FOV setting multiplier explained

[Case_]

You're probably aware that R3E doesn't offer the usual FOV setting in degrees, but instead opts for setting FOV via a cryptic multiplier number. Thankfully, it has been recently explained on S3 forum in one of the posts what the number actually means:

It is a multiplier of the default FOV value of 58 degrees (vertical FOV). So for your convenience, here's a conversion table of all possible in-game FOV values.

1.3x - 75.4 degrees
1.2x - 69.6 degrees
1.1x - 63.8 degrees
1.0x - 58 degrees
0.9x - 52.2 degrees
0.8x - 46.4 degrees
0.7x - 40.6 degrees
0.6x - 34.8 degrees
0.5x - 29 degrees

Apparently, according to the post, it's also possible to set a specific FOV value not available through the setting, but it has to be done by editing the game files (as explained there).

Thought people might find this useful and worth sharing.

Edit: A more accurate way (but also more elaborate and I am personally not a big fan of such car file edits myself, because it can be difficult to troubleshoot later in case you forget about it) of setting FOV thanks to @RasmusP:

If you want to change the fov to an exact value, here's what to do:
Go into the cameras folder of each car. You can set the fov for each camera separately but the most important should be cockpit_driver_view or the _triples variant of that.

Path:

\\Steam\steamapps\common\raceroom racing experience\Game\GameData\Cars\%CarFolder%\Cameras\cockpit_driver_view.xml

The line for the fov is:

<fov type="float32">58.00000000</fov>

The multiplier in the game is NOT changing that value! It multiplies that value without touching the files!

So you need to set the multiplier ingame back to 1.0 and then change the line in ALL the .xml for each car separately.

With Notepad++ or "find and replace" tools you can "search in directory"/"open directory as workspace" and then search in all files.
Set file-type to "cockpit_driver_view.xml" and then find and replace:

"<fov type="float32">%defaultNumber</fov>"

with

"<fov type="float32">%YourCustomFOVnumber</fov>"

 

[Patrick van der Meulen]

Great info @Martin Fiala. Thanks for sharing! Very much appreciated!

 

[Kenny Paton]

@Martin Fiala great info Martin, thanks and I've pinned it.

 

[Deleted member 387850]

Interesting, I was tweaking the FOV recently and was confused by the “multiplier”. At least now it makes sense even if the choice of nomenclature is questionable

One thing I have noticed is that if I leave the multiplier at the default 1x and hop between the 650S and Bentley in the GT3 class the two cars seem to be scaled completely differently. The 650S looks pretty much as I’d expect for the default FOV but the Bentley looks all kinds of wrong with the dashboard and steering wheel appearing far too small. Surlely with the same multiplier set all the cars should be appropriately scaled when jumping between them?

 

[Case_]

The 650S looks pretty much as I’d expect for the default FOV but the Bentley looks all kinds of wrong with the dashboard and steering wheel appearing far too small.

Don't forget you're comparing a fairly nimble car with a land yacht

 

[Deleted member 387850]

Don't forget you're comparing a fairly nimble car with a land yacht

That’s it, clearly I need triples to accommodate the Bentley’s dash

 

[Case_]

In all seriousness, though, the seating position and the view from these two cars seems to be very different even in real life, so I'm not sure how much of this is an actual in-game issue.

 

[Deleted member 387850]

That's a fair point, and seeing I've never sat in either I'm completely making assumptions about how I imagine they should appear! Either way, a bit of tweaking and they both look "right" so I can't complain!

 

[RasmusP]

Thanks a lot for this thread and the link in there! I managed to set the same fov of "49" for raceroom that I use for all sims

If you want to change the fov to an exact value, here's what to do:
Go into the cameras folder of each car. You can set the fov for each camera separately but the most important should be cockpit_driver_view or the _triples variant of that.
Path:
\\Steam\steamapps\common\raceroom racing experience\Game\GameData\Cars\%CarFolder%\Cameras\cockpit_driver_view.xml

The line for the fov is:
<fov type="float32">58.00000000</fov>

The multiplier in the game is NOT changing that value! It multiplies that value without touching the files!

So you need to set the multiplier ingame back to 1.0 and then change the line in ALL the .xml for each car separately.

With Notepad++ or "find and replace" tools you can "search in directory"/"open directory as workspace" and then search in all files.
Set file-type to "cockpit_driver_view.xml" and then find and replace:
"<fov type="float32">%defaultNumber</fov>"
with
"<fov type="float32">%YourCustomFOVnumber</fov>"

Edit: Changed the default value to the correct one of "58.000"

 

[Case_]

The line for the fov is:
<fov type="float32">49.00000000</fov>

The default is a different value! And the multiplier in the game is NOT changing that value! It multiplies that value!

Do you actually have an unedited camera file with the fov value being different from 58? I just looked through several of them and every single one was set at 58 by default.

 

[RasmusP]

Do you actually have an unedited camera file with the fov value being different from 58? I just looked through several of them and every single one was set at 58 by default.

Think it's a misunderstanding. I don't have an original file anymore, sadly. I couldn't remember the default value though which is why I wrote that sentence below "my" line.

Now that you say the default is 58 (oh my I'm stupid, you have the default in your first post... Was tired and on the phone...), I should just replace the 49.000 in "The line for the fov is:" with 58.0000

And yep, the files all have the default in it and the ingame multiplier takes that value and changes it "on the fly", without editing the files.
Which is why the ingame setting needs to be set at 1.0 when typing in the actual fov value directly into the files.

I'll edit my post...

 

[Case_]

@RasmusP No worries, I just wasn't sure if some cars might perhaps have it different for some reason.

 

[PondScum101]

Vertical fov? The default is 58 vertical? Horizontal would kindof make a little sense @58...my horizontal is 38.5, so should I be setting the files for 21.6?

16x9 if your wondering

 

[Ho3n3r]

Vertical fov? The default is 58 vertical? Horizontal would kindof make a little sense @58...my horizontal is 38.5, so should I be setting the files for 21.6?

16x9 if your wondering

It's always Vertical FOV that you're setting.

EDIT: Not sure how I know that, it's just always referred to as vertical. Now I'm actually questioning it myself...

 

[PondScum101]

Thx for responce, it is and now i see why. i.e. "vFOV" in cfgs.

 

[zoltaaaan]

Has anyone tried to modify the multiplier directly instead of all the car files? Ingame, there are some restrictions. For example it is only exact to 0.1 and the lowest value is 0.5. For my setup I would need 0.38 or maybe 0.4 would be okay as well.

In general, graphic settings are stored here:
"\Documents\My Games\SimBin\RaceRoom Racing Experience\UserData\graphics_options.xml"

The vFOV multiplier is marked in this screenshot:

Spoiler: graphics_options.xml content

Below you find some setting I tried. In conclusion, I wish I would have the field of view with multiplier 0.7, since I see all I want to see. By calculation, a multiplier of 0.38 would give me realistic FOV. In the graphic_options file, you can set your multiplier directly and even with more than one decimal place. The multipliers 0.38 and 0.4 are different and since the graphics file uses 8 decimal places behind the comma, I assume it will be exact to 8 decimal places.

I also tried to provoke an error and just entered "0.4", but raceroom will just change it into "0.40000000" (or weirdly "0.40000001" in my case).

Spoiler: Screenshots with various vFOV

Vertical FOV is set to 0.38

Vertical FOV is set to 0.4

Vertical FOV is set to 0.5

Vertical FOV is set to 0.7

All in all, maybe this is a different approach in case you dont want to edit all your car files.

I should also note, I identified one drawback already: When you change something in your video settings, the vFOV selector will overwrite your setting. You have to restart the game to use your manually edited vFOV multiplier.

 

[tarheel]

You can change the FOV for each individual car, in his own folder, in cockpit view file.

 

[stevem]

I find the best setting to be 1.2x with a monitor that is at arms length away.

 

[herve45]

You can change the FOV for each individual car, in his own folder, in cockpit view file.

unless I am mistaken
it is not the fov but the position of the seat.

 

[tarheel]

Im pretty sure that modify the FOV, and in that case you have to set the option game fov at 1x.