I'm trying to use the drone lock to make a runway cam flyby view (and also a tower like view) in order to view my own landing replays.

I'm finding the lock to be very inconsistent in the way that it decides what it's focal point is actually locking to, which often times is not actually my plane.

Sometimes it locks to me and other times not, and even if I cycle locking targets it never seems to point back at my own plane.

The only way to get any consistency is to use the "follow" mode, but I do not want the follow mode since i want the camera location to be static as my plane fly's by, and only to track my planes movement by the camera pivoting it's viewpoint.

I've been fooling with this for days now and pulling my hair out trying all the different camera commands. Sometimes it works after fiddling with it, but then once you move or try to adjust, it all falls apart, if you know what I mean.

Is this camera system bugged, or am I just daft?

Using keyboard for drone, not a controller (dunno if that makes a difference for locking).

Edited February 8, 20224 yr by hangar

just giving this a bump today, in case someone who knows might see it.

I'm waiting for the simple version for Asobo to implement:

https://forums.flightsimulator.com/t/can-we-have-our-classic-flyby-views-and-tower-views-back-please/259979

But sure if someone knows...

15 minutes ago, Noel said:

I'm waiting for the simple version for Asobo to implement:

https://forums.flightsimulator.com/t/can-we-have-our-classic-flyby-views-and-tower-views-back-please/259979

But sure if someone knows...

Yea, that would be swell... but in fear of them making things more convoluted than is necessary (i.e. the Asobo flight recorder) I think I'd rather see a new 3rd party "Views" addon 🙄

Not that I appreciate Asobo handing so many things off to 3rd party's, that should be inherent, but they too often just don't seem too competent when they DO something themselves (and it pains me to say that as I know how difficult their job is). 

Edited February 9, 20224 yr by hangar

1 hour ago, hangar said:

Yea, that would be swell... but in fear of them making things more convoluted than is necessary (i.e. the Asobo flight recorder) I think I'd rather see a new 3rd party "Views" addon 🙄

Not that I appreciate Asobo handing so many things off to 3rd party's, that should be inherent, but they too often just don't seem too competent when they DO something themselves (and it pains me to say that as I know how difficult their job is). 

If you don't believe using the drone camera to get to simple fly-bys and tower views wouldn't be convoluted I don't know what to say.  What is being asked for with those votes is something simple and canned like we're all very use to out of FSX/P3D.  I really don't prefer handing functions to 3rd parties myself--my sense is when Asobo dedicates fully to a component it will be superior to what 3rd parties that may disappear tomorrow bring.  My sense is a lot of what we have today in MSFS are essentially placeholders for when they dedicate full effort to the area in question.  Just my opinion and it is based on how excellent the fairly completed parts of MSFS already are.  I think some are fooled by placeholders that they believe that is the best Asobo could do:  Real Time Traffic, ATC, and even weather and cloud depiction--this will all improve greatly IMO over the coming year or two.

@Noel I know how you feel, but after waiting 1.5 years for Asobo to add a simple replay feature (which we always used to have for the previous 30+ years in the franchise), I still prefer to use the simpler and much quicker freeware addon for replays, thus far. The drone cam is novel, but it's usefulness in quick situations isn't to good for my needs. I'm not thinking too much about what things might be like 5 years from now.

Sure. I think '5 years', or really another 3.5y, is well beyond getting some of these sorts of things nailed down.  I'm not averse to add-on interventions and did add Bigan's Seasons and Simple Traffic as they are plug and play, and I really detest having to fiddle around with configurations of anything anymore having done that for 20+ years previously.  Plus, I'm patient and like having new things to look forward to, in due time.  I think the next 1.5y will be very telltale about MSFS' long-term development, at least for desktop users.  And I do look forward to simple fly-by and tower views!  More important by far to me is seeing FSCaptain release for MSFS.  I really love that program in P3D, but they're still a ways out.  If they can get anything close to what they did for P3D it will blow the other career addons out of the sky!

1 hour ago, Noel said:

simple fly-by and tower views

from your lips to god's ears, I hope! 

This is just something so easy to create that Asobo could do it w/ all hands tied behind their collective backs--they just haven't attempted it yet is my take.   If you haven't already go vote for it!

This being said, if they don't, I'll be looking for the 3rd party hack too!

Edited February 10, 20224 yr by Noel

@hangar May I suggest that you try SkyDolly for your replays! https://flightsim.to/file/9067/sky-dolly
 

I am the most cautious person possible using add-ons. This one will blow you away with the replay smoothness of all cameras. The best I have used in my 30 odd years of flight simulation.  Download it and leave it in your download folder. 
Start the sim. Open skydolly and minimize it. When you are ready to fly hit record and fly. Stop record when you finish flying. Just finished a video using a 67 minute recorded flight and using several camera views in my next video. You can not tell which views are from the playback or the actual flight! 

You then start that exact same flight in the sim. Open skydolly and your recorded flight will be in the window when opening. Load the flight from Skydolly and set your camera view. You can drag the playback button anywhere in the flight, change the camera view multiple times if you wish. If you stop playback in the flight you can take control in the sim from this point.

I have not had a single issue with it. The program is also meant to add more planes to the recorded flights. This aspect has issues as the added planes tend to get the jitters when flying close to one another. But for viewing a single plane, it is perfection!

@Doering Thanks, but I'm not currently having any issues with replays. My issue is with the drone lock view, it's buggy as heck.

If you know of an addon that gives us fly-by or tower views that would be great.