track file editor

[skypickle]

even something simple so I could clip out a brief section would really help when trying to communicate a specific aircraft behavior. Sometimes, I have a 3 hour track file but just want a 10 minute segment from something that happened in the middle.

[SharpeXB]

Good idea but the track feature would need to be fixed in the first place. That feature hasn’t worked for years. Agree it would be much more useful for bug reporting if it could be edited. 

[Ironhand]

Unfortunately, until something is created to replace what we currently have, what you are requesting is an impossibility. The track file must start at the beginning and play through in sequence. It’s simply the mission itself with your mission environment and control inputs packaged into it for playback. So a video clip is your only option for now.

Edited August 15, 2023 by Ironhand

[MAXsenna]

Setup your own, local computer or not, multiplayer server. And launch all missions from there. Save the track and fast forward. Remember to make a backup of the track before you play it. 

Cheers! 

[SharpeXB]

Would it work to take over a track at a certain point and then save that track as another? That trick might indeed work to shorten them, never tried it though. The track feature is broken anyways so likely you won’t see the same result if you replay it. The replay feature is rather useless so it’s not worth messing around with. 

Edited August 15, 2023 by SharpeXB

[Ironhand]

3 hours ago, SharpeXB said:

Would it work to take over a track at a certain point and then save that track as another? That trick might indeed work to shorten them, never tried it though.

 

Had the same thought years ago. No. It saves right from the beginning.

[skypickle]

Imagine a ‘start track copy’ button above the ‘take control’ button in the menu you get when you press escape while playing a track. It puts you back in the track playback. Then when you press escape again the button reads ‘save track copy’. Selecting this saves a short track with the desired endpoints and puts you back in track playback

[plott1964]

Just a heads up, the track file is essentially a compressed archive that includes the initial mission file and input data. If you're interested, you can unzip the mission file from the track, open it in the mission editor, and make various adjustments like altering the time, weather, AI aircraft, ownship, and more. Keep in mind that making such changes can significantly affect the playback experience. However, with recent updates to DCS track recording mechanics, I've been experimenting with it and achieving some interesting results.