Hello, I'm having difficulties trying to figure out camera views system in MSFS2020, particularly in VC. I have too many questions about cameras , cameras' operation and camera controls assignments so I'll start asking here in no particular order. Please note I'm trying to dig C172sp_classic so far and I have no interest of the external views yet, none of them. So I'll start with:

1) Why are there 2 Cameras.cfg files for each aircraft? What is the difference between them in each pair?

2)  What are IFR PILOT VIEW RESET / SAVE and VFR PILOT VIEW RESET / SAVE controls? How do they work?

Description says: IFR PILOT VIEW RESET Reset the IFR pilot view of the active plane to its original parameters. 

How to select IFR PILOT VIEW then? Same question about VFR PILOT VEW.

* Btw, why each Control has 2 (a pair of) assignment boxes?

3) What is the control for default VC pilot view? (was it F9 in the prev. iterations?). Can I go directly from an external/drone view to default VC pilot view?

4) Ctrl+1, 2, 3, 4...0 are for INSTRUMENT VIEWS, so why Ctrl+Shift+1, 2, 3, 4... 0 for FIXED CAMERA work the same in VC? What is the difference between them? 

5) In cameras.cfg the default VC cockpit view goes under [CAMERADEFINITION.0] Title ="Pilot", what is the name of this camera in CONTROLS assignments?

6) [CAMERADEFINITION.1] Title ="ClosePilot" - which one in CONTROLS?

I'll start with the above here, my current list of questions can go on and on, but I might be just missing something self-explanatory.

Thanks.

 

Edited September 24, 20205 yr by Dirk98

I cannot answer all of these because I haven't taken a thorough look into all the camera options and controls in the settings, but in the meantime this overview might help if you haven't seen it yet: https://flightsimulator.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360016003159-Camera-Overview

I believe "VFR Pilot View" refers to the "Close" position, and "IFR Pilot View" to the "Pilot" position. At least this is what it looks like in my game. Not sure why that guide has different names for those two.

You are not alone in wondering how Microsoft could make the cameras so confusing. I will watch this thread with great interest.

2 minutes ago, ChaoticBeauty said:

I cannot answer all of these because I haven't taken a thorough look into all the camera options and controls in the settings, but in the meantime this overview might help if you haven't seen it yet: https://flightsimulator.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360016003159-Camera-Overview

I believe "VFR Pilot View" refers to the "Close" position, and "IFR Pilot View" to the "Pilot" position. At least this is what it looks like in my game. Not sure why that guide has different names for those two.

Yes, I've seen that, a lot of words, basic concepts, etc.. Look, it says:

Quote

The cockpit view has four (4) default camera positions from the Pilot’s perspective:

• The VFR position defaults to the pilot seat and offers a good view of both the main instruments and the exterior.
  • It can be activated using the “Toggle VFR Cockpit mode” command (F10 by default)
• The IFR position defaults to the pilot seat and is more focused on the plane’s instruments
  • It can be activated using the “Toggle IFR Cockpit mode” command (F9 by default)
• The Landing position defaults to the pilot seat and offers a good view of the runway.
  • It can be activated using the “Toggle Landing Cockpit mode” command (F11 by default)
• The Copilot position defaults to the copilot seat, in a VFR style position
  • It can be activated using the “Toggle Copilot view” (unmapped by default)

 Where are:

“Toggle VFR Cockpit mode”, “Toggle IFR Cockpit mode”, “Toggle Landing Cockpit mode”,  “Toggle Landing Cockpit mode”?

I can find NONE of them in the CONTROLS.

Thanks.

14 minutes ago, wardp said:

You are not alone in wondering how Microsoft could make the cameras so confusing. I will watch this thread with great interest.

Honestly it's been nightmare so far trying to dig their concept of camera views.

Thanks.

I can't even understand what they mean there:

Additional notes:

• Using the “Reset camera” shortcut (F by default) will always replace the camera to the last used Pilot’s view

5 minutes ago, Dirk98 said:

Yes, I've seen that, a lot of words, basic concepts, etc.. Look, it says:

 Where are:

“Toggle VFR Cockpit mode”, “Toggle IFR Cockpit mode”, “Toggle Landing Cockpit mode”,  “Toggle Landing Cockpit mode”?

I can find NONE of them in the CONTROLS.

Thanks.

Ok, it seems they are not assigned. I'll try and report.

47 minutes ago, Dirk98 said:

Ok, it seems they are not assigned. I'll try and report.

I've mapped them to F10, F9 and F11 as mentioned, now F9 and F11 do toggle to F10 (VFR),  but If I go to any instrument camera or fixed view pressing any of those F10, F9 and F11 does nothing... To go back you need either press the same key/keycombo or reset with F first. I can't tell you enough how much this view system is convoluted.

Really I can't even start flying without understanding these camera views first. Throw in TIR and you'll get an insane concoction of some crazy view changing logics.

Edited September 24, 20205 yr by Dirk98

Who told the coder that TOGGLE, TOGGLE, TOGGLE was good for VIEWS at all? Obviously somebody who had spent all his time flying with XBOX gamepad only. D A M N.

 

Edited September 24, 20205 yr by Dirk98

I played with the Reset/Save VFR and IFR Pilot views trying to figure out how they work, I changed something in the process (with my mappings) and now I can't even go back to the default CAMERA/VIEW settings replacing cameras.cfg by my backup copy of the default one. Any ideas please? It's really frastrating. Now I may need to reset the whole game. Does anybody know how to reset it all, is it possible?

Thanks.  

5 hours ago, Dirk98 said:

I played with the Reset/Save VFR and IFR Pilot views trying to figure out how they work, I changed something in the process (with my mappings) and now I can't even go back to the default CAMERA/VIEW settings replacing cameras.cfg by my backup copy of the default one. Any ideas please? It's really frastrating. Now I may need to reset the whole game. Does anybody know how to reset it all, is it possible?

Thanks.  

I feel your pain. I have spent literally dozens of hours trying to understand all this despite having  read the MS guide about this.

But for now, to get out of your situation, you should get back to default pilot view with the top menu bar. Once you are in the default view, save it with left ctrl+left alt +{o,1,2,3...].. You can then assign a joystick button to load that custom view. Load custom camera [0,1,2...]

You asked earlier why there are 2 camera.cfg for each aircraft. I'm not sure where you found them, but one of the camera.cfg file is created as soon as you save a custom view and it will have the information for each of the views you saved. If you never created a custom view, I would think there would be only one camera.cfg for each aircraft, but I could be wrong.

I can't remember the folder path for the additional camera.cfg views, but there is one for sure. In that folder, you will see a new camera.cfg for any aircraft for which you created custom views. So, if you created 3 custom views for 3 aircraft, you will find 3 new camera.cfg files and each file will have a section for each of the 3 views you created, numbered as you created them 0,1,2..or whatever number you used..

Hope this helps a little bit. I'm not handy to my flight sim PC, so I can't give you exact folder locations. 

One more thing, if you are in the default pilot view, then you open an external view and then a showcase view,  getting back to the default pilot view is a word not allowed shoot. I have yet to figure out the right sequence to get back to the pilot view easily every time. It is never with one joystick button or one keyboard key only, that's for 100% sure.  Sometimes I end up in a situation where the only way back to the normal pilot view is via the top tool bar. It is totally frustrating.

Good luck 😉

 

Maurice

 

This video on camera setup may help if you haven't seen it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTUFA33wIEM&t=1156s

 

Al

No pro here yet on this confusing menu system but I know if you click above in menu on your controller you want to reset  - then below you can hit a button that says change to default settings and you say yes

It will set back to default bindings but you will have to start over again 

Heres a thought in some cases you assign a key to a function and its being used elsewhere so you have to find it and clear it out

Example I assigned a button to get me in and out of cockpit when I hit it it worked but it was also shutting off the auto pilot

So I had to find that binding and clear out conflicting assignment

You can go to menu on left and click on assigned then below that hit expand all - then click the button you want to figure out what its doing on your controller - you will see the assigned key light up - quick way to figure out whats assigned to what on your physical controller 

Edited September 25, 20205 yr by Richard Sennett

Thanks Richard I have been reading, it seems hundreds of pages, on MSFS Camera settingsand unfortunately mucked it all up and longed to take it back to the beginning again ie default your post answered my question. I now have back my Airbus FMC view.Ctl + 5.

Could I ask a question, In the controls screen under Keyboard, I have a left and right select option (no buttons) I 'repaired' the view by simply sliding to right. There was no obvious place to save this state. How do I go on to create custom views now. The only other option on this slider is 'Angle Overhead' which I don't understand can you you help?

Jack Allan

Has anyone noticed that both "Pilot" and "Instruments" now list the same camera presets?

This broke the VFR/IFR views, and for me makes add-on aircraft like the CT182 unusable (there's not VFR view, and it defaults to the MFD instrument view with huge zoom/low FOV).

The cameras.cfg is correct and shows these views, but the UI is broken.

Trying to reset/save these views on the CT182T causes a CTD for me.