Camera 8

[warh0g]

Is this a new camera mode added? It is fantastic, it shows the DMD in the back box and the entire playing field

 

[Jeff Strong]

Lovely, isn’t it?

 

[EldarOfSuburbia]

It's not "new" - it was in the most recent beta build released last Friday (9/7) - and it was the view i eventually settled on. My only mild complaint is that in portrait mode (1080x1920) it maybe looked a bit "squished", particularly at the bottom?

 

[McLovin]

Nice! I like this as well

 

[ImperiousStout]

It's not "new" - it was in the most recent beta build released last Friday (9/7) - and it was the view i eventually settled on. My only mild complaint is that in portrait mode (1080x1920) it maybe looked a bit "squished", particularly at the bottom?

Yeah, in portrait mode it's a completely different angle. It appears to be approaching what's almost an orthographic projection, the perspective / proportions on everything seems way off, squished like you say. Very odd to play. Here's an edited side by side comparison (I tried to match the amount of table and backglass displayed in both to better show off the weird perspective in portrait mode).

It's even more apparent in ultrawide portrait (1080x2560) since it crops the sides off and and zooms in further at a similar funky angle.

It could / should look amazing in portrait, needs a more realistic perspective. I'd prefer a custom camera view so I could get it exactly how I want it, but if they fixed this up on their end it could work for now. All images here.

 

[EldarOfSuburbia]

It's annoying because that camera is almost exactly the "I'm standing at the table" view (adjust for height as necessary, but since I'm of an average height, it's just about spot on). Just can't get the distortion out of my mind.

 

[ImperiousStout]

For now you can kind of futz with it in windowed mode to look a bit more proper like it does in landscape. When the window gets wide enough, it switched the same camera view / angle as the normal landscape presentation.
This will crop the edges of all sides of the table when you recenter the window, there will be the windows title bar visible and you'll probably want to hide the taskbar below, but it's better than the alternative for now.

First, switch from fullscreen to windowed mode in the video options, then drag the whole window over so either the left or right edge of the game window is visible, then grab the edge and extend it. You might have to reposition the window again and extend it far enough for the view to switch. Then you can drag the title bar to recenter the table. You can fine tune it from there.


Here's the result of the extended window for me in portrait (1080x1920): https://i.imgur.com/KTjnBRU.jpg
Comparison with extended windowed vs fullscreen in portrait: https://i.imgur.com/cIJp8Hx.jpg

edit: crud, seems this only works if you have multiple monitors. I switched to single display mode and the window wouldn't extend when I tried, only shrink.

 

[lio]

View 8 would be great if it were higher up and looking down steeper on the table, the angles of the slings/flippers/return lanes just look weird, almost orthographic, as ImperiousStout said.

Pro Pinball Timishock Ultra got it right for that view in my opinion.
https://games-mag.de/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Pro_Pinball_Ultra.jpg

 

[kimkom]

View 8 would be great if it were higher up and looking down steeper on the table, the angles of the slings/flippers/return lanes just look weird, almost orthographic, as ImperiousStout said.

Pro Pinball Timishock Ultra got it right for that view in my opinion.
https://games-mag.de/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Pro_Pinball_Ultra.jpg

Agree with this lio

I like View 8 but in landscape the end of the table appears a bit narrow (seeing more of the table surroundings at that end). In portait you're right, it's very orthographic and quite unnatural looking. The Timeshock example angle looks really good.

 

[ImperiousStout]

I found an image online of an actual table that's almost exactly what the perspective Camera 8 should probably have in FX3's portrait orientation.

Here they are side by side: https://i.imgur.com/UKwzBsk.jpg

The distance / zoom could be tweaked a bit, but the height and angle are nearly identical. Really shows how messed up the perspective is in the game!

 

[dmil666]

I just discovered that the Boba Fett table also has camera 8, just like the Williams tables, and it's pretty cool to use occasionally. You get a better look at the table layout and the bash toys, plus the DMD is on the table screen and not blocking the field (I use 2 monitors in cabinet mode) which is nice sometimes. I haven't found any other Zen tables that have camera 8 available so far, and that's a shame as it's a useful tool.
I swear that camera 8 changes the way the table plays (excuses - I've got a million of 'em), but I'm sure that I'm just playing the table differently due to my lying eyeballs lying to me once again.
Camera 8 makes for a fun change.

 

[SavvyChimp]

Right now my favorite camera view is 1w but if Zen could make a 8w I would switch to that view. Please Zen make this camera view.