Parallel 42 has followed up on its announcement of the ChasePlane camera system for Microsoft Flight Simulator with new details and a few interesting videos.
As you can see below, the developer has published a series of clips demonstrating the physics affecting the camera while using ChasePlane.
We get to see it in action in a variety of situations on five different aircraft, showcasing physicalized camera movement ranging from the subtle to the more extensive.
You can check them all out below.
In an accompanying blog post, the developer shared a list of features that we can expect from ChasePlane in Microsoft Flight Simulator.
- FlyBy Mode
- Cinematics Mode
- Tower Cam View
- Airport Runway/Parking/Overview Cameras
- Internal, External, World Camera Modes
- Easy creation of unlimited custom views in all camera modes
- Import developer-provided default views
- Community Access to instantly sample/import views from your favorite content creators & users
- Clear Sorting Structure: Mode → Groups → Views
- Camera groups to organize collections of views with similar settings
- Set preferred default Zoom factor per group/view
- Assign shortcuts to individual views and/or entire camera groups
- Gimbal option for views to keep horizon level
- Physics-based camera motion that respects the flight model, never alters it.
- Multiple physics types (Human, Mounted, Orbit, Chase)
- Adjustable mouse look speed and momentum
- Single control assignment set for all camera movements instead of per-mode control sets
- Intuitive Interface focused on views, not settings
- Use “Mouse Look” while in Drone Mode
- Cloud and local backups
- Sim-pit pilots can align views perfectly with their IRL setup.
- No spreadsheet outlining aircraft compatibility.
- Works in VR
- Works with TrackIR
- All this and more, built as an in-sim panel with the elegance and usability you expect from //42
We also learn that the version for Microsoft Flight Simulator is coming soon, with one last wave of testing pending. The developer is “refining the UI, polishing features, and making sure everything runs smoothly across different setups.”
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 users will have to wait longer, as a separate version is being developed. Each version will take advantage of the respective simulator. At the moment a working MSFS 2024 build exists, but the developer isn’t ready to commit to a firm release date,
The good news is that a free upgrade to MSFS 2024 will be offered at no additional cost (for a limited time) when the dedicated version launches to those who purchased the MSFS 2020 version.
Unfortunately, ChasePlane will not release for Xbox and will remain a PC-only application.
Microsoft Flight Simulator is currently available for both PC and Xbox Series X|S, albeit today’s release is only available for PC for the moment.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is currently available for the same platforms following its recent release in November. if you want to see the visual difference against Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, you can enjoy our video and screenshot comparison.
You can also check out our in-depth analysis of how much data the simulator downloads from the cloud, clearing the air from some widespread misinformation that made the rounds over the past few weeks.
You can also watch our latest interview with Jorg Neumann, the previous interview with Neumann himself and Sebastian Wloch, another with Asobo CCO David Dedeine, and one featuring Chris Burnett of Working Title and Brandon Yaeger of Got Friends about their work on MSFS 2024.