How do you adjust cockpit views ?

[Guest IndioBlack]

We all use the aircraft differently, so please bear with me in this request for information.

 

I tend to use the aircraft cockpit in two distinct positions, one quite close on the HUD, and the other as far back as it will go. Unfortunately with some aircraft, when you zoom full-back, you also have to tilt down in order to get the cockpit frame touching the top of the screen, and the low-positioned radar scope moving up in frame to show clearly.

 

Is there a way of adjusting a file in the cockpit.ini, or anywhere else for that matter, which sets the degree of up/down positioning for the cockpit, or does it always zoom directly in and out on a direct line through the gunsight?

 

It's no biggie, but if I could just zoom-out to a specific up/down angle and cockpit size with a single button press, things would be more convenient. But I'm used to the beer running out when I get to the bar, so I'd understand if it isn't possible.

 

[Sky Captain]

I don't know of a way to set the screen to look up/down a few degrees, but you can change your default field of view when the mission starts. Go into viewlist.ini (Wings Over Vietnam > Flight), scroll down to [ViewClass002], and look for 'FOV'. By default it's at 60, you can change that your likings. (I.e., 90 degrees, which is max FOV, or 15 degrees, which is minimum FOV)

If you can't find the viewlist.ini file, you may have to extract it. In that case, download the SFP1E Extract Utility (Downloads > Strike Fighters/Wings Over Vietnam > SF Utilities Editors > Second Page), install it, then open it up and go to your Flight folder, open up FlightData.CAT, and scroll all the way down. Viewlist should be about 4 files from the bottom.

 

I don't believe there's a way to map buttons to change your FOV instantly, sadly. (You play the IL-2 series, don't you? :P) Hope this helps.

Edited August 3, 2006 by Sky Captain

[Lexx_Luthor]

In each aircraft's cockpit.ini file there are two (2) settings near the top, under [CockpitSeat001] ...

 

Offset=x,y,z

Position=x,y,z

 

 

Position is the cockpit position relative to the external model...ie...where the player's cockpit is on the plane.

 

Offset is the seat position relative to the cockpit position...ie...this allows moving the player's seat around inside the cockpit. This is very useful.

 

The values are in meters. X is left/right. Y is forward/aft. Z is vertical up/down.

[Guest IndioBlack]

Thank You both, I'll go experiment with this information.

And yes, you guessed, I do fly the Il-2 series. That's often the problem when you cycle from one Sim to another over a period time, like I do: You start to notice the things the new Sim hasn't got that you really liked in the one you've just been playing.

 

Thanks again

[Lexx_Luthor]

Oh, ramp up your sim. Extract the VIEWLIST.ini file from Flight folder's FlightData cat file and replace the text with this...it ramps up the Zoom control speeds, and also ramps up the mouse panning speeds for view control.

 

[ViewClass002]

ViewClassName=CockpitViewClass

ViewType=FIXED_VIEW

ViewGroupID=1

DefaultView=CockpitFront

AllowFromDiffGroup=TRUE

SnapView=FALSE

InsideView=TRUE

FocusObjectOnly=TRUE

FOV=90.0

PitchControl=CAMERA_PITCH_AXIS

YawControl=CAMERA_YAW_AXIS

RollControl=

ZoomControl=CAMERA_ZOOM_CONTROL

JumpToViewSameGroup=FALSE

JumpToViewDiffGroup=TRUE

SmoothAngleTransition=TRUE

SmoothPositionTransition=FALSE

SmoothFOVTransition=FALSE

RememberAngle=FALSE

RememberFOV=TRUE

LimitPitch=TRUE

LimitYaw=TRUE

LimitRoll=FALSE

ZoomFOV=TRUE

ZoomScale=0.10

PanScale=0.01

MinSpeed=000.0

MaxSpeed=000.0

Acceleration=000.0

AngleRates=480.0,360.0,360.0

FOVRate=60.0

MinAngles=-135.0,-20.0,0.0

MaxAngles=135.0,110.0,0.0

MinFOV=15.0

MaxFOV=90.0

OffsetDistance=0.06

TrackIRUseAbsolutePos=TRUE

 

 

For the external view, to get rid of the annoying slow translation from one aircraft to the next, here is the External View stuff I use...

 

Setting SmoothPositionTransition=TRUE to FALSE allows instant jumping to next viewed aircraft.

 

 

 

[ViewClass004]

ViewClassName=ExternalViewClass

ViewType=TRACKING_VIEW

ViewGroupID=0

DefaultView=FreeView

AllowFromDiffGroup=TRUE

SnapView=FALSE

InsideView=FALSE

FOV=90.0

ObjectDistance=50

PitchControl=CAMERA_PITCH_AXIS

YawControl=CAMERA_YAW_AXIS

RollControl=

ZoomControl=CAMERA_ZOOM_CONTROL

JumpToViewSameGroup=FALSE

JumpToViewDiffGroup=FALSE

SmoothAngleTransition=FALSE

SmoothPositionTransition=FALSE

SmoothFOVTransition=FALSE

RememberAngle=FALSE

RememberPosition=FALSE

RememberFOV=FALSE

TrackObjectPitch=FALSE

TrackObjectYaw=FALSE

TrackObjectRoll=FALSE

LimitPitch=TRUE

LimitYaw=FALSE

ZoomFOV=FALSE

ZoomScale=1.00

PanScale=0.01

MinSpeed=100.0

MaxSpeed=50000.0

Acceleration=10000.0

AngleRates=720.0,600.0,600.0

FOVRate=60.0

MinAngles=0.0,-100.0,0.0

MaxAngles=0.0,100.0,0.0

MinObjectDistance=2.0

MaxObjectDistance=10000.0

OffsetDistance=0.0

ResetTime=250

 

 

There's alot of things to do to ramp SF up into a totally new sim.

[Sky Captain]

Yeah, that's what's so cool about the series. It's practically open source, allowing you to change, add, or take away practically everything. You name it, and it can most likely be done.

[Guest IndioBlack]

Okay, I experimented with the Cockpit settings, and got the results I wanted.

The Aircraft I was using was the F-14, which has the radar scope at the very bottom of screen. In order to see the screen and also the HUD, I felt the best view was full zoom out coupled with a tilt-down - i.e moving the cockpit up.

The only problem was that if I then used another external view, when I came back, the screen defaulted to the mid-view and I had to reset.

 

So I went into view.ini as Sky Captain originally suggested, and in [viewclass002]

adjusted the FOV=90.0

 

Now when I get in the cockpit, I'm already at wide view, and just need to tilt down to get the angle I want. To keep that angle from changing I also adjusted in [viewclass002]

 

RememberAngle=TRUE

 

So having set the FOV and angle I want as default, the programme now remembers it. If I go to a wingman view, or bomb view, and then hit the Front Cockpit View button to go back to the cockpit, the wide 90 degree view and the angle I set are still remembered.

If I hit the button a second time, the angle is lost, but the 90 degree remains. So I naturally don't hit the button twice.

(This is just the normal function of the button - a single press takes you to your last cockpit FOV, a second press takes you to the default FOV. But with the RememberAngle=TRUE, the single press takes you to your last cockpit FOV AND the angle you set.)

 

I've also set

 

MinFOV=40

 

I judged this to be the best close-up view of the HUD on teh F-14, which still retains the missile and "in-range" information. So I just need to hold the zoom button to get there, and it holds at 40, rather than going too far in. I have to put a slight tilt up, but again that angle is remembered if I go to another view, and then return via one press of the Front Cockpit View Button.

 

The only thing you have to be careful of, is that if you Toggle the Cockpit off with the appropriate button, so that you only see the gunsight reticle, you should use the same button to return the cockpit graphic. Hitting the Front Cockpit View button returns you to default, but forgets the angle.

 

Now, whatever you've set up for this aircraft, carries through to every other arcraft. So if you then go fly the F-19, for instance, what you set up for the F-14 in terms of FOV is no longer perfect.

 

The only solution to this is to have a separate view.ini for each aircraft, and swap them into the folder as you require. Which is what I shall do.

 

But even if you don't alter FOVs, I do recommend the RememberAngle=True, which works for everything.

 

I realise that this is probably of no use whatsoever to most of you, because we all fly differently, but I am really grateful to Lexx_Luthor and Sky Captain for pointing me in the right direction to get the results that I wanted. It has enhanced my game enormously.

 

[csb]

Hey, thanks all. This is really helpful for me.

 

As Indio said, "We all use the aircraft differently..."