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Telemetry from DCS

Discussion in 'Digital Combat Simulators (DCS)' started by Hypo, Jun 7, 2014.

  1. Hypo

    Hypo Member

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    Can anyone tell which Lua scripts I should be looking at to get telemetry from DCS?

    TIA

    Hypo
  2. prilad

    prilad Well-Known Member SimAxe Beta Tester SimTools Developer

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    • Agree Agree x 1
  3. Hypo

    Hypo Member

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    Hi Prilad

    I have studied this documentation before and never found the precise Lua file that is extracting data. If you know what this file is I would be grateful if you could let me know.

    Just want to see what the feasibility of using my www.flightillusion.com instruments.

    TIA

    Hypo
  4. BlazinH

    BlazinH Well-Known Member

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    Hi @Hypo , I was just running Flaming Cliffs 2 a few hours ago for the first time in over a year. In that title there is a file in the install directory called “.../Config/Export”. When you open it there is a lua script called “Export”. You can open it with notepad to read and edit it. This is the part of the code that exports the telemetry data:

    This is the section that gets and sends the data once you have set up a socket. You must delete all the -- to uncomment the code in order to use it like this:

    Or you can set it up to send the data to a file instead of a socket if you wish. Also, remember to uncomment your file or socket to initilize them in this part:

    I hope this helps you with what you’re looking for!
    • Dislike Dislike x 1
    Last edited: Jun 8, 2014
  5. eaorobbie

    eaorobbie Well-Known Member SimTools Developer Gold Contributor

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    Cant use GameDash or not enough info coming from it for you.
  6. BlazinH

    BlazinH Well-Known Member

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    @eaorobbie , You agreed with prilad’s link but then disagreed where I posted the specific portion of the code from that link that exports telemetry! It doesn’t appear you attempted to do any research to state additional information to help Hypo or to discount what I stated however (you must not have any)! Do you just plan on disagreeing with everything I post from now on because I said things that got under your skin in the past?

    @Hypo , The code works as I stated! I use it to extract data from the FC2 title and use it directly with my own motion software. Use of SimTools or other motion extraction software is not even necessary. I haven’t tried with other DCS titles but the lua export script still appears to be the same. The code I posted doesn’t extract everything however. You must add the required code for extracting additional data from this list:

    Some are easier to understand how to export than others but add the “LoGet”, "MyPlane", "mech", etc. outputs you require to the others in the code I posted above. Then you must alter the socket sending command by adding the new outputs to export them.

    Here is an example of how to do it with some additional outputs that I have added:


    While this is the portion of the code that gets and extracts the data, you must include all of the export script, at least the part that is not commented out already. There is also a lua script called "Config" that is in the .../Config/Export folder also. Make sure the last line of code is uncommitted and states, "EnableExportScript = True". Forget GameDash because it’s just to limited in function for most flight sim use! In fact, according to its plugin information, DashApp Data has not even been implemented for it yet! If that’s accurate information then it’s pretty obvious that you, “Cant use GameDash or not enough info coming from it for you.”
    Last edited: Jun 8, 2014
  7. Hypo

    Hypo Member

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    Hi BlazinH

    Thanks for the information. I've only just returned to DCS and I am really enjoying it. I used to fly IL-2 and had a cockpit simulator setup using Flight Illusion instruments and my own Java software to drive them. I would like to do this with DCS and I am just looking into the feasibility of being able to do it. Finding out what telemetry can be extracted is something I can look into. The reply about what Lua scripts is 1st Class and very helpful. Learning Lua and refreshing my C programming skills is also something I am prepared to do.

    Hey, guys, please don't argue about this post. BlazinH, you've been very helpful and earobbie, prilad and others have been great helping getting my mates motion simulator working worth Cliffs of Dover and DCS. If we all work together we wil acheive what each of use want to get working. In the long term I would like to use my friends great gSeat design to build a full motion sim. For me using simulated instruments and a high fidelity cockpit is what I want to build first.

    If I can give something back to community in the future I will do so. As I said, the community really helped Hugso at a time I couldn't. We are both grateful to the XSimulator crowd.

    Thanks for all your help, chaps.
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    Last edited: Jun 8, 2014
  8. yobuddy

    yobuddy Well-Known Member Staff Member Moderator SimAxe Beta Tester SimTools Developer Gold Contributor

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    I believe eaorobbie was just saying that Hypo may be able to use 'GameDash' to achieve the same results.
    Get his dash up and running.
    yobuddy
    • Agree Agree x 1
  9. Hypo

    Hypo Member

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    I don't want to go on about being unwell, but has taken some time to get back to flying and want to write programs to get my simulator to work. If I do things steadily I won't exhaust myself and I will be able to want I want and also give back to the community.
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  10. yobuddy

    yobuddy Well-Known Member Staff Member Moderator SimAxe Beta Tester SimTools Developer Gold Contributor

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    Take a look at GameDash addon for SimTools.
    It may do what you need without any programming needed.

    http://www.xsimulator.net/community/marketplace/game-dash.76/

    I don't remember off hand if DCS has dash data available.
    But it may be worth a look.

    The stuff @BlazinH posted is great too thou!!
    So you can go that way also, sure be cool to see it up and running!
    yobuddy
  11. eaorobbie

    eaorobbie Well-Known Member SimTools Developer Gold Contributor

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    You might have stumbled upon another little addon to SimTools that might be needed in order to help the flight sim crews, Maybe alittle app to relay this data from our plugin to the app to the device you wish to run, GameDash is limited to 20 values, fine for racing but might not be enough data to keep the flight boys happy. Dunno only a suggestion, my aim was to make you aware we have something, if its is set, not sure didn't write the plugin, or doesn't provide the write data, lets try to fix it so when others go down this path, its a lot easier for them. Its how I feel the software and community grows, bit by bit as people request or come up with new ideas.
    Sorry didn't mean to offend anyone.
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  12. Hypo

    Hypo Member

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    Thanks for all your posts and suggestions. For now I am keeping things real simple for flying I've come up with the idea of having two simulators. One is in my house and I keep it simple by using off the shelf products like Thrustmasters MFDs. This is called Cockpit Mk.II.b. The second simulator will be in my shed and will be Cockpit Mk.II.s. You can see what I have got in mind for the sim in the shed: http://www.ge-tec.co.uk/cockpit-mk-ii/ and I have a Blog here: http://www.ge-tec.co.uk/blog/ that I post about how the simulators are progressing.
  13. BlazinH

    BlazinH Well-Known Member

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    Sorry for over reacting again @eaorobbie ! And I was ill informed about the capacities of GameDash due to the fact I hadn’t installed it yet, sorry @yobuddy . I thought it was only capable of 3 outputs, duh! I did not find documentation online (other than on its download page) for how to use GameDash and there isn’t a picture of how GameDash appears in its plugin download page either. May I suggest that an image of GameDash be added there. And documentation under the SimTools heading in the future would be helpful too!

    Anyone is welcome to use the additional output data I provided for DCS in helping to make a GameDash for it. If you are having problems getting other data you require out, drop me a message about what you need and Ill try to help!

    @value1 Maybe this isn’t the right thread to ask on, but since we are talking about GameDash here now, do you think there’s a possibility of getting dash data from Codemasters titles and more of the SimBin titles in the future? I see now that GTR and GTL are covered but not the newer GTR2 and Race07 titles yet. I’m willing to help if possible but C is not my language if that is what’s required.

    I guess I have been holding out on GameDash until it has more complete coverage. But there has been a lot of progress made so thanks to everyone for all their efforts to date!

    Ps I also just noticed that BMW M3 Challenge doesn’t have a plugin? I believe it uses the GT Legends engine. While is gets old driving on just Nurburgring that is included with it, it is possible, in a round about way, to load other tracks which makes it a lot more fun! And both BMW and Volvo have done a great job modeling their vehicles; and they’re both free to download and use too!

    http://www.bmw.com/com/en/newvehicles/mseries/m3coupe/2007/experience/game/content.html
  14. yobuddy

    yobuddy Well-Known Member Staff Member Moderator SimAxe Beta Tester SimTools Developer Gold Contributor

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    No worries buddy,
    The only problem with codemaster games is the extra data is different from game to game.
    It just needs to be sorted out.

    Although GameDash only allows for 20 slots of data, a single slot can contain 8 Boolean values.
    Because you are able to use <Dash1_b1> to only send the first bit from dash slot 1 and so on.
    yobuddy
  15. eaorobbie

    eaorobbie Well-Known Member SimTools Developer Gold Contributor

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    No real docs as its still really in a beta stage and apart from me a very few others have tried it. Hence we brought it out of beta for others to give it a go. To very little result, I have a beta plugin for both gtr2 and race07 containing dash data. Just adding more and testing before I share it.
    Codemasters I have been working on but quite tricky to get the data stream back to where we have it with the original. Time we will get it right, actually been filtering info on it, very protected by anyone that's got it right it seems.
    I feel if more people got behind this and pushed for it we could just about have every plugin , producing dashdata, but truly the want and interest has not been there.
    Sorry.
  16. bsft

    bsft

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    I know Race07 dash works, thanks @eaorobbie , and yes, I would like to see more dash apps for codemasters games, so I am patiently waiting. Good things take time.
  17. BlazinH

    BlazinH Well-Known Member

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    Thanks @eaorobbie and I understand your position. Hopefully interest will pick up over time and it will become a reality!
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  18. BlazinH

    BlazinH Well-Known Member

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    Sounds good for indicator lights, etc. @yobuddy. Thanks for sharing that info!
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  19. Fraza44

    Fraza44 Member

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    All,

    Sorry for Hijacking this thread but I find myself in a similar situation to HYPO in that I need Telemetry data to feed my sim platform. I'm new to DCS World and editing the .lua files. I'm on version 1.2.9. I've read post after post concerning exporting data using .lua and still don't know if I'm doing it right. I have a modified Force Dynamics 301 and I would like to use DCS A10C but I'm not sure if the right data can be extracted to talk to the Force Dynamic's control software. I have few question if someone would be willing to answer;

    1. If I can pull the telemetry data from DCS world, how would I sink it with Force Dynamic's Control Software? (FD uses a file called ReadFS.exe which only works with FSX which is the go between for FSX data output and the control software)

    2. The FD301 uses UDP and TCP within the control, how do I configure the Socketlua and do I leave it in the default location or do I move it to the "saved game" directory.

    3. If I just want to extract the data to control my platform can I use the export.lua examples from above by BlazinH.

    I apologize if I'm using the wrong terminology to describe what I'm trying to do. I'm very new to all the lua stuff. Before I just fired up FSX and the Force Dynamics control software and I was up and flying with motion but now that I want to branch out to new games and can no longer get support for FD for flight sim games, I have to start this steep learning curve.

    I just need some one to point me in the right direction to get my platform moving with DCS.

    Thank you

    Fraza44
  20. value1

    value1 Nerd SimAxe Beta Tester SimTools Developer Gold Contributor

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    Hi @Fraza44
    You can use
    SimTools and the DCS plugin to extract telemetry data from DCS. When you patch the game, it should automatically install the export.lua and SimTools will provide you the telemetry data.

    Your big question though is: In what format is FD301 expecting the data.
    This is something you have to figure out - either by contacting FD or by analysing the software/hardware of FD301. Once we know the data format, we can figure out how that works with SimTools.