[_o_OOOO_oo-Kanawha]

Don't know about Run8, IMO too limited and closed for the price ATM, but Railworks let you zoom from inside the cab by a fixed factor on a keypress.
Using the head-out camera you can zoom using the mouse wheel.

For Open Rails it would be nice if you can zoom from any viewpoint using the mousewheel with a key that will take you back to 'normal' FoV, using a 'powerzoom', i.e. a smooth transition.

When we ever want to walk the ground as switchmen, throwing switches, (un-)coupling etc., independent movement of 'body' and 'head' would be nice as well. Something for the future, perhaps?

[PA1930]

_o_OOOO_oo-Kanawha, on 25 March 2013 - 02:16 PM, said:

For Open Rails it would be nice if you can zoom from any viewpoint using the mousewheel with a key that will take you back to 'normal' FoV, using a 'powerzoom', i.e. a smooth transition.

When we ever want to walk the ground as switchmen, throwing switches, (un-)coupling etc., independent movement of 'body' and 'head' would be nice as well. Something for the future, perhaps?

Exacly what I have been refering to! Either a key combination or the use of the mouse wheel to increase or decrease zooming. ;)
Lets hope that it will be implemented at some point.

As for Run 8, I don't have it, I have only seen videos on youtube.

[_o_OOOO_oo-Kanawha]

We can already use the mousewheel in the external "2" and "3" (and "8") views of Open Rails to move towards and away from the train. It doens't change the FoV or zoom factor AFAIK.

Perhaps zooming is best used from inside the cab and from the head-out/stepwell views when riding a train.

Different users have different opinions and wishes, so perhaps best are configurable options.

More axis of freedom on the "8" view would be very welcome to me as would be independent 'body' and 'head' movement, like in Farming Simulator.
So you can walk around or along your train, like performing an inspection.

[James Ross]

V1515 adds an FOV option to the menu, with help text explaining the difference between vertical and horizontal FOV.

[PA1930]

That is already pretty nice, James!

As for the mousewheel: Maybe a combination of Control+Shift or maybe even Alt, to then enable adjusting the FOV during gameplay.
Maybe even to "help" knowing how many ammount of FOV during gameplay, there could be some information about that somewhere, like on the compass window maybe.

[Genma Saotome]

James, I came across this article in the Wikipedia that speaks to scaling images in computer games when there are varying size ratio's available on PC screens. What's OR doing?

[James Ross]

Genma Saotome, on 25 March 2013 - 05:13 PM, said:

James, I came across this article in the Wikipedia that speaks to scaling images in computer games when there are varying size ratio's available on PC screens. What's OR doing?

We're using "Hor+" like most games; the vertical FOV is fixed (and controlled by the setting), while the horizontal FOV varies by monitor aspect ratio (and is larger on widescreen, etc.).

[Genma Saotome]

Hor+... ok, thanks!

'nuther question: Wouldn't the "most natural" FOV be based on the distance your eyes are from the screen + the width of the screen (e.g., Tan(half screen width/distance to screen)? For myself that's 40.4 degrees horizontal to one side, 80.8d overall width.

[Lindsayts]

Genma Saotome, on 26 March 2013 - 07:03 PM, said:

Hor+... ok, thanks!

'nuther question: Wouldn't the "most natural" FOV be based on the distance your eyes are from the screen + the width of the screen (e.g., Tan(half screen width/distance to screen)? For myself that's 40.4 degrees horizontal to one side, 80.8d overall width.

Yes, see my explanation of the "normal" field of view from my post on the 25th (previous page). The "most natural" FOV essentially means the perspective as seen in the "most natural" distance matches the perspective your mind expects to see, so it looks "right".

In most games though other factors need to be taken into account, from my view though OR is meant to be an accurate and immersive simulation.............

From my point of view this means the actual railsimulation needs to be as close as one can get to reality considering we on a PC. A good step towards is to have the perspective appear as it does from the driving cab. This one can get with this new option.
BTW, I SVN'ed xV1516 and gave it a try, nice work, many thanks, a very good step, mind you I am what one may call biased.

Lindsay