"Increase view distance" in external view?

[WestAir 2,522]

27 minutes ago, Johan217 said:

To control the aircraft while in Drone view, press "C" (default bindings)

Yeah, but then you have to stop controlling the view/drone. In external view you can control both the view and the aircraft simultaneously. (I.E., if you're doing formation flying you can keep your external view pointing at your partner with one hand on the yoke and one finger on the hat switch)

27 minutes ago, Johan217 said:

To pan the camera around, set Drone Lock Mode to On

This sounds neat, Johan! I'm away from my PC but will this let you yaw the view around the center of the aircraft, like in external when you use the pan axis? If so, that's outstanding, and I owe Cobalt an apology if I can set a point from which to pan about on an axis.

27 minutes ago, Johan217 said:

Have I set up anything incorrectly?

Honestly, you'd have to ask Cobalt that. Personally I've noticed every time I switch the view back it resets the zoom to whatever is default, and I have to re-adjust it to the zoom I want.

[Johan217 49]

47 minutes ago, WestAir said:

Yeah, but then you have to stop controlling the view/drone. In external view you can control both the view and the aircraft simultaneously. (I.E., if you're doing formation flying you can keep your external view pointing at your partner with one hand on the yoke and one finger on the hat switch)

OK, I see how this can be a problem. I can't think of a workaround 😞

[Carlosx 48]

As it has been mentioned many times (here and in other boards, even back in Beta status...) the drone cam is not on par with external cam in terms of usability.

A simple + / - option for distance in external cam would make a huge difference. But Asobo is either unwilling or unable.
It's a standard in other sims, it was a standard in previous FS titles.

Edited December 12, 2022 by Carlosx

[David_CSA 36]

This feature would be very useful. There's a group of users who would very much appreciate it.

It has been added in SU9, see the release notes. But:

1. Nobody knows how to use it here. The description mentioned camera(s).cfg, but didn't say how.

2. It is also not clear whether the feature is for all users or just for developers.

See also:

 

[Pugilist2 878]

On 12/12/2022 at 3:51 AM, Carlosx said:

As it has been mentioned many times (here and in other boards, even back in Beta status...) the drone cam is not on par with external cam in terms of usability.

A simple + / - option for distance in external cam would make a huge difference. But Asobo is either unwilling or unable.
It's a standard in other sims, it was a standard in previous FS titles.

Exactly what is needed!

[David_CSA 36]

Any ideas how to get to instructions on using this feature from SU9, please?

 

[Reader 2,021]

I think that so far, four pages of this topic have established that no one knows, or if they do, they are not saying.

 

[Noel 4,501]

On 1/8/2022 at 8:23 PM, cobalt said:

As for a flyby camera, that is easily set up using the fixed-camera option.

Everyone wants a simple fly-by and tower view with a simple key/button press.  Done, old news, easy to do, everyone will like it and the default camera system I agree is fine. But geez, put this old feature in it is a giant no-brainer.

[cobalt 798]

The interesting thing about the drone camera is that it is by far the most advanced camera system in any flightsim to date, capable of so much more than was previously possible, yet attracts a lot of negative comment because of the nontrivial learning curve. But maybe Noel is right -- just put in the old flyby feature from FSX to make everybody happy. A desire to revert to the FSX way of doing something-or-other is a theme that pops up often in this forum -- nostalgia? -- but at some point one needs to accept that MSFS 2020 is a whole new ballgame. FSX, PD3, FS9, and the others will still be around for those who need them.  

[mupps 0]

On 12/14/2022 at 3:29 AM, cobalt said:

The interesting thing about the drone camera is that it is by far the most advanced camera system in any flightsim to date, capable of so much more than was previously possible, yet attracts a lot of negative comment because of the nontrivial learning curve. But maybe Noel is right -- just put in the old flyby feature from FSX to make everybody happy. A desire to revert to the FSX way of doing something-or-other is a theme that pops up often in this forum -- nostalgia? -- but at some point one needs to accept that MSFS 2020 is a whole new ballgame. FSX, PD3, FS9, and the others will still be around for those who need them.  

Dude... You're consistetly misunderstanding what this thread is about. The drone camera is great, yes. No one want it gone. The problem is missing features in other camera modes, like the missing external camera view distance this post is about. I don't even know why the drone camera is brought up here as it is not the functionality the OP is after. 

Edited January 5, 2023 by mupps

[cobalt 798]

1 hour ago, mupps said:

Dude... You're consistetly misunderstanding what this thread is about. The drone camera is great, yes. No one want it gone. The problem is missing features in other camera modes, like the missing external camera view distance this post is about. I don't even know why the drone camera is brought up here as it is not the functionality the OP is after. 

You need to re-read my entire post, starting with "But maybe ..."  I think this fully addresses your point.

[WestAir 2,522]

1 hour ago, cobalt said:

You need to re-read my entire post, starting with "But maybe ..."  I think this fully addresses your point.

Your "but maybe" was all about the fly-by feature, which isn't even what Mupps is talking about.

As an aside, every other simulator from Kerbal Space Program to Xplane to P3D to Train Sim World 2 allows you to translate your view distance from your vehicle. It's not a ridiculous request or "nostalgia." I can't express enough to you how much of a modern expectation that feature is.

[robert young 2,897]

In SU9 Asobo declared "added ability to change camera distance" but they never explained how to do it. I'm absolutely sure it does not actually exist. I've followed the exchanges between Cobalt and others and I have to say it's coming out like a stuck record. The drone is marvellous but it has absolutely NOTHING to do with what was being requested by the majority in this thread. To write off perfectly reasonable requests for something that used to work well by describing them as "nostalgia" then adding that users can always "revert" to FSX is really unhelpful.

Please, FORGET the brilliant drone camera for a moment and listen to what is being requested, which is entirely different.

There are other camera flaws that need addressing. One is that the freeview speed sliders are universal and not individual. This means for example that in the cockpit the panning view is quite slow but the translation views are very fast on the same slider setting. So the only way to get a slower translation view is to also have a snail's pace pan speed. What is needed is a simple speed slider for each important camera function, rather than a global one.

The default zoom/distance is utterly ridiculous, being comically over-wide angled. This is not a mistake or bug. It is a basic design decision that is as baffling as it is ridiculous.

The drone is great. That doesn't mean the other more basic camera system is adequate.

[cobalt 798]

To quote the OP in his original post:  "I don't really quite get the way the MSFS camera system works." Clearly, this is the problem. Perhaps MSFS will eventually provide some of the FSX-like features whose absence bothers some MSFS users; until then, the solution is to learn how to use the drone camera, which among its many capabilities allows flyby views. Continued lamenting over what MSFS doesn't currently have, as opposed to enjoying the cornucopia of what it DOES offer, seems to me a waste of time, especially when the complaints are directed to other users rather than the developers.

[Noel 4,501]

On 1/5/2023 at 11:08 AM, cobalt said:

Perhaps MSFS will eventually provide some of the FSX-like features whose absence bothers some MSFS users...

You mean like the Tower & Flyby views everyone wants?  I mean almost everyone 😉