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Howto:Make nice screenshots: Difference between revisions
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In this [[:Category:Howto|howto]] I will explain how to make nice screenshots in [[FlightGear]]. This is helpful for those who want to advertise FGFS on other sim-related forums or on booths around the world. | In this [[:Category:Howto|howto]] I will explain how to make nice screenshots in [[FlightGear]]. This is helpful for those who want to advertise FGFS on other sim-related forums or on booths around the world. | ||
===Basics to know=== | === Basics to know === | ||
Good pictures: | Good pictures: | ||
* They appeal to us in some way, by telling a story, revealing something unexpected, or showing an interesting point of view. | * They appeal to us in some way, by telling a story, revealing something unexpected, or showing an interesting point of view. | ||
* They encourage us to look at them for more than just a second, searching for more details. | * They encourage us to look at them for more than just a second, searching for more details. A good screen-shot can invite us to think about how it was made, maybe even inspire us to create images of our own. | ||
* The best screen-shots are technically correct, the lighting and colors are right, and the composition is good. | * The best screen-shots are technically correct, the lighting and colors are right, and the composition is good. | ||
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To get some ideas, I suggest to look on the aircraft picture pages around the web like [http://www.airliners.net Airliners.net]. It will give you some ideas. In addition, it is always a good idea to think about what you actually want to show case. While a snapshot of an airliner in mid flight is -for instance- a nice way of showing it's latest features on the forum, it typically doesn't really last as an overall impressive screen shot. Placing the aircraft in a scene where some implied action is taking place will most of the time already make a huge difference. Capture the plane while it's banking, gear is retracting, etc etc, will imply some dynamic motion in your otherwise static image. In this respect, it may help to think of a little story, a scenario that you're reenacting. Trying to capture a few key scenes from that story may also help to make the difference between an average and an interesting screen shot. | To get some ideas, I suggest to look on the aircraft picture pages around the web like [http://www.airliners.net Airliners.net]. It will give you some ideas. In addition, it is always a good idea to think about what you actually want to show case. While a snapshot of an airliner in mid flight is -for instance- a nice way of showing it's latest features on the forum, it typically doesn't really last as an overall impressive screen shot. Placing the aircraft in a scene where some implied action is taking place will most of the time already make a huge difference. Capture the plane while it's banking, gear is retracting, etc etc, will imply some dynamic motion in your otherwise static image. In this respect, it may help to think of a little story, a scenario that you're reenacting. Trying to capture a few key scenes from that story may also help to make the difference between an average and an interesting screen shot. | ||
===Air to Air=== | === Air to Air === | ||
* '''Helicopter View:''' This assumes that you are in a virtual, not visible helicopter besides the aircraft. You are always flying level. With the mouse you can choose the position of the "helicopter". | * '''Helicopter View:''' This assumes that you are in a virtual, not visible helicopter besides the aircraft. You are always flying level. With the mouse you can choose the position of the "helicopter". | ||
* '''Chase View:''' This assumes you are chasing the aircraft. It is very similar to the first one. | * '''Chase View:''' This assumes you are chasing the aircraft. It is very similar to the first one. | ||
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Try switching between them to see what you like more(I prefer Chase view). Playing around with position of the camera will help too. As an example if the aircraft is turning and banking, make a shot from the wing to the aircraft facing the ground. Or while approaching the runway, a shot from behind the aircraft would be good. | Try switching between them to see what you like more(I prefer Chase view). Playing around with position of the camera will help too. As an example if the aircraft is turning and banking, make a shot from the wing to the aircraft facing the ground. Or while approaching the runway, a shot from behind the aircraft would be good. | ||
===Ground to Air=== | === Ground to Air === | ||
[[ | [[File:Wiki PlaceTower.jpg|thumb|270px|Setting the Tower on top of the mountain looking down to the airport with the [http://www.gidenstam.org/FlightGear/misc/place_tower.xml Place_Tower.xml]]] | ||
For this we use the Tower view and Tower View look from. This assumes that the virtual camera is on the Airport Tower, ca. 30ft above the airport level. You can choose via the Menu which airport is used. That's nice, but limited. | For this we use the Tower view and Tower View look from. This assumes that the virtual camera is on the Airport Tower, ca. 30ft above the airport level. You can choose via the Menu which airport is used. That's nice, but limited. | ||
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setprop(tower ~ "/altitude-ft", 6.5 + MtoFT * click_pos.alt()); | setprop(tower ~ "/altitude-ft", 6.5 + MtoFT * click_pos.alt()); | ||
===Panorama=== | === Panorama === | ||
[[ | [[File:Fgfs-screen-560 stitch2.jpg|thumb|600px|180 degrees Panorama stitched with 20 images inside the C172P cockpit while flying above the Custom Scenery for South France]] | ||
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panorama Panorama] is a wide-angle view. With this, you can show large areas of sceneries or interiors like flightdecks. | [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panorama Panorama] is a wide-angle view. With this, you can show large areas of sceneries or interiors like flightdecks. | ||
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== Field of View (FoV) == | == Field of View (FoV) == | ||
[[ | [[File:wiki_FoV.jpeg|thumb|270px|The difference of wide/Narrow angle. See how the background changes using a zoom!]] | ||
You can change this by pressing X/x-key or using the Mouse-wheel in View-mode. | You can change this by pressing X/x-key or using the Mouse-wheel in View-mode. | ||
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== Lighting and Daytime == | == Lighting and Daytime == | ||
[[ | [[File:Wiki low sun shaders.jpg|thumb|270px|Showing the effect of the low sun and the water shaders]] | ||
The most appealing photos in real life are made in the morning or evening. The light has a warm color, the shadows and ambient colors are soft and long which gives fantastic impressions. The noon gives hard shadows and strong contrasts, which are hard to deal with. | The most appealing photos in real life are made in the morning or evening. The light has a warm color, the shadows and ambient colors are soft and long which gives fantastic impressions. The noon gives hard shadows and strong contrasts, which are hard to deal with. | ||