"Increase view distance" in external view?

[Soulflight 97]

Anyone remember this really useful funcion in all previous FS installments that for some reason was totally abandoned in the MSFS camera system? 😉
Is there any tweak/tool to get it back?

Also i dont really quite get the way the MSFS camera system works. I set up the pan/mouse cursor switch in cockpit view in a similar way i did with FSX/Chaseplane before, but if I zoomed in and then switch to mouse cursor again, to actually operate my instruments, the zoom resets itself. Kind of annoying.

Edited January 8, 2022 by Soulflight

[kiwikat 506]

I have no idea why they had to destroy the external camera system that had been working for decades. I complained about this several times but everyone tells me I'm crazy. I guess people like the "cinematic" crazy wide angle look with extra stretched wings, the plane getting cut off on the bottom, and only having 1/3 of the screen filled with ground scenery. I really hope this gets fixed someday but I'm not betting on it.

Edited January 8, 2022 by kiwikat

[ChaoticBeauty 6,692]

35 minutes ago, kiwikat said:

I have no idea why they had to destroy the external camera system that had been working for decades.

Make sure to vote for the following request: https://forums.flightsimulator.com/t/legacy-external-camera/252011

[regis9 4,004]

I really miss having a flyby camera.

[cobalt 798]

The camera system in MSFS is working just fine after the latest update. What "external camera system that had been working for decades" is kiwicat talking about? MSFS is 16 months old, and I have found that its camera system is not only good, it's extremely versatile and not difficult to use once you make the effort to learn it. As for a flyby camera, that is easily set up using the fixed-camera option. None of this is new; it has been discussed many times in this and other forums.

 

 

[regis9 4,004]

Does the fixed camera option allow you to quickly do a fly-by view whenever you want or does it requires setting up a camera for each shot?

[kiwikat 506]

2 hours ago, cobalt said:

The camera system in MSFS is working just fine after the latest update. What "external camera system that had been working for decades" is kiwicat talking about? 

The simple "Spot Plane View" with the aircraft CENTERED in the screen with the ability to change both your distance and zoom from the aircraft. Why they removed this is beyond me. I don't want to use some stupid drone mode. I don't want an ultra wide distorted view. I don't want to have to press more than one button to change my view and then use the hat on my joystick to move the view around.

[cobalt 798]

7 hours ago, kiwikat said:

The simple "Spot Plane View" with the aircraft CENTERED in the screen with the ability to change both your distance and zoom from the aircraft. Why they removed this is beyond me. I don't want to use some stupid drone mode. I don't want an ultra wide distorted view. I don't want to have to press more than one button to change my view and then use the hat on my joystick to move the view around.

Have you actually made a real effort to try the drone? In addition to discovering how much it can do that cameras in earlier sims cannot do, you will find an "ultra wide distorted view" is avoidable with the proper settings. You don't like using the hat on your joystick? Well, I can't help you there. Sounds like you may need a flight-sim valet to perform all these onerous tasks for you.

[Michael Moe 494]

Drone camera is brilliant with a controller. I have buttons to follow and static and re follow and buttons for zoom in and out . Also buttons for speed as well.

Michael Moe

[Soulflight 97]

59 minutes ago, cobalt said:

Have you actually made a real effort to try the drone? In addition to discovering how much it can do that cameras in earlier sims cannot do, you will find an "ultra wide distorted view" is avoidable with the proper settings. You don't like using the hat on your joystick? Well, I can't help you there. Sounds like you may need a flight-sim valet to perform all these onerous tasks for you.

Mate, instead of getting personal it may be more useful to actually explain how to set up the drone view to work similar to the spot view we are used to from FSX/P3D. So?

[ChaoticBeauty 6,692]

The thing is, the external camera is greatly lacking in customisation compared to the cockpit camera for some reason. The camera menu could have a toggle for the motion smoothing/horizon tilting, and the settings menu could have sliders for the camera's default position (the cockpit view already has options for height and horizontal position for example).

I've also seen some users coming from X-Plane that would prefer to not have the camera locked to the aircraft's heading. Although I personally wouldn't use that, it would be a good option to have as well.

[MarcG 2,929]

1 hour ago, Michael Moe said:

Drone camera is brilliant with a controller. I have buttons to follow and static and re follow and buttons for zoom in and out . Also buttons for speed as well.

Michael Moe

Oohh speed you say? Didn't realise you could bind that, using VR it's hard to change the speed due to the way the UI works.

[kiwikat 506]

5 hours ago, cobalt said:

Sounds like you may need a flight-sim valet to perform all these onerous tasks for you.

Or, they could just add back the view that has been in the sim since I started with FS5.1 in the 90s.

Change for the sake of change isn't improvement. Nor is flat out removing features we've had for decades.

Edited January 9, 2022 by kiwikat

[ryanbatc 12,819]

5 hours ago, Soulflight said:

Mate, instead of getting personal it may be more useful to actually explain how to set up the drone view to work similar to the spot view we are used to from FSX/P3D. So?

It's not possible.  I'm a huge fan of drone view but I'm a huge fan of a simple centered camera like the one used in FSX.

It's possible if you are paused but in flight you have to alternate between controller working and drone camera.  (Pressing C).  It's a workout.

I too am perplexed why they made the default camera's aspect ratio screwed up.  And why is focal point so low?  

Edited January 9, 2022 by ryanbatcund

[cobalt 798]

59 minutes ago, kiwikat said:

Or, they could just add back the view that has been in the sim since I started with FS5.1 in the 90s.

Change for the sake of change isn't improvement. Nor is flat out removing features we've had for decades.

MSFS is an entirely new sim, so talking about stuff that existed in earlier simulators is irrelevant. Sounds to me like you should stick with FS5-- you will be happier there.