SnapViews / Default Zoom = Rocket Science!?.

[Flagrum]

I seem to have a knot in my brain atm...

 

NumEnter is supposed to change the FOV to the default zoom level. Default zoom is defined in SnapViews.lua at entry [13], right?

 

Now, when I enter the cockpit at mission start, it zooms out at some starting FOV to my configured default zoom FOV (75). Fine. Pressing NumEnter zooms me in and after capturing this setting by saving that as an other SnapView and inspecting the resulting SnapView.lua, I can see that NumEnter gives me a FOV of 90! Where comes that 90 from!? I checked View.lua and Server.lua but found nothing that seems to be related. Also SnapViewsDefault.lua has nowhere (i.e. not at entry [13]) that "90".

 

I use an axis for manual zoom. If I set that to the middle position (i.e. no zoom), it seems that this is the same setting as at mission start, before the initial zoom-out.

 

Please see the attached screen shots. The only difference between them is the FOV after applying the different methods.

 

My SnapViews settings:

 

   [6] = {--LWin + Num5 : Snap View 5
       viewAngle = 75.002136,--FOV
       hAngle     = -0.046387,
       vAngle     = -16.783936,
       x_trans     = 0.316073,
       y_trans     = -0.037766,
       z_trans     = 0.001717,
       rollAngle = 0.000000,
   },


   [13] = {--default view
       viewAngle = 75.002136,--FOV
       hAngle     = 1.171265,
       vAngle     = -18.493774,
       x_trans     = 0.294503,
       y_trans     = -0.037428,
       z_trans     = 0.000938,
       rollAngle = -0.000000,
   },

 

 

edit: fwiw, everything here tested with all mods disabled and did a repair before.

Edited November 3, 2013 by Flagrum

[St3v3f]

I believe the default zoom is determined by GlobalCameraViewAngleLimits in Server.lua. It determines the min and max zoom levels, and default is just in the middle

[9.JG27 DavidRed]

Hey Flagrum!

i had the same problem...for some reason it always zoomed out at the beginning of a mission.you can fix this with putting the server.lua into your .../saved games/dcs/config/view direction and adjust the following line to your liking:

CameraViewAngleLimits = {30.000000,90.000000},

these are the max and min zoom levels.at least thats the way i do it and it works.those are already adjusted by me.so i cant zoom in more than a FOV of 30, and the widest view is 90, which actually matches my default view as well.so at the beginning of a mission, it starts at 90 and doesnt zoom automatically in or out.

 

EDIT: you can of course leave the server.lua at its original location, but pasting it into the saved games path, will make the changes consistent, even after updates.otherwise you would have to adjust those lines after every patch again.

Edited November 3, 2013 by 9./JG27 DavidRed

[Flagrum]

Thanks, you two.

 

I changed CameraViewAngleLimits and the results/my observations are:

 

• CameraViewAngleLimits controls the range of the zoom axis (and it's neutral position ofc)
  
• at mission start, dcs zooms out from the default SnapView ("[13]", viewAngle) to the zoom axis neutral position
  

Unresolved is still the behaviour of NumEnter ("Zoom normal"). It neither sets the view to the zoom axis neutral pos. nor to the default SnapView viewAngle. Instead it sets it to "90". :(

[9.JG27 DavidRed]

http://en.wiki.eagle.ru/wiki/Snap_views

 

this should help you!

[zaelu]

DefaultSnapViews (or SnapViews from your user folder/saved games/DCS/config/view if you allowed the game to use them from options) controls with "Snapview13" the default/normal position of the head inside cockpit. There you can set tilting, turning, raising, lowering, leaning of the head and also default FOV... aka default zoom.

 

When you press Numpad5 it goes to that value and not the middle of the range set in "CameraViewAngleLimits" in server.lua (you can have a copy of server.lua to edit to your liking in same user path from above).

 

For example...

 

When the game starts it has an animation like movement between the maximum FOV set by CameraViewAngleLimits and Default FOV set by SnapView13 section of corresponding plane from Snapviews.lua

 

If you set those values the same the animation disapears but you can't use the zoom axis until the time of that animation passes. Or you press a button for FOV (numpad / or *)

 

Also in Snapviews.lua you can set negative numbers for leaning forward and your head will go back more from 0-0-0 position of the designed cockpit (seen in object viewer). But... the HUD is set optimal for that 0-0-0 position and when you go back... the HUD gets bigger in relation with the HUD frame and starts to be cropped. We don't have any commands on HUD adjustments... I guess those are made by technicians for each pilot before he takes the plane into his name.

Edited November 3, 2013 by zaelu

[Flagrum]

http://en.wiki.eagle.ru/wiki/Snap_views

 

this should help you!

No, sadly it does not. I know how to save the SnapViews, but it does not cover a) the special behaviour of the zoom axis - as we figgured out earlier in this thread - and b) the NumEnter problem.

 

DefaultSnapViews (or SnapViews from your user folder/saved games/DCS/config/view if you allowed the game to use them from options) controls with "Snapview13" the default/normal position of the head inside cockpit. There you can set tilting, turning, raising, lowering, leaning of the head and also default FOV... aka default zoom.

 

When you press Numpad5 it goes to that value and not the middle of the range set in "CameraViewAngleLimits" in server.lua (you can have a copy of server.lua to edit to your liking in same user path from above).

 

For example...

 

When the game starts it has an animation like movement between the maximum FOV set by CameraViewAngleLimits and Default FOV set by SnapView13 section of corresponding plane from Snapviews.lua

 

If you set those values the same the animation disapears but you can't use the zoom axis until the time of that animation passes. Or you press a button for FOV (numpad / or *)

 

Also in Snapviews.lua you can set negative numbers for leaning forward and your head will go back more from 0-0-0 position of the designed cockpit (seen in object viewer). But... the HUD is set optimal for that 0-0-0 position and when you go back... the HUD gets bigger in relation with the HUD frame and starts to be cropped. We don't have any commands on HUD adjustments... I guess those are made by technicians for each pilot before he takes the plane into his name.

Yes, so far, so good. All this is not new to me (but thanks anyways! :o).

 

I have tweaked some SnapViews and also the default SnapView - as a compromise between HUD readability and "naturalness" of the setup. I am now satisfied with the general FOV and also with the visibility of the HUD. The problem is now, that using the manual zoom axis and/or using NumEnter (for resetting zoom) give wrong and also different results.

 

With wrong I mean, they set a FOV I never defined anywhere. Although, as I learned earlier in this thread, the erratic axis behaviour is now explainable for me and also even solved (modifying CameraViewAngleLimits so that neutral axis for zoom = default snap view FOV)

 

What is left now, what FOV does NumEnter actually set - and where can I change it? It is not the default snap view FOV and it is not the zoom axis neutral position. Instead it is always 90, as far as I can tell atm.

Edited November 3, 2013 by Flagrum

[zaelu]

I don't think I understand you exactly... you say you knew what I was saying but then you say something that for me looks like you still don't understand.

 

Is this explanation better?

 

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?p=1823685#post1823685

 

You need to understand that each plane has its own FOV settings and they are controlled by Server.lua and DefaultSnapViews.lua or Server.lua and SnapViews.lua from your user folder.

 

However UH1H and Mi-8 have 2 Views.lua files in their folders that replaces the Server.lua and DefaultSnapviews.lua functions from DCS World/Config/View/

 

But you still can add your own preferred values to the Server.lua and SnapViews.lua from user folder/Saved Games/DCS/Config/View/

 

I use a axis on my Throttle and I have no problems with any of the planes/helis. However pressing NumEnter to reset FOV view resets it for a split second and then the game reads again my axis positions and places the FOV accordingly... that is normal...

 

For me, the "reset" FOV is done with max zoom out position of the axis. I don't need an intermediate. And Max FOV is between 95 and 110 depending on the plane.

[Flagrum]

I don't think I understand you exactly... you say you knew what I was saying but then you say something that for me looks like you still don't understand.

 

Is this explanation better?

 

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?p=1823685#post1823685

 

You need to understand that each plane has its own FOV settings and they are controlled by Server.lua and DefaultSnapViews.lua or Server.lua and SnapViews.lua from your user folder.

 

However UH1H and Mi-8 have 2 Views.lua files in their folders that replaces the Server.lua and DefaultSnapviews.lua functions from DCS World/Config/View/

 

But you still can add your own preferred values to the Server.lua and SnapViews.lua from user folder/Saved Games/DCS/Config/View/

 

I use a axis on my Throttle and I have no problems with any of the planes/helis. However pressing NumEnter to reset FOV view resets it for a split second and then the game reads again my axis positions and places the FOV accordingly... that is normal...

 

For me, the "reset" FOV is done with max zoom out position of the axis. I don't need an intermediate. And Max FOV is between 95 and 110 depending on the plane.

Maybe I am just not getting your point, maybe - as I already said in my first posting and especially after hours of experimenting with all this - I just fried my brain and can't think clearly anymore ... :o)

 

I know the function of snap view 13 and how to set up my FOV I like. I am aware about the consequences for the HUD and have taken them into account. Currently I am just experimenting with the A-10C, other a/c come later ...

 

The problem I am having is, that the FOV I get when I am centering the zoom axis is different from the FOV I get when I press NumEnter. And in my earlier posting it seemed to me that both FOVs were also different from the FOV I configured with snap view 13.

 

After some more hours of playing around with all this, my current "state of knowledge" is:

 

• CameraViewAngleLimits controls the range of the zoom axis (min / max)
  
• at mission start, dcs zooms out from the default SnapView ("[13]", viewAngle) FOV to the zoom axis max position (before I thought it was zoom axis neutral pos)
  
• NumEnter sets the FOV to the default snap view 13 FOV (somehow I missed this fact earlier)
  

 

I want a default FOV of 100. The snap view 13 is configured accordingly. To configure the zoom axis so that I get 100 when it is at its middle dent (Warthog Throttle friction slider), 100 must be the average of min and max of the CameraViewAngleLimits range.

 

So, either of these would work:

 

• CameraViewAngleLimits = {20, 180}
  
• CameraViewAngleLimits = {50, 150}
  
• CameraViewAngleLimits = {80, 120}
  

 

Problem with that: the mission start zoom out ends at

CameraViewAngleLimits max and thus will always zoom out way too much (beyond 100). Second problem for the first (and second?) variant: if i zoom out using the zoom axis to 180 (or 150), the graphics gets screwed up badly (upside down and totally distorted) - the values are just too big.

 

If I use something like CameraViewAngleLimits = {20, 120}, the middle dent of the zoom axis isn't anymore at 100 (but at 70 in this example)

 

If I use CameraViewAngleLimits = {20, 100}, the mission start zoom out ends up where I want it, but I loose all ability to zoom out at all.

 

For me, this looks as if I just can't archive what I want. The different parts here involved are just ... incompatible (or buggy?). But for now I have settled with something like CameraViewAngleLimits = {20, 180} and just live with the fact that I have to press NumEnter at every mission start and be carefull when zooming out ...

Edited November 4, 2013 by Flagrum

[zaelu]

You could try experimenting with curves and center deadzone for that axis (friction slider you say)

 

With curves you can slide the center from where is at default linear read. Also you may want to switch to "slider" mode the axis... as it is a slider and not a 2 way axis.

 

If you keep it axis (and not slider) you may try with a bigger dead zone at center so that snapping point is easier to catch.

 

Also you may try setting in option so the game reads the states of your buttons and axis so it will read immediately where the zoom slider is and not snap around from setting to setting till you get nausea.

 

I use slider for my zoom (I have G940) on a rotary axis placed between throttles. I also use (as I said earlier) my best/normal/default FOV set in section 13 also as maximum FOV set by "camera Angle Limits" in server.lua... like this: CameraViewAngleLimits = {20, 95}. This way I don't need to hunt for a central point... when I twist all the way back the zoom gets to normal... no twisted image no nothing. I don't need that wide twisted FOV that comes default... is not realistic that distortion. When I will get some bad arse Oculus Rift I will increase it... till then... no need for it... I can pan my head around to compensate the lack of peripheral view.

[Ratfink]

SnapViews / Default Zoom = Rocket Science!?.

 

I find this snapview and zoom thing for each aircraft very complicated, fiddly, and tricky to apply. Personally, I don't believe it's something that should require lua file edits to make it work to your liking. It should be done through options settings.

 

For simpletons like me, I'd like to see some sliders or FOV limit in options

Edited November 5, 2013 by Ratfink

[zaelu]

Yes, it would be ideal. Maybe after the integration of DCS Game with DCS Launcher interface we will see such thing.

 

However, For now you can use mouse and keyboard to set it as you like.

 

-Check you have "User SnapViews" enabled in options

-In game without Headtracking program started (Off/Alt+F4 not just stopped in tracking) place yourself in whatever Snapview you want to modify (13 is Numpad5 and default)

-move the head via Numpad Keys or mouse

-lean the head forward and back via RCtrl+RShift+Num/ and RCtrl+RShift+Num*

-lean the head laterally via RCtrl+RShift+Num4 and RCtrl+RShift+Num6 (or middle mouse and mouse pan)

-move the head up and down via RCtrl+RShift+Num8 and RCtrl+RShift+Num2 (or middle mouse and mouse pan)

-After you are satisfied press RAlt+Numpad0 to save the new position for the selected Snapview. It will be saved in Snapview.lua from your user files folder/DCS/Config/View/

 

Then Start the game with Headtracking on and see how much influences you the headtracking positioning in 6DoF space.