Mouse Perspective Free Look

[Phrostbyte]

Okay, maybe it's a tall order, but....

How about an option that gives you a floating viewpoint which follows your mouse? So, you could hold down SHIFT+V and the view would pan around wherever you move your mouse pointer. Then I could actually look "up" at something "above" my ship (like that Fugitive Sidewinder that just passed overhead or the docking bay to the station I'm trying to line up with). This would also make finding inactive Thargoid Robot Fighters in a mess of debris easier to spot, etc. Please forgive me if this has been suggested before.

[Commander McLane]

Yes, why not! It would certainly enrich the game experience to be able to follow the path of another ship, without pointing your nose to it an thereby changing your flight-direction. We could then record dramatic fly-bys and post them here (or to YouTube) as small movies.

Are you, however, aware of the external views you can access with hitting "V" while in flight? (Note: they have to be defined for your ship, though). For use with 1.65 to 1.69.1.2 there is externalviews.oxp on the wiki, which improves the external views that came with the original ships. From 1.70 onwards these improved viewpoints are part of the game distribution, so you don't need the OXP anymore. In 1.70 there are also top- and bottom-views added, so you can actually watch another ship fly over your head.

I know, it's not the same as you are suggesting here, but it's a step into that direction, and certainly better than nothing.

[Trexate]

One thing I've missed on Oolite is not only a "look up," view, but a "look forward-up" angle.

This viewing angle was built into a lot of combat flight sim games I've played since the early 1990s and is quite helpful when chasing an enemy in a dogfight.

[Phrostbyte]

Are you, however, aware of the external views you can access with hitting "V" while in flight? .... I know, it's not the same as you are suggesting here, but it's a step into that direction, and certainly better than nothing.

I know; too bad by SuperCobra hasn't got an external view model.

[Cmdr James]

You should be able to add it quite easily.

[Commander McLane]

Are you, however, aware of the external views you can access with hitting "V" while in flight? .... I know, it's not the same as you are suggesting here, but it's a step into that direction, and certainly better than nothing.

I know; too bad by SuperCobra hasn't got an external view model.

Don't cry, help is underway!

Please open the shipdata.plist in supercobra.oxp, and add the following lines in the supercobra-player-entry:

Code: Select all

		<key>custom_views</key>
		<array>
			<dict>
				<key>view_description</key>
				<string>Rear View</string>
				<key>view_orientation</key>
				<string>1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0</string>
				<key>view_position</key>
				<string>0.0 30.0 -200.0</string>
				<key>weapon_facing</key>
				<string>FORWARD</string>
			</dict>
			<dict>
				<key>view_description</key>
				<string>Rear Right View</string>
				<key>view_orientation</key>
				<string>0.9239 0.0 0.3827 0.0</string>
				<key>view_position</key>
				<string>141.42 30.0 -141.42</string>
				<key>weapon_facing</key>
				<string>FORWARD</string>
			</dict>
			<dict>
				<key>view_description</key>
				<string>Right View</string>
				<key>view_orientation</key>
				<string>0.7071 0.0 0.7071 0.0</string>
				<key>view_position</key>
				<string>200.0 30.0 0.0</string>
				<key>weapon_facing</key>
				<string>FORWARD</string>
			</dict>
			<dict>
				<key>view_description</key>
				<string>Front Right View</string>
				<key>view_orientation</key>
				<string>0.3827 0.0 0.9239 0.0</string>
				<key>view_position</key>
				<string>141.42 30.0 141.42</string>
				<key>weapon_facing</key>
				<string>FORWARD</string>
			</dict>
			<dict>
				<key>view_description</key>
				<string>Front View</string>
				<key>view_orientation</key>
				<string>0.0 0.0 1.0 0.0</string>
				<key>view_position</key>
				<string>0.0 30.0 200.0</string>
				<key>weapon_facing</key>
				<string>FORWARD</string>
			</dict>
			<dict>
				<key>view_description</key>
				<string>Front Left View</string>
				<key>view_orientation</key>
				<string>0.3827 0.0 -0.9239 0.0</string>
				<key>view_position</key>
				<string>-141.42 30.0 141.42</string>
				<key>weapon_facing</key>
				<string>FORWARD</string>
			</dict>
			<dict>
				<key>view_description</key>
				<string>Left View</string>
				<key>view_orientation</key>
				<string>0.7071 0.0 -0.7071 0.0</string>
				<key>view_position</key>
				<string>-200.0 30.0 0.0</string>
				<key>weapon_facing</key>
				<string>FORWARD</string>
			</dict>
			<dict>
				<key>view_description</key>
				<string>Rear Left View</string>
				<key>view_orientation</key>
				<string>0.9239 0.0 -0.3827 0.0</string>
				<key>view_position</key>
				<string>-141.42 30.0 -141.42</string>
				<key>weapon_facing</key>
				<string>FORWARD</string>
			</dict>
			<dict>
				<key>view_description</key>
				<string>Top View</string>
				<key>view_orientation</key>
				<string>-0.7071 0.7071 0.0 0.0</string>
				<key>view_position</key>
				<string>0.0 200.0 -15.0</string>
				<key>weapon_facing</key>
				<string>FORWARD</string>
			</dict>
			<dict>
				<key>view_description</key>
				<string>Bottom View</string>
				<key>view_orientation</key>
				<string>0.0 0.0 0.7071 0.7071</string>
				<key>view_position</key>
				<string>0.0 -200.0 -15.0</string>
				<key>weapon_facing</key>
				<string>FORWARD</string>
			</dict>
		</array>

Where you put it doesn't matter. Just make sure that you don't insert it into another key. So it shouldn't be between <key>roles</key> and <string>player</string>, for instance. Just in front of any line that starts with <key> will be just fine.

And there you are: Due to advanced camera- and computing-technology you have got the brand-new external views of your ship, including the newly developed top- and bottom-view, already converted into the new 1.70-naming scheme. Voilà!