Is There a Way of Tilting the Default View Angle of Cockpit F1 View?

[CommandT]

For those of you who know MSFS, you can tilt the cockpit camera (head) angle up or down when looking straight ahead with trackir - so the centred head position is tilted up or down somewhat, and I'm wondering if this is somehow possible in DCS? Perhaps by adjusting some LUA file somewhere?

Reason I ask is because depending on the module, it feels more natural to have the default F1 head position to be tilted slightly down - for example in the Kiowa (and some other helis) you sit fairly high and you want to have more of the ground in view when your trackir is centred so I wish I could tilt my in-game head angle down a few degrees to be the default position. Same goes for some aircraft, I'd prefer seeing more of the instruments whilst looking straight ahead at my monitor. And I don't want to change the camera view by shifting the whole head position up and down, I just want to adjust the default head tilt. In MSFS as you all know you just press the mouse key and adjust the camera angle. But I've never seen any key bindings for this in DCS?

Cheers!

Edited January 3 by CommandT

[razo+r]

Move the view to the desired position and hit RAlt+num0 to save that view.

[sthompson]

If all you want to change is the angle then just tilt your head up a little when you recenter the TrackIR view. Then when you look ahead normally you will be looking down.

[rob10]

6 hours ago, sthompson said:

If all you want to change is the angle then just tilt your head up a little when you recenter the TrackIR view. Then when you look ahead normally you will be looking down.

This!  I find the F-18 is slightly high for me so I look at the top of the dash and recenter there and when I look ahead at my natural position it's just about right.  If you want to see more instruments, just look a little higher when you recenter and you see more of the instruments when your head is in your normal level position.

[CommandT]

On 1/3/2025 at 10:35 AM, razo+r said:

Move the view to the desired position and hit RAlt+num0 to save that view.

That's exactly what I needed! Thanks a million

[VampireNZ]

On 1/19/2025 at 1:21 PM, CommandT said:

That's exactly what I needed! Thanks a million

You can also go into SnapViews.lua inside C:\Users\*******\Saved Games\DCS\Config\View with Notepad++ and make minor adjustments. I always make sure hAngle and z_trans is zero as well after manually saving a view in-game as you may introduce some yaw/sideways offset in your saved view, especially if using TrackIR.

Also just as info - the controls in-game are:

RCTRL+RSHIFT+NUMPAD / and * to move forward and backwards.

RCTRL+RSHIFT+NUMPAD Up(8 ), Down(2),Left(4), Right(6) to Move Camera Up, Down, Left, Right.

NUMPAD Up(8 ), Down(2) to rotate head up/down
NUMPAD Left(4), Right(6) to rotate head left/right
NUMPAD / and * to Zoom In/Out.

NUMPAD 5 To Reset Position
NUMPAD Enter to Reset Zoom

RALT+NUMPAD0 To Save as Default View/Position for This Aircraft.

 

x_trans     = 0.12500, -- +FWD -AFT
y_trans     = 0.08300, -- +UP -DWN
z_trans     = 0.000000,-- +L -R

 

EDIT: The section you want for your cockpit view is 

= {--default view

As there are heaps of views, I usually just search for 'Default' or the specific aircraft ID such as F-16C.

Edited January 23 by VampireNZ

[MAXsenna]

22 minutes ago, VampireNZ said:

I always make sure hAngle and z_trans is zero

Are these zero by default? So if I want to tilt the view up, I add a positive value? I find that it tilts downwards by default, and it's highly annoying. I understand why they did that if you don't have a headtracker. 

[VampireNZ]

5 minutes ago, MAXsenna said:

Are these zero by default? So if I want to tilt the view up, I add a positive value? I find that it tilts downwards by default, and it's highly annoying. I understand why they did that if you don't have a headtracker. 

Looking at the default views all the 'angle' values are zero, so looking straight ahead, aligned with ctr of seat. Yea negative vAngle is looking down - just tweak more positive and check in-game. You can have it open in Notepad++ and just exit flight, tweak and save, then Fly Again as it reloads the views each flight.

You can also just set the angle you want in-game with Numpad 8 and 2, save the view, then tidy up the angles etc. you don't want that get introduced as I mentioned above in the file.

[MAXsenna]

Just now, VampireNZ said:

You can also just set the angle you want in-game with Numpad 8 and 2, save the view, then tidy up the angles etc. you don't want that get introduced as I mentioned above in the file.

That just moves the viewpoint up and down. Right? Or do you mean without RCtrl+RShft? Damn! I've been searching and just never tried that. Guess I asked for the wrong keywords. Thanks a million! That will make the initial testing much easier.

The reason I want to change it, is that at least on my system. It seems the view is a little tilted down. If I raise the viewpoint, you pretty much look down on the lense under the HUD. I want to look straight at the HUD, as I use Helios for instruments and export MFDs. 

While I have your attention. Do you know if it's possible to find the perfect viewpoint and then move the whole cockpit up and down, so I will "only" see the HUD at the bottom of the screen? 

Cheers!

[VampireNZ]

17 minutes ago, MAXsenna said:

That just moves the viewpoint up and down. Right? Or do you mean without RCtrl+RShft? Damn! I've been searching and just never tried that. Guess I asked for the wrong keywords. Thanks a million! That will make the initial testing much easier.

The reason I want to change it, is that at least on my system. It seems the view is a little tilted down. If I raise the viewpoint, you pretty much look down on the lense under the HUD. I want to look straight at the HUD, as I use Helios for instruments and export MFDs. 

While I have your attention. Do you know if it's possible to find the perfect viewpoint and then move the whole cockpit up and down, so I will "only" see the HUD at the bottom of the screen? 

Cheers!

All good - yes I find I need to adjust every single aircraft I have away from the default viewpoint for a more realistic view.

Not exactly sure what you are asking above, sounds like you just need to resposition one of the other in-cockpit view and just cycle between them perhaps, or just try a combination of vertical angle and vertical movement up and down till you have what you need - so just HUD in your view.

 

[MAXsenna]

38 minutes ago, VampireNZ said:

Not exactly sure what you are asking above,

Yeah, it's kinda hard to explain. I'll try to take picture later, maybe.  

[Raven (Elysian Angel)]

12 hours ago, VampireNZ said:

yes I find I need to adjust every single aircraft I have away from the default viewpoint for a more realistic view.

I do that as well.

[Hiob]

On 1/3/2025 at 11:30 AM, CommandT said:

For those of you who know MSFS, you can tilt the cockpit camera (head) angle up or down when looking straight ahead with trackir - so the centred head position is tilted up or down somewhat, and I'm wondering if this is somehow possible in DCS? Perhaps by adjusting some LUA file somewhere?

Reason I ask is because depending on the module, it feels more natural to have the default F1 head position to be tilted slightly down - for example in the Kiowa (and some other helis) you sit fairly high and you want to have more of the ground in view when your trackir is centred so I wish I could tilt my in-game head angle down a few degrees to be the default position. Same goes for some aircraft, I'd prefer seeing more of the instruments whilst looking straight ahead at my monitor. And I don't want to change the camera view by shifting the whole head position up and down, I just want to adjust the default head tilt. In MSFS as you all know you just press the mouse key and adjust the camera angle. But I've never seen any key bindings for this in DCS?

Cheers!

Others have already described how to edit the default view in F1, but I might add a way that I often use to change the center view angle depending on the situation. I assume (otherwise I suggest) you have bound the Recenter-button of the TrackIR interface to your Hotas.
When I do BFM for example I quickliy glance down 20 degrees or so (meaning I move my real head) and then press the recenter. That makes the normal view position with my head straight and relaxed look 20 degrees up which makes looking up (in the circle) much easier. Also prevents TrackIR from going haywire when reaching the tracking limits.
Otherway round when I need to do in cockpit stuff like cold start etc.
Quick and easy way to adjust the view on the fly.

[MAXsenna]

Others have already described how to edit the default view in F1, but I might add a way that I often use to change the center view angle depending on the situation. I assume (otherwise I suggest) you have bound the Recenter-button of the TrackIR interface to your Hotas.
When I do BFM for example I quickliy glance down 20 degrees or so (meaning I move my real head) and then press the recenter. That makes the normal view position with my head straight and relaxed look 20 degrees up which makes looking up (in the circle) much easier. Also prevents TrackIR from going haywire when reaching the tracking limits.
Otherway round when I need to do in cockpit stuff like cold start etc.
Quick and easy way to adjust the view on the fly.

I do that too, as a workaround, but it's annoying when the view drifts and I have to reset in a hurry. I rather change the default angle. I'll look into.

Sent from my SM-A536B using Tapatalk

[Hiob]

1 minute ago, MAXsenna said:

I do that too, as a workaround, but it's annoying when the view drifts and I have to reset in a hurry. I rather change the default angle. I'll look into.

Sent from my SM-A536B using Tapatalk
 

I do that too, no worries! 

[zmz125000]

Hi, CommandT, I uploaded a file to fix tilted downward view in all aircrafts.