Camera control?

[Approach_Medium]

I was trying to create a video with Fraps in TS2010 SP3.
I had an Amtrak train heading for a meet with a freight. Amtrak was moving fast, and the freight was waiting.

I wanted to get my "camera" into position next to the waiting freight's locomotives to get the shot of the Amtrak train coming around the bend at high speed. I also wanted to have control of the Amtrak train because there is a crossing just before the curve that I wanted to be able to blow the horn for.
I had my camera in position, but realized that I had control of the freight train, not Amtrak. By the time I had switched trains, and tried to come back to the same position I was in before the switch, it was too late. Amtrak had already come into sight.

I wish that there was a better way (or any way at all) to control cameras in Driver. You can set up cameras, but can only use them in the tracking view, not the roaming view. How stupid is that?
It would have been even better if I could have been inside the cab of the UP freight to watch the Amtrak train go by, but if I had done that, I would not have been able to blow the Amtrak's horn at the crossing.
I have read about some trackside objects that can act as cameras, but haven't ever tried any of them. Maybe someone can point me in the right direction here.

Even having saved locations in Driver, as we have in Surveyor (clicking the green buttons in the filter tool) would help.

FW

 

[Euphod]

Unless I've missed some camera innovations, which is entirely possible, the problem with the trackside objects as camera is you still have to be controlling them to obtain the camera view, as they are configured to be a drivable object, or a switchtower, or even a person.
If there is a way to maintain the camera view from these objects AND manually blow a horn on a different object I do not know of it.
Of course if you started with the Amtrak, and used the roaming camera to place your view ahead, where you wished to observe, then you could blow the horn on the Amtrak while still waiting for it to appear.

 

[Approach_Medium]

Unless I've missed some camera innovations, which is entirely possible, the problem with the trackside objects as camera is you still have to be controlling them to obtain the camera view, as they are configured to be a drivable object, or a switchtower, or even a person.
If there is a way to maintain the camera view from these objects AND manually blow a horn on a different object I do not know of it.
Of course if you started with the Amtrak, and used the roaming camera to place your view ahead, where you wished to observe, then you could blow the horn on the Amtrak while still waiting for it to appear.

I could also set up a trigger to blow the horn, but I am not happy with how that sounds.
The reason I switched control to the other train, is that I wanted to go quickly to its location. I should have used the find command instead, since it was very close to a named signal.

FW

 

[norfolksouthern37]

use the pause function... you should still be able to move the camera around and select trains to control. one thing we cant do in real life when setting up photos!

 

[Approach_Medium]

use the pause function... you should still be able to move the camera around and select trains to control. one thing we cant do in real life when setting up photos!

Thanks Justin;
I should have thought of that, and also changing the sensitivity of my mouse. It is an Evoluent that has buttons to adjust sensitivity right on the mouse. I had it set too fast (low sensitivity).
I guess it was too late at night for me to be playing with Trainz

FW

 

[Approach_Medium]

What about setting how close an approaching train needs to be to the camera before the view switches to it in tracking view?
I would love it if I could have the view switch a lot sooner.

FW

 

[Stationbeem]

There is an invisible horn on the DLS that you could place near the crossing. "Invisible Horn" Kuid 200726:24033 by michael-h.
Place it so the point is facing in the direction your loco is traveling