ACTIVE CAMERA PRO 1.3 FOR FS 2002

COPYRIGHT

These files are FREEWARE for the enjoyment of the Flight Simulator community and should not be used for profit in any way. 

These files could not be uploaded on any websites without a prior agreement by the authors.

NO PERMISSION IS GRANTED TO INCLUDE THE SOFTWARE IN ANY PRODUCT FREEWARE, SHAREWARE OR COMMERCIAL, WITHOUT A PRIOR AGREEMENT BY THE AUTHORS.

(c) 2001-2002, Serge BAYE, Guillaume DARIER, Andy NEWMAN, all rights reserved.

visit our web site at : http://www.anticyclone.be/

contact : feedback@anticyclone.be

DESCRIPTION OF THE MODULE

With this module you can enable supplementary views in Microsoft FS 2002. 

INSTALLATION

• Prior to the installation delete any existing activecamera.dll from the FS 2002 module directory.

• Copy ActiveCameraPro.dll into the FS2002 modules folder.

• Important ! Copy ActiveCameraPro.cfg into the FS2002 root directory.

• You can enable several new camera views (selection from the Options menu).

• When activated this module replaces the original tower and virtual cockpit views of FS 2002.

HOW TO PROCEED

1. FLY BY

• Within the dialog box you can define the duration in seconds and the virtual camera relative altitude to the airplane (in feet, negative values are OK).

• You can also select the placement of the camera : always right, always left or random.

• The camera can travel around the airplane.

• You can define the distance of the camera relative to the airplane

2. VIRTUAL COCKPIT AND PILOT VIEWS

Important !!! A 3 button mouse or a mouse wheel is recommended.

It is also possible to assign the key commands (useful for Track IR users).  The  ActiveCameraPro.cfg file can be edited manually.

• In the FS2002 Options - ActiveCameraPro menu select the "Internal Pilot View". When in the virtual cockpit you can move anywhere in the aircraft. Simply PUSH and HOLD the wheel (or the center button) and while moving the mouse you can have a look left, right, up and down. WIth the wheel you can zoom in and out. You can even move left, right, back or forward (Num keypad 4, 6, 2, 8). 

• In  the FS2002 Options - ActiveCameraPro - Configuration dialog box you can define the head latency rate (0-5). We have programmed an algoritm simulating a head movement depending on the airplane motion, a bit like in real life (test this amazing feature with turbulences or in the Extra 300 S. Another important note !!! With the Internal Pilot View it is advised to limit the frame rate target at 25 fps on high performance machines. The offset is computed in real time and since the refresh is too fast, it generates a trembling image.

• In  the FS2002 Options - ActiveCameraPro - Configuration dialog box you can define the ground turbulence rate (0-3). 

• In the FS2002 Options - ActiveCameraPro menu select the "External Pilot view". It is mandatory that the Internal Pilot View is activated. You are now outside the aircraft. Move to the left or right, forward or backward and walk (even run) around the airplane (using both num keypad and mouse). When you move forward or backward, left or right, your head is balancing or "shaking". You can even crouch in order to make a virtual pre-flight. The pilot height is approximatively 5.85 feet (standing up) and 2.85 feet (crouch down function). In the dialog box, you can define the running speed (in meters per second, from 0.0 to infinity). Although it is not realistic, you can change the height of the eye point (useful for aircraft designers and spotters).

• Start the aircraft. From this position you can have a funny view and control the airplane like RC simmers do. Zooming is allowed too.

• Depending on the MSFS tiles the refresh is not well done and at times there may be some undesired effects with the External Pilot View (probably due to a FS limitation). You can view in the upper half of the hemisphere but if you try to look in the bottom half it creates a strange cut pattern effect. Since we know the problem please do not send us e-mails relative to this "bug".

Key summary:

• Num keypad 8 : move forward

• Num keypad 2 : move backward

• Num keypad 6 : step right

• Num keypad 4 : step left

• Num keypad 7 : rotate left

• Num keypad 9 : rotate right

• Num keypad 0 : crouch down/up

• Control + Home : move eye point up (external view only)

• Control + End : move eye point down (external view only)

• Control + PageUp : look up

• Control + PageDown : look down

• Control + F7 : toggle head latency on and off

• Control + F8 : toggle ground turbulence on and off

• (Num keypads 8, 2, 6, or 4 shifted allow the user to run instead of walking). To stop running you have to release the shift BEFORE the num keypad. In case it happens again, you can easily stop the "pilot" by pressing and releasing the walk key again.

Explanation of the key assignments in the configuration file:

Example : PilotHeadUp=PAGE_UP,CONTROL,DOUBLE

• "PilotHeadUp" is the identifier of the command
• "PAGE_UP" is the key code. It can be a letter or number (using capitals), F1 to F12, NUMPAD_0 to NUMPAD_9, TAB, SPACE, RETURN, HOME, END, UP, DOWN, LEFT, RIGHT, PAGE_UP, PAGE_DOWN, MOUSE_BUTTON_0 to MOUSE_BUTTON_2.
• "CONTROL" is an optional key modifier, can also be "SHIFT" or "ALT". You can have several modifiers for one key command (i.e PilotHeadUp=PAGE_UP,CONTROL,ALT,DOUBLE)
• "DOUBLE" means that the key will send a signal when it is pressed and when it is released. In the above example, when you hold down the page up key, the head starts to move, and when you release the key, the head stops. If we remove the "DOUBLE" word, you would have to press the key a second time to stop the head movemement.

The available command identifiers are all in the cfg file. You can add as many key assignments for one command as you wish (like in the ToggleMouseLook command).

Update to ActiveCameraPro 1.1    (October 7th, 2002)

• a ground turbulence effect has been added (try it while rolling on the runway)

• the head latency function has been improved (more natural head movement when turning). Now the virtual cockpit is panning slightly to the left/right.

• key commands can be assigned via an editable .cfg file (Useful for Track IR users)

• the red text wich appeared permanently in the upper right corner (VC mode) has been deleted

• the running speed can be defined in the dialog box (in meters per second, from 0.0 to infinity)

Update to ActiveCameraPro 1.2    (October 9th, 2002)

• Just after the release of version 1.1 we discovered a minor issue related to panning with a coolie hat in a particular situtation (high bank and pitch attitudes). We have corrected this but there is still a small undesired effect when you stop to rotate with the hat. Since this effect is not really disturbing, we will leave it as is for now.

• a type mismatch has been corrected in the cfg file (crouch key assignment)

Update to ActiveCameraPro 1.3    (October 11th, 2002)

• The user can now move the eye point up or down when in external view (not realistic but useful for spotters and aircraft designers).

• The ground turbulence and head latency can be turned on and off via a keyboard shortcut (useful while flying).

Support :

If ever MSFS crashes at launching it is probably because the external pilot view was enabled when leaving FS.

- remove Active Camera Pro module
- remove FS2002.cfg so FS will create a new config file
- launch FS 2002
- then install Active Camera Pro

COMPATIBILITY

Active Camera Pro for FS 2002 has been beta tested on Windows 98 SE, 2000 and XP.

Some screenshots

Menu (Options/ActiveCamera)

Dialog box

A fly by sequence

Walk inside the cabin or around the airplane

See the detail of the gear mechanisms as you have not yet seen before (crouch down function) or fly as RC simmers do.
The aircraft featured in the above screenshots is the stunning reproduction of the Dassault Falcon 50 (freeware by Yannick Lavigne,
Fred Banting and Rob Young).

_____________________________________________________________________