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ATAG_Headshot
Feb-07-2013, 07:08
Uploaded in 1080p. It is a big file but worth the wait for the quality!

For a while I have been thinking about trying to start a web series based on the flying we do in this simulator. Thankfully the external view enabler utility has allowed me to get the external views that are needed for this to really take place. This whole video was based on a single sortie flown and shows all of the main points of action that took place during it. If people like the style of this video I will keep doing more, possibly not even all from my own flights but from other peoples as well if they have saved tracks.

The reason I have wanted to do a series like this is not only for the enjoyment of people in the sim community but also for friends or people who want to see what it is about simming that has us hooked. This could be a way for us to share our stories with friends in a way that's more effective then waving our hands around while talking about planes that they can't even visualize. Either way these will take a lot of time and energy to make so I want to see how well it is received before starting more. Let me know what you think!

I am still quite new to movie making and this is the most ambitious project I have taken on so far. Any comments or criticism are welcome, but please try to keep it constructive. One thing I do know that I need to change is removing the in sim radar operator voice. I didn't even think about it until it was way too late in the project, but next video will have that off. I've also never really tried narrating anything like this before but next one I will try to slow down how fast I am talking (or just try find someone quite good at narrating). Most of the camera shots I was able to do with the steady in game camera in the track editor, however there were a few scenes where it didn't work. If things got too close to the deck or planes passed vertically over each other the camera could instantly snap around 180 degrees and it was just disorienting. Unfortunately for those I had to use mouse control for the camera so it wasn't quite as smooth.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy the show. It was sure fun to fly and I'm glad that we have a track editor that allows it to be shown to others in exactly the way it happened!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjIKMi9B95Y

ATAG_Snapper
Feb-07-2013, 08:17
Excellent AAR, Headshot! I was spellbound through the entire video! I would say that's a very accurate depiction of a typical mission across the Channel, very effectively presented. Although my missions usually end much, much quicker as a smoking hole in Occupied France! LOL

Great dogfighting sequences.

But wait! The phone's ringing......BLUE SECTION....SCRAMBLE!!!! C'MON CHAPS....GET A MOVE ON!!!!

(Looking forward to your next AAR. Can you tell? :D )

ATAG_Septic
Feb-07-2013, 09:19
I enjoyed it Headshot, as Snapper said, great dogfighting sequences, instructive flying and commentary. Considering this was all one very eventful (by my standards) mission, I can't really offer any criticism and would like to see more!

Thanks,

Septic.

ATAG_Colander
Feb-07-2013, 12:34
Headshot,

Very very nice vid.
The only think I would add is more "in cockpit" scenes so those who don't know the game don't think is a 3rd person shooter and you fly all the time with outside views.

Colander.

ATAG_Headshot
Feb-07-2013, 14:10
Headshot,

Very very nice vid.
The only think I would add is more "in cockpit" scenes so those who don't know the game don't think is a 3rd person shooter and you fly all the time with outside views.

Colander.

Good idea. I will do that for the next vid!

DK_
Feb-07-2013, 14:13
.......

Anyways, I hope you enjoy the show. It was sure fun to fly and I'm glad that we have a track editor that allows it to be shown to others in exactly the way it happened!


I did enjoy the show, thank you for posting. The radar voices need to go away for sure, since they are goofy as all get out. I have them disabled at all times. Please make more AARs, I would like to see them :thumbsup:

Were the bombers AI or players? Did you have a different skin on your Spit for the video or is that what shows in the game? One of the 109s seemed to have an interesting skin as well. Where these added for the video or do they show in game?

Using the playback you can see who your are flying against since in game I'm never really sure if it's AI or player. Sometime I know because of how they fly but it's cool to find out later who shot me down, ha ha. Maybe some would not like to be identified in your youtube video but I think it would be cool to have a little pop up showing the players ID at your initial engagement and also of your other flight elements. Who knows, maybe I'll make a flaming and smoking appearance in one of your movies!

I have really enjoyed the external view enabler utility and it has allowed me to have my own AAR after flights to analyze what happened and how badly I flew the sortie. I wish there was a utility that allowed rewind, instant track placement, cutting and snipping....basically a built in movie maker would be awesome. Some of my tracks/records are really long and having to play the whole thing to find the few minutes of action is less than fun especially if I fast forward too much and miss a good part. I guess one would use FRAPs or something to caputure video using the track player? Is that how you did it?

Cheers

ATAG_JTDawg
Feb-07-2013, 14:40
very nice m8 :thumbsup:

ATAG_Headshot
Feb-07-2013, 17:40
I did enjoy the show, thank you for posting. The radar voices need to go away for sure, since they are goofy as all get out. I have them disabled at all times. Please make more AARs, I would like to see them :thumbsup:

Were the bombers AI or players? Did you have a different skin on your Spit for the video or is that what shows in the game? One of the 109s seemed to have an interesting skin as well. Where these added for the video or do they show in game?

Using the playback you can see who your are flying against since in game I'm never really sure if it's AI or player. Sometime I know because of how they fly but it's cool to find out later who shot me down, ha ha. Maybe some would not like to be identified in your youtube video but I think it would be cool to have a little pop up showing the players ID at your initial engagement and also of your other flight elements. Who knows, maybe I'll make a flaming and smoking appearance in one of your movies!

I have really enjoyed the external view enabler utility and it has allowed me to have my own AAR after flights to analyze what happened and how badly I flew the sortie. I wish there was a utility that allowed rewind, instant track placement, cutting and snipping....basically a built in movie maker would be awesome. Some of my tracks/records are really long and having to play the whole thing to find the few minutes of action is less than fun especially if I fast forward too much and miss a good part. I guess one would use FRAPs or something to caputure video using the track player? Is that how you did it?

Cheers

To be honest I'm just so used to ignoring the voices in game that I didn't even notice them until I was mostly done editing... then really kicked myself for it. Next video will have them off for sure. The Blenheims in the video were player flown, and both bombers and all three spits were in one teamspeak channel. I believe the JU-88 was a player plane as well. Next time I will definitely try get the names of the other allied pilots. I don't think I will ever post the names of enemy pilots (unless I manage to ask their permission first) to avoid either fingering them out or to look like I'm bragging.

The way that I did this with the track player was rather simple actually. While watching your big long track, you can actually save other tracks as you go. This allows you to go through the first time and save a bunch of separate tracks from the parent one, each of which is only a few minutes long and has exactly what you want. So for example if you have an hour long track where you had a really good 3 minute flight and you want to see that multiple times from multiple angles to analyze it you can load your first track, go to just -before- the action starts, hit escape then start recording. Go back into the track and let it run to the end of your fight then hit escape and stop recording. In that way you get a 3 minute track with only the part you want to see and you won't have to fast forward through the rest of it every time. I do use Fraps to capture my video from the track. Many times it takes multiple takes to get just the right camera angles or movement, so it's really important to make the small tracks to save time and annoyance.

DK_
Feb-07-2013, 17:52
Didn't know that. Thanks for the tip. I had not experimented with that and so now realize what it can do. What about choosing frame rates? It looks like it defaults to 30, is that a good number or would 60 be better. Maybe match the monitor?

Thanks

ATAG_Snapper
Feb-07-2013, 18:19
@Headshot re making multiple tracks. I didn't realize that, either. Perhaps a dumb question, but do you have to send the "minitracks" to the ATAG external view utility?

ATAG_Headshot
Feb-07-2013, 18:19
Didn't know that. Thanks for the tip. I had not experimented with that and so now realize what it can do. What about choosing frame rates? It looks like it defaults to 30, is that a good number or would 60 be better. Maybe match the monitor?

Thanks

I record in fraps at 29.97 as that matches the framerate that I render in.

ChiefRedCloud
Feb-07-2013, 18:43
Headshot I too enjoyed your video and your tips on making it. I would only suggest a small thing. Start your plane outside the hanger or use internal inside the hanger. Why? The concret floor looks way to bland. No stains no sense of really anything. Most of the time we pay little attention to this simply because we are IN the cockpit. But my suggestion certainly is not a show stopper. again, thanks for sharing ....

ATAG_Headshot
Feb-07-2013, 21:21
@Headshot re making multiple tracks. I didn't realize that, either. Perhaps a dumb question, but do you have to send the "minitracks" to the ATAG external view utility?

No, once your main track is unlocked all subsequent tracks will be unlocked as well. If you do watch from external views and move around though then you go into the mini tracks with view change not checked it will play back exactly as you watched from the main track though, not from the in cockpit stuff as the main track had. I find it is best to just record your mini tracks with your view locked to what it was while you were flying, then do your external views on the next watch.

DK_
Feb-07-2013, 21:41
No, once your main track is unlocked all subsequent tracks will be unlocked as well. If you do watch from external views and move around though then you go into the mini tracks with view change not checked it will play back exactly as you watched from the main track though, not from the in cockpit stuff as the main track had. I find it is best to just record your mini tracks with your view locked to what it was while you were flying, then do your external views on the next watch.

Another good tip, thank you.

Continu0
Feb-08-2013, 05:13
Guys, can any1 tell me what der Blue Pilot at 11.00 did wrong? To me it looks like a perfect executed attack. Boom and Zoom, always get maximal energy back from your dive. Yet, he doesn`t have a chance against the spit...???

Oersted
Feb-08-2013, 05:17
I guess one would use FRAPs or something to caputure video using the track player? Is that how you did it?


I'll just add here that I use MSI Afterburner, which is FREEWARE and does all I can imagine necessary and video-captures beautifully. Just for the cheapskates like me who don't want to pay for Fraps.

This is probably the movie that shows "the truest" how it is to fly with CoD on the ATAG server. Great narrative, and an amazing mission. I would have died three times over...
I like very much that you don't show any text on screen: makes for more beautiful images. I'd have liked a nicer and more historical cammo on your plane. Next time perhaps. Editing of the views was spot on and showed the dogfights very clearly. I never saw a movie that showed triple-A so well. All in all: GREAT!!
(my youtube comment)

92 Sqn. Philstyle (QJ-P)
Feb-08-2013, 06:13
Guys, can any1 tell me what der Blue Pilot at 11.00 did wrong? To me it looks like a perfect executed attack. Boom and Zoom, always get maximal energy back from your dive. Yet, he doesn`t have a chance against the spit...???

I thought the same thing. Here's what I suspect (but I've been accused of "noob" mistakes myself lately so I might not be the best person to ask);

The first climb the 109 makes appears to be about 20-30 degrees nose-up. He get's quite far, quite quickly, but he seems a bit to eager to me. He rolls over quite early and this results in acute angle in his dive, he has to pull back fairly hard to line up the spit. If he'd been further back,. the angle to target would have been shallower, requiring less elevator input to line up (and giving him more time to abort the attack if he had wanted).

The second climb at 11:00 starts off nice. But by 11:07 you can see his angle of attack is very high. Whilst, he is gaining height, he is not really moving away from the spitfire as far as he would if his vector was more horizontal. He is converting speed to potential energy, but what he should be doing is putting distance between himself and the spitfire. It's not the spitfire he has to out-run, it is the spitfire's machine gun rounds - which fly much faster than the spitfire ;)

I think that if the 109 had climbed shallower, his airspeed would have been greater, and thus he would not have sacrificed the distance to the threat by converting so much of his kinetic energy to gravitational potential energy. With a bit more patience (extending further, at a lower angle of attack), I think the 109 could have killed Headshot.

Continu0
Feb-08-2013, 06:27
I thought the same thing. Here's what I suspect (but I've been accused of "noob" mistakes myself lately so I might not be the best person to ask);

The first climb the 109 makes appears to be about 20-30 degrees nose-up. He get's quite far, quite quickly, but he seems a bit to eager to me. He rolls over quite early and this results in acute angle in his dive, he has to pull back fairly hard to line up the spit. If he'd been further back,. the angle to target would have been shallower, requiring less elevator input to line up (and giving him more time to abort the attack if he had wanted).

The second climb at 11:00 starts off nice. But by 11:07 you can see his angle of attack is very high. Whilst, he is gaining height, he is not really moving away from the spitfire as far as he would if his vector was more horizontal. He is converting speed to potential energy, but what he should be doing is putting distance between himself and the spitfire. It's not the spitfire he has to out-run, it is the spitfire's machine gun rounds - which fly much faster than the spitfire ;)

I think that if the 109 had climbed shallower, his airspeed would have been greater, and thus he would not have sacrificed the distance to the threat by converting so much of his kinetic energy to gravitational potential energy. With a bit more patience (extending further, at a lower angle of attack), I think the 109 could have killed Headshot.

Well, that`s what I can think off as well.... but didn`t we just have that discussion where Bliss stated that a very high angle of attack is just the right thing for the 109s? To me this one would be a prime example of such a high angle of attack... still Headshot gets into his six...

They started off the same level but Headshot "gets away with" doing an S-Curve before even climbing (In Fact, Headshot has to turn before every clib he does...)! Therefore Headshot should have lost energy while the 109 at least converted energy into altitude...

92 Sqn. Philstyle (QJ-P)
Feb-08-2013, 06:38
Well, that`s what I can think off as well.... but didn`t we just have that discussion where Bliss stated that a very high angle of attack is just the right thing for the 109s? To me this one would be a prime example of such a high angle of attack... still Headshot gets into his six......
Correct. But Bliss said "high angle of attack at low speed".
I know what Bliss is referring too. It's when both aircraft are quite low on energy (~200-250 kph), the 109 can pull away because he can raise the nose just a little bit higher than the spitfire and keep climbing. When slow like this, if the spitfire wants to make the shot, he has to do it really quickly and he only gets one chance, otherwise he stalls. The longer the spitfire waits to take the shot, the further away the 109 gets, until the spitfire has to break off.

In that situation (as soon as I realise the 109 is going to start the low-speed climb), what I normally do is risk the stall, yank the nose up, and get off a quick 0.5 second shot before the 109 gets away. If I can hit his engine, radiator, or a control surface then I got lucky. Sometimes you can do this quickly before the stall. But, if I don't hit him with that tiny burst, the 109 is gone (and now with the height and speed advantage), and it's best for me to dive away to safety (turning so he loses sight of you too hopefully).

ATAG_Headshot
Feb-08-2013, 11:15
There is something else in play here too. Even though I had to S turn before the climb every time that puts me far enough back that as the 109 is just at the end of his climb and starting to either stall or come back down I'm just getting started with mine. Because of this he is going quite slow for a moment which makes him an easy target for a long distance shot. Most of those hits in this vid were beyond my convergence range. While I'm still just starting my climb I have lots of energy to maneuver my spit around slightly to get the shot while he can do almost nothing but just roll over. If he wouldn't roll over so soon or go slightly shallower so that he doesn't stall and gets further away from me before coming around again I would be screwed.

There is nothing magical about what the spitfire is doing here. I watch how steep he climbs, estimate how high he will get and where he will be and time my climb so that I line up just as he is coming out of it. That way I can take my shot and pull out of my climb earlier therefore keeping more energy. The other thing to note is that usually as we both come out of the climb he recovers at a higher altitude while I have to go lower to recover. This puts me at more of a disadvantage, but the hits I put in usually make them try maneuver to quick to either get away or try get back on me and then they lose too much energy. If the 109's would have extended more instead of pressing the attack there would have been nothing I could do. The other thing to note is that this fight took place on the deck. The spitfire is a very competitive aircraft down low as the sim is now. Take it even just 5000 feet higher and that starts to change fast... 109's shouldn't fight down low if they can help it. Keep flying up. If I follow I am dead meat. If I don't follow they can get an even better boom and zoom going. I have to agree with Bliss, if the 109 is flown right I feel like a sitting duck in my spit.

92 Sqn. Philstyle (QJ-P)
Feb-08-2013, 11:43
If the 109's would have extended more instead of pressing the attack there would have been nothing I could do. t.

Seems to me to be the case also. I get the feeling that this 109 pilot was a bit too eager to bag the kill. Perhaps over confident, or perhaps trying to bag the fight quickly in case your buddies showed up. I've made that mistake before, trying to rush a fight because I'm worried about potential enemy reinforcements.

StormBat
Feb-08-2013, 16:19
Great Video Headshot! I can't wait to see more mate. Very entertaining I was glued from beginning to end and am already a fan! keep them coming Brother.:thumbsup:

Oersted
Feb-11-2013, 20:31
Continuo, check out my latest vid, Fast Kill, slow motion... - Exactly the same thing happens, but with the roles reversed. The Spittie goes high but turns straight down in front of my guns.

I'd say that the 109 in Headshot's movie should have stayed up high on the perch and watched the Spittie wallow around and then come down for the shot at an angle and time of his own choosing.

Continu0
Feb-12-2013, 17:05
yep, that makes perfect sense, I see it now!
Watched your vid, Frey, it`s great! Can`t wait for your next one.