How to: Variable Zoom Function

[AbortedMan]

Semi-step-by-step on how to attain a variable zoom function within CloD:

1. Download Pinnacle Game Profiler (any similar program will work, your goal is to assign a set of buttons or axis to the mouse so that you can assign a sticky button to the "Hold to Adjust Field of View" function within CloD)

http://pinnaclegameprofiler.com/downloads

2. Once installed, set up your joystick using the wizard that should pop up. This part will be different for everyone as different joysticks will have different buttons/axis options. All you need to do is configure your HAT to a variable axis. No need to even configure/add any axis or buttons other than your HAT (or whichever buttons/axis you choose to use for your variable zoom). In this pic I've configured my X and Y on my G940's joystick HAT (labeled JOYSTICK 2) to sliders 1 and 2.

3. At main screen, click on "Game Profiles" on the top right. You'll need to click "New" to create a new profile, name it what you want, hook it to the .exe you will be using...in this case it will be something like "D:\Games\Steam\steamapps\common\il-2 sturmovik cliffs of dover\Launcher.exe".


4. Click the "Edit Configurations" button to open the configurations editor, select the device you'll be using your zoom function on in the top left box, in this case, I'm using my G940 joystick.


5. Find the JOYSTICK # you assigned your HAT to, in my example my HAT is labeled JOYSTICK 2 (should be #1 if you didn't accidentally assign your actual joystick axis to anything, like the idiot I am -- doesn't matter if you did or not, as long as it isn't assigned within Pinnacle it will have no effect). Click "Setup Joystick" and check "Map to Mouse". You can change your sensitivity to your liking...I have mine at 60% sensitivity and a 23% deadzone.


6. Press OK, you'll be back on the configuration screen. Choose any button on your joystick (or any device) you'll want to "toggle" the variable zoom function on/off. You will be binding this button within Cliffs of Dover to the "Hold to Zoom" function found in options. Right click on "No Command" under the button you choose. Then push the button you want. So if I wanted to use my joystick trigger as my zoom toggle key, I'd right click "[no command]" under BUTTON #1 and press my trigger on the joystick, essentially assigning the trigger (DX BTN 1 | A) to "BUTTON #1"


You may use any keyboard key, or joystick/throttle button you'd like, just be aware of what that button is assigned to in-game..you'll have to unassign it and reassign it to something else.

7. After your button is assigned, left click on it where "no command" just was (should be your assigned key now) and go to Behavior Modification>Enable as Sticky Button.

8. Click "Save and Close", OK on the next screen, click "PLAY" on the main screen that shows your profiles (you can have this auto-play on game start...work that out yourself, it's in the settings/preferences) and start up CloD.

9. Go to your controls menu in-game and assign "Hold to Adjust Field of View" under the Camera menu to the button you assigned in step 6.

10. Get in-game, press your "Hold to Adjust Field of View" toggle key you just assigned and move your HAT (or whichever button/axis you mapped to mouse in step 5) Voila! Variable zoom!

With this, you can zoom in much farther than using the preset FOV commands, you can also zoom way the eff out to the point where it's distorted as all hell. It takes a minute of practice to get used to how far is "too far" when zooming out, though. You can see dots a lot easier at certain FOVs that I believe are dependent on your resolution and monitor size. So play around with it.

One thing to note while using this method is your ESC key, open chat key, toggle scoreboard key, will not function while your zoom function is toggled on!! at least it doesn't for me. It may differ depending on which button you assign your zoom function toggle to. You can simply turn it off to resume those other functions, so no biggie. The normal FOV preset binds still work the same, so if you get too hung up on changing your zoom, you can still use the buttons to get back to the hard set FOV values.