How to fly the drone/camera in MSFS-2024?

[Jimrh1993]

msfs-2024

I’m not sure if this belongs here or in Hardware & Peripherals, so I put it here.

Issue:
I don’t know how to fly, or even assign controller inputs to, the “drone”/“free camera” fly around view.

Background:
In FS-2020 when you switch to the external camera, there’s a particular “thing” you can select, (I usually try everything until l find it ), that allows you to use a “Standard Game Controller” to fly a floating FPV around independently of any aircraft.  Call it “Superman/Drone” mode and you can use a game controller to fly it.

In fact, I went out and bought a game controller, (in addition to my Saitek HOTAS), just so I could fly the FPV camera view around to “just explore”.

I wanted to do some exploring in FS-2024 to see some of the (supposedly) phenomenal graphics and decide for myself.  Also to see if the terrain isn’t the 15-20 year old terrain they have in the Scherbinka/Yushno Butovo areas south of Moscow Russia - the 2020 terrain borders on being Soviet vintage!

So. . . .

I loaded up an airplane, (I didn’t really care which, I wasn’t planning on flying it anyway), plopped it into a parking spot at UUMO, popped the camera view out of the cockpit so I was slightly above the aircraft, tried to “fly” around using the FPV/Drone view, - and no dice.  I got nothing but 100% of “íAmigo, no hablo inglés!” no matter what “camera” choice I tried.

Thinking that the controller’s key bindings might not be set, (or set to something totally bizarre), I took a look at the “Controller” keybindings.  Nothing there, that is unless you want to fly your aircraft with the game controller.  (Hey! I can fly a “Virtual X-Box”!)

There did not appear to be anything that described - or allowed me to set - keybindings for the FPV/Drone view.

Question:
Can anyone tell me how to fly the FPV Camera/Drone in FS-2024 and/or set the game controller to allow me to do so?

Thanks!

[Ariana2022UK]

My Xbox controller is recognised automatically by plugging in

I go to:

Showcase and untick drone follow mode (so it’s not locked to the plane)

And put drone speed to max of 250 so I can whizz around

The joysticks control movement and the shoulder buttons control up, down & zoom

I do think it took some key assignments on first set up to get it sorted

[Ariana2022UK]

External view look down/ left/ right & up are all assigned to R 2

Unzoom external view assigned to LB 3

Zoom external view assigned to RB 2

[Jimrh1993]

Boss!

I gotta go try that.

[Ariana2022UK]

Is good fun once you properly have it set up!

[Jimrh1993]

Sorry!  No Caviar and Vodka for you, Comrade!

I was able to get into the “Showcase” mode where the drone settings were and I noticed the following:

• None of the settings I made to the drone view, (speed in particular) stuck when I closed the dialog or switched tabs.
• The front-edge buttons do nothing.
• the “X” button changed altitude either down to ground level or up 1 meter.
• The two joysticks have limited authority.
• No other buttons did anything at all that I noticed.

I have not found ANY Drone/Free Camera bindings settings ANYWHERE.

Grrrr!!

[Ariana2022UK]

I would go in to the settings- camera menu and delete all bindings that are there and start from scratch (make sure you are changing the settings relating to the controller and not to another input such as keyboard or joystick)

You can use the ones I mentioned or make ones that suit you

I’ll try and give a list of all my bindings next time I’m in the sim

[Jimrh1993]

Can you help me find these settings?  I can’t find them.

 

Thanks!

[SmotheryVase665]

Hi @Jimrh1993 ,
Here are my settings for my Xbox controller. Note that my settings are highly customized. If you use these, check to ensure they don’t conflict with other settings you have used on your controller:

[Ariana2022UK]

On the categories menu you are on just scroll down a bit further and it will say “Camera”

In there delete all the current assignments and then add the ones from @SmotheryVase665

[Jimrh1993]

Found it!

Now let me see if I can copy the 2020 drone controller bindings somehow. . .