Tacview 1.8.0 is now available to everyone!

[Vyrtuoz]

 

Tacview 1.8.0 is now available to everyone!

 

Download: http://tacview.net/download

• Release Date: Fri, 6 Sep 2019
  
• Operating System: Windows® 32-bit / 64-bit
  
• File Size: 293.0 MB
  

 

This year, I worked closely with military partners to improve Tacview for real-life playback and debriefing. Most of these improvements are also relevant to flight simulators and are now available to everyone in this brand-new release.

 

This includes better support for small and big screens, more UI modularity, the possibility to display local time (at last ;)), as well as a new tool to measure distance between the selected object and any other object or even a point on the ground.

 

I have also been working hard to improve performance, notably the loading speed of custom textures.

 

Thanks to the help of my partner BuzyBee, numerous airports and maps are now included in Tacview distribution, Tacview database has been greatly extended, and many 3D models have been integrated. This simplifies the installation process by reducing the need to download and manually install add-ons and asset packs for debriefings.

 

Right now, I am focusing more on Tacview 2.0. So, if you feed a slow down in Tacview 1.x dev, this means that Tacview 2.0 is progressing faster :thumbup: I am currently working on the core engine which is starting to run on all platforms from cell phones to computers. This first step takes some time, but it is also important, because this will establish a clean base on top of which the rest will be built. The next step will be to port most of Tacview components to the new engine: internal tools, telemetry recorder, installer. Then I will start rewriting Tacview main application.

 

Enjoy!

Vyrtuoz

 

Release notes

 

FEATURES & CHANGES

• NOTICE: Windows XP is not supported anymore (definitive)
  
• DCS: Added support for DCS World dedicated server (proper exporter installation)
  
• DCS: Added DCS: Normandy 1944 Map runways
  
• DCS: Added DCS: Persian Gulf Map runways
  
• DCS: Updated DCS: NEVADA NTTR Map runways
  
• BMS: Added support for Falcon BMS 4.34 database format
  
• BMS: Integrated Aegean 2.5 for BMS 4.33
  
• BMS: Added all BMS Korea airports
  
• IL2: All battlefield textures have been integrated in Tacview
  
• IL2: Added most IL2 WWI/WWII aircraft to Tacview database
  
• Added a brand-new shot log
  
• Added an option to automatically pause on shot log events
  
• On pause, the current shot log event is now displayed in the 3D view
  
• BEGIN/END buttons have been replaced by PREVIOUS/NEXT SHOT LOG EVENT commands
  
• Added CTRL+LEFT/RIGHT to jump to previous and next shot log event
  
• Added a brand new UI for the 3D view, more usable, and scalable
  
• It is now possible to display local time via a custom offset
  
• Added an option to remove objects from the 3D view context menu
  
• Added an option to add object on the ground from the 3D view context menu
  
• It is now possible to specify the altitude of a new object above ground level
  
• When an object is manually added to the world, it is now automatically selected
  
• Double clicking on dockable windows has been disabled to prevent any mistake
  
• Double clicking in the 3D view now selects the object under the mouse cursor instead of switching to fullscreen
  
• It is now possible to force an object to be alive from the objects list
  
• Objects dead/alive status is now restored on next dead/alive event regardless of the forced state
  
• You can now press SHIFT+CTRL to display mouse cursor world and bullseye coordinates
  
• The playback control bar has been moved to a dockable window
  
• The active object list has been moved to a dockable window
  
• Added CTRL+N shortcut to deselect primary and secondary objects
  
• The time slider now displays target time during a drag operation
  
• Drag & drop a file on Tacview with the CTRL key will merge it with the existing telemetry
  
• When opening a new file, only important objects are automatically selected instead of any other object
  
• When opening a new file, the camera will now be centered on the battlefield
  
• Optimized terrain custom textures loading time
  
• Added support for 8-bit PNG custom tiles textures
  
• SDK: Added LuaFileSystem 1.7.0
  
• SDK: Added support for 32-bit in the C# SDK
  
• SDK: Added more options to manipulate the camera via the SDK API
  
• SDK: Added C++ API to import telemetry data files via the command line, menus and drag & drop
  

 

FIXES

• The acmi 2.x file loader was not properly handling flight events
  
• Telemetry export tool was not exporting native coordinates (U, V, Heading) when available
  
• Ground objects were removed from the battefield when destroyed (Tacview 1.7.3 regression)
  
• Fixed crashes in C# Math.Vector API
  
• Tacview.Telemetry.Get*Transform pitch was inverted and yaw was not normalized
  
• Object properties edition now works as expected and supports all measurement units
  
• Terrain textures cache size was too big when running 32-bit Tacview on 64-bit systems
  
• It was not easy to dynamically add a SA-6 STR on the battlefield (wrong name in the database)
  
• Violet objects were improperly displayed in blue in the 3D view object list
  
• Mouse and keyboard focus is now set to the 3D view when switching to full screen
  
• Dockable windows could be hidden under Windows taskbar
  
• Cursor keys to control playback where not working in free camera mode
  
• Current license will now be the most powerful product key between user and system keys
  
• Invalid samples in GAE files are now more gracefully handled
  
• It is now possible to add an object on top of another one from the 3D view
  
• The Ka-50 3D model was twice the size it should have been
  

 

Edited September 9, 2019 by Vyrtuoz

[QuiGon]

Thanks for all your work! Without TacView DCS wouldn't be the same! :thumbup:

[Rudel_chw]

• DCS: Added DCS: Normandy 1944 Map runways
  
• DCS: Added DCS: Persian Gulf Map runways
  
• DCS: Updated DCS: NEVADA NTTR Map runways
  
• It is now possible to display local time via a custom offset
  

 

thanks a lot, all of these were items I really missed on earlier releases :thumbup:

Cheers and best regards.

[Aviators]

great!

[Zeagle]

What about upgrading from 1.7 on a dedicated server? Should I go in and remove tacview first before installing? I know I had to copy and edit some stuff by hand for 1.7

[BuzyBee]

Great question Zeagle! Actually we have specifically improved the Tacview installer to work better with a dedicated server. Simply run the new installer and it should install and/or update Tacview in all the right places.

[Zeagle]

Yeah that's what I did and no issues...thanks for a great piece of software!

 

Is there a way that you could implement a logbook feature for the server software? I can write code to parse files and such, but it seems that Tacview already has all the information needed for a server logbook like hours flown, missiles fired, hits, misses, etc. Just a thought.

Edited September 21, 2019 by Zeagle

[Gianky]

Hey guys!

 

Noob question: I'm running Tacview 1.7.5, if I update to 1.8, will the tracks I recorded with the previous version be corrupted or not playable anymore?

[Ramsay]

I'm running Tacview 1.7.5, if I update to 1.8, will the tracks I recorded with the previous version be corrupted or not playable anymore?

Previous .acmi files will play fine but you might need to setup the positioning of your flight history, chart windows.

[BuzyBee]

Hi Zeagle,

 

A logbook feature as you have described has been requested by others as well and is a long-term goal for Tacview.

 

In the meantime, there is functionality to export the flight log via the command line, as an xml of csv file - does this help?

 

Yeah that's what I did and no issues...thanks for a great piece of software!

 

Is there a way that you could implement a logbook feature for the server software? I can write code to parse files and such, but it seems that Tacview already has all the information needed for a server logbook like hours flown, missiles fired, hits, misses, etc. Just a thought.

[BuzyBee]

That's right, Tacview's .acmi files will work with 1.8.0 and with any subsequent Tacview version for probably at least 10 years. Not to be confused with DCS World .trk files which sometimes do not work from one major DCS update to the next. (I say this not to be negative in any way but just because lots of people get confused between Tacview's .acmi files and DCS World's .trk files so I just genuinely want to be clear on the difference :) )

 

Hey guys!

 

Noob question: I'm running Tacview 1.7.5, if I update to 1.8, will the tracks I recorded with the previous version be corrupted or not playable anymore?

 

Previous .acmi files will play fine but you might need to setup the positioning of your flight history, chart windows.

[Madfish]

Quick question as I didn't spot it in the changelog - was the ability to see radar locks and gazes fixed?

[BuzyBee]

Hi Madfish, sorry I am not sure I understand. Radar locks are available only for local Flaming Cliffs aircraft because DCS World does not export the information for other aircraft. I don't think the orientation of the pilot's head is exported by DCS World either which is why this is not currently a feature. With this in mind have you noticed some regression or something that is missing?

 

Quick question as I didn't spot it in the changelog - was the ability to see radar locks and gazes fixed?

[Ares63]

when you were running a previous version you had the dialog with the active pilot logged on...

i don't know if it is the acctive object that you moved in dockable window but the old dialog the you could select the pilot/airplane as the first or secondary obj now is not more able (or i'm not able) now it kill and resume them from the acmi.

This it was IMHO a useful feature for to select quickly a flight component now you have to look for him in 3D view or in a long lon list in the pull down list

[BuzyBee]

Hi Ares63, this is a great point. We had modified the window to better meet the needs of the French Army and completely forgot about this functionality. We will fix this in a coming update.

 

when you were running a previous version you had the dialog with the active pilot logged on...

i don't know if it is the acctive object that you moved in dockable window but the old dialog the you could select the pilot/airplane as the first or secondary obj now is not more able (or i'm not able) now it kill and resume them from the acmi.

This it was IMHO a useful feature for to select quickly a flight component now you have to look for him in 3D view or in a long lon list in the pull down list

[Gianky]

Ramsay, Buzybee, thank you, I updated and everythings seems to be just fine.

[ZeeMan90]

How to get back the playback bar. I clicked on hide and there are no fast hints on how to get it back.

 

Regards

[Skiprat]

Will there be a sale anytime soon?

[Vyrtuoz]

You can re-open the bar from:

 

Analysis (the third menu icon) -> Playback Control Bar [ON]

 

How to get back the playback bar. I clicked on hide and there are no fast hints on how to get it back.

 

Regards

[mehksauce]

Hey quick question, is there a way to bring up the little panel window that sits on the bottom right corner, listing player names?

[BuzyBee]

The Active Objects list? Yes you can toggle it on and off at Analysis -> Active Objects List

 

Hey quick question, is there a way to bring up the little panel window that sits on the bottom right corner, listing player names?

[j-tk]

Hi, is there anyway to get around or turn off the 10 minute delay thing? I bought a license for my buddy, but run the server on my pc as I have gig internet. Under advanced I have all the allows, including data export checked, but many of our missions are 15 minutes, and his files are missing most of the flight.

Thanks!

[BuzyBee]

To turn off the 10 minute delay on a server, go to %UserProfile%\Saved Games\YOUR_SERVER_NAME\Config\options.lua and set ["tacviewPlaybackDelay"] = 0

 

Hi, is there anyway to get around or turn off the 10 minute delay thing? I bought a license for my buddy, but run the server on my pc as I have gig internet. Under advanced I have all the allows, including data export checked, but many of our missions are 15 minutes, and his files are missing most of the flight.

Thanks!