Focus

[Mr. Lucky 0]

I had a revelation the other day. I have always bemoaned the flotsam that designers (realworld not the dev team) put in the line of sight. i.e. Sop Pup crash padding, Halb DII struts, coolant pipe, etc. It makes it very difficult to track targets.

 

But further thought revealed something puzzling. When I got my tailwheel endorsement, I flew Piper Cubs, Aeronca Champs and Taylorcraft BC=12's one of which I later owned. They all had diagonal braces for the windscreen and upper fuselage which I thought would be in the way and distracting. But, when flying, I noticed your focus is mostly beyond those obstacles; way beyond, and they don't even register as part of the picture, like they weren't there. Probably due to binocular vision, focus and processing by the brain. But , here, in a computer sim, we're flying on a two-dimensional screen and all our focus is, no matter what is at the same point: the screen, which, besides being where our target, runway, etc. is, also happens to be the location of obstacles to our sight; struts, padding, engine components, etc.

 

The point to all this? I don't know, except I found another area in which computers can't completely replicate real life experience. Yet.

I may have to do some experimenting with using zoom views, but being the purist I am / was, I wouldn't have considered it before, but may have to now, in order to try and replicate shifting my focus as human eyes do. I guess it's just trying to figure something out and realizing that doing some things you can't do in real life, you need to do to get closer to real life, thus bending the definition and rules of 'purist' and DID.

 

Cheers

[zoomzoom 2]

thus bending the definition and rules of 'purist' and DID.

 

Cheers

 

 

DiD allows zoom.....an I use it regularly. I have two buttons on my control stick dedicated to zooming in and out, and I find it very much replicates what we do in real life. When targets are far out and I am tracking them as combat approaches, I stay zoomed far out to see tactically whats going on and keeping as much peripherial view as possible. But when I fianlly maneuver in on an opponent and "lock on" if you will, I will zoom in a few clicks to refine my targetting. I also find it does what you mention, making the struts and other bits less noticeable.

 

ZZ.

[Jammer28 0]

...computers can't completely replicate real life experience. Yet.

...thus bending the definition and rules of 'purist' and DID.

 

Cheers

There are a few things that a flight sim has never duplicated. The feel of the airplane in yours hands and on your butt. A force feedback joystick tries its best to give some feedback, but it aint nothin’ like the real thing. Also you have no peripheral vision in a sim. TrackIR can help with panning but it does not give you any peripheral vision. Some “cheats” are necessary to overcome these limitations. What “cheats” are used and to what degree is up to the individual. No one should feel bad for using what is available to compensate for these limitations. I started by using a few of them and am still slowly weaning myself. I may never go hardcore. But I’m ok with that. My hats off to the guys (and gals) that can. Point is to be comfortable and enjoy yourself. Fly the way you want to and have a ball!

[+Winder 32]

I had a revelation the other day. I have always bemoaned the flotsam that designers (realworld not the dev team) put in the line of sight. i.e. Sop Pup crash padding, Halb DII struts, coolant pipe, etc. It makes it very difficult to track targets.

 

But further thought revealed something puzzling. When I got my tailwheel endorsement, I flew Piper Cubs, Aeronca Champs and Taylorcraft BC=12's one of which I later owned. They all had diagonal braces for the windscreen and upper fuselage which I thought would be in the way and distracting. But, when flying, I noticed your focus is mostly beyond those obstacles; way beyond, and they don't even register as part of the picture, like they weren't there. Probably due to binocular vision, focus and processing by the brain. But , here, in a computer sim, we're flying on a two-dimensional screen and all our focus is, no matter what is at the same point: the screen, which, besides being where our target, runway, etc. is, also happens to be the location of obstacles to our sight; struts, padding, engine components, etc.

 

The point to all this? I don't know, except I found another area in which computers can't completely replicate real life experience. Yet.

I may have to do some experimenting with using zoom views, but being the purist I am / was, I wouldn't have considered it before, but may have to now, in order to try and replicate shifting my focus as human eyes do. I guess it's just trying to figure something out and realizing that doing some things you can't do in real life, you need to do to get closer to real life, thus bending the definition and rules of 'purist' and DID.

 

Cheers

 

Have you got trackir? with this you can look around the obstructions...makes them more part of the fore ground.

 

HTH

 

WM

[Olham 164]

Yes, TrackIR helps there, plus zooming one or two dots out.

Some crates have rather bad views (like the Nieuport triangle, the Pup "ring cushion" etc.),

but if you want good, clear view, I highly recommend the Albatros (all since D III) or the

Pfalz (but she is not so agile for turn fighting).

For me there's no plane with a better view than an Albatros D III or D V / D Va.

[Duce Lewis 3]

Some crates have rather bad views (like the Nieuport triangle, the Pup "ring cushion" etc.),

If I remember correctly, back in P2, the Nieup windscreen could be lowered (it's hinged)

I believe it was activated using the Canopy Open Command

 

Memory's very fuzzy though

I haven't flown this crate in a long while

 

HTH,

[Mr. Lucky 0]

You guys obviously don't remember me, had to change the name when we moved to this forum. See my sig.

Been playing OFF since P1 came out and I've had TrackIr before that.

Every comment helps though, but TrackIR won't get it as far as replicating shifting your focus.

Appearantly only zooming so the bits are peripheral or out of the picture will do that.

Or as Oldham suggested flying plane without the bits in the way. BTW, I have flown the DIII. I keep starting campaigns in the DII hoping to last long enough to feel the joy of upgrading to the DIII!.

As I said earlier though, I need to do some experimenting before I reach a real conclusion.

Thanks!

[UK_Widowmaker 571]

Yes, TrackIR helps there, plus zooming one or two dots out.

Some crates have rather bad views (like the Nieuport triangle, the Pup "ring cushion" etc.),

but if you want good, clear view, I highly recommend the Albatros (all since D III) or the

Pfalz (but she is not so agile for turn fighting).

For me there's no plane with a better view than an Albatros D III or D V / D Va.

:good: :rofl:

 

My dear friend Olham!..You are as keen on your Albatri's as I am with the Snipe!

 

If this was 1917, and I was head Honcho of the German Forces, I would transfer you out of the Air Service..and move you to Aircraft Sales! (and I am sure, you could sell Albs to the Allies!!)

[Creaghorn 10]

You guys obviously don't remember me, had to change the name when we moved to this forum. See my sig.

Been playing OFF since P1 came out and I've had TrackIr before that.

Every comment helps though, but TrackIR won't get it as far as replicating shifting your focus.

Appearantly only zooming so the bits are peripheral or out of the picture will do that.

Or as Oldham suggested flying plane without the bits in the way. BTW, I have flown the DIII. I keep starting campaigns in the DII hoping to last long enough to feel the joy of upgrading to the DIII!.

As I said earlier though, I need to do some experimenting before I reach a real conclusion.

Thanks!

 

zoom it one notch when entering the theater. world around you looks more like in real life dimensionwise (barns look like barns, not like toys, aircraft next to you look like aircraft, not like smaller scale replicas), with that view you will also take less notice of visual obstacles in front of you.