Better zoom feature?

[fullmann]

First of all let me say 'thank you'. I'm a real newbie to fms and to 'real' flying but i believe (hope) FMS willl help me a lot not to crash my first model.
I don't know the other FMSs, relying on other comments FMS seems to do very well - so again: thank you for your efforts and sharing them for free. (to the developers and all supporters)


But apropos crashing: while flying and using the autozoom feature, suddenly the ground is very close and the model is going to drill for oil.
So I would like to fly without zoom, but then the model gets really small. Therefore I would like to see an additional picture of the model in fixed size in it's current flight position in the upper right corner (or elsewhere) so that one can see both information about absolute position and axis position in one screen.

regards
frank

[Arvee]

Hi.

IMHO it is best to not to use the autozoom until you are more competent. Select the slowest model to start with, and throttle back until the model is flying at a comfortable speed. (A "real" model rapidly becomes a speck in the distance at full throttle.)
Now try to keep the model in an easily seen area of the "sky".
As your skills improve you can become more adventurous! Don't forget, there is no "additional picture" at your local airstrip!

HTH,

Arvee.

[fullmann]

Hi Arvee,

You are right

[lego]

Well guys, did you ever try the '+' and '-' key?
You can adjust the zoom-behavior!!!!!

And in the settings you can set up the distance from where on the autozoom begins to zoom. If you set it to high values autozoom will not zoom if the model is near your position.

Combined with the amount of autozoom ( +/- keys ) I personally find this functionality optimal!!!!!

[jfitter]

Sorry guys. There is an additional picture at the flying field. Its called peripheral vision and it is essential when landing. In a simulator you do need some alternative to the peripheral vision. A plan view of aircraft location such as in MSFLTSIM is ok. Better is a superimposed wire frame model of the world. Highly distorted, it will show the world beyond the immediate focus, and being wire frame it is a low overhead feature.
I fly competition aerobatics and jets and mostly my focus is shifting about continuously, from ground to other aircraft to other pilots, to my own aircraft. In the landing approach probably less than 50% of my focus is on my own aircraft. There is no need to focus exclusively on an aircraft. Last second it was in a left hand turn and I have not moved the sticks, so it is reasonable to assume that it is still in a left hand turn. Think about driving a car (and missing the other cars). The rules are the same. If the flight simulator was a driving simulator then you would be crashing into other cars continuously!!

[jwz]

It would be nice if the point of view elevated up in autozoom linearly with the distance of the aircraft. It would mean that you would see more of the ground when flying away from the point of view.
I can't see or feel where in the world my helicopter is when i fly with autozoom. all i see is the bottom of the helicopter and sky above. no ground reference points.

[imjames407]

Heyy.you are right totally.