Afghan Theatre for CombatFlite

[graveyard4DCS]

In military aeronautics, a good flight planning accounts for almost 90% of mission success...

And for that, we are fortunate to have a dedicated software for DCS World: that's CombatFlite. It has proved to be an essential tool for flight planning and mission creation, from the simplest to the most complex ones.

Unfortunately, it seems that updates to this software have now been discontinued, and it is unlikely that a dedicated theater will be created any time soon.

The only option we have is to modify an existing theater and manually integrate the data we need.

This is the path I've taken, and I've decided to modify the “Persian Gulf” theater to include mapping of the Afghan theater, as well as the data required to use all the software's functionalities.

In the coming weeks, I'll explain you how to do that, and I'll direct you to the necessary files to let you use CombatFlite on the Afghan theatre!

Edited November 10, 2024 by graveyard4DCS

[Volator]

6 hours ago, graveyard4DCS said:

In military aeronautics, a good flight planning accounts for almost 90% of mission success

Amen to that. Thanks for taking this on. I always wondered why the Combatflite dev went completely silent all of a sudden, leaving Combatflite for dead.

This is the right time and place to tell ED once again to get movin' with that in-game flight/mission planner and DTC.

[graveyard4DCS]

Digital Elevation Model for CombatFlite

One of the important features of CombatFlite is the ability to read ground altitude at any point of the map. But as you might have remarked already, the current elevation data is only available for a limited area around the Persian Gulf. If you try to go on the southern part of the DCS PG map, you'll even notice that there's no data by default. But hopefully, this is something that can be easily corrected!

First of all, you have to know that the terrain elevation data are stored in .hgt files that cover 1°x1° each. These data have originally been retrieved during NASA's STS-99 shuttle mission in February 2000. They are also now known as SRTM, for "Shuttle Radar Topography Mission".

There are three main categories of SRTM data:
 

• SRTM 1, with the highest resolution (1 arc second);

• SRTM 3, with an average resolution (3 arc seconds);

• SRTM 30, with the lowest resolution (20 arc seconds).

Nowadays, these data are freely available. Normal access is trough the United States Geological Survey (USGS) web site. But if this web site is perfect in order to find a lot of interesting data, it's fairly uneasy to use if we want to download large areas of SRTM files.

The easy way is to proceed through another website: https://dwtkns.com/srtm30m. But before using it, you'll ned to create a free user account on NASA's EarthData website (it takes 2 minutes).

Once this is done, you just have to click and download the tile that interests you!

Note: for those who want skip the difficulty to register, choose and download appropriate tiles, you will find on my personal page the links for direct download of the selected data for the Afghan AO (area of operations).

You will notice that on the previous website the data is not available for the whole surface of the Earth: this is a physical limitation due to the space shuttle's orbit resulting from launch parameters. People interested in finding elevation data further north (like for the new Kola Map by Orbx) will have to look for other data sources. For example, both the Japanese Space Agency (JAXA) and the European Space Agency (ESA) offer free acess to these data. The website viewfinderpanoramas.org is also a good reference.
 
Once you have taken the time to download all the data that are interesting you, you just have to unzip the files and place them in your ...\CombatFlite\SrtmDataFiles folder.
You can check the type and validity of your data by checking the file sizes: SRTM 1 .hgt files must be 25327 KB large, while SRTM 3 .hgt files must be 2818 KB large.

You can now see the altitude of any place on the map by placing your mouse cursor over it.

You can also use all the tools that need elevation data to work:

• visualize terrain along your route or in a limited area;

• show vertical terrain profile along your route;

• and most importantly, use the intervisibility tool, that will let you choose the best attack axis against any ground threat!

As you'll see later, there's no excuse not to use CombatFlite as a flight planning tool on the Afghan theatre!

Edited November 10, 2024 by graveyard4DCS

[graveyard4DCS]

Terrain Elevation Map for CombatFlite

This topic is the logical follow up of my previous post about Digital Elevation Model for CombatFlite.

Now that we have the DEM (Digital Elevation Model) or DSM (Digital Surface Model) installed, it would be nice to be able to "view" the terrain more directly - and way more quickly - than by using the "terrain" or "slope" tools in CombatFlite.

One of the solution has been to create theatre elevation maps for CombatFlite, like the ones already available for download in DCS user's files.

So starting from our previous step, when we were able to retrieve the necessary SRTM tiles, the way ahead is fairly easy:

• Step 1: load the tiles in your favorite GIS software. You'll notice that the overal image is kind of pixelated. That's because the software automatically applied a color scale for each tile, with Black as the lowest altitude of the tile, and White as the highest altitude of the tile. The issue here is that each tile has a different minimum and maximum altitude;

• Step 2: in order to solve the previous problem, we have to set a single color rule for all tiles. This is fairly straightforward. Here is a quick first result.

• Step 3: once we've got this promising result, we notice that's is hardly possible to orient ourselves on that map. In particular, it's nearly impossible to determine the shore line for Pakistan. In Afghanistan itslef, it's going to be difficult to find out precise locations without switching regularly to other classic maps. In order to make orientation easier, it's possible to add additional overlays, like borders. Some of these data are freely accessible on websites like GADM or Natural Earth. We can also change the color scale, to make it more traditional, with blue color for oceans (altitude at 0 m) and green/brown colors for land.

• Step 4: generate the .mbtiles map with your favorite GIS software.

• Step 5: place the resulting .mbtile file in your ...\CombatFlite\Data\DCS Persian Gulf folder. Don't forget that CombatFlite will show you the maps in alphabetical order, so rename the file as you prefer to let it appear in the order you prefer!

  You'll be able to download the .mbtiles via my personal page.

  Enjoy!

Edited November 10, 2024 by graveyard4DCS

[graveyard4DCS]

Airport and NAVAIDS database for CombatFlite

One of the nice features of CombatFlite is the ability to quickly identify and use airfields.

When "Airfields" are selected in the Map Layers window, thay appear as an additional layer above the current map.

These airfields can then be selected in order to view additional information, like ICAO name, elevation, runways, navigation aids and radio frequencies.

But more importantly, they are the only points that can be selected as "take-off" and "alternate" waypoint types on a given flight plan. That's why they have an important role!

 On the same vein, CombatFlite can also display navigation aids when selecting "Beacons" on the Map Layers window.

Very handy when it comes to IMC navigation, especially on older aircraft that have no INS systems, like the Mirage F1 CE.

Hopefully, the airfield and NAVAIDS database is stored as a .xml file in the ...\CombatFlite\Data folder. For Persian Gulf theatre, the database is the persiangulf.xml file.

When you open this file, you'll quickly notice that it has a basic structure, with 4 main categories:

• Navpoints (empty on all theatre, but we can assume that we can create some with their name and coordinates, to be confirmed);

• Beacons (with their type, like NDB, TACAN, VOR DME, ILS, etc...);

• Airfields (with all the data that were shown previousely);

• Towns (but it seems that they cannot be displayed at this point).

  

Therfore, adding up details to this database is fairly straightforward. We just have to add the desired items in the correct category. 

While the question of the location/orientation of the various runways is not difficult, the choice of the NAVAIDs and airfield frequencies might be questioned.

At this stage, I decided to use the data available in the official aeronautical documentation, like the latest AIP Part III (AD) for Afghanistan. I'm not totally convinced it's the right way to do, since for example, Nimroz airport (OANZ) did not exist back in the timeframe that's supposed to be represented by the Afghan theatre in DCS World (late 2000s, early 2010s). On the contrary, the Zaranj airstrip (OAZJ) has been announced in the SW Afghanistan airfield list. Another example: the former KAF TACAN (75X) has been replaced by the KDR VOR-DME (107X), and the ILS RWY 23 ceased to exist...

My way ahead is to take the information directly from the game for the current state of the map, and include the data from former AIP, the difficulty being that in the late 2000s, AIP for Afghanistan was barely a thing (and it's indeed still very far from other countries' quality to this date).

Still, I'm releasing here a first version of an updated persiangulf.xml file. To use it, create a backup file of the original persiangulf.xml file located in the ...\CombatFlite\Data folder (by renaming it persiangulf.xml.bak for example), place the attached .xml file and rename it as persiangulf.xml.

Your updated Airport and NAVAIDS database for CombatFlite is now available, and you can start using it for planning!

As you can see, I put in between brackets the airfields that have not been announced in the current release of the Afghan theatre. It's a good way to avoid planning a flight towards an airfield that's not available at this point.

A few beacons have also been created, and this part of the database still needs some rework.

As you have understood it, it's still work in progress, and I'll share better versions when available.

Edited November 10, 2024 by graveyard4DCS

[graveyard4DCS]

1:1.000.000 Operational Navigation Charts for CombatFlite

Creating a new map for CombatFlite can definitlely a time-consuming task...

• Step 1: define the geographical limits of the theater. It would be possible to stop at the current size of the Afghan theater in DCS World. However, I didn't opt for this solution: while I kept Afghanistan's longitude limits (from around 59 to 76 degrees East), I decided to extend the coverage in latitude, from the Indian Ocean in the South (as a good proportion of flights were departing from the Arabian Peninsula, via a transit over Pakistan), to Kyrgyzstan in the North (as a number of missions in the early stages of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) departed from Manas international airport, some 25 km north of Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan). Who knows, we might one day see the "World" in "DCS World" become a reality...

• Step 2: find good maps with sufficient resolution. In our case, I turned to the Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection because it offers non-copyrighted aeronautical charts for most countries in the world. The good news is that these maps were actually used during the early phases of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). For example, here in January 2002, you can see the crew of a military transport aircraft flying a mission to Mazar-e-Sharif on this 1:500.000 scale TPC map of Afghanistan 

• Step 3: cut out and refine all the maps necessary to cover the geographic area selected in step 1. In our case, I used ONC maps F-5, F-6, G-5, G-6, G-7, H-7 and H-8.

•  Step 4: carefully georeference each map, with particular attention to the junction areas, in order to limit alignment defects between two different paper maps. If you want to make sure that every area of the map show correct latitude and longitude, it involves positioning up to a hundred reference points for each map (seven times...)!

• Step 5: double check that coordinates are correct, and make final adjustments to each map to make it fit with its neighbours (luminosity, etc...).

• Step 6: export the map in .mbtiles format. Make several tries to make sure that you have a correct ratio between final resolution and file size.

• Step 7: copy this .mbtile file in the corresponding CombatFlite folder. I made the choice to expand the "Persian Gulf" theatre to Afghanistan, therefore I place my new map files in the ...\CombatFlite\Data\DCS Persian Gulf folder. You can rename the file as you see fit, knowing that CombatFlite will propose you the maps on alphabetical order by default. If you want to see the Afghan map first when you select the "Persian Gulf" theatre in CombatFlite, it should be first in alphabetical order in your folder.

• Step 8: open CombatFlite and enjoy your new map!

A low resolution map is available for those who'd like to try it. The high resolution map is for suscribers only at this stage.

Please do not hesitate to contact me directly if you have any questions / requests / suggestions regarding this map, or my project in general!

Edited November 10, 2024 by graveyard4DCS

[heloguy]

Appreciate the work on this.  I'm trying to get the elevation data, but this link"https://dwtkns.com/srtm30m." doesn't seem to be working anymore.  I did register on the NASA site, but I only get "404 NOT FOUND" when I use the link.

 

I also don't have a telegram account, so I don't seem to be able to download from your page.

 

Edit:  Disregard.  The link indeed doesn't work for me, but if I do a web search for a 30m SRTM tile downloader, I'm able to navigate to the page.  Thanks again!

Edited September 14, 2024 by heloguy

[graveyard4DCS]

Thanks for the feedback, it was indeed a typo in the link, the final dot had to be removed. The link has been corrected and should be working now.

[graveyard4DCS]

Updated: Airport and NAVAIDS database for CombatFlite

As discussed earlier regarding that particular database, I wasn't quite happy with the initial data choice. I decided to dig a little into DCS theater files to see what's available there...

First of all, Afghan theater files are located in the DCSWorld(OpenBeta)\Mods\terrains\Afghanistan folder.

If most files are ciphered, some .lua files are readable and give us almost all the desired information.

Let's start with the beacon.lua file: it describes all the active beacons on the theater.

We can see that each airfield has a number that corresponds to the DCSID field in the CombatFlite database.
We can also note that frequencies are indicated in Hz, since 2 letters beacons are generally NDBs that work in the kHz frequency range.
The location is given directly in DD.DD, that is to say the correct format for our CombatFlite database.
We can therefore say that this file contains all the information needed to reproduce actual DCS NAVAIDs in CombatFlite!

The various beacon types for this theater are: HOMER (or NDB), TACAN and VOR-DME. But if we look into other theaters, we can find VORTAC, ILS LOCALIZER and ILS GLIDESLOPE, but also RSBN, a Russian short-range navigation system.

At this stage, the beacons list for the Afghan theater is clearly short. Let's hope it will get more comprehensive in future updates.

Then we can have a closer look a the radio.lua file: it lists all the default AI frequencies on various airfields. It gives us both a list of airfields, and the list of radio frequencies, so most of the information needed to finalize our database.

Once again, frequencies are given in Hz.

Airfields are identified through their ICAO code most of the time, like OABT for Bost airport in the previous example.

Some airfields, like Camp Bastion (OAZI) have two set of data: one set for helicopters and the other set for aircraft, which certainly means that we can have segregated helicopters and aircraft traffic on that airfield.

One airfield is designated by a call-sign, "YARDBIRD", which is in fact the call-sign of Dwyer Airport (OADY).

One airport is designated by "CTAF", which stands for Common Traffic Advisory Frequency. It designates a frequency used on non-controlled airfields, for advisory calls. It's not clear if an airfield is supposed to be linked to this particular entry.

Last interesting information: Nimroz airport (OANZ) is included in the frequency list, even if it has not been announced among the airfields on the SW Afghanistan theater. It has been built to replace Zaranj airport (OAZJ) and in order for the theater to be coherent, either one or the other airport only should be listed. In the 2007-2011 time-frame announced by DCS, only Zaranj should be available.

Eventually, we can note that the DCSWorld(OpenBeta)\Mods\terrains\Afghanistan\Map folder contains a towns.lua file that lists the name and location of all the towns and villages on the theater. It is supposed to be used by the Ka-50's ABRIS navigation system. It can be used to complete CombatFlite's town database, but since it's apparently not used in the software at this stage, I won't dig in it for the moment.

All these info let us build a database that's much closer to the game's state. It is available here , and should replace your persiangulf.xlm file in your CombatFlite\Data folder.

However, even if this method brings us quality data, it will also force us to check for changes after each theater's update...

Edited November 10, 2024 by graveyard4DCS

[graveyard4DCS]

1:500.000 Tactical Pilotage Charts for CombatFlite

 

The logical follow-up to the previous ONC 1:1.000.000 was, of course, the publication of a set of smaller-scale aeronautical charts.

In general, 1:1.000.000 scale charts are used for long-distance, high-altitude flights, to give an overview of the route and to easily find diversion airfields. But they are not detailed enough to plan and execute visual navigation. For this purpose, 1:500.000 scale maps are generally used: at this scale, it is possible to see details such as villages, bridges, forests and antennas - the kind of visual features that are useful for low-level flying.

The only 1:500.000 maps available for Afghanistan in the early 2000s were the old US TPC maps, the very same that have been chosen here.

As for the ONC maps, I decided to include large areas around Afghanistan, up to Kyrgyzstan to the North.

More maps for even lower scales will be released in the future.

Edited November 10, 2024 by graveyard4DCS

[metzger]

Great work! thanks!

 

It's so sad that CF went abandonware

[graveyard4DCS]

The terrain elevation map for CombatFlite is now available in DCS user's files: https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/3342400/

Enjoy your planning!

[JUICE-AWG]

null

[graveyard4DCS]

I wouldn't say so. It's almost perfectly working on any theatre. 

The only tricky action might be the .miz file import/export on new theatres, but other than that it remains the only planning tool for DCS. 

[buur]

and it is a good planning tool! Need a flight plan with a kneeboard and with a little bit modding of the xml files I get perfect results.
@graveyard4DCSdo you think it is also possible to add south atlantic to combatflite? If I understand you right, it is only possible to add a new map to an theater and not to create a new theater.

[graveyard4DCS]

Yes, correct. I'll be working on the SA maps shortly. 

[Sleepy8]

@graveyard4DCS

Hi! I bought your Kola Maps for CombatFlite, and have gotten them installed, swapped the theather.xml and TheChannel.xml files, and installed STRMs, and everything seams to work when I start CombatFlite. Maps are there, elevation is shown at the cursor location etc. But,when I import a .miz file that I made in the DCS mission Editor, CombatFlite "jumps" to the Channel Map, showing that map, and non of the flights or routes are imported. The Channel map is still the selected theater, and If I go to Select Theater in CombatFlite, and then click The Channel again, then the Kola maps pops up again, but no routes or flights are shown or available. 

Any ideas on how to fix .miz import?

[graveyard4DCS]

Hello, 

I recently made a post to explain how to import miz files to any new theatre. 

To explain it briefly here, CombatFlite doesn't know the new DCS theatres, so you have to trick it into believing that the miz file you try to import is on one of its known theatre. For that, there are two things to do: 1) modify the theater origins in the theaters.xml file in CombatFlite (the theater.xml you use is already modified) and 2) modify the miz file to trick the software (that's the point you're missing).

All the steps are detailed in the post linked above. 

That's the main issue with CombatFlite not being updated to handle new theatres, it can be circumvented, but it's definitely not really handy. I personally never load miz files to CombatFlite, but use other tools like DCS Viewer instead.

I hope it helps... Don't hesitate to MP me if you have more questions to deal with your situation. 

Edited January 12 by graveyard4DCS

[graveyard4DCS]

On 12/18/2024 at 9:03 PM, buur said:

and it is a good planning tool! Need a flight plan with a kneeboard and with a little bit modding of the xml files I get perfect results.
@graveyard4DCSdo you think it is also possible to add south atlantic to combatflite? If I understand you right, it is only possible to add a new map to an theater and not to create a new theater.

Soon

[graveyard4DCS]

For those interested, an updated .xml file with latest East Afghanistan airfields for CombatFlite has been released.

[MemphisBelle]

hello, stupid question, but how do I install the files after downloading from the Patreon page after purchase?

[graveyard4DCS]

Hi @MemphisBelle

Note that some of the maps are available for download for free by registered members, it might be wise to test them before you go for the whole package. I can't upload all of them on ED's user files due to maximum file size restrictions. 

Note also that I made many posts to explain how to install those theaters. Please read them first, starting by the oldest ones, I'm pretty sure you'll find all your answers.

Now as a quick summary for those interested :

- mbtiles files are the new maps to put in an existing CombatFlite/Data/theatername folder 

- .hgt files will give you the terrain elevation data

- new .xml files can replace the old ones to have all the airfields and NAVAIDs for the new theaters 

- the theater.xml file can also be modified to allow. miz file import and export with new theaters (little more tricky) 

All these files have been made available, so that all CombatFlite features keep working on the new theatres. 

Thanks 

Edited March 11 by graveyard4DCS

[MemphisBelle]

@graveyard4DCS
first of all, thanks a lot for the efforts you're investing into this project. I´ve scrolled through much of the resources here in this thread and on the linked resources, as well as Patreon itself. I´ve been pointed onto this project by a Squad member. I thought to give the Afghanistan Map a shot, since the fee is not that much as if it would hurt if I would struggle. I thought it would just be a simple drag and drop, but it appears to be a bit more, which is fine. I just need to give myself a bit more time to work my way through all this.

And I agree to many of the folks here, it's a shame that CombatFlite remains unsupported. I hope that Viper is OK. But a few words of wisdom would have been nice of him