SU9 - Distance between external camera and plane - How?

[David_CSA 36]

Good morning,

The following is mentioned in the release notes:

* Added an optional settings to camera.cfg files allowing to change the distance between the external camera and the plane

Does anyone know how to use this, please? What is the syntax? And in which portion of cameras.cfg to place it?

This is a highly anticipated option which allows to change the distance and resume normal zoom levels when viewing the plane and world from a larger distance avoiding the distorted view with high zoom out factor.

E.g. like this:

Or this...

 

Thank you,

David

 

Edited April 27, 2022 by David_CSA

[pilotter 254]

following, looking for this a long time as well, widescreen user.

[Soulflight 97]

FINALLY!!!!!

Now just get SU9 running stable and we are friends again, Asobo.  😅

[David_CSA 36]

I found something:

https://docs.flightsimulator.com/html/Content_Configuration/Cameras/Cameras_CFG/Camera_Definition_Properties.htm

"The cameras configuration file is an optional file that may be included along with other files for a SimObject and is called camera.cfg. 

Below you can find information on the different sections used in the camera.cfg file as well as what parameters and values are expected within them."

ChaseDistanceAdjustRate

This controls the rate at which chase distance changes when incremented or decremented using key events. The default value is 5.0.

Float 1.0 - 250.0

ChaseDistance

The initial distance (in meters) of the camera from the target object in external views. The default value is 0.0.

Float 0.0 - 3000.0

But it is mystery to me how to use it properly...

Any assistance would be appreciated.

 

[Reader 2,021]

I don't think that they have implemented the feature in the way that it works in FSX and P3D at all.
That effect is achieved by pressing Ctrl and + or - and moves the eyepoint away from or towards the aircraft without zooming.
It looks instead as if they have simply added the means to change the initial spot view distance between the "camera"
and the aircraft, which is not the same thing at all.

Edited April 28, 2022 by Reader

[David_CSA 36]

1 hour ago, Reader said:

I don't think that they have implemented the feature in the way that it works in FSX and P3D at all.
That effect is achieved by pressing Ctrl and + or - and moves the eyepoint away from or towards the aircraft without zooming.
It looks instead as if they have simply added the means to change the initial spot view distance between the "camera"
and the aircraft, which is not the same thing at all.

Oh, but that's exactly what we are looking for! Thank you very much for the explanation!! I will try when at home. How do you know it's Ctrl + and -?

The goal is exactly to change the initial distance from plane when in external view. The desired zoom factor then needs to be set manually.

Zoom values around 1 or 100% are not distorting the view. If the user till SU9 wanted to see the complete 747 in external view, the only solution (apart from the drone camera) was to ZOOM OUT to some crazy values. The plane then has for instance a massively big rudder when viewed from the rear and funny tiny, tiny thin and pointy wings.... Because the camera is too close and couldn't be moved!

So the wish is or was to change the camera-plane distance.

D.

[Reader 2,021]

My wish was not to be able to change only the initial distance, but to be able to vary that distance in the game, as can be done using keyboard keys in FSX and P3D. I am delighted that your wish has been granted though.

[yanfeng12342000 132]

1 hour ago, David_CSA said:

Oh, but that's exactly what we are looking for! Thank you very much for the explanation!! I will try when at home. How do you know it's Ctrl + and -?

The goal is exactly to change the initial distance from plane when in external view. The desired zoom factor then needs to be set manually.

Zoom values around 1 or 100% are not distorting the view. If the user till SU9 wanted to see the complete 747 in external view, the only solution (apart from the drone camera) was to ZOOM OUT to some crazy values. The plane then has for instance a massively big rudder when viewed from the rear and funny tiny, tiny thin and pointy wings.... Because the camera is too close and couldn't be moved!

So the wish is or was to change the camera-plane distance.

D.

This!

[David_CSA 36]

1 hour ago, Reader said:

My wish was not to be able to change only the initial distance, but to be able to vary that distance in the game, as can be done using keyboard keys in FSX and P3D. I am delighted that your wish has been granted though.

Does it mean you are referring to FSX when writing about Ctrl + and -, please?

What is then the syntax for changing the camera distance in camera.cfg in MSFS 2020?

 

[Reader 2,021]

2 minutes ago, David_CSA said:

Does it mean you are referring to FSX when writing about Ctrl + and -, please?

What is then the syntax for changing the camera distance in camera.cfg in MSFS 2020?

 

That is the question asked by this topic that so far, remains unanswered.

[Soulflight 97]

1 hour ago, David_CSA said:

Does it mean you are referring to FSX when writing about Ctrl + and -, please?

What is then the syntax for changing the camera distance in camera.cfg in MSFS 2020?

 

Thats two different things. At least there is a value to be set of this now in the camera.cfg (which means at least we can manually adjust the viewpoint outside the sim). The other thing would be binding a key to that value. That option still seems to be missing so far.

[David_CSA 36]

43 minutes ago, Soulflight said:

Thats two different things. At least there is a value to be set of this now in the camera.cfg (which means at least we can manually adjust the viewpoint outside the sim). The other thing would be binding a key to that value. That option still seems to be missing so far.

Yes, I agree. The control in game can come later.

I would be more than happy for now  to adjust the value in camera.cfg or cameras.cfg. 

Only I don't know HOW...

[robert young 2,897]

There are 3 camera cfg files. One is within each individual aircraft's simobjects subfolder. The other is in username\appdata\roaming\microsoft flight simulator\simobjects\airplanes\ etc and the 3rd is a global cameras.cfg

Which is the target file?

[David_CSA 36]

27 minutes ago, robert young said:

There are 3 camera cfg files. One is within each individual aircraft's simobjects subfolder. The other is in username\appdata\roaming\microsoft flight simulator\simobjects\airplanes\ etc and the 3rd is a global cameras.cfg

Which is the target file?

That's the question here...

My favourite candidates are (using C172 with steam gauges as an example):

"c:\Users\David\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft Flight Simulator\Cameras.CFG"

"c:\Users\David\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft Flight Simulator\SimObjects\Airplanes\Asobo_C172sp_classic\cameras.CFG"

"c:\Users\David\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft Flight Simulator\Packages\Official\Steam\fs-base\cameras.cfg"

"c:\Users\David\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft Flight Simulator\Packages\Official\Steam\asobo-aircraft-c172sp-classic\SimObjects\Airplanes\Asobo_C172sp_classic\cameras.cfg"

 

I am assuming the distance shall be in a file dedicated to one plane and not to in a general file. The reason is you wish to set a different initial distance for C172 and for a 747...

 

[Fielder 3,663]

7 hours ago, David_CSA said:

Yes, I agree. The control in game can come later.

I would be more than happy for now  to adjust the value in camera.cfg or cameras.cfg. 

Only I don't know HOW...

1)    change the numbers for chasedistance (you use a positive number or a negative number, any number you want, your choice).

2)  observe the effects

That was exactly how I used to change 'effectiveness' for controller sensitivity before Asobo patched the game to allow for a new adjustment to Sensitivities which they added called "extremity dead zone". I changed the numbers for 'effectiveness' in every flight_model.cfg file. Now I do not have to do that, I just move a slider in Sensitivities and observe the results. Then repeat until I'm happy.

We have no slider for chasedistance. So we change the number in camera.cfg for every single plane for which we don't like the initial chasedistance for that plane. And observe the results. Repeat until happy. I would guess 4 to 5 hours work for every plane in the hangar.

Warning: At every sim update Asobo will overwrite your modified files back to the original files. So you have to back them all up and then manually reinstall them after every sim update.

I used to back up all the flight_model.cfg files, I think there were 25 of them. And manually reinstall them after every sim update. Now I just move the Sensitivity extremity deadzone slider until happy. Quite a lot more fast and easy, to say the least.