Export to ABRIS

Export to ABRIS is an application that will read the current state of a DCS server such Rotorheads dynamic server and imports that data into the Ka-50's ABRIS system.

Information such as disposition of friendly and hostile troops, enemy AA batteries, JTAC locations et.c is available. In the Russian fashion, blue denotes hostile and red friendlies.

Usage

1. Go to The release page to get the latest version of the application
2. Unpack the zip into your saved games/DCS directory (You should end up with a RotorheadsToABRIS folder in your DCS directory).

Then do one of the following:

• Either:

  3. Open the file <DCS install directory>/Mods/aircraft/Ka-50/Cockpit/Scripts/Devices_specs/ABRIS.lua
  4. Go to the line default_path = get_terrain_related_data("ABRIS_data_path") (line 42 as of writing) and replace it with default_path = get_terrain_related_data("ABRIS_data_path") or lfs.writedir().."ExportToABRIS/"

• or:

  3. Download the provided DCS ABRIS.lua.zip file and extract it over your root DCS installation directory. The Mods folder from the zip file should replace your game installation's Mods folder (same structure). This will replace ABRIS.lua for both the Black Shark 2 and 3.

Then:

5. Run the ExportToABRIS.exe inside the newly unpacked folder by dragging and dropping a serverspec.json file onto the exe. A Database folder will appear. Running the application again updates the data available to ABRIS.

Notes

• This does not take into account what mission you're actually running. All Ka-50 missions will show data from the exported server unless you restore the lua or delete the Database folder.
• The database will be loaded when the module is first loaded, i.e. when you first enter the Ka-50 slot.
• It is possible to create a shortcut and supply it with command line arguments and the path to your favourite serverspec for ease of use. Dropping a serverspec on a shortcut with command arguments works equally well.

Command line arguments

The application can be supplied various arguments to modify the result

• -nocsar Removes csar symbols
• -noobj Removes objective markers
• -nosam Removes the sam markers
• -nofarp Removes farp markers (the ones added by the game still remains)
• -nojtac Removes jtac symbols

Custom visualization and servers

Export To Abris reads mapbox features from json and converts them to a format readable by DCS. This is defined by serverspec files. The serverspec files are simple json objects with the following properties.

• server: Url to the server from which data is retrieved.
• dataSources: A dictionary mapping data source names to the underlying data json path. Path is concatinated with the server url.
• points: A list of objects that will be rendered as points. A point object is defined as follows:
  • sources: A list of source names reffering to the names in dataSources.
  • condition: An object using regexp to determine if a particular feature will we drawn with this symbol. A condition has the following properties:
    • property: The name of the property whose value will be matched against.
    • pattern: The regex pattern used to match the property value.
  • symbolType: The name of the symbol used to visualize the point. Can take any of the following values:
    • referencePoint
    • initialPoint
    • landmark
    • obstacle
    • climbPoint
    • divePoint
    • airbase
    • farp
    • navalbase
    • airport
    • heliport
    • closed_airport
    • common_airport
    • new_airport
    • vorPoint
    • dmePoint
    • tacanPoint
    • homerPoint
    • vorDmePoint
    • vorTacanPoint
    • airportHomer
    • routeMarker
    • ilsMarker
    • unknownHostile
    • armouredHostile
    • airDefenceHostile
    • otherHostile
    • dlInitial
    • groupMember
  • name: An object containing Regex match and replace pattern to set the name of the point visible in ABRIS. Has the following properties:
    • property: The name of the property whose value will be matched against.
    • pattern: The regex pattern used to match the property value.
    • replace: Constructs the string using the parts captured by the pattern.
  • disable: The keyword used to disable exporting this particular symbol. Must be listed in disableCategories.json.
• bufferZones: A list of buffer zone object. A buffer zone draws an outline around the given point at some distance. The object is defined as follows:
  • style: The style of the buffer zone, can take values either "filledHostile" or "line"
  • color: The color if the line style is used. Can take "r,g,b" where r, g, and b are color components 0-255 or any of the following values
    • red
    • yellow
    • green
    • white
    • black
  • sources: See above.
  • condition: See above.
  • disable: See above.
• lines: A list of line objects. A line object traces the shortest possible line between point features with the same name (as determined by the name property). The object is defines as follows:
  • color: See above.
  • name: See above.
  • sources: See above.
  • condition: See above.
  • disable: See above.