Archived from groups: alt.games.microsoft.flight-sim (
More info?)
On Sun, 17 Jul 2005 09:11:13 GMT, "Wim Dijkgraaf"
<wim.dijkgraaf@pandora.be> brought the following to our attention:
>I think you want to change the distance between the spot plane and your
>aircraft? Go to views at the top of your screen and than view options. Now
>you can change the distance.
>Wim Dijkgraaf
>
>"maggie75" <redroo@bigpond.net.au> schreef in bericht
>
>>I want to change the viewing distance of a particular aircraft when
>> flying in FS2004. I did this once before, a number of years ago when I
>> had FS2002 and I can't remember how to do it. Would anyone here please
>> be able to tell me how to do this? IIRC it was a fairly simple
>> proceedure but I just can't remember it. TIA
>
Either that.. or poster wants to change the distance in the 3D
rotating preview window of `Select Aircraft' MENU. If it's the SPOT
view distance of interest.. then as Wim says, pull down the menu.
Here's an FS App Note on SPOT View with some useful hints:
FS Application Note
Subject: Setting Spot View Distance
May 16, 2002
One of the experiences in MSFS, aside from actually flying and
aircraft model, is observing your own aircraft from outside in space.
This is a unique feature of simulation -- one that cannot be created
in real flying unless one has the resources for spot planes, pilots,
and the like.
The question comes up as to what distance is best to view your
aircraft from `Spot View'? After some trial and error many users
arrive at a suitable view distance. But as you know, different size
aircraft require the DISTANCE to change.
With much experimentation, a general rule can be determined for
setting spot view distance. It would seem that the `optimum' would be
the wing span times a factor of two:
Optimum Viewing Distance = Wing Span x 2
Enhanced setting
The general 2x rule serves mainly to adjust the view distance while
changing from.. say a Cessna to a B747.. but doesn't do much in the
way of `enhancing' the view experience. Another setting found by
experimentation is making the view distance the wing span times four.
Enhanced Viewing Distance = Wing Span x 4
With a 4x view a rather wide angle is presented with plenty of ground
and surrounding in the picture around your aircraft. This is good to
observe the city over which you are flying. When a more pleasing shot
of your aircraft is desired.. you can go to 2x zoom.. [ = ] key.. to
fill the screen with the plane.
Photo setting
An even further distance while zooming back to the aircraft may be
desirable for taking `photos' (screen captures) of your model. In this
case.. set the distance to 8x the wing span and zoom back toward the
plane.
Telephoto Viewing Distance = Wing Span x 8
View controls
Most users who have a flight-stick also have an 8-way `hat-switch'
which is configured to pan around.. both in azimuth and elevation
while spot viewing. An additional zoom axis can be used in
combination with the `hat' for enhance observation. The following
keys operate the Spot View zoom factor.
[ - ] Zoom out 2x
[ = ] Zoom in 2x
[Backspace] Return to 1x zoom
[Shift] [ - ] Zoom continuously out
[Shift] [ = ] Zoom continuously in
An external set of buttons can be defined to operate the Spot View
zoom so the user can work the `hat switch' with the right hand and
zoom with the buttons using the left hand. In this case.. the button
definitions are as follows:
Zoom out 2x - Increase selection
Zoom in 2x - Decrease selection
Zoom out continuously - Increase slightly (repeat max)
Zoom in continuously - Decrease slightly (repeat max)
Future view control
With the spot view distance buried so deeply in the menu structure:
Alt, Views, View Options, Spot Plane, 3D Preview, Distance.. it's not
easy to change the parameter and the sim must be interrupted. In
future releases of FS the `distance' parameter should be added to the
external interface command set.. so buttons can defined to change the
distance by factors of 2, and continuously as in zooming as well.
Future control set
1) Step and continuous Zoom control
2) Step and continuous Distance control
-Gregory
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