Camera confusion with JF 146 Professional

[jfri 42]

I have problem using different cameras. First I discovered that there are from start preset 'instrument views'. If I first select one of these I can cycle through them. But the captain seat is wrong it is placed to far front. This is not the same view as when the plane is first loaded up and I press space (I use VR but the problem also show in 2D). How do I edit an instrument view and then save it ?
First when in the startup view I can't cycle the instrument views. This is also the case if I load the captain view as a custom saved camera. How to best resolve this ? How do you do ?

[Cpt_Piett 4,741]

Not sure if I understand completely, but I also have the issue that distance to flight instruments changes. Hence I zoom a lot using the mouse scroll wheel during flights. I’ve never learned how to save custom views (maybe someone can explain this). Also, I’ve removed the “change instruments views” from the hat switch on the side stick as I’m using that for elevator trim in this aircraft.

[jfri 42]

56 minutes ago, Cpt_Piett said:

Not sure if I understand completely, but I also have the issue that distance to flight instruments changes. Hence I zoom a lot using the mouse scroll wheel during flights. I’ve never learned how to save custom views (maybe someone can explain this). Also, I’ve removed the “change instruments views” from the hat switch on the side stick as I’m using that for elevator trim in this aircraft.

The incorrect captain view has my eyes placed in front of the instrument panel no zoom can help here. And I don't use zoom in VR. When first loading the plane and activate VR I first say space (voiceattack) and then move forward. Now that view is correct. But now I can't cycle the instrument views. I can activate a instrument view with an assigned button. And after that I can cycle the instrument views. But I never get to the initial view but instead a view with the camera in front of the instrument panel

[109Sqn 1,580]

1 hour ago, Cpt_Piett said:

I've never learned how to save custom views

I think this is what you want.

[Cpt_Piett 4,741]

33 minutes ago, jfri said:

The incorrect captain view has my eyes placed in front of the instrument panel no zoom can help here. And I don't use zoom in VR. When first loading the plane and activate VR I first say space (voiceattack) and then move forward. Now that view is correct. But now I can't cycle the instrument views. I can activate a instrument view with an assigned button. And after that I can cycle the instrument views. But I never get to the initial view but instead a view with the camera in front of the instrument panel

Got it. That seems very inconvenient, having a view like that. Perhaps some other VR users have some input. 

28 minutes ago, 109Sqn said:

I think this is what you want.

Wow, thanks. That's probably everything I wanted to know about custom views - and more 🙂

It seems I've got zoom set to 75 in Options > General > Camera. Got height and horizontal position set to default 50 though. 

I should probably start using custom views as I usually use at least two for each plane - one for takeoff-landings, and another "general" one where the most used instruments are in view. E.g. on the A320 I want to see all the way right to the APPR button on the FCU. As I don't want to zoom out to achieve this (then I have trouble reading the PFD), this means an angled view of the cockpit. In the 146 I want to see all the way right to ALT SEL on the autopilot panel. 

I'll spend some time trying to configure a couple of custom views, hopefully these can be saved on a per-aircraft basis. Luckily I've got a few unused controller buttons (I don't use the keyboard at all during flights). 

EDIT: 

Haha, can't believe I've been using the sim since aug '22 and never done this! Been doing all sorts of other over-complicated stuff, but not this. And it's so easy. Here's what I did: 

1. Saved a "VFR Pilot View" for my preferred default view and assigned "Reset Cockpit View" to the trigger button.
2. Saved a custom view for takeoff/approach and assigned "load custom view 0" to another sidestick button. 

Yay 😄

Edited April 11 by Cpt_Piett

[Bob Scott 7,724]

15 hours ago, Cpt_Piett said:

Not sure if I understand completely, but I also have the issue that distance to flight instruments changes. Hence I zoom a lot using the mouse scroll wheel during flights. I’ve never learned how to save custom views (maybe someone can explain this). Also, I’ve removed the “change instruments views” from the hat switch on the side stick as I’m using that for elevator trim in this aircraft.

In the MSFS keyboard controls, there are 10 custom views available.

You set the custom views by zooming/panning to the view you want, then press the key assigned to "SAVE CUSTOM CAMERAx" in the Controls -> Keyboard -> Camera -> Cockpit Camera menu.  The defaults are CTRL-ALT-0 through CTRL-ALT-9 (the numbers across the top of the keyboard, *not* the keypad digits).

To select a custom view that you have defined, you press the key assigned to "LOAD CUSTOM CAMERAx", the settings are also in the Controls -> Keyboard -> Camera -> Cockpit Camera menu.  The defaults are ALT-0 through ALT-9.

To select the default cockpit view, you press the key assigned to the "TOGGLE COCKPIT VIEW" command.  To select the default external view, you press the key assigned to the "TOGGLE EXTERNAL VIEW" command.

To set a custom default viewpoint for an aircraft, it's a bit of a process:

1.  I zoom/pan to the view I want in the sim, save the view using one of the custom view save commands per the procedure above, and then get out of MSFS. 

2.  In the cameras.cfg file located in the folder ...\Roaming\Microsoft Flight Simulator\Simobjects\Airplanes\<acft name>, locate the CAMERADEFINITION.x section with the line Title="y", where y is the ordinal number of the camera view you saved.  For example, if you saved it using the default assignment for custom camera zero (CTRL-ALT-0), then you're looking for the section containing the line "Title="0".  Copy the values for InitialZoom, InitialXyz, and InitialPbh--these will be the values you assign to the aircraft's default view in its cameras.cfg file.  Note that all of the values are generally not on adjacent lines.

3.  If the aircraft you're modifying is a third-party add-on, find and make a backup copy of the cameras.cfg file in ...\Packages\Community\<aircraft folder>\SimObjects\Airplanes\<aircraft folder>
     If the acft is a default or Asobo add-on acft, the folder will be found in the ...\Packages\Official\ folder and varies depending on if you are using a Steam or MS Store version.

4.  In the cameras.cfg file, find the CAMERADEFINITIONS.X section that contains the line Title="Pilot" -- this is your default cockpit view.  Change the values in that section for InitialZoom, InitialXyz, and InitialPbh to the values you saved in step 2.  Your default cockpit view is now the same as the custom view you had saved.

Be aware that updates to third party acft may overwrite your changes, so save your cameras.cfg file once you get it dialed-in so you can restore it after any update overwrites it.

Also, the default external view should also be configurable this same way, by saving a view with a custom view save command and then pasting the settings into the CAMERASDEFINITION.X section with the line Title = "DEFAULT_CHASE".

[Cpt_Piett 4,741]

Thanks so much for the comprehensive explanation @Bob Scott! I'll spend some time digesting everything, especially the part about the cameras.cfg file. 

At the moment I'm very happy to have at least two different views in the Fenix which I can easily switch between using controller buttons. Since I've been zooming and panning around to achieve this for years, it'll probably take a while to get used to the new method 🙂

I've also got "next pilot position" assigned to the hat switch up/down on the TCA Airbus side stick by default (toggles between different instrument views). To be honest I rarely use it, as I find it easier to just pan and zoom around the cockpit. 

I just discovered another great thing: using the "cockpit quickview" left/right (left/right hat switch) will no longer reset the default cockpit view to something awkward - it just returns to the default view that I just configured. Happy days!

Changing the view with the mouse is still necessary when doing tricky approaches, but at least returning to the default view will no longer be such a hassle. 

Having some easily accessible views becomes so importance when not using VR / head tracking. So thanks to the OP - hopefully you get your issue resolved. 

Edited April 11 by Cpt_Piett

[jfri 42]

2 hours ago, 109Sqn said:

I think this is what you want.

I tried those suggestion for a VFR view. Then if going to a instrument view and then going to this VFR view my position was ahead of what I set as VFR view. Not much but still in need to be corrected.

There is another side of this question. In real life you dont have camera positions set up. Actually when I first loaded this plane I only used the main view. And it was rather awkvard to see everything. Of course I suppose the flight officer would handle the controls on his side. But still on my side some things was a bit inconvenient. For example the rear part of the overhead panel. This was in VR

[Bob Scott 7,724]

13 hours ago, Cpt_Piett said:

Thanks so much for the comprehensive explanation @Bob Scott! I'll spend some time digesting everything, especially the part about the cameras.cfg file. 

At the moment I'm very happy to have at least two different views in the Fenix which I can easily switch between using controller buttons. Since I've been zooming and panning around to achieve this for years, it'll probably take a while to get used to the new method 🙂

I've also got "next pilot position" assigned to the hat switch up/down on the TCA Airbus side stick by default (toggles between different instrument views). To be honest I rarely use it, as I find it easier to just pan and zoom around the cockpit. 

I just discovered another great thing: using the "cockpit quickview" left/right (left/right hat switch) will no longer reset the default cockpit view to something awkward - it just returns to the default view that I just configured. Happy days!

Changing the view with the mouse is still necessary when doing tricky approaches, but at least returning to the default view will no longer be such a hassle. 

Having some easily accessible views becomes so importance when not using VR / head tracking. So thanks to the OP - hopefully you get your issue resolved. 

I use a Logitech G600 mouse designed for MMO gaming--it has 12 user-configurable buttons on the "thumb" side of the mouse, as well as a third main mouse button and a couple more on the top.  I programmed those buttons to bring up custom views, and the rightmost "main" button brings back my default cockpit view.  It's pretty convenient having a bunch of view presets right at my fingers.

[Cpt_Piett 4,741]

44 minutes ago, Bob Scott said:

I use a Logitech G600 mouse designed for MMO gaming--it has 12 user-configurable buttons on the "thumb" side of the mouse, as well as a third main mouse button and a couple more on the top.  I programmed those buttons to bring up custom views, and the rightmost "main" button brings back my default cockpit view.  It's pretty convenient having a bunch of view presets right at my fingers.

Agreed, very convenient. I have about 20 buttons on the TCA Airbus sidestick, a lot are unused. Today I assigned 5 custom views to some of these buttons in the 146. I'll probably do the same with every aircraft that I use regularly. Switching to the overhead panel or the FMS with a click is extremely convenient. 

[Michael Moe 496]

And for the lazy ones i just changed the load camera options from ALT0-9 to just 0-9. It behaves simular to Chaseplane.

Michael Moe

[TomCYYZ 218]

4 hours ago, Michael Moe said:

And for the lazy ones i just changed the load camera options from ALT0-9 to just 0-9. It behaves simular to Chaseplane.

Michael Moe

Agreed, NUM Pad makes it so much easier!