cycle to that camera and from that view point could follow (track) your aircraft. You could do this multiple times and each time you right clicked the camera point would just update itself. 

 

It was great for watching taxi and landings. On landings you could pause at 300 feet AGL, right click the mouse somewhere adjacent to the runway and then watch the aircraft autoland or watch it in instant replay from that point.

 

I'm looking for any program that might do that for P3DV3.

 

I own EZDOK and OpusFSI. Neither seems to have this function. I know EZDOK has a world camera function but you need to put your aircraft on the spot you want the camera and thats impractical in my opinion for the purpose I'm after.

 

Does anybody know a program or method of doing this? I know that P3DV3.4 has some new camera management features, but I don't see a way of doing it.

 

Cheers,

AB

 

I also miss an option like that.

 

May I suggest you post your request on the Chaseplane support forum?

 

http://www.avsim.com/forum/775-fsfx-packages-chaseplane-support/?sort_key=last_post&sort_by=Z-A

 

They might consider implementing something like that if you do.

[Lorby_SI 2,036]

From what I found out when developing my addons, the ESP platform does not permit this. The camera system in FSX is little bit restrictive. You cannot add a stationary (global) camera without restarting the simulator, and you cannot add a stationary aircraft camera without reloading the aircraft (which is not an option with complex planes). Plus, an existing camera can only be moved a limited distance from your own position in 6DOF mode (don't remember the exact number, but it was a few hundred feet at best). So we are pretty much stuck with the methods of either moving the user's own vessel to the desired spot when it has to be "on the fly" or use pre-defined stationary cameras, either globally (=cameras.cfg) or assigned to the aircraft (=aircraft.cfg). Would have been nice if other methods were possible, I would have liked for example to place cameras near the wildfires in FireFighter X at runtime (the fires are generated dynamically, so pre-defined cameras are of no use to me). My AiTracker X has a related feature, but it only works on AI controlled aircraft, not your own (because here too your vessel is moved to the spot of the stationary camera).

 

The part "right clicking into the scenery" sounds intriguing though. How exactly did this work - in the virtual cockpit? On the map?

[KL Oo 695]

Hi

 

It worked via the virtual cockpit or spot view. You just right clicked on the earth somewhere and a camera point was created at that location. It was so easy to use!

 

Sounds like it's not possible in the current engine though :(

[Lorby_SI 2,036]

With FSX, I would say it is impossible, at least with a SimConnect based app.

 

With P3D - not so sure. There is the observer functionality, which is pretty extensive, and the camera system has been greatly expanded. But I haven't seen many people using those to their full capacity, many still prefer to buy external addons. These features have grown so sophisticated, that implementing an addon for them seems pointless. But I will look into it, maybe a bit of SimConnect, possibly a gauge and the observer management could do the trick - P3D V3 only though.

[KL Oo 695]

Hi Oliver,

 

When the current evolution of P3D was released and a whole new range of cameras and views where implemented I had hoped this feature could be reintroduced. I had a bit of a play but as simply and end user and not a programmer I couldn't see if it was really possible.

 

If you have any luck I'd be very interested!

[richbarry 8]

It is possible to place a fixed position camera at runtime via SimConnect as I have been doing just that. The only hangup at the present time is aspect ratio not automatically calculating if you change the view aspect.

Using the top down view for click and place camera is also possible, but with other views I think it becomes very difficult, as it involves 2 coordinate system conversions then a trace along a vector to try and determine where it intercepts the terrain model. Top down is much easier.

[KL Oo 695]

Even the ability to do it on the fly with top down would be good...

[Qatsimo 7]

You could also configure custom fly-by camera's. The effect is about the same. With their initial position right in front of the plane a few hundred meters below and a good zoom level. Then one at the same level or higher for when touching down.

[richbarry 8]

This video from the 5 minute mark shows a camera placed at runtime. A logical progression of the program would be as the OP suggested to allow click and place, but I want to finish tidying up the current update of the program and get it out before being sidetracked again.

 

[KL Oo 695]

From the look of that video it appears that it's in someway possible!

[RW1 615]

 

 

but I want to finish tidying up the current update of the program and get it out before being sidetracked again

 

Awesome work...