Flight Log

With Tacview, you can easily convert any flight recording into a clean flight log to create and update online rosters for your virtual squadron. The data generated is the same as the one visible in the events list. It can be exported in either XML or CSV file format depending on you technical needs.

It is possible to export data from the command line to easily automatize data gathering after each flight session. Use your own program or PHPTacview to compile these data and to display always up-to-date statistics for your pilots on your squadron website!

Go to Analysis → Flight Log to open the flight log.

Here Tacview logs different events that it was able to auto-detect such as Has fired, Has been hit, Has been destroyed, and others:

Flight Log

Double-click on an event to be taken to that moment in the replay:

Flight Log - Double Click

Any bookmarks that you add will show up in the flight log:

Flight Log - Bookmarks

Export the flight log to CSV or XML and to make your own tools such as scoreboards:

Flight Log - Export

Or use the command line option:

Tacview.exe -Open:"Tacview-20150512-191044.acmi" -ExportFlightLog:"Mission Black Gold.csv" -Quiet –Quit

CSV flight logs are saved in the UTF-8 format and are using the comma , to separate data fields. You can easily load CSV files generated by Tacview in a program like Microsoft Excel. Its content can be understood just by looking at each column headers.

Here is an example of a CSV Flight Log:

Tacview-20150510-180111-DCS-OpenConflict.csv

Mission Time,Primary Object ID,Primary Object Name,Primary Object Coalition,Primary Object Pilot,Event,Occurrences,Secondary Object ID,Secondary Object Name,Secondary Object Coalition,Secondary Object Pilot,Relevant Object ID,Relevant Object Name,Relevant Object Coalition,Relevant Object Pilot
303.88,390,Su-33 Flanker-D,Enemies,Mirknir,HasEnteredTheArea,1,299,Admiral Kuznetsov,Enemies,,,,,
336.74,416,Su-33 Flanker-D,Enemies,Ibanezshredder,HasEnteredTheArea,1,299,Admiral Kuznetsov,Enemies,,,,,
398.38,460,TF-51D Mustang,Enemies,rtyfgv,HasEnteredTheArea,1,,,,,,,,
446.38,494,TF-51D Mustang,Enemies,Christian,HasEnteredTheArea,1,,,,,,,,
453.02,494,TF-51D Mustang,Enemies,Christian,HasTakeOff,1,,,,,,,,
457.44,494,TF-51D Mustang,Enemies,Christian,HasLanded,1,,,,,,,,

And here is an example of an XML Flight Log:

Tacview-20150510-180111-DCS-OpenConflict.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" standalone="yes"?>
<TacviewDebriefing Version="1.2.6">
	<!--Flight Recording Properties-->
	<FlightRecording>
		<Source>DCS 1.2.16.38741</Source>
		<Recorder>Tacview 1.3.3</Recorder>
		<RecordingTime>2015-05-10T22:01:11Z</RecordingTime>
	</FlightRecording>
	<!--Mission Properties-->
	<Mission>
		<Title>Tacview-20150510-180111-DCS-Ralfidude</Title>
		<MissionTime>2011-10-10T10:00:00Z</MissionTime>
		<Duration>7879.20</Duration>
	</Mission>
	<!--Flight Log-->
	<Events>
		<Event>
			<Time>303.88</Time>
			<PrimaryObject ID="390">
				<Type>Aircraft</Type>
				<Name>Su-33 Flanker-D</Name>
				<Pilot>Mirknir</Pilot>
				<Coalition>Enemies</Coalition>
				<Country>us</Country>
				<Group>Player Su33 @ Fleet - 1</Group>
			</PrimaryObject>
			<Action>HasEnteredTheArea</Action>
			<SecondaryObject ID="299">
				<Type>Carrier</Type>
				<Name>Admiral Kuznetsov</Name>
				<Coalition>Enemies</Coalition>
				<Country>ua</Country>
			</SecondaryObject>
		</Event>
		...
	</Events>
</TacviewDebriefing>

Before starting to work from scratch on a whole new program, I suggest you to have a look first at Ezor's PHPTacview written in PHP. It can either fulfill your objectives or act as a starting point for your own project. In any case this is a very interesting use of Tacview XML flight logs. PHPTacview is an open source project.

In the next and final section of this chapter, we will learn about engagement ranges and mention some other tips about engagements.