Zoom Default?

[ozrocker]

Z then arrow keys, find spot you like, hit f10 Zoom saved where you want.


                                                                                                                                  Oz

[Changeup]

Does anyone not use zoom when shooting?

Me.  I use it to check con movement/direction/E at long distances but that's it.  No need for it when shooting because I suck, zoomed or not.

[FLS]

As Hazard69 mentioned, with AH aircraft we don't have an unrealistic zoom in. We are unrealistically zoomed out until we zoom in. The default zoom is a useful step from full out that let's you quickly toggle closer to "normal" view angles.

[bustr]

Recently I was asked to build some custom gunsights for the K4 and P39. I was building them with drop compensation from auto level at the expected combat speed for each fighter that caused the nose cannon round to be fired from "0" elevation @275 covergence. The person wanted distance ladders for 200, 400, 600. So I collected the data and made the gunsights based on the number of Mil drop at distance. My gunsights are built 512x512 2pixel = 1Mil.

When I went to test the results I could not get them to show usabley other than at near full zoom. This had me confused for awhile. Then I remembered all of my gunsights were historic and most of the main rings were 100Mil. To make these show on the reflector plates I'd changed all of my default head positions years ago. So I renamed the (hps) files for the two fighters setting my FoV back to the default. Then using the down arrow key I pulled my head back as far as possible and the two gunsights were usable unZoomed and required a very small amount of Zoom if I needed a closer look at my con. This resulted in giving me a better width of default forward view and using less Zoom and a better Zoom width of of view to judge snap shots.

So I went back and looked at some cockpit pictures that had the gunsight light turned on for the relationship of what I know to be a 100Mil real life ring to the width of the reflector glass and the cockpit in general. My conclusion was. Using the change HiTech made to the gunsight perspective view allowing 2pixel = 1Mil would allow the accurate use of the main ring range to wingspan at 100Mil. But, reduces your cockpit width presepctive when setting the 100Mil ring to a usable width in the gunsight reflector glass.

Going the other direction I found if I scaled my 100Mil ring gunsights down to 85Mil or 80Mil depending on the make of the gunsight. From the default FoV for the forward view head position I had to use the down arrow key to pull the ring towards the glass reflector plate widening it. This gave me a wider view perspective with the gunsight ring now looking proportionaly correct to the photos requiring less zoom. My conclusion would be that the overall default FoV is about 20% less than real life. Or at least when using a scaled 100Mil main ring.

Three exemptions to this are the F4U family, I16 and La family. The default FoV uses a 100Mil ring to make the complex sub structures of the PBP1 and Mk8m6 usable. I beleive HiTech has access to or owns a K14. It has a locked ring and cross gunsight mode for borsighting and jabo work. The real ring is 85Mil while the cross is 1\2 degree wide. When I built that gunsight it fit perfictly to the K14 at the default FoV. It works even better pulled all the way back with the down arrow key until it auto centers. I'm experimenting with scaling down my historic 100Mil sights to 85\80 and getting better hit% results due to a better FoV. My 85Mil British M2 in the new Hurri gunsight looks exactly like the photos without touching the default FoV.

Wider forward FoV requires less zoom overall unless using bombs and rockets. Or the con is disappearing into the ground clutter, or down on the water.

[Mace2004]

If you have a stick like an X-52 that has analog rotating wheels or a slider you can map your zoom to this control and then set the zoom you want.  Just hit Z and use the wheel/slider to dynamically zoom in/out at will without using the keyboard (its much faster than the keyboard) and the zoom will be at whatever setting the wheel is at so you can set the wheel/slider to where you know you'll want it before you need it.  For instance, say you're spotting GV's and want max zoom, simply roll the wheel/slider to the max zoom position and when you need zoom just hit Z you're already fully zoomed in.  It's also particularly helpful if the wheel has a detent in the center of the range.  My X-52 has this and I simply roll the wheel to the detent and always have a set level of zoom for gunnery.  I will zoom in all the way when doing air-to-ground gunnery against GVs so I can shoot for specific parts of a tank but full zoom is way too much for air-to-air.  If you think you need full zoom for gunnery you're shooting at too great a range.

The only time this doesn't work as I discribed is when you're in the bombsight and tanks.  When approaching a bombing target it's good to use a zoomed out view to help with your initial line up but then you want to zoom in as you get closer so you can pick individual aimpoints.  The analog control works but not dynamically as in normal views.  In other words, you hit Z and look at the zoom but you can't adjust it dynamically as you look through the sight, you have to change your zoom setting and toggle Z off and on to see the effect in the scope.  Also, when you have zoom mapped to an analog control the normal bracket keys don't work anymore but then I don't recall if you could change zoom dynamically in the bomb sight with them either.  The way I use it is pretty simple.  I roll my zoom wheel to the full out position then hit Z.  That'll give me the fullest view possible to help me line up.  As I get closer, I bump my wheel up slightly and toggle Z.  I just keep repeating this until I'm fully zoomed.  Tank sights have been changed.  You either have a fixed focal length or a single zoom setting so that's what you're limited to regardless of whether you map analog zoom or not.

To map the controls call up the clipboard and select Options/Controls/Map Controllers. Select the control you want to use, double click it, and select the Analog Input radio button and Field of View.  Whatever control you use for this must be calibrated just like any other analog control.

[coombz]

Z then arrow keys, find spot you like, hit f10 Zoom saved where you want.

this is a good tip, although I am happy with where mine is by default.

but good to know that you can alter it like that.

since getting trackIR I have the up/forward hat switch set as my zoom in toggle, and i use it all the time...not always for shooting, it's also very useful for getting a clearer look at opposing (or friendly) planes when trying to assess the direction they are flying in or what maneuver they are doing.

i do use it for shooting, but not all the time. generally on crossing shots or high deflection i will not use zoom. but sometimes i do   my squaddie SirNuke uses zoom on pretty much every shot and has great success at high speed BnZ shots with lots of deflection, but I have been unable to emulate his technique.

generally i find zoom useful when firmly saddled on an enemy, to ensure accuracy and a nice clean kill. nothing more annoying than beating someone in a fight, getting their six, and then having them get away through sloppy gunnery. zooming in helps me correct my aim if it's a bit off, or sometimes aim for specific parts

actually in case anyone cares there are some examples of how i use zoom in this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISviFJZks_8  ... you can see i'm partly using it to get a better view of what the enemy planes are doing, and partly to help me take more effective shots 

[coombz]

BBS lag fail...

[coombz]

BBS lag fail...