FSCamera 1.4 (5.10.2004)

Copyright (c), 2003 Gunnar Dhling, Germany  



1. Preliminary note

Many users of the Microsoft Flight simulator surely know the additional program "Active Camera". 
It was freeware till now, what has changed with the version 2004. I have enjoyed using it also 
very much, it otherwise changes this one anyway for almost useless control tower view in 
magnificent camera prospects. Since I deal with smaller program projects now and then in my 
leisure time, I simply have tried out once to move the control tower view with a Visual-BASIC 
program. I have used the interface "FDSConnection" by Flight Deck Software.

Since the first attempts were quite promising, I have carried on and developed the program
published here. I think that it hasn't become a simple copy the "Active Camera". Although the
basic idea surely is derived, I have changed something anyway. 

This one is an essential difference that one cannot provide any particular time interval for
converting the camera.  Converting is carried out, i.e. the camera is placed with an adjustable
distance and an angle to the aircraft "distance steered". The location is changed first if the
distance is worth aircraft camera more greatly than this value. Through this it is possible to
fly a turn around the camera without which this hers changes location (in a corresponding
distance choice). Originally I also wanted to include the height difference in the distance
calculation, however, have remarked at the tests that this isn't absolutely necessary at all.
With corresponding setting values one can watch a complete loop-the-loop over or under the
camera. It is also possible put the camera point of view in the center of the loop-the-loop
(by suitable flight movements).

Furthermore I have planned more parameters for the free adjusting. The effect of the single 
values can by try out find out best. I will give a fundamental explanation below.



2. Installation

The installation is made by executing the Setup.exe. The path of the FS2004 must be found out 
manually there. The installation is given only free if the fs9.exe is found there. 
Names (e.g. fs9_patch.exe) being similarly aren't accepted. The icon FSCamera.ico can be used 
to the facilities of a link. If one puts this icon on the desktop, one can assign a button 
combination which is still free in the FS2004. This has the advantage that the program can be 
called by keystroke in the FS2004.

After this FSCamera can be started. It is no matter when it is started. If it is started in front
of the flight simulator, this can be started from the program surface. If the simulator already 
runs, he is taken to the foreground from there. The program registers itself automatically at the
first start if required.
FS Camera permanently runs in the background. Since the program, however, exclusively works with
timer objects it hardly influences the performance of the simulator (I hope after my test 
experiences that this is confirmed by other). As long as the program runs, the control tower
view is changed according to the adjustings (also in the immediately repetition). I recommend
a zooming factor of 1-1,5 for this view (adjusting is carried out under view/view options or 
with+/-). The key  <backspace>  put the zooming factor on the value 1.0.

To change adjustings, FSCamera can be fetched with ALT+TAB or hotkey to the foreground. With a click on 
the button "Flight simulator" it goes back into the simulator again. 

FSCamera ends himself with the flight simulator automatically.


3. Setting values

The range of values of the individual fields is shown if one is over these with the mouse. If 
faulty values are entered, they are corrected when leaving the field. One should take into account
that some fields can get also negative values. Following a short description of the scheduled
entry fields. 

Airport view

[maximum camera distance] 

distance between camera and aircraft on the airfield and on the runway

[ start angle of the camera to the airplane ]

angle between camera and aircraft at the beginning of the sequence. An angle of 0 degrees meant,
that the camera is directly on the direction of flight axis (approaching at least: it can give
deviations at some places of the world, at certain flight speeds and course directions. The 
exact correction for all flight configurations was the greatest problem at the development of the
program. Due to the ball form of the earth several correction functions which is superimposed 
are required). Positive values mean camera view of the front on the left, negative of the front
on the right.

[height of the camera over ground] 

height of the camera over the airport area

[ height for the start of the fly-by view ]

when exceeding this height mode changed view in the Fly- by  automatically

Fly-by view

[maximum camera distance]

distance between camera and aircraft without consideration of the height difference 

[ start angle of the camera to the airplane ]

see above

[ height of the camera to the airplane] 

height difference of the camera to the aircraft. Positive and negative values are permitted here

[reaction to banking of the airplane] 

can hereby be influenced the behavior of the camera at the turn flight. A value of 0% changes 
nothing. 100% mean, that is added to the initial angle of the camera position of the angles of
the banking (example: initial angles of the camera 30 degree, banking of the aircraft 10 degrees
yield an initial adjusting of the camera of 20 degrees) to the left. Since there also are aerial 
maneuvers which a banking of the aircraft doesn't mean any turn or a certain banking at every
flight speed yields another turn radius, this value lets himself adjust in whole percentage
points arbitrarily.

Approach view

[ height for the start the approach view ] 

height for the automatic switch over on the approach view

[camera distance to the runway] 

distance of the camera to the valued touchdown point to the runway measured in the right angle.
A positive value means distance to the right, a negative to the left in direction of flight seen.
The camera is set on the center line at the value 0 to the runway.

[height of The camera over ground] 

see above

[ Longitudinal offset to the touchdown point ]

The camera is moved around this value in the direction of the runway. A positive value means in
direction of flight, a negative contrary to the direction of flight.

[ camera fixed after touchdown ]

the period of time which passes after touching down up to changing into the airfield mode 
describes. The time of the touchdown only has to be roughly found out (particularly if the 
aircraft jumps) since this status only all 0.5 s is checked. One finds the adjusting out by
try out best. 

The touchdown point is found out by the evaluation of the approach mathematically. Of the last
sequence before switching over to the approach view the beginning and end-point gets connected 
to an imaginary line whose intersection point determines the touchdown point with the runway 
surface. Short-wave vibrations around the ideal approach course get relatively standardized by
this procedure well and the touchdown point is correct rather exactly. 

An ILS approach with autopilot is the ideal case one gets it at corresponding setting values to 
that the aircraft touches down exactly at the camera point of view, a magnificent play.


4. Liability exclusion

The program is freeware and may be used absolutely. The use particularly is carried out at its 
own risk. Who doesn't accept this mustn't use the program.


5. Fault notes, reviews and suggestions

I publish the program in the form being here. Please, all indications of faults, reviews and
suggestions sends directly to me:

g.daehling@mdcc-fun.de

I wish all a lot of fun with the use of FSCamera.



