DCS Tips and hints - Community suggestions

[Tom Kazansky]

Keybind hint:

There is a "general" entry in settings\controls where you can save general keybinds like views and others for all of your input devices.

To get those to work with a new module/aircraft you want to load those general bindings into the controls of your new aircraft before you start binding the rest of the keys.

Modifiers need to be added for each module, even if you got them saved in "general".

(This also helps Pro's after buying a new HOTAS with setting up each of the dozens of aircraft.)

[Aronis]

Love the sim.  So much so I am buying WinWing stuff.  

When using the training modules, it would be nice to be able to go through the spoken words faster the second or third time, so you can get to the meat of the tutorial.  I usually have to do the training modules several times or more and it's a drag to listen to the dialogue over and over just to get to the 1 minute component which is the meat of that tutorial.

I set up a 'mission' which starts my F16 2 miles out of an air strip at 2000 feet, 250 knots, lined up with runway to practice the hard part of landing, the actual landing.  This was very helpful. Having to go through the training module to approach and line up is obviously necessary but the final approach is where you get killed.  This was very helpful for me.

Mike

[Dragon1-1]

1 hour ago, Aronis said:

When using the training modules, it would be nice to be able to go through the spoken words faster the second or third time, so you can get to the meat of the tutorial.  I usually have to do the training modules several times or more and it's a drag to listen to the dialogue over and over just to get to the 1 minute component which is the meat of that tutorial.

Missions designed in modern times actually allow this. Older modules typically don't. Hornet has both old and new types of training missions and the difference is stark. I hope older missions get overhauled someday.

[draconus]

On 2/17/2024 at 2:07 PM, Aronis said:

I usually have to do the training modules several times or more and it's a drag to listen to the dialogue over and over just to get to the 1 minute component which is the meat of that tutorial.

If the training parts are keybind triggered then pressing these keys will get you fast forward (ex. "Press Space Bar to continue", "Press G to extend landing gear now"). If it's just timed messages one after another you can fast forward the time with Lctrl+Z (a few times) and back to normal time with LShift+Z.

[Aronis]

Draconus,

I tried that LOL.  If I pushed the expected key, they guy still drones on with the text.....I'll try the Lctrl+Z thing.  Thanks

 

Mike

[Willie Nelson]

The use of the F7 key for rudimentary Intel gathering of a selected target on the F10 menu.

Also better info on the various surface to air weapon and how they’re used and integrated within the Encyclopaedia. Maybe even a video showing how DCS SA10 systems work for example. 

[Captain Chuck]

Tell news users about head trackers so they don't kick themselves. 

[Beirut]

 

[draconus]

10 minutes ago, Beirut said:

 

The comm menu text can also be black

[mondaysoff]

On 1/10/2025 at 5:30 PM, draconus said:

The comm menu text can also be black

Ohhh, I would be very interested in this feature, must be in a lua somewhere?

[Vakarian]

1 hour ago, mondaysoff said:

Ohhh, I would be very interested in this feature, must be in a lua somewhere?

Nope, that happens when you have Easy Comms enabled, then you don't need to tune the radios, you just select the thing and it automagically talks to that station

[Bucic]

7 hours ago, Vakarian said:

Nope, that happens when you have Easy Comms enabled, then you don't need to tune the radios, you just select the thing and it automagically talks to that station

To be clear, no matter the settings, the comms menu should show on [/] key command?

[draconus]

6 minutes ago, Bucic said:

To be clear, no matter the settings, the comms menu should show on [/] key command?

This menu is considered ground crew menu in full fidelity modules so it will work only on the ground. It should always work with easy comms though and for Flaming Cliffs aircraft.

[westr]

Enable force feedback in settings clashed with the trim on the F4e and some FC modules in the past from memory. You may want to put a message to explain this on the checkbox? 

[Dragon1-1]

On 1/14/2025 at 7:35 AM, draconus said:

This menu is considered ground crew menu in full fidelity modules so it will work only on the ground. It should always work with easy comms though and for Flaming Cliffs aircraft.

Except on those which only have one radio, of which we have a few. Then it'll work normally.

[MAXsenna]

Except on those which only have one radio, of which we have a few. Then it'll work normally.

Not true. Unless I misunderstand you. We're talking about the Communication Menu, default keybind backslash, "\". That will only work on ground in FF modules apart from some 3rd party modules that have coded it wrong, and actually use the Communications Menu as default. Aerges Mirage F1, Polychop Kiowa (I think) and some others. The correct keybind for FF modules should be the PTT/Radio button no matter if they have only one radio/PTT, while Razbam's MiG-19 has it completely fubar, where the PTT keybind is there, but doesn't work even if you bind it.
My mantra is of course that I circumvent all this by using the VAICOM plugin for VoiceAttack.
Cheers!

Sent from my SM-A536B using Tapatalk

[Crickett]

Suggestion: Add a keyboard shortcut to switch between ALLIES and ALL in the in-game chat

I suggest implementing a keyboard shortcut that allows players to toggle between ALLIES and ALL in the text chat window.

This shortcut would let users quickly select the correct recipient group at a glance, without having to manually click the dropdown menu each time.

One key advantage of this feature would be the ability to use external macro tools (like AutoHotkey or voice commands) to send predefined messages to the correct group, improving communication speed and accuracy during missions.

***update ***
i found the answer. the shortcut exist: 
SHFT-TAB = ALL
CTL-TAB = ALLIES

Disregard my Last
:)

Edited June 7 by Crickett

[Furiz]

Hello, 

I can't find "reset view to default" to reset pilot head view or position if we mess it up somehow, so if there isn't an option like this it would be great to have.

 

If there is I'd love to know whats it called?

[draconus]

42 minutes ago, Furiz said:

reset view to default

It's Numpad "5".

[Furiz]

1 hour ago, draconus said:

It's Numpad "5".

That's view center, 

 

it just centers the view, but what I need is to reset my saved view to default.

Edited June 23 by Furiz

[MAXsenna]

That's view center, 
 
it just centers the view, but what I need is to reset my saved view to default.

You need to open the Snapviews.lua, and delete the entry for the corresponding module. There are no quickfixes or keybinds to do this.

Sent from my SM-A536B using Tapatalk

[Furiz]

13 minutes ago, MAXsenna said:

You need to open the Snapviews.lua, and delete the entry for the corresponding module. There are no quickfixes or keybinds to do this.

Sent from my SM-A536B using Tapatalk
 

Exactly why I asked for it, to have the option to reset to default using a keybind.

 

Edited June 23 by Furiz

[draconus]

13 hours ago, Furiz said:

It just centers the view, but what I need is to reset my saved view to default.

Center the view, then save the view again. Isn't it working that way?

[Furiz]

8 hours ago, draconus said:

Center the view, then save the view again. Isn't it working that way?

No, it resets the view to your already edited and saved view, it doesn't reset it to factory value.

[buceador]

ME (Mission Editor) - There is no ERROR trapping. 

For example - you create a simple mission:

Aircraft A flies to point A and drops a bomb on target B. 

You have set the mission parameter to BOMBING but because of the loadout or aircraft type or the altitude or the waypoint or one of a myriad of other possibilities the aircraft simply flies on by and you are non the wiser as to why. In this example perhaps ATTACK MAP OBJECT was needed (or perhaps not) users need feedback.
In that well known civilian sim, if you try to assign a keybind to a device not selected it says WRONG DEVICE.  Feedback / error trapping is useful especially to newcomers.