Radio KAOS for DCS

[ShaunX]

Radio KAOS for DCS is a utility which makes it possible to generate and listen to your own audio playlists, in mission, without breaking immersion, by using the aircraft cockpit radios. It’s intended as an occasional “add-on” to any DCS mission.

 

It achieves this by leveraging the DCS feature which allows a mission to contain a radio transmitter which can be triggered to broadcast an audio file on a chosen frequency. Some will recognise this as an old trick, this app just makes it an easy one.

 

Features:

• Create DCS compatible “Radio Playlist” audio files (.ogg format) from selections of your digital audio tracks.
• Your tracks can be spliced sequentially or randomly into a single radio playlist audio file.
• Playlist files can have different types of tuning/static or themed clips inserted between tracks for added immersion (If you’re a Huey driver, try the “Radio Nam” AFVN clips)
• Create  “_KAOS” mission copies of any existing DCS missions which will each contain:
  • Your selected radio playlist
  • A powerful 10 kW Radio Transmitter set to broadcast your radio playlist at a selected frequency
  • Two Comms Menu F10 commands to allow your coalition to start and stop the broadcast in mission
• Once created, launch the “_KAOS” mission in DCS, tune your cockpit radio, and use the provided comms menu F10 commands to start and stop the broadcast while in mission
• Quickly update any _KAOS mission with a new playlist with a click so it can be different for each flight

 

Version 1.1 Bug Fix
Fix bug preventing generation of radio transmission commands in F10 menu items on some complex missions for Multiplayer.
To upgrade from 1.0 version simply replace your "Radio KAOS for DCS" folder with the one in the download

 

 

NOTE that Radio KAOS will NOT change your original DCS mission file.
It will create a copy named <mission name>_KAOS , placed in the same folder as the original.

 

Tracklist & Playlist Generation Tab: 

 

- Use to build up track lists from your audio files and generate Radio Playlist audio files from them

 

 

Manage and Export Radio KAOS Playlists Tab

 

-Use to Generate “_KAOS” versions of your DCS missions with an inserted Radio Transmitter to broadcast your Radio Playlist files.

 

 

I’ve made a more detailed user guide here : Radio KAOS for DCS User Guide.pdf Please have a read before installing

 

Please download the app from the DCS User files section : Radio KAOS of DCS

 

A few Notes:

 

This app is intended as an occasional “add-on” to any DCS mission. Although I've tested that _KAOS missions can be successfully re-edited in the ME, If you regularly make changes to your mission in the ME, I would recommend that you use the original mission as gold copy, make changes to that, and then use Radio KAOS to regenerate a _KAOS version as required (it will overwrite a _KAOS version of the same name).

 

Be aware that the generated radio playlist audio file is physically inserted into a mission so that mission’s file size is increased by the size of that file. A 60 minute playlist is approximately 60 MB.

 

The 10 kW radio transmitter is inserted in the centre of the mission’s map and should be powerful enough to be available everywhere. Please bear in mind however that like any radio transmitter, it requires line of sight so reception will vary with terrain (as it should do). You may also experience a short delay between tuning your radio and starting to hear the broadcast.

 

Multiplayer: I don’t frequent multiplayer servers but from what I’ve read on forums, a running radio transmission is only available to players who joined the mission BEFORE the transmission was started. Therefore, wait until all players are online and then use the F10 command to start the transmission (You can also always stop and restart the transmission at any time).

 

If you’re a mission builder and prefer to insert your own radio transmission trigger action via the ME, you can still use this app to create and update playlist files in your missions. Please see the user guide for details.

 

 

Edited August 14, 2022 by ShaunX
Version 1.1 bug fix released

[zaelu]

Thank you! This is so cool!

Do you think it would be possible to add something through an API of some sort that you could assign for a frequency in the game or mission a youtube playlist/clip (audio part) or any other audio streaming option (free)?
And also if it would be possible to have the real world radios from Radio Garden avalable when in range of them in a DCS Mission either on they current real frequency or on a translated one to the radios available on DCS Units?

EG
You fly your mission and when you tune to a frequency you actually tune to a preset YouTube (Spotify etc) public free playlist... you can add for example mission time to the time in playlist to have everyone in synch.
You fly close to Gudauta city and you tune to a frequency either set in mission or real life frequency and you can listen to Radio Gudauta.
 

Edited August 16, 2021 by zaelu

[ShaunX]

You're very welcome, I'm glad you like it.

Some interesting ideas there that may well be possible, though not I'm afraid, within the scope or capability of this particular app.

[zaelu]

would this info help for what I wrote above in anyway?
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/9247308/how-to-stream-only-audio-data-from-youtube-video-on-my-application

[ShaunX]

19 hours ago, zaelu said:

would this info help for what I wrote above in anyway?
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/9247308/how-to-stream-only-audio-data-from-youtube-video-on-my-application

 

What you're asking for would require an entirely different app.

[-Dagger-]

12 hours ago, ShaunX said:

 

What you're asking for would require an entirely different app.

 

Could it be done using lua?
I guess that from lua you can call powershell with a command to play some internet radio?

Powershell script:

 

Add-Type -AssemblyName presentationCore
$MediaPlayer = New-Object system.windows.media.mediaplayer
$MediaPlayer.Open([uri]"http://streams.br-online.de/bayern3_2.m3u")
$MediaPlayer.play()

$wshell = New-Object -ComObject Wscript.Shell
$wshell.Popup("Operation Completed",0,"Done",0x1)

$MediaPlayer.stop()

 

And then from lua something like:

 

local script = [[
Add-Type -AssemblyName presentationCore
$MediaPlayer = New-Object system.windows.media.mediaplayer
$MediaPlayer.Open([uri]"http://streams.br-online.de/bayern3_2.m3u")
$MediaPlayer.play()

$wshell = New-Object -ComObject Wscript.Shell
$wshell.Popup("Operation Completed",0,"Done",0x1)
]]

-- Now create powershell process and feed script to its stdin
local pipe = io.popen("powershell -command -", "w")
pipe:write(script)
pipe:close()

 

Its just an idea. I'm not sure if DCS allows that, but running that lua code from the command prompt works....

 

Edited September 24, 2021 by -Dagger-

[ShaunX]

@zaelu, @-Dagger-,

 

As stated above, what you are looking for is entirely outside the scope of this particular app. Please re-read the description of what this app does.

 

I'm sure your ideas may well be feasable but I'm afraid I have no intention to rewriting this app as an internet radio station player.

 

If that is what you're looking for I suggest you start your own thread on that subject.

 

Thanks.

[Strike502]

Hey  ShaunX, I just recently (Tuesday) made a mission with KAOS to see how it would work with a P-47, and work at all (1st one).  But, no sound was coming out at all.  So...

All the files used worked fine in their original format.

Freq used was 140Mhz, planes limits are 100 - 150

Channel C was used and freq was confirmed for the channel in the ME

Put plane on ground, and 20,000 Ft Alt.

Can send you a copy of the mission if needed.

[ShaunX]

11 hours ago, Strike502 said:

Hey  ShaunX, I just recently (Tuesday) made a mission with KAOS to see how it would work with a P-47, and work at all (1st one).  But, no sound was coming out at all.  So...

All the files used worked fine in their original format.

Freq used was 140Mhz, planes limits are 100 - 150

Channel C was used and freq was confirmed for the channel in the ME

Put plane on ground, and 20,000 Ft Alt.

Can send you a copy of the mission if needed.

Hey Strike, I don't own the P-47 and must admit I've never tried KAOS on any WWII planes.

Can I ask, have you been able to use it successfully with modern aircraft ?

Can I also just check that you used the F10 menu command to start the transmission while in mission ?

[Strike502]

No on the modern ACs

And yes the menu did come up with both options. 

I had assumed the time frame would not matter as it's based on IRL Freqs.

A commenter in the User Files section said he was using it in a WW2 plane.  So, I figured all was good.

[ShaunX]

Damn. Ok, by all means PM me your .miz file and I'll see if I can spot anything obvious and get it to work myself.

[Strike502]

Awsome sir!!  File on it's way.

 

[Hawkeye60]

For a real nice broadcast station for WWII, download these files, convert to .oog format,

 

and add to your radio files.

 

Now you can get the reports, as they happened!

(historically of course)

 

https://archive.org/details/wwIIarchive-audio

[ShaunX]

20 hours ago, Strike502 said:

Awsome sir!!  File on it's way.

 

The mission file looks good to me, KAOS radio frequency is correctly assigned as 140 MHz and the generated .OGG file plays correctly in VLC player.

Unfortunately, I'm unable to open your .miz file in the ME to investigate further as I don't own the channel map (or indeed the P-47).

Could you create a basic mission on Caucasus and try that please ?

 

 

[ShaunX]

19 hours ago, Hawkeye60 said:

For a real nice broadcast station for WWII, download these files, convert to .oog format,

 

and add to your radio files.

 

Now you can get the reports, as they happened!

(historically of course)

 

https://archive.org/details/wwIIarchive-audio

That's a great resource, thank you.

 

[Strike502]

That's where I got all mine from couple years ago.  Those are the files I'm trying to get to work.

[ShaunX]

On 12/6/2021 at 12:10 AM, Strike502 said:

That's where I got all mine from couple years ago.  Those are the files I'm trying to get to work.

Hey Strike,

As I don't have the P-47 or the Channel map, I've created a KAOS mission for the free P-51 using the Caucasus instant action "Hot start from Batumi parking". I set KAOS transmission radio frequency to 124 AM (which matches the default for channel A in the ME). Running the mission, I switched to channel A and used the F10 command to start the KAOS radio transmission. I can immediately hear the KAOS transmission in the cockpit. So I think this demonstrates that KAOS can be used in WWII planes. Here is the .mizfile - Caucasus TF-51_Hot Test_KAOS.miz

So we just need to work out why it's not working in your P-47.

 

 

[Strike502]

Sweet, you problem solver!!

[ShaunX]

On 12/12/2021 at 4:13 PM, Strike502 said:

Sweet, you problem solver!!

..did you get anywhere ? Did you try the mission I attached above ? If that works for you try changing the P-51 in it with your P-47 and see if that works and maybe we can narrow it down.

[Strike502]

Sorry, I have not yet.  Been out for the Holidays, just bot back. Plz give me a day.

[Strike502]

Ok, so the file worked and I could use the P-47 and change the channel to the right freq. but, as you stated the sounds were from your own files you provided with the software. I used converted files.  Try making one with a song in it.

[ShaunX]

6 hours ago, Strike502 said:

Ok, so the file worked and I could use the P-47 and change the channel to the right freq. but, as you stated the sounds were from your own files you provided with the software. I used converted files.  Try making one with a song in it.

Ok, so we've proven that it works with the P-47.

The playlist file included in that mission does actually have songs in it. I used the Radio KAOS playlist generation parameters to only insert 20 seconds from each of 3 Duke Ellington tracks (to keep the size down) and I selected tuning static to be inserted between each track. I can clearly hear them when I run the mission and use the F10 command to start the radio playlist.

So I'm not sure why you're having a problem inserting your own songs. And I'm not sure what you mean that you "used converted files" ?

You don't need to convert any files to OGG format yourself. The software allows import of MP3, M4A and WAV files as well and will combine these and convert into a single ogg file for use in DCS.

Can you provide a copy of the ogg file that Radio KAOS generates for you ? You can access it with the "open Folder" button after you've generated it. It is always called "KAOSTransmission.ogg"

[LeeHrvy]

I am able to get this to work in SP, however it will not bring up the start stop options in the F10 menu when in Multiplayer.

[ShaunX]

16 hours ago, LeeHrvy said:

I am able to get this to work in SP, however it will not bring up the start stop options in the F10 menu when in Multiplayer.

Can you PM me the mission, .miz file and I'll take a look

It works fine in MP for me

 

 

 

Edited February 27, 2022 by ShaunX

[LeeHrvy]

Issue resolved. went into mission editor and noticed the trigger zone was only like 10ft. i extended the trigger zone to encompass the airfield allowing it to trigger.