Saved snapviews (cockpit camera views) keeps resetting to default each spawn in mission

[SharpeXB]

17 hours ago, Hiob said:

Does it respect the set values from the snapview.lua again? That would be nice.

Yes. I just deleted my old SnapViews.lua file and recreated it using the FOV slider in the cockpit and pressing Atl+Num0

That sets this value here

[13] = {--default view
        viewAngle        = 95.000000,--FOV
        viewAngleVertical= 63.088276,--VFOV
        hAngle            = 0.000000,
        vAngle            = -10.000000,
        x_trans            = 0.000000,
        y_trans            = 0.000000,
        z_trans            = 0.000000,
        rollAngle        = 0.000000,
        cockpit_version    = 0,

It's working now in both Stable and OB

[Ornithopter]

6 hours ago, Flappie said:

@Ornithopter I'm trying to understand the problem so we can get it fixed ASAP. Do you mean that DCS ignores old SnapViews.lua files and their settings simply because it lacks the "viewAngleVertical" setting?

Or that DCS should set a default viewAngleVertical for each aircraft in the SnapViews.lua?

 

The problem has been explained over and over again, and I really don't know how to explain it further.  The new 'viewAngleVertical' parameter screwed up the existing Snapviews, and apparently the only way to restore the custom default views, are to do them over again, completely from scratch.  That's a lot of time.  I just want my existing default cockpit view back.  And Yes, that new parameter should have populated automatically, based on the existing value for horizontal field of view.  I assume that value should be proportional to screen aspect ratio.

So I either need to go in and populate them manually in the Snapview.lua, or I have to load up every single aircraft and try to recreate what I had, and hit Alt Num0.

 

1 hour ago, SharpeXB said:

Yes. I just deleted my old SnapViews.lua file and recreated it using the FOV slider in the cockpit and pressing Atl+Num0

That sets this value here

[13] = {--default view
        viewAngle        = 95.000000,--FOV
        viewAngleVertical= 63.088276,--VFOV
        hAngle            = 0.000000,
        vAngle            = -10.000000,
        x_trans            = 0.000000,
        y_trans            = 0.000000,
        z_trans            = 0.000000,
        rollAngle        = 0.000000,
        cockpit_version    = 0,

It's working now in both Stable and OB

I didn't even know there was a "FOV slider" now in the settings....How long has that been there?  hmm. In fact I don't even know what your talking about.   edit:  Duh, I call those "Zoom In" and "Zoom Out", and didn't know what you meant when you said "FOV slider", disregard.

    [13] = {--default view
        viewAngle        = 110.200706,--FOV
        viewAngleVertical= 61.932899,--VFOV
        hAngle            = 0.000000,
        vAngle            = -9.500000,
        x_trans            = 0.113927,
        y_trans            = -0.004946,
        z_trans            = 0.000000,
        rollAngle        = 0.000000,
        cockpit_version    = 0,

So, here are my results doing the same...  Like I said, I have a 21:9 aspect ratio.  So 110 degrees across, and 62 degrees high?  Funny that it gives me degree proportions for a 16:9 monitor.  Guess I'll just have to stick in the correct value for all planes, like 47 deg because that would be the correct proportions for 21:9.  But honestly, I'm not even sure the parameter is being used.  I'll have to just look and see if it even matters.

UPDATE:  Changing that viewAngleVertical to reflect a 21:9 aspect ratio didn't give me the results I expected.  Therefore, I'm just going to let the calculated value of 61.9 deg stand as is.  Those dimensions don't quite make sense, but nothing ends up being visually squished, and I am able to recreate my old default cockpit views more or less, so those dimensions are the ones I'm going to use.  Pasting it in to every section [13] for every airplane is a pain, but not even close to as time consuming as it would be to load up all the planes and redoing all the angles and zooms from scratch with the view controls and Alt Num0! 

It would have been a lot more convenient if the existing Snapview.lua had been updated automatically to reflect the new parameter, without requiring any action on the customer part to retain their existing custom view angles and zoom. 

 

Edited January 1 by Ornithopter

[SharpeXB]

2 hours ago, Ornithopter said:

Duh, I call those "Zoom In" and "Zoom Out", and didn't know what you meant when you said "FOV slider", disregard.

There’s actually an FOV slider in the Options settings. When you’re in the F1 cockpit view it sets your cockpit FOV. Otherwise it sets the external one. If you want to dial in a particular value it’s kinda easier than trying to get that with zoom in and out. Pasting that value into the .lua does the same thing. 

[Ornithopter]

The only slider I see on the Options page is labelled "External Field of View".  I can't find any others (although I might be blind). Its been a long time since I manipulated my views, like years, so whenever that was added I didn't notice.  I had played around with it earlier today, and it seemed only to influence the F2, externals, so if there is more to it, that is good to know.  I'll have to mess around with it.  If that slider works to set a particular value in the Snapview.lua, that will be good for future aircraft.  I guess, for existing aircraft with existing custom views, one would still have to load up every aircraft, and Save the view again, but at any rate, it looks like I've got it all sorted out, after lots of cutting and pasting, lol.  Thanks, SharpeXB.

[SharpeXB]

1 hour ago, Ornithopter said:

The only slider I see on the Options page is labelled "External Field of View".

If you press ESC and bring up that menu while you’re in the planes F1 view it will change to the Cockpit FOV

[JUICE-AWG]

On 12/31/2023 at 7:23 AM, Flappie said:

Thank you.

Well, I've just tried it and it works fine in OB (2.9.2.49940), even after a DCS restart, which means my custom FOV was saved in SnapViews.lua successfully.

Are you running DCS as an administrator?

I am running as Administrator, MT, 2.9XXX and still not saving once leaving the aircraft or game.  As of last night, still broken!

[Hiob]

1 hour ago, JUICE-AWG said:

I am running as Administrator, MT, 2.9XXX and still not saving once leaving the aircraft or game.  As of last night, still broken!

Hey Juice, have you seen the thread I linked in the other thread you posted this issue? Can‘t point to it rn….

[JUICE-AWG]

@Hiob Hey, I saw this one and ended up here...Looking now.
Thanks!

Thanks

On 1/1/2024 at 2:18 PM, SharpeXB said:

If you press ESC and bring up that menu while you’re in the planes F1 view it will change to the Cockpit FOV

The External FOV seems to be saving, but the internal isn't.

Edited January 17 by JUICE-AWG

[JUICE-AWG]

On 1/1/2024 at 12:23 PM, Ornithopter said:

The only slider I see on the Options page is labelled "External Field of View".  I can't find any others (although I might be blind). Its been a long time since I manipulated my views, like years, so whenever that was added I didn't notice.  I had played around with it earlier today, and it seemed only to influence the F2, externals, so if there is more to it, that is good to know.  I'll have to mess around with it.  If that slider works to set a particular value in the Snapview.lua, that will be good for future aircraft.  I guess, for existing aircraft with existing custom views, one would still have to load up every aircraft, and Save the view again, but at any rate, it looks like I've got it all sorted out, after lots of cutting and pasting, lol.  Thanks, SharpeXB.

Thanks for your input...According to the DCS User Manual for the base program, the SnapView is a momentary look at a particular part of the cockpit, panel, or screen when programmed to the key/combo commands you choose.  The Cockpit Angles and Zoom Normal functions should be separate of SnapViews and it seems like a lot of people are grouping the subjects together as one, when in my research, they are different parameters.  I've edited the Lua and used the sliders, and used the old way of zooming to a desired level and Right Alt + NumPad Zero and still doesn't save or recall it after leaving the cockpit or game.  I do hope a clear solution is found someday.

[SharpeXB]

1 hour ago, JUICE-AWG said:

The External FOV seems to be saving, but the internal isn't.

Try this:

Go to C:\Users\Youname\Saved Games\DCS\Config\View and delete (or move out) the SnapViews.lua

Launch DCS with head tracking Off unless you want that input captured.

Make sure User Snap-View Saving is checked under Options/ Misc. You need this enabled to either create or use the custom FOV setting.

Launch an Instant Action Mission like Cold Start and using that initial cockpit view, set it up the way you like. If you hit Esc while in this view and go to Options, you'll see the FOV slider now says "Internal" FOV and you can dial it in with that.

Press RAlt+Num0 (Save cockpit View Angles) and exit. (This creates a new SnapViews.lua)

Reload the aircraft and this should have set your initial FOV as well as Zoom Normal

That sets this value in the new SnapViews.lua

[13] = {--default view
        viewAngle        = 95.000000,--FOV
        viewAngleVertical= 63.088276,--VFOV
        hAngle            = 0.000000,
        vAngle            = -15.700000,
        x_trans            = 0.130000,
        y_trans            = -0.008300,
        z_trans            = 0.000000,
        rollAngle        = 0.000000,
        cockpit_version    = 0,

That fixed it for me in both Stable and OB

[Art-J]

On 1/18/2024 at 12:15 AM, JUICE-AWG said:

Thanks for your input...According to the DCS User Manual for the base program, the SnapView is a momentary look at a particular part of the cockpit, panel, or screen when programmed to the key/combo commands you choose.  The Cockpit Angles and Zoom Normal functions should be separate of SnapViews and it seems like a lot of people are grouping the subjects together as one, when in my research, they are different parameters. 

Yes, in theory they sound like unrelated things, but people are grouping them together, because for whatever reason Snap Views option needs to be enabled if one wants to fiddle with default cam position and FOV. Confusing but that's DCS for ya.

This reminds me of camera lens effects that must be turned on as well if we want the sun to be rendered fully instead of a simple white dot on the sky.

Edited January 19 by Art-J

[Hiob]

1 hour ago, Art-J said:

This reminds me of camera lens effects that must be turned on as well if we want the sun to be rendered fully instead of a simple white dot on the sky.

 

Well, the Sun IS just a simple white dot in the sky - unless you take camera (aka eye) lens effects into account... 

[SharpeXB]

7 hours ago, Art-J said:

Yes, in theory they sound like unrelated things, but people are grouping them together, because for whatever reason Snap Views option needs to be enabled if one wants to fiddle with default cam position and FOV. Confusing but that's DCS for ya.

Well the cockpit view is a default snap view. Doesn’t matter what it’s called in an .lua that’s just how it works. 

Edited January 19 by SharpeXB

[JUICE-AWG]

On 1/17/2024 at 5:17 PM, SharpeXB said:

Try this:

Go to C:\Users\Youname\Saved Games\DCS\Config\View and delete (or move out) the SnapViews.lua

Launch DCS with head tracking Off unless you want that input captured.

Make sure User Snap-View Saving is checked under Options/ Misc. You need this enabled to either create or use the custom FOV setting.

Launch an Instant Action Mission like Cold Start and using that initial cockpit view, set it up the way you like. If you hit Esc while in this view and go to Options, you'll see the FOV slider now says "Internal" FOV and you can dial it in with that.

Press RAlt+Num0 (Save cockpit View Angles) and exit. (This creates a new SnapViews.lua)

Reload the aircraft and this should have set your initial FOV as well as Zoom Normal

That sets this value in the new SnapViews.lua

[13] = {--default view
        viewAngle        = 95.000000,--FOV
        viewAngleVertical= 63.088276,--VFOV
        hAngle            = 0.000000,
        vAngle            = -15.700000,
        x_trans            = 0.130000,
        y_trans            = -0.008300,
        z_trans            = 0.000000,
        rollAngle        = 0.000000,
        cockpit_version    = 0,

That fixed it for me in both Stable and OB

Thanks, I'll give it a try!

[JUICE-AWG]

On 1/17/2024 at 5:17 PM, SharpeXB said:

Try this:

Go to C:\Users\Youname\Saved Games\DCS\Config\View and delete (or move out) the SnapViews.lua

Launch DCS with head tracking Off unless you want that input captured.

Make sure User Snap-View Saving is checked under Options/ Misc. You need this enabled to either create or use the custom FOV setting.

Launch an Instant Action Mission like Cold Start and using that initial cockpit view, set it up the way you like. If you hit Esc while in this view and go to Options, you'll see the FOV slider now says "Internal" FOV and you can dial it in with that.

Press RAlt+Num0 (Save cockpit View Angles) and exit. (This creates a new SnapViews.lua)

Reload the aircraft and this should have set your initial FOV as well as Zoom Normal

That sets this value in the new SnapViews.lua

[13] = {--default view
        viewAngle        = 95.000000,--FOV
        viewAngleVertical= 63.088276,--VFOV
        hAngle            = 0.000000,
        vAngle            = -15.700000,
        x_trans            = 0.130000,
        y_trans            = -0.008300,
        z_trans            = 0.000000,
        rollAngle        = 0.000000,
        cockpit_version    = 0,

That fixed it for me in both Stable and OB

@SharpeXB Do you know if this will apply the adjustments to every aircraft and have we lost the ability to customize and save settings for each aircraft like we had in the past?

Feel free to message me on Discord...I'm a mature (old) guy like you!

juice_awg on Discord

[SharpeXB]

2 hours ago, JUICE-AWG said:

Do you know if this will apply the adjustments to every aircraft and have we lost the ability to customize and save settings for each aircraft like we had in the past?

This worked on all the aircraft I’ve tried it with. 

[JUICE-AWG]

On 1/21/2024 at 7:08 PM, SharpeXB said:

This worked on all the aircraft I’ve tried it with. 

I should ask, if you change one aircraft to something different in the settings, does it cancel out the others.  My mustang was saving yesterday but today, it is back to default 100

 

[SharpeXB]

4 minutes ago, JUICE-AWG said:

I should ask, if you change one aircraft to something different in the settings, does it cancel out the others.  My mustang was saving yesterday but today, it is back to default 100

 

Can’t say I’ve seen that happen yet. I’ve done this on the ones I use currently; the F-18, A-10CII, M-2000C, P-47, F-15E, AH-64 and Spitfire 

[JUICE-AWG]

12 hours ago, SharpeXB said:

Can’t say I’ve seen that happen yet. I’ve done this on the ones I use currently; the F-18, A-10CII, M-2000C, P-47, F-15E, AH-64 and Spitfire 

Something is affecting it for me...perhaps running Replay Tracks?  But two days ago I set up P-51, F-16, AH-64, and F/A-18 just perfect and it worked for a day...then the next day, back to defaults like 100 FOV or 109 in the Hornet.  I didn't make any changes, no lua edits, no additions or deletions.

I do use Track Replay, do you use it or have you tried it to see if it affects anything.

QUESTION: Since this seems to be tied with SnapViews is there a command like the "ZoomNormal" that is to load your Snap Views Saved profile or something?

I am also not using the Zoom on a slider...disabled as I don't use artificial Zoom in Cockpit.

J

On 1/21/2024 at 7:08 PM, SharpeXB said:

This worked on all the aircraft I’ve tried it with. 

Yes, it works with all aircraft I tried it with, but if you set another aircraft up, does it kill the setting for a previous aircraft you set up.  I feel ED screwed this up when they tried to make FOV a one-size fits all slider on the options page.

J

[JUICE-AWG]

On 1/1/2024 at 8:41 AM, Ornithopter said:

The problem has been explained over and over again, and I really don't know how to explain it further.  The new 'viewAngleVertical' parameter screwed up the existing Snapviews, and apparently the only way to restore the custom default views, are to do them over again, completely from scratch.  That's a lot of time.  I just want my existing default cockpit view back.  And Yes, that new parameter should have populated automatically, based on the existing value for horizontal field of view.  I assume that value should be proportional to screen aspect ratio.

So I either need to go in and populate them manually in the Snapview.lua, or I have to load up every single aircraft and try to recreate what I had, and hit Alt Num0.

 

I didn't even know there was a "FOV slider" now in the settings....How long has that been there?  hmm. In fact I don't even know what your talking about.   edit:  Duh, I call those "Zoom In" and "Zoom Out", and didn't know what you meant when you said "FOV slider", disregard.

    [13] = {--default view
        viewAngle        = 110.200706,--FOV
        viewAngleVertical= 61.932899,--VFOV
        hAngle            = 0.000000,
        vAngle            = -9.500000,
        x_trans            = 0.113927,
        y_trans            = -0.004946,
        z_trans            = 0.000000,
        rollAngle        = 0.000000,
        cockpit_version    = 0,

So, here are my results doing the same...  Like I said, I have a 21:9 aspect ratio.  So 110 degrees across, and 62 degrees high?  Funny that it gives me degree proportions for a 16:9 monitor.  Guess I'll just have to stick in the correct value for all planes, like 47 deg because that would be the correct proportions for 21:9.  But honestly, I'm not even sure the parameter is being used.  I'll have to just look and see if it even matters.

UPDATE:  Changing that viewAngleVertical to reflect a 21:9 aspect ratio didn't give me the results I expected.  Therefore, I'm just going to let the calculated value of 61.9 deg stand as is.  Those dimensions don't quite make sense, but nothing ends up being visually squished, and I am able to recreate my old default cockpit views more or less, so those dimensions are the ones I'm going to use.  Pasting it in to every section [13] for every airplane is a pain, but not even close to as time consuming as it would be to load up all the planes and redoing all the angles and zooms from scratch with the view controls and Alt Num0! 

It would have been a lot more convenient if the existing Snapview.lua had been updated automatically to reflect the new parameter, without requiring any action on the customer part to retain their existing custom view angles and zoom. 

 

 

Are you able to connect on Voice and I can screen share with you?  I'm wondering if we could work out my settings in the lua on one aircraft as a customizable option.  I have set the settings in the slider and using the zoom in/zoom out functions on the number pad (* and /) and confirmed everything is mapped.  I have the "zoom normal" mapped to NUMPAD Enter and I have "Save Cockpit Angles" mapped default to the right ALT NUMPAD 0 key and it works.  

The one think that is working as advertised is the external FOV slider in SYSTEM tab is set to 78 degrees and it stays there for all aircraft no matter what.  for my 16.9 monitor and from my experience sitting in many of these cockpits for real, I get the best balance of internal distance from things and external view of the world on a 1:1 ratio to avoid that convexed fisheye effect that the default settings do.

Did you see my very first FOV video from years ago?
 

 

[SharpeXB]

On 1/23/2024 at 11:21 AM, JUICE-AWG said:

disabled as I don't use artificial Zoom in Cockpit.

Veering off topic but the Zoom View isn’t “artificial”. That’s the only way to replicate 20/20 foveal and peripheral vision together on a monitor.

[Hiob]

13 hours ago, SharpeXB said:

Veering off topic but the Zoom View isn’t “artificial”. That’s the only way to replicate 20/20 foveal and peripheral vision together on a monitor.

I get your thought, but that is a far stretch. First of all, that would only justify „zoom out“, but not „zoom in“ beyond, say, 60. Peripheral vision (up to 180 degree for a human) is a thing - sure. But it isn’t nearly as sharp as what you would see on a monitor. To be realistic two thirds of the fov had to be blurry and shadowy.

[SharpeXB]

7 hours ago, Hiob said:

I get your thought, but that is a far stretch. First of all, that would only justify „zoom out“, but not „zoom in“ beyond, say, 60. Peripheral vision (up to 180 degree for a human) is a thing - sure. But it isn’t nearly as sharp as what you would see on a monitor. To be realistic two thirds of the fov had to be blurry and shadowy.

Imagine this eye chart 10’ away from you in the game. It’s 8.5”x11”
https://www.hves.com/wp-content/uploads/snellen-chart.pdf

In order to be a fighter pilot you need to be able to read the 20/20 line. Could you do that without zooming in? Probably not. 

A “realistic” FOV is far narrower than people imagine, a 27” screen at 30” or so would have a value of about 41d, way too narrow to be practical for a flight sim 

https://dinex86.github.io/FOV-Calculator/

I don’t think that type of calculation or the tool above is that accurate for DCs but you get the idea  

To play the game effectively you need to zoom your view in and out. So setting an ideal fixed FOV really has no purpose

 

Edited January 27 by SharpeXB

[SharpeXB]

Maybe this problem is due to having missions which override the player’s Snapview settings. For example, this happens with the P-47D Marianas Island Airfield Denial mission. I can’t see a reason for this to be a mission setting. 

Edited February 9 by SharpeXB