Fix / Support Camera API in SimConnect

The current SimConnact camera API is non functional in MSFS 2020. This is preventing 3rd party developers of camera add-ons like ChasePlane, X-Camera, FSRealistic, etc. to proceed with their development.

Mark Ellis
Stick and Rudder Studios

Camera control and habtics are so essential, why not doing it right?
I would love to see the core developers doing a proper job in the first.

not so familiar with X-camera, last time i tried it seemed
a bit complicated, so i saved my money.
(my first thought was helping them design a cool interface).

I will be the first to agree that you want a solid camera system without the need for an advanced plugin like X-Camera. They should keep it simple but powerful. Personally, I think the view system in X-Plane is fantastic. It is easy to use and you can quickly create 20 quick-look views by simply moving the camera around with keyboard and mouse.

After that, have a good camera API so that 3rd party developers can create add-ons for those users that need more advanced capabilities.

Mark

3 Likes

Hi Mark,
I upvoted to support your endeavour. Although I am impressed with the camera feature Asobo has implemented for this sim, I used your X-camera add-on with x-plane and would love to have the option of using it in this sim because of the more advanced capabilities X-camera offers. The add-on price was OK for x-plane and I assume the price would even be somewhat lower for FS2020 due to the larger potential market.

I suggest a link in this thread to a video on X-camera may be beneficial for the upvote count because the add-on will be unknown to many FS2020 simmers.

1 Like

let me quickly find a video tutorial on x-camera, i would like to review it, especially the interface and the immediate response to entries in action.

One thing I would like to point out is that I would not recommend using X-Camera as a template for the best built-in camera system for FS-2020. It has grown over the years to have a ton of features that support a very wide use case. Most notably it has a bunch of camera transition functionality to support people creating videos for YouTube. Although the plugin is very powerful it is also quite complex with a learning curve. Most flight sim enthusiast don’t need anything that feature rich.

That said, a good open camera API allows 3rd party developers to extend the camera system for these special use case needs. That is why I would like to see Asobo support it.

I’m also not in a position to comment on how good the current FS-2020 camera system is. I’m not flying the SIM enough yet as I need them to fix some of the avionics issues in the 530/430 GPS so that it more closely matches the RW plane I fly. If others feel that the basic camera system in FS-2020 is not good enough for the majority of users than Asobo should probably fix that first before adding a camera API to SimConnect.

Mark
Stick and Rudder Studios

3 Likes

Not sure whether advertising your payware product in this forum is appropriate Mark.
This forum refers to actual FS matters, but if it helps asobo understand what exactly needs to change, why not.

Just to be clear I have no camera product for the Microsoft simulators and I’m not sure I would try to create one since there is a good one for FSX / P3D in Chase Plane. User are requesting both of us to get our camera add-ons working on MSFS 2020.

What I’m trying to communicate is that after nearly ten years experience with FSX and X-Plane I have found that it is nearly impossible for the simulator developer to come up with a camera system that suits everyone’s needs. What I suggest is that Asobo get the MSFS 2020 camera in the shape that will satisfy 80% of the use cases and then create and support a camera API for the specialty cases.

5 Likes

This is something that they have got to fix, the current camera system deters me so much from flying this sim, I cannot stand it. We need third party camera addons to fix this since this appears to be what they are sticking with.

1 Like

Okay now you have my vote.

Got my vote also, we definitely need 3rd party camera apps…

Any update on this? Has this been addressed in SU7?

I don’t think it has…

hello everyone, hope you are well
I would like to ask again for your help so that some administrator can read my annoyance.
I CAN’T FLY, THE CAMERA SYSTEM IS TERRIBLE.
we need the SDK to allow developers to have access to create new cameras easier to use,

please, enough of waiting so long

Just so everyone knows, we have sent our list of SDK requests to Asobo some time ago.
At this point, the possibility of great camera systems like ChasePlane for MSFS lies in the hands of Asobo and Microsoft.

There are no technical limitations preventing this from happening.
Only the will to allocate resources to make it happen.

Threads like this are essential to make them realize the importance of leaving the door open to 3rd party innovators.

@UpmostSquire826 Thank you for opening this vote and for everyone here who voted!

1 Like

While I appreciate the request and the 102 voters so far, there is little information in this thread about what is really the problem and what is being asked. So before voting and asking the devs to prioritise efforts from other potentially major issues, can this become clearer?
What is the problem statement?
You are asking for 3rd party software to be able to create and control cameras?
Is it not possible now?
What will that enhance?
Trying to understand. Thanks.

1 Like

our united voice can achieve this goal

The TLDR is that the old FSX software development kit (SDK) had functions for us to set the camera position in the simulator. MSFS’s SDK has FSX’s SDK as its base. Asobo has plugged most of the wires back in the updated sim engine but some really useful ones haven’t. Anything related to weather and in this case, camera functions, are not functioning.

Some new camera functions have found their way into the SDK in recent updates but nothing that could be used if we’re not able to simply move the camera in the sim.

Here is Asobo’s response to the following question:

ChunkyAviation: Can we have the camera view system opened up to devs to create custom camera views & programs similar to EZDok or Chaseplane in FSX and to allow for the creation of custom fly by and spectator views to lock onto other aircraft in multiplayer or single player replay?

1 Like

I feel as if the headshake in-game is not great. When landing there is minimal headshake which takes away from the immersion. I feel the need to say that Asobo needs to open up the camera tools in SDK to allow third-party developers to create plugins for the simulator such as SimCoders headshake for X-plane. the headshake plugin in Xplane really enhances the experience of the simulator not only during landing but all over with their GeForce effects as well as ground roll effect. Another example is XPrealistc which brings X-plane to another level. I know that FSrealistic exists but lets be honest, the headshake is a workaround to the SDK limitations. Even the developer of the plugin has requested the SDK camera tools to be opened up.

I know there are many other issues with the simulator that first need fixing but I really hope that they get around to doing this. The sooner the better.

1 Like

Allow 3rd party addons like FSRealistic to implement headshake in the sim its desperately needed in my opinion.

4 Likes