Active Camera Fs2004

Active Camera 2004

AVSIM Commercial Utility Review

Rating Guide Publisher: Anticyclone Description: Microsoft Flight Simulator - View Management software Format: Download Simulation Type: FS2004 (There was an FS2002 version that had less function and was freeware)

Download Size: 5 Mb

Reviewed by: Paul Middleton - Staff Reviewer The AVSIM Commercial Rating System: 1-Star to 5 Stars inone-half star increments. As a general rule, a 3-Star rating indicates the product matches the best technology currently available in that genre. A 4-Star rating requires the product be good enough to reset that current notion of what is "best" and the rare 5-Star rating reserved for those exceptional products which mark a quantum leap in the thinking and technology of the genre. Complete detailsof the rating system may be found here .

http://www.avsim.com/pages/1104/acam/ActiveCamera.htm (1 of 7) [02/12/2004 20:20:29]

Active Camera 2004

Introduction
As our hobby develops and grows, one of the improvements is in the visual detail of aircraft. The smallest components of undercarriage, door and control surface are reproduced in the finest detail. Even close up, airline liveriessuch as the PSS "Gulf Air" Airbus A330 shown above look as good as the real thing. Fully-clickable virtual cockpits are becoming the norm, the most recent versions matching 2D cockpits in terms of visual clarity. Even larger aircraft are coming with cabins full of passenger seats or cargo pallets. The basic FS9 product, however, doesn't really allow us to see this "eye candy" in its full gloriousdetail. We do have the "Spot View" to allow us to look at the outside of our plane. It is, however, awkward to use when we want to get up close or check out an unusual angle. Virtual cockpits can be as crammed with switches and dials as the real thing, yet the View commands have their limitations, and myopic pilots like myself often have a problem reading the gauges. And the cabin interiors aredifficult to move around, unless, like the forthcoming Flight 1 ATR 72-500, there is a special facility provided. These limitations provide the opening that Active Camera 2004 addresses. Originally developed as a freeware offering for FS2002 by a small company operating from Belgium, it has now been enhanced as a commercial product for FS2004. It lets you look at those places that the basic FS2004"doesn't reach". It's a product that, once you've tried it, you may well find yourself addicted to.

Installation & Documentation
Installation is by download. You don't even need to spend any money at this stage. You can check out a trial version that's fullyfunctional, in a limited geographical area. For many of the features, it's worthwhile having a 3-button mouse or a mouse wheel. The downloadcan be accessed from the Anticyclone site. (Make sure you also apply the separate update if you are using the patched version of FS2004). Various components are installed in either the main FS9 folder, "Modules", or its own "Active Camera" folder. Once you have started up FS2004, you can configure Active Camera by going to "Options", "ActiveCamera 2004" and choosing from the various configurationoptions. You can now check out all its features, within the Seattle area. Once you have checked out the trial version and decided that you like it, this menu is also where you go to register. First you need to pay your $15 at the Anticyclone site. Then you go to "Register", where you'll be given a User Registration Key. Mail this off to Anticyclone, and they'll send you back an Authorisation KeyCode. Go back to "Register", enter the Code, and you're in business. Documentation consists of a well-illustrated 41-page Adobe Guide which is very clear to follow. If you have any problems, there is a support email address, and also an active support forum where the developers' responses are prompt.

The Options menu that allows you to configure ActiveCamera, or to register it

So now we've...