View commands - are they kidding?

[SGCSG1 0]

I've finally got some time to start playing this sim and am dumbfounded by the view commands.

 

Is this a joke?

 

If you want to look out your front view you have to hit F4 repeatedly until the view you want comes up?

 

Look back is shift+keypad2, but only if numlock is off?

 

Please tell me what I'm missing here....

[Hauksbee 103]

Please tell me what I'm missing here....

 

A 'hat switch'? TrackIR?

[BirdDogICT 3]

I've finally got some time to start playing this sim and am dumbfounded by the view commands.

 

Is this a joke?

 

If you want to look out your front view you have to hit F4 repeatedly until the view you want comes up?

 

Look back is shift+keypad2, but only if numlock is off?

 

Please tell me what I'm missing here....

SGCSG1,

 

Yep, you now have a firm grasp of the obvious....the viewing system inherited from Microsoft is clunky. Takes some getting used to.

 

The views become less of an issue with TrackIR and by mapping views to your joystick buttons. With TrackIR, I find that only a handful of different views are necessary.

 

Good luck

[Axgrinder 0]

A 'hat switch'? TrackIR?

 

DITTO!

[Fortiesboy 3]

Welcome to Over flanders field.

 

Seriously, this day and age, the only way to play flight ims, with any degree of realism , is with trackir.

 

If you are unaware of its capabilites, please google it and you will find youtube videos showing it in action.

 

It is an almost unassailable statement ot say that anyone who has used trackir cannot go back to flying sims without it.

 

With it , " view commands " become totally irrelevant.

[+malibu43 142]

Welcome to Over flanders field.

 

Seriously, this day and age, the only way to play flight ims, with any degree of realism , is with trackir.

 

If you are unaware of its capabilites, please google it and you will find youtube videos showing it in action.

 

It is an almost unassailable statement ot say that anyone who has used trackir cannot go back to flying sims without it.

 

With it , " view commands " become totally irrelevant.

 

And if you're hesitant to cough up ~$150 for Track IR, you can download Free-Track for free and put together your own LED hat for $30 and a few hours of work...

[Cameljockey 3]

Right now I'm using Trackir 3 with Vector expansion but if the anointed one sees fit to give my poor old ass some economic stimulus $$$, I might spring for a Trackir 5. Then the Trackir 3 (with Vector expansion) will be available absolutely free to the first person who asks. What the hell, I believe in recycling.

 

CJ

[Wels 2]

Hello,

you can (and should) adapt your commands to what you like, the original CFS3 commands are a chore. I have e.g. mapped F1 to forward view, F2 to external camera, F4 to following camera and so on. You can map all that yourself by changing the file containing the commands, i think it was "mine.xla".

Changing those is done best from within the sim, flying, and hitting "Esc", and then "control settings" or "options". You can change all in the upcoming window. It is a bit long winded, but you usually do it once and that's it.

 

As well i e.g. assigned "Shift-m" for magnetoes on, and "Ctrl-m" for magnetoes off, as well "shift-b" for battery on etc., so the keys make more sense. Just look out NOT to assign "Ctrl-shift-e" and "ctrl-shift-r" to anything, because those two keys are the pre-programmed orders for accelerating and decelerating time in the sim during flight, and you will not get it back after manual changing, unless complete re-install of OFF !

 

Oh, and Uncle Al is certainly right, TrackIR is the best solution, but i would still assign some keys to other commands ...

 

Good luck,

Catfish

Edited June 12, 2009 by Wels

[Kelly Mo 0]

you can (and should) adapt your commands to what you like, the original CFS3 commands are a chore. I have e.g. mapped F1 to forward view, F2 to external camera, F4 to following camera and so on.

Yup, that's what I've done. I've got no need for whatever f1-f3 were assigned to, so I reassigned f1-f4 to the four views that f4 previously cycled through.

 

And that's cuz I'm po' and don't have TrackIR. (And if I wasn't so po'... which I may not be by next paycheck, I wouldn't spend it on TrackIR. I'm gonna score me some rudder pedals that are TOTALLY worthless outside of the game. Or maybe some other nerdy sort of expenditure that isn't WWI flight sim related... )

[Kelly Mo 0]

You might be suprized at how many chose the opposite as far as large Purchases are concerned ( Do you have Twisty Stick Capability ? ) If not I can't disagree with your choice of action

No, sadly no twisty stick. I'm saddened that I didn't know about that option when I bought my joystick.

 

In the meantime . .Virtual Cockpit ( you in pilot's seat, looking forward, looking over your Guns ) is unassigned at installation, therefore overlooked by many.

F1 - Virtual cockpit. F2 - Spot view. F3 - Chase view. F4 - Player/target view.

 

How could you not use the virtual cockpit?

[SGCSG1 0]

Let's start with some basic q's.... why don't my look left, look right (keypad 4 and 6) work consistenly?

 

Yeah, I know, they want the numlock on. But even with it on they only seem to work while I'm in combat. If I'm just flying around...no go. ?

 

So if you're not using trackir (and yes, I'm thinking about it...hard) what views to you folks use when you're flying?

In the fifteen years I've been playing sims I've never seen one that didn't have a 'go to your front cockpit view' key. That was a SINGLE KEY. This sim looks very nice so far, but MSFC3... I can see why MS doesn't make sims anymore.

[Kelly Mo 0]

Let's start with some basic q's.... why don't my look left, look right (keypad 4 and 6) work consistenly?

In the fifteen years I've been playing sims I've never seen one that didn't have a 'go to your front cockpit view' key. That was a SINGLE KEY. This sim looks very nice so far, but MSFC3... I can see why MS doesn't make sims anymore.

I've noticed that if I go directly from one cockpit view to the next (without releasing a key and looking forward in between), it often lags. Granted, I don't think that I've ever waited more than two or three seconds for it to switch, but when the enemy's on your six, that's rather heart-pounding.

 

Maybe that's the problem? Just briefly release the view button til it snaps back to the forward view and then try the next?

 

Edit: See my previous posts for what I think are good view key binds. :D

Edited June 12, 2009 by Kelly Mo

[Madmatt 0]

Perhaps in the future (phase 4?) the developer could pre-populate the default keystrokes to make a little more sense? This is possible currently so it shouldn't be too hard to code into their installer.

 

I too had a real big problem with the game controls, including view commands, until I essentially remapped EVERYTHING to use more logical and better laid out key assignments.

 

I believe the sticky post up above that details tweaks and tricks goes into detail about some really good key command changes you can make quickly.

 

 

 

Madmatt

[SGCSG1 0]

Thanks for the tip that virtual cockpit was UNASSIGNED! I've done F1 as vc, F2 as Spot (whatever that is) F3 as chase and F12 as Player/target.

 

Much better now that I don't have to hit F4 three times to be in the cockpit!

[Balalaika 0]

I don't understand, F4 was (until i got trackir) default virtual cockpit. always worked. Before I even started my forst mission I went into control options and assigned my hat directions to relevent views (up, left, behind, right).

 

I'm as thick as 2 short planks. I cant even spell first.