Your views: In car or bonnet cam?

[eathis]

I realise that on certain sim forums this could get flamed, but as Assetto Corsa gives the option to race from different view points I'm quite interested to know others thoughts about this.

I spent quite a few hours over the weekend trying out AC, fiddled around with different FOVs and seat positions of the in car viewpoint, and set a few lap times, having great fun doing so... However, last night I was driving the Ferrari around the Vallelunga circuit and tried out the bonnet cam. After one lap I knocked a whole second off my previous best lap time.

So I loaded up the other tracks, same car, and again was about a second quicker in all of them. Tried out the KTM - a second quicker. And the Lotus Exige - again pretty much a second quicker. I wasn't any quicker with this view in the Tatuus or Lotus 49 though.

Has anyone else found they drive the tin tops faster from the bonnet cam? Anyone else tried the bonnet cam?! Perhaps most importantly when multiplayer comes online, are people going to have a problem with others using a view other than the in car one?

 

[Mr Whippy]

Cockpit view is just as fake as bonnet view for many reasons.

It's looking more realistic from a photo-compare pov, but in practice seeing a desk and keyboard and hands on a ff wheel and then another set of hands and wheel in sim, at incorrect fov's is all just wrong.

To say one is more real than another is just comparing apples and oranges to pineapples

Dave

 

[Graham Laing]

Cockpit view is just as fake as bonnet view for many reasons.

It's looking more realistic from a photo-compare pov, but in practice seeing a desk and keyboard and hands on a ff wheel and then another set of hands and wheel in sim, at incorrect fov's is all just wrong.

To say one is more real than another is just comparing apples and oranges to pineapples

Dave

Are you calling us cockpit drivers a bunch of fruits then?

 

[RaceNut]

I always use Cockpit view and I would probably use helmet cam view if it was available like it is in Pcars. Admittedly, my focus is more on immersion and fun than trying to set the fastest time although, that can be fun too.

 

[Michael Hornbuckle]

Cockpit view is just as fake as bonnet view for many reasons.

It's looking more realistic from a photo-compare pov, but in practice seeing a desk and keyboard and hands on a ff wheel and then another set of hands and wheel in sim, at incorrect fov's is all just wrong.

To say one is more real than another is just comparing apples and oranges to pineapples

Dave

Wait a minute...the guy that is complaining about the traction and stability controls not being exact replicas of the real thing doesn't even use cockpit view....wow

 

[Fabrizio Corona]

Not sure on what pills is Mr Whippy on...

 

[Graham Laing]

I was joking above you know ...... it's not whip Mr Whippy time

 

[Mr Whippy]

Wait a minute...the guy that is complaining about the traction and stability controls not being exact replicas of the real thing doesn't even use cockpit view....wow

Well in the end I sit at my desk with an office chair and PC speakers.

I have no g-forces, I have a fixed forward looking overly wide FOV.

None of us can do anything about this. Even with motions simulators we can only fake the feelings/sensations a bit.

So when it comes to these vague interface variables and preferences I say run with whatever works for you.

I'm with RaceNut, for me driving on a sim is about trying to recreate how it feels in real life and for me the interior views win hands down, even if I'm slower I find it more fun and that is ultimately why I'm here playing on a game to begin with. For fun.

If others are here to set the fastest times and they do that best from bonnet camera, then fine.


But TC systems, we can control them perfectly within the simulation so there is no reason not to make them better if we can

Dave

 

[Smashwings]

FOV it's an interesting thing, should adjust FOV and zoom (bonnet or cockpit view zoom) separatedly, FOV depends on the distance of your eyes to the screen, and after, you adjust your zoom to see the things in cockpit you would see in reality.
A very big screen , but a meter far from you requires a medium high fov, and a bumper or bonnet camera to be real, if you force cockpit view it would be unnatural.

example
bonnet view but realistic

Cockpit view but unrealistic (like he is driving for the rear seats)

Correct cockpit view, monitor very near to the wheel, if you put monitor further then it would be over the bonnet maybe

So according to that , once set the correct FOV, the the further the monitor, the more zoomed in the camera should be.

So we should never have to see wheel on the computer, at most, the top part of it only, if you have the monitor very near or large massive screen. I think that's logical because you have your wheel on the desk, seeing another is that something is not accurate realistic.

But al that is theory, we all feel comfortable in different settings, higher FOVS, bumper cameras or big cockpits. But as whippy says, cockpit view is not always the most realistic options according to hardware setup.

 

[Turk]

All this will become irelivant when the rift comes out. Hopefully anyway.

 

[Mr Whippy]

Exactly, the Rift/VR offerings are really going to make sims feel surreal.

I can't wait to be flying with HOTAS in combat flight sims etc.

For me the g-forces on some motion sims are useful but my brain stuggles a bit when I'm still looking at screens etc.

I think just a VR headset would give me more feelings/sensations. VR and motion, well that could be pretty amazing

Dave

 

[Keith_G]

With a triple screen setup this game is amazing in any view. However I have found that the bonnet or bumper cam view give you a much better sense of speed and elevation change than does the cockpit view. The default FOV with 3 screens doesn't show any of the car in bonnet view and only a small part of the cockpit in that view. However with my wheel and dashboard at screen level and a bonnet view, it is a great fun (which is what I'm looking for) even if it isn't "real life" view. Racing however I think would still be better in the cockpit. Try the M3 at Imola in those different views with the horizon locked to see what I mean.

 

[Mr Whippy]

As long as screens have annoying bezels then 3 screen isn't great, especially since vertical FOV is also so constrained.

I think just a bigger TV closer to you with a wider FOV is probably the better solution. OK a bit more blurry (until you buy a 4k screen), but if the immersion point is important it'll be loads more immersive.

Or just wait for HD VR

Dave

 

[Keith_G]

It could be that a bigger TV at a close distance would be more immersive but with the triple screen setup app in AC I really like the way the field of view wraps around me with three screens. Fortunately with the cockpit view on the BMW the bezels are located in unimportant places so it works very well and feels great. My wife might also be unhappy if I steal the big screen and plop it on my desk for my personal pleasure

 

[Mr Whippy]

3 screens is pretty nice.

But the vertical FOV then feels limited too. Not sure if that is important or not but generally the periphery to me is ignored mostly except for the 'sensation' of things going on at the sides.



This is why a HD VR like Oculus will be an 'insta-buy' as soon as it arrives. Total cost will still be cheaper than a good 24" LCD screen, small desk space real-estate, but total and complete immersion and field of view coverage.

Also GPU power needs will likely be very reasonable, also the stereo rendering will give amazing depth perception for braking points and stuff.

I then just need to build a seat/wheel combo for my racing/driving and it can be orientated in a corner or something, or even facing a wall or whatever. Once the headset is on it doesn't matter as long as the seat/wheel/pedals are nicely located. No need to worry about a load of screens and space etc

Dave

 

[billymitchell]

This guy centered the cockpit camera on the dash, how did he do that?

 

[Jempy]

Simply by using the right arrow ( or left when the wheel is at the right side of the car ) in game using Onboard Settings App.

 

[RaceNut]

I think the best option for most will be the HD VR like Occulus Rift unless you suffer from motion sickness. By all accounts, it sounds like it'll be an amazing experience in any racing title no matter what driving view you prefer. Personally, I use cockpit view and I think that will be best suited for the O.R.

 

[Juris]

I prefer cockpit cam in AC due, as so many have said, to the fantastic work Kunos have put into the car internals but for me, at this stage of the sims development and as I test for the perfect settings for my setup there is a marked fps increase going from cockpit to bonnet.

I'm gong to try and test each car in both cockpit and bonnet view to determine which cockpits cause the most drop on my system. I'd expect the Zonda or P4/5 to be the worst. Would anyone be happy to do the same? Perhaps it could help Kunos polish their code. I may kick off a new thread if anyone wants one.

Sorry for the next bit and I know I'll get marked down for it but when I come home from work sometimes I just don't want total realism if I'm just out for a quick spin. Sometimes I just want to run around a track and not compete with the world if I've been doing it in other ways all damn day. Kunos gave us the option to play a proper sim without forcing us all, all the time, to act like we're trying to win the championship. its one of the reasons I canceled my iRacing. The exam mentality every second was just too oppressive. Sometimes you go to the pub to get hammered. Other times its just for a chillout pint & a bit of a laugh.

Your a simmer when you play cockpit, not a sinner when you play bonnet. Just enjoy it.

 

[Mapu]

I never used bonnet camera but I really see no problem in using it. It's almost the same as cockpit view but without the dashboard. I am all for individuality in this case.

For reasons some people like to see their hardware dashboard straight through the windshield (bonnet camera), some people like to see the dashboard in cockpit view only, some like to see the dashboard plus steering wheel in cockpit view, and some other again like to see the whole presentation of the cockpit view (inkl. all the bells and whistles like helmet visor, hands, wheel, etc.) No problem for me as long as I can choose my preferences.

A front end bumper cam or third person view is something I couldn't tolerate in sim racing though.

 

[Simon Roberts]

As long as screens have annoying bezels then 3 screen isn't great, especially since vertical FOV is also so constrained.

I think just a bigger TV closer to you with a wider FOV is probably the better solution. OK a bit more blurry (until you buy a 4k screen), but if the immersion point is important it'll be loads more immersive.

Or just wait for HD VR

Dave

You need to try three 24'" screen 45cm from your face, no single screen beats this, you dont even notice the bezels.