Camera trick! (Shift+F2 on external views)

[CCIP]

An undocumented feature in SHIV - the Shift+F2 external camera works in external views!

While it's impossible to use it to 'walk' the sub's deck, because it's moving (so your camera will be far behind), it is possible to use it to explore the deck on pause - and what's more, possible to explore the decks of other vessels as well!

http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p301/myspb2006/42.jpg
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p301/myspb2006/45.jpg
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p301/myspb2006/48.jpg
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p301/myspb2006/51.jpg
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p301/myspb2006/55.jpg
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p301/myspb2006/56.jpg
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p301/myspb2006/68.jpg
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p301/myspb2006/73.jpg
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p301/myspb2006/76.jpg

[Cakewalk]

SH3 had a similar feature... only worked in the control room, to my knowledge though.:o

[CCIP]

Yep, I'm one of the known abusers of that feature in SHIII - but was surprised to see it in external views here too!

[Cakewalk]

This definitly opens up alot of great screenshot possibilities, very nice find.:up:

[P_Funk]

http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p301/myspb2006/56.jpg

HISTORICAL INACCURACY! Those bell bottoms are about 30 years too early.

[flintlock]

HISTORICAL INACCURACY! Those bell bottoms are about 30 years too early.
That sailor is a trendsetter, thus historically accurate.

[rascal101]

Now just a god dam minute, these screenshots are nothing like I get on my rig, these are clear and crisp and in a word beautiful -

What settings are you using, I cant bear to play SH4 cos it looks like some one has smeard vasalene or butter all over my eyes, but your screenies are clear what is going on!!


http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p301/myspb2006/56.jpg
HISTORICAL INACCURACY! Those bell bottoms are about 30 years too early.

[DragonRR1]

Now just a god dam minute, these screenshots are nothing like I get on my rig, these are clear and crisp and in a word beautiful -

What settings are you using, I cant bear to play SH4 cos it looks like some one has smeard vasalene or butter all over my eyes, but your screenies are clear what is going on!!


http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p301/myspb2006/56.jpg
HISTORICAL INACCURACY! Those bell bottoms are about 30 years too early.
The screenshots are at 800x600 so CCIP is avoiding the resolution issue. If you want to see the same, try running the game at 1024x768, or if you can, 800x600 and in a window. You should see the same thing.

[Dowly]

THANK YOU! This was something I was requesting as a mod! Yeehaa!! You´re the man! :rock:

[ryuzu]

Now just a god dam minute, these screenshots are nothing like I get on my rig, these are clear and crisp and in a word beautiful -

What settings are you using, I cant bear to play SH4 cos it looks like some one has smeard vasalene or butter all over my eyes, but your screenies are clear what is going on!!


In additon to the lowered resolution of those screenies - you can turn off Environmental Effects which gets rid of the fogging and also Post Processing which tones down the colours a bit.

r.

[John Channing]

But be careful. If you hit Shift-F2 in the Nav Map screen you will get a CTD.

This has been reported.

JC

[Dowly]

But be careful. If you hit Shift-F2 in the Nav Map screen you will get a CTD.

This has been reported.

JC

Thanks for the info! :up:

[highkoo]

Yes thank you to the OP :D

Is there any other way to get the Zoom function to work with the mouse wheel while in external camera though?

[Sabreliner]

I cannot seem to get this to work. If I hit Shift-F2 from the external view, it just dumps me back into the control room. How do you get it to give you a close up of the external view?


Robert W

[GSpector]

Not sure but isn't this the same thing as F12 in SH3? A great feature to say the least. I use it all the time to check out the details of other ship just before and after a battle to see the damage :roll:

[flintlock]

No, that's the free camera, but you're limited to using it outside of your sub and it has limits to where it can go, unlike the Shift + F2 camera.

[Immacolata]

Do not press Shift-F2 while the nav map is up :rotfl:

[Schlageter-JG26]

Dude, I'm lovin' that. Thanks!~

[SteamWake]

I remember when this "feature" was used to divulge the contents of the captians safe in SH3 :smug:

[DirtyHarry3033]

Anybody figured out how to get this feature working in 1.2? Or is it even possible? After patching to 1.2, Shift-F2 just sends you right back to the internal free cam view.

I imagine it's related to this from the bug fix list:

11. Fixed a bug where, when pressing SHIFT+F2 in any 2d page the game would crash.

I think they just took the "easy" way out and hardcoded it to send you to the internal free camera whenever Shift-F2 is pressed, no matter what your current view is.

Sure do miss that external free cam!

[bunkerratt]

so i found out with 1.2 shift=f2= right back to the commandroom

[MONOLITH]

What settings are you using, I cant bear to play SH4 cos it looks like some one has smeard vasalene or butter all over my eyes, but your screenies are clear what is going on!!

Just to make sure, rascal might be talking about the mipmapping issue, judging from that description.

If you have mipmapping off in your driver settings, the screen gets all blurry like someone rubbed butter on your monitor.

If you have that, crank up the mipmapping. That fixes it.

[BlackSpot]

I'm rununing the game at 1600x1200 no AA etc. It still works.
Edit: Sorry my bad - hadn't tried EXTRNAL views

[Reaves]

You can't use it in the conning tower anymore either.


Sucks. :down:

Still, i'm very happy with the patch. AA and AF make my game look awesome.

[DirtyHarry3033]

You can't use it in the conning tower anymore either.


Sucks. :down:

Still, i'm very happy with the patch. AA and AF make my game look awesome.
Actually at least you can still do that much! Takes a little trial and error but it can be done ;)

What you do is, go to the control room, hit Shift-F2 for the internal free camera, face towards the helmsman. Then walk thru the hatch behind him. Dont' even think about climbing the ladder to the conning tower, won't work.

You won't get the usual "camera out of sectors" message on a black screen, instead you'll see a blue screen and as you continue moving you'll see the bottom of the conning tower, with the periscopes sticking down at eye level. Then it's a simple matter to to keep moving forward and up, and you're in the conning tower!

DH

[Keelbuster]

Those graphics are SLICK!!! :rock::rock::rock:

[Sledge_57]

[quote=CCIP].....

HISTORICAL INACCURACY! Those bell bottoms are about 30 years too early.


Ummm not quite, been around a long time..........

Snipped from Wikipedia:

"Bell-bottoms' precise origins are uncertain. In the early nineteenth century, very wide pants ending in a bell began to be worn in the U.S. Navy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Navy).[1] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_bottoms#_note-dervis)[2] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_bottoms#_note-mil) (It is to be noted, however, that the captain (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_%28nautical%29) of each ship decided what clothing to buy for his men in the early days of the U.S. Navy, so clothing varied between ships.[3] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_bottoms#_note-ohl)) In one of the first recorded descriptions of sailors (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sailor)' uniforms, Commodore (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_%28USN%29) Stephen Decatur (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Decatur) wrote in 1813 that the men on the frigates United States and Macedonia were wearing "glazed canvas (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canvas) hats (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hats) with stiff brims, decked with streamers of ribbon (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ribbon), blue jackets buttoned loosely over waistcoats (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waistcoat) and blue trousers with bell bottoms."

[CCIP]

I'm trying to investigate, by the way, whether the change to cameras.dat in the patch is responsible for removing the cameras. Maybe if I can get the old cameras.dat file in there (which I unfortunately got rid of), it'll be enabled again :hmm:

[609_Avatar]

I'm trying to investigate, by the way, whether the change to cameras.dat in the patch is responsible for removing the cameras. Maybe if I can get the old cameras.dat file in there (which I unfortunately got rid of), it'll be enabled again :hmm:

That would be cool! Good luck mate.

[DirtyHarry3033]

I'm trying to investigate, by the way, whether the change to cameras.dat in the patch is responsible for removing the cameras. Maybe if I can get the old cameras.dat file in there (which I unfortunately got rid of), it'll be enabled again :hmm:

Just tried that, didn't work :( Still takes you back to control room.

[OS1Mac]

Bravo zulu, Sledge_57! :up: :up:

[sqk7744]

You can't use it in the conning tower anymore either.


Sucks. :down:

Still, i'm very happy with the patch. AA and AF make my game look awesome.
Actually at least you can still do that much! Takes a little trial and error but it can be done ;)

What you do is, go to the control room, hit Shift-F2 for the internal free camera, face towards the helmsman. Then walk thru the hatch behind him. Dont' even think about climbing the ladder to the conning tower, won't work.

You won't get the usual "camera out of sectors" message on a black screen, instead you'll see a blue screen and as you continue moving you'll see the bottom of the conning tower, with the periscopes sticking down at eye level. Then it's a simple matter to to keep moving forward and up, and you're in the conning tower!

DH

---
Thanks for the tip DirtyHarry3033. Anyone have any luck w/ free Shft+F2 topside?

[DirtyHarry3033]

Thanks for the tip DirtyHarry3033. Anyone have any luck w/ free Shft+F2 topside?
No prob! It's better than nothing I guess.

I tried CCIP's idea of using the 1.1 Cameras.dat, I installed SH4 on my Vista partition, patched it to 1.1, then copied Cameras.dat over to my 1.2 installation on the XP partition. Didn't change a thing :(

Also looked at Commands.cfg, there are no references to Shift-F2 there at all in either the 1.1 or 1.2 versions. Don't have a clue where it's being bound to a command.

Hope somebody will be able to figure this out, now that I've got AA and true 1600x1200, I'd love to be able to walk the decks of my victims. Would be some awesome screenshots there!

DH

[sqk7744]

Thanks for the tip DirtyHarry3033. Anyone have any luck w/ free Shft+F2 topside?
No prob! It's better than nothing I guess.

I tried CCIP's idea of using the 1.1 Cameras.dat, I installed SH4 on my Vista partition, patched it to 1.1, then copied Cameras.dat over to my 1.2 installation on the XP partition. Didn't change a thing :(

Also looked at Commands.cfg, there are no references to Shift-F2 there at all in either the 1.1 or 1.2 versions. Don't have a clue where it's being bound to a command.

Hope somebody will be able to figure this out, now that I've got AA and true 1600x1200, I'd love to be able to walk the decks of my victims. Would be some awesome screenshots there!

DH
Ha ha - Was just trying something sneaky like that. Will belay that order!

Here's the list of files changed in 1.2:
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=112230

* Yip: did you ever notice that the AA gunners on the US Carriers were from the 506/PIR "Easy Company". ala Band of Brothers.

[Sailor Steve]

"...and blue trousers with bell bottoms."
Also by WW2 they weren't bell bottoms anymore, they were called stovepipes. They were wide all the way down, not just flared at the bottom, and the idea was to get them on while already wearing your shoes. Funny thing about the game is, I don't know if officers wore them or not. That screenie might still be wrong.

[jafergon]

I tried this trick and I managed to get inside the conning tower but you cannot go outside anymore :(


You can't use it in the conning tower anymore either.


Sucks. :down:

Still, i'm very happy with the patch. AA and AF make my game look awesome.
Actually at least you can still do that much! Takes a little trial and error but it can be done ;)

What you do is, go to the control room, hit Shift-F2 for the internal free camera, face towards the helmsman. Then walk thru the hatch behind him. Dont' even think about climbing the ladder to the conning tower, won't work.

You won't get the usual "camera out of sectors" message on a black screen, instead you'll see a blue screen and as you continue moving you'll see the bottom of the conning tower, with the periscopes sticking down at eye level. Then it's a simple matter to to keep moving forward and up, and you're in the conning tower!

DH

[tycho102]

these screenshots are nothing like I get on my rig, these are clear and crisp and in a word beautiful

+1

I play at 1600x1200, but I might give 800x600 a try.

[Avatar]

Yeah, Shift+F2 sends me to the regular outside view. I think it's F12 with the keyboard download. I think it's CCIP's fix.

edit: sqk7744, is that a real screen shot below your post? I have a couple with my submarine completely out of the water. But is was in a huge storm.

[DirtyHarry3033]

Yeah, Shift+F2 sends me to the regular outside view. I think it's F12 with the keyboard download. I think it's CCIP's fix.
Avatar, you're running 1.2? And Shift+F2 gives you the outside free cam, not the interior "command room" free cam? In other words, you can move the camera onto the deck of another ship like you could do in 1.1?

If so and you could tell me what fix you installed, I'd be in your debt! :yep:

DH

[Avatar]

DirtyHarry:patch 1.2
I'm pretty sure it sends me outside, just as if I pressed F12(the external camera). It is the same thing as external camera, I cant go onto decks or move about in the control room. I'll recheck this tonight and report tommorrow... HOOYAH!
YUT!

[DirtyHarry3033]

Ah, OK I think I understand - you're talking about the same view you get by clicking the "camera" tab in the GUI? That gives you an external view, but it's "limited" in that you can get only so close to a ship. Move too close, and the camera flies up over the ship, or around it.

The undocumented Shift+F2 external cam view in v1.1 would let you put the camera wherever you wanted it - on the bridge of a ship, up in the crow's nest, on the poop deck, anywhere! So you could get the Jap viewpoint of the carnage you'd created ;) Only prob was you had to be paused to use it! But it was too cool for words, allowed some awesome screenshots. Hopefully the devs will re-enable it for 1.3.

Thanks anyway, appreciate your time :up:

DH

[sqk7744]

Yeah, Shift+F2 sends me to the regular outside view. I think it's F12 with the keyboard download. I think it's CCIP's fix.

edit: sqk7744, is that a real screen shot below your post? I have a couple with my submarine completely out of the water. But is was in a huge storm.

Hey Avatar - yip real shot, real fish:
[fullscreen]
http://www.compuglobalhypermeganet.tv/images/sh4/nevergiveup.jpg

and Animation:
http://www.compuglobalhypermeganet.tv/images/sh4/priderunsdeep.gif

(pretty nutty stuff)

[Reaves]

Yeah, Shift+F2 sends me to the regular outside view. I think it's F12 with the keyboard download. I think it's CCIP's fix.

edit: sqk7744, is that a real screen shot below your post? I have a couple with my submarine completely out of the water. But is was in a huge storm.
Hey Avatar - yip real shot, real fish:
[fullscreen]
http://www.compuglobalhypermeganet.tv/images/sh4/nevergiveup.jpg

and Animation:
http://www.compuglobalhypermeganet.tv/images/sh4/priderunsdeep.gif

(pretty nutty stuff)



That made me lmao!

[sqk7744]

Yeah, Shift+F2 sends me to the regular outside view. I think it's F12 with the keyboard download. I think it's CCIP's fix.

edit: sqk7744, is that a real screen shot below your post? I have a couple with my submarine completely out of the water. But is was in a huge storm.
Hey Avatar - yip real shot, real fish:
[fullscreen]
http://www.compuglobalhypermeganet.tv/images/sh4/nevergiveup.jpg

and Animation:
http://www.compuglobalhypermeganet.tv/images/sh4/priderunsdeep.gif

(pretty nutty stuff)


That made me lmao!

---
:up:

[Avatar]

Nice screen shot.
Upon further review,
Shift+F2 sends me to control room.
I'll try the pause thingy tonight

[GSpector]

Hey Avatar, Sorry to say this but from what I've read here, one of the fixes in 1.2 is Shift+F2 no longer works like it used to :nope:

[IRONxMortlock]

Necro-bump I know, but I was curious if anyone had managed to get the external freecam working post 1.2?

Thanks,

M

[Major Johnson]

Can anyone tell me where the mipmapping/AA/AF settings that are mentioned in this thread?? I've seached my driver settings over multiple times and can't seem to find any settings that resemble those. I have a GeForce 7800 GS 256 MB. Thanks!

[GSpector]

Major Johnson, If your looking to turn on FSAA, you have to do it from an application that came with your Video Cards.

[Major Johnson]

Major Johnson, If your looking to turn on FSAA, you have to do it from an application that came with your Video Cards.

That's where I was looking. I guess it's not an option for me. Thanks anyway!

[IRONxMortlock]

Hmm, my question seemed to get a little hijacked there for a second so here it is again.;)

Necro-bump I know, but I was curious if anyone had managed to get the external freecam working post 1.2?

Thanks,

M

[Argus00]

Nice find, CCIP :up:

[IRONxMortlock]

Nice find, CCIP :up:
Read on my friend, read on.
:cry:

[Argus00]

Nice find, CCIP :up:
Read on my friend, read on.
:cry:

yup :down:

[SteamWake]

Hmm, my question seemed to get a little hijacked there for a second so here it is again.;)

Necro-bump I know, but I was curious if anyone had managed to get the external freecam working post 1.2?

Thanks,

M

To the best of my knowledge... no. :down: