Free kneeboard generator ( open source )

[winghunter]

Hello

Here is a free open source Kneeboard creator released for DCS Web Viewer

• Automatically reads all data from the .miz mission file, but is editable
• Export kneeboards as PDF or PNG
• Many different styles, including Night, WWII and Nam themes
• Bulk export for all client aircraft in coalition for multiplayer missions

Howto:

• Open unit popup in DCS Web Viewer
• Click "Generate Kneeboard"
• Choose one of many styles and layouts
• Remove unwanted sections via checkboxes
• Click "Download PNG" or create kneeboards for all multiplayer units of a coalition

Github:

Contributions are welcome. You can add more styles and customize layouts etc.

https://github.com/DCS-Web-Editor/dcs-web-editor-mono/tree/main/packages/kneeboard

TABLE layout

FLEX layout

Additional Themes

Edited May 13 by winghunter

[F4ttyRider]

Gotta try this. 

[winghunter]

Updated the viewer to allow kneeboard generation also for naval units

Edited May 10 by winghunter

[KoN]

Great job. 

[Avalanche110]

This looks awesome. Thanks for your work.

[CL30]

Looks amazing! Gotta try it. Nice work!

[TEMPEST.114]

Are you going to provide the option to remove the unnecessary background images and overly stylised fonts that don’t increase readability? I don’t see the value of picture behind text just for the sake of it. Especially when things get busy. 

And who’s doing your UI design? You’ve got misalignments, wasted space, unnecessary line breaks and multiple fonts just for the sake of it. Who can I talk to about this stuff? And let’s not mention the #1 rule of poor web designers everywhere - pale grey text over pale backgrounds:

https://www.wired.com/2016/10/how-the-web-became-unreadable/

 

Edited May 11 by TEMPEST.114

[winghunter]

I've added "Modern bright" and "Table" layout, which is quite space efficient. Happy for contributions https://github.com/DCS-Web-Editor/dcs-web-editor-mono/tree/main/packages/kneeboard. Also added a description how to run this on your local machine.

Edited May 11 by winghunter

[TEMPEST.114]

As you never mentioned to whom I should address feedback, I'll post it here.

 

1. The FIELD label and the TEXT BOX should be on the same line, this stacking is pointless with so much wasted space on the end of the text box, the indentation doesn't help.

2. Grey text on that vibrant blue is NOT READABLE. Think about using only White and Black and high contrast colours if you need to. Learn to use the Colour Wheel theories and not just what you think 'looks cool'. https://www.canva.com/colors/color-wheel/

3. Again, like I mentioned in : https://www.wired.com/2016/10/how-the-web-became-unreadable/   enough with the light and mid greys. Make it READABLE. That's the whole point of a the kneeboard, instant, clear, easy to read reference when you're flying. This too should apply to the application. There shouldn't be low contrast colours side by side.

4. These are labels, make the human readable with colour, capitalisation and spacing. The actual name of the variable behind the scenes is irrelevant. 

5. Full white text here would be better, but again USE THE COLOUR WHEEL THEORY. Baseline is off again. 

6. The FONT BASELINE and spacing are wrong, you have too much space at the bottom and not enough at the top of sides, make it centred to the text box. 

7. Yet again, poor colour contrast choice. Make all text solid white where you can, or solid black and use bold and italics and font weight/size to denote headings and paragraph text, not poorly readable shades of grey. 

 

11 hours ago, winghunter said:

I've added "Modern bright" and "Table" layout,

I don't know what that example is - whether it's Modern Bright or Table layout but you'd need a night version for it too. 

 

This would be more readable if you used full white text AND you changed the font to something a lot clearer and less stylised.

As for your other examples, I cannot for the life of me understand why you're using faded fonts and very light coloured fonts against a coloured background. 

READABILITY MATTERS. 

Same for busy images behind all the text. It doesn't mean anything. It's not helping the readability, it only hurts it. 

Next panel:

 

1. Baseline misalignment again.

2 + 3. Bounding coloured box not aligned with other boxes/buttons. Come on, this is basic design stuff...

4. Tick boxes not aligned with Labels. 

5. Multiple fonts FOR NO REASON. Labels here don't have a colon, but on the other panel they do. Have some CONSITENCY in DESIGN...

Pick a font, make it bright white (OR black as required unless colour wheel theory dictates a more readable one) and stick with it unless you have to communicate something different. You're not communicating anything different here but this panel has a font for it's labels that's different to the other panels font for it's labels. 

 

 

 

Edited May 11 by TEMPEST.114

[winghunter]

I think you have an outdated version of the viewer, you may want to refresh and clear browser cache.

Some themes were made on request to be stylised and low contrast for night time in VR, where you want anything but strong contrasts.

But the idea is that styles can be customized by users, just havent implemented a style editor yet.

The kneeboard editor css: yeah it sucks. But the whole css is going to be replaced by tailwind so i didnt really spend any time on styling.

Edited May 12 by winghunter

[TEMPEST.114]

I used your screenshots above. 

[winghunter]

Ah yeah the screenshots are very old, need to update them

[winghunter]

There's a new release of the open source kneeboard editor
https://dcs-web-editor.github.io/dcs-web-viewer-deploy/#

Fixes:
* PDF export failing when charts hidden
* PDF export not applying themes / styles
* PDF export page break in the middle of a chart
* PNG downloads directly to file
* Menu appearing in the kneeboard output
* Various other kneeboard bugfixes

Features:
* Implementation of Fuel Calculator by @RocketmanAL
Automatic fuel calculation from mission data. Grey fields can be edited by users. Supported airplanes are:
*MIG-21, MIG-29S, SU-25T, SU-27, SU-33, J-11, JF-17, A-10C, AV-8B, F-14B, F-15C, F-15E, F-16, F-18, F-5, M-2000C, F-5E, F-5E-3, F-14A, F-14A-135-GR, F-16A, F-16A MLU, F-16C_50, F-16C BL.50, F-16C BL.52D, FA-18C_HORNET, F/A-18A, F/A-18C, F-15ESE, AV8BNA, MIG-21BIS, MIG-29A, MIG-29G, MIRAGE 2000-5, SU-25, SU-25TM, A-10C_2, A-10A*

If the plane is not supported due to missing data, FFR (fuel flow rate) will default to the DEFAULT value, but can still be edited by the user.

* Drag & Drop to re-arrange kneeboard items (reduced glitches over previous version)

* Print as PDF to print via system dialog ( may be better or worse than "Generate PDF" )

[KlarSnow]

Suggestion: add an option in the units for headings to be in Magnetic or true or both. different platforms or groups may want both or one or the other.

 

 

[winghunter]

We havent found a good conversion for TH to MH outside of DCS. The deviation varies within a map and also in different years.

[TEMPEST.114]

38 minutes ago, winghunter said:

We havent found a good conversion for TH to MH outside of DCS. The deviation varies within a map and also in different years.

If the map and date are known, just do a web lookup for the correct value. No?

[winghunter]

4 minutes ago, TEMPEST.114 said:

If the map and date are known, just do a web lookup for the correct value. No?

DCS has its own internal data model for this, so if Caucasus is any indication it wont be exactly like the real world

[TEMPEST.114]

8 minutes ago, winghunter said:

DCS has its own internal data model for this, so if Caucasus is any indication it wont be exactly like the real world

Sure but like the South Atlantic map, if you aren't in the centre then things get crazy, however if you use scripting and some maths, you can get it to within 1 degree for any date and time. 

[KlarSnow]

While it may be difficult to have it auto generate the magvar, could there be a field where we could enter the magvar and then have it applied to the kneeboard charts?

This would be pretty easy to grab and enter say in a field here

 

with a checkbox to apply it or not, or as something that can be added, this is the one thing that makes using this kneeboard as a navigational aid difficult, because you have to manually calculate the magnetic heading or course, and most of the jets in the game fly magnetic, not true headings. On maps like nevada that can be a big difference.

[winghunter]

Yes, thats a good idea.

Or if you find an offline library which can calculate DCS magvar decently, let me know.

[winghunter]

On 5/18/2024 at 10:49 PM, TEMPEST.114 said:

Sure but like the South Atlantic map, if you aren't in the centre then things get crazy, however if you use scripting and some maths, you can get it to within 1 degree for any date and time. 

If you have an idea how to calculate the northern maps would be appreciated. We have now included the charts from Dima and he usually gives MagVar guidance but not for Kola

Edited May 26 by winghunter

[KlarSnow]

Pretty sure in extreme northern or southern maps the mag var is going to be very difficult to deal with. Once you get that far north or south (60-70 degrees latitude)magnetic navigation starts to go out the window and true/celestial/other navigation methods are normally used.

[_JMax]

Looks fantastic.I will be trying it out asap.

[TEMPEST.114]

I wish you'd concentrate on making a first class mission editor with extra features over the DCS one, instead of wasting time making a moving map for noobs and War Thunder idiots. 

Stop adding to the dumbing down of DCS please, and focus on expanding the capabilities of what a mission editor can do. 

[winghunter]

I understand you concern, but we are several developers who like to build different things

And a lot of the tech built for the viewer is merged into the editor. So it may look like waste but its actually the same libraries used in both.