FOV vs seat position

JoshOz · Jul 31, 2020

Hi everyone,
I play Assetto Corsa and Automobilista 2 so my question relates specifically to these two games for me but would also apply to other sim racing titles. Can someone shed some light on the difference between Field of View and seat position within these games. Just some background regarding my question - I watched a couple of videos about how to calculate and set up correct field of view within sim racing games and I know how to make these changes within AC and AMS2. What I don't understand is that in one of the videos it mentioned that once you set your FOV correctly you can then move your seat position around (within the game) without affecting the FOV. I'm struggling a bit with this concept because in both games if I set the FOV then move the seat position forward/backward it seems to be doing the same as adjusting FOV. Maybe someone could offer some links to diagrams/videos about this topic that could help explain it a little better.
Thanks to anyone who can provide information.
JoshOz.

Deleted member 963434 · Aug 12, 2020

if yo settin yo FOV correctly yo make yor virtual front wheels matched wit yo real life steering wheel. as in real life yo front wheels shall surround yo steering wheel so yo could tell for example where is yo left front wheel just by lookin at left side of yo real life steering wheel. cant explain tis so i made image.
its position of virtual cars wheels to your real life steering wheel
1 one i correct calculated fov and it look exactly like this in real life in left seat driver car
2 is too wide fov
3 is too narrow fov.
that matters if yo trying to hit apexes perfect by judging by looking on yo real life wheel, as i should be.
yo can set any driver position, for example use too wide fov as most people do, then tey see more fro each side, then tey match tem dashboards to match tey wheels an tey teelin where front wheels are by lookin at virtual dashboard, an dashboard is they landmark to tell how to hit apex best. i was usin it like that years ago as beginner sim racer, an its wrong, yo real life wheel shall tell yo how to hit apex best.
im settin perfect fov then match dashboard just to slightly surround my real life steerin wheel, so it looks like and feels like im sittin in real car

JoshOz · Aug 13, 2020

Thanks for the response dario993. Since posting my question I have used the online calculators to set my FOV correctly in AC. I then do as you suggested and adjust my cockpit view slightly (which does not alter FOV) so I can see the steering wheel and some of the dashboard. The best analogy I read was to imagine putting your monitor in your car where the windscreen is and that's how much you will be able to see. Also I use the Neck app in AC to aim my view towards corners which helps with the limited FOV.

Deleted member 963434 · Aug 13, 2020

thats good, my usin correct fov yo can better position yo car on track an im not tellin only to hit apexes, but also to make room for others at long straights, for example if someone pass yo on left an yo want to go right as possible, yo can look at yo real steering wheel and yo know better where both right wheel are, where is the road end not to get on grass, if yo usin too wide fov yo not taking full road wideness as yo see on picture yor real steerin wheel is beyon track but your sim wheels still on road, and too narrow (btw who would want too narrow fov) and too narrow yol get on grass before yo notice it

Deleted member 963434 · Aug 13, 2020

i tell yo if theres beginner simracer he comes first time to game usin default "universal" fov he cant drive then he gettin used to it, then he find out baus correct fov hor him, he changes an its start from again he cant drive cause hes not used to it. but if he invites friend whos not used to sims also, and as he usin default fov his friend cant drive too, but if he invites frient when has correct fov it will be easier to drive for his frient straight away cause he sees road wider, see how fast big turn incoming, with too wide fov he see road narrow an turn faster incoming but there not so big so he takes them too fast, but wit correct fov he see road wide, and turns incoming maybe slower but there bigger so guy sittin in yo rig see how big turn there is an he slows down

Deleted member 963434 · Aug 14, 2020

i saw fo myself i sat my father behind my rig an he saw. remember times when i was beginner an usin too wide fov, now i know - yo use narrow fov turn maked in yo real wheel dont turn car in sim as it should. i sat my father behind my rig an he turnin an he did not see his turnin. then after years an youtube videos abous fov i set my fov to calculated one an yo make slightly turn yo see yo turnin, also road wider, turns bigger. now i sat my father behind my rig wit correct fov an he drives much better, cause he slightly turn wheel he see car turnin fast and he sees bigger turns. an hes not a simracin guy yo know, last and only game he played was mario at pegasus xD

Deleted member 963434 · Oct 30, 2020

i found a perfect way to have better fov,
for now people tell yo just use fov calculator and then match seat position so yo have dashboard exactly behind yo real life wheel.
i was using it and my post above tell true, yo must use correct fov to know where yo front wheels are and then yo should see them positions by yo real steering wheel, try do it in real life try to go on road lanes and yo hear nosie when goin over road lanes then yo know yo front wheel driving over road lane and yo see where front left wheel is (when yo have driving on right side in yo country) and yo see where left front wheel is and yo look at road lane and see it go through left side of yo wheel (see pic i posted above) yo should have it in sims and in real life like pic 1 i posteed.
but i found better way to have same result, but have wider fov so yo have better sense of speed (im mean as gamer muscle said setting calculated fov may be wrong cause yo try to achieve same thing in 2d (in sims) as in 3d (in real life) so yo shall set a little bit wider fov to have better sense of speed, but still yo real steering wheel should tell yo where front car wheels are.
i managed to achieve that by:
when calculating fov set all as yo have monitor ratio, monitor diagonal etc, but when yo setting posiotion your eyes from monitor cheat app by making it closer to monitor for around 20 cm. then yo have wider fov as yo have sitting 20 cm closer to monitor, but then yo just make yo seat position 20 cm closer than it should be, make it so yo virtual car dashboard is matched to yo real life steering wheel. then yo see wheel shows yo where front wheels limits are, and yo still have better sense of speed,

JoshOz · Oct 31, 2020

Hey dario993, I think you have replied to two posts I created, so thanks for that. I think I understand your last message. I also think I've managed to set up my sim cockpit (using FOV calculator for the games I play) to give me the best possible FOV with my 32inch monitor. I sit pretty close and my wheelbase/steering wheel are right in front with my steering wheel extending up into the view of my monitor a little bit. Most cars match quite close with the steering wheel so it feels quite natural to me. Since I first posted regarding the FOV I have worked it out so I now can see the difference between altering FOV as opposed to shifting seating position within car. I do still wonder how many people are sim racing with just default FOV and whether it really affects their driving in a negative way.