Locked external views in tracks--a solution

[Echo38]

Newer update: there's a simpler method still! You don't even have to alt-tab out of DCS; simply go into the mission editor, hit "Open," and in the drop box just above "OK," switch it from "Mission files" to "Tracks." Now open your track, edit the options here in the mission editor, save, and you're good to go. I recommend backing up your track file before modifying it or even playing it for the first time, which does require alt-tabbing.

 

Update: apparently, the method described below is not necessary. Leaving it for archival purposes, but here's a link to the quick method: http://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=1943165&postcount=8

 

 

 

Thanks to various folks who've shown me the various parts of this solution (the discussion of which was scattered throughout several different threads), I'm putting it into a single thread so that people can better find it with the forum search function.

 

The problem was this: if I created a mission with external cameras enforced disabled in the mission options (see attached picture), and then I recorded a track while playing that mission, I was unable to use external cameras while playing that track afterwards.

 

The solution involves two steps: first, open the TRK file with WinRar, locate in the main folder the file called "Options" with no file exension (not the Options.lua in the "track_data" sub-folder), and open this Options file with Notepad++ (Windows Notepad works also, but it is more difficult because of the layout). Change the line: ["externalViews"] = false

 

to the following: ["externalViews"] = true

 

Then save the file and exit. When WinRar asks you whether to update the file in the archive, select yes. The second step is to, while still in the TRK file with WinRar, open (again with Notepad++) the file called "Mission" with no file extension, then locate the line: ["forcedOptions"]

 

Look below that line for the line: ["externalViews"] = false

 

Change it to: ["externalViews"] = true

 

Then save the file and, when WinRar asks you to update the file, select yes. You should now be able to view your track with external cameras. This method will also work for other options which were forced enabled or disabled (in the mission options) during the recording of the track, such as ["labels"] and ["f5_nearest_ac"], although, in the case of the latter, there is no entry in the Mission file, only in the Options file.

 

(Disregard this paragraph) other search tags: locked camera recordings edit editing movie movies enable padlock F5 nearest views realism difficulty settings

Edited May 27, 2015 by Echo38

[ralfidude]

edit: nvm

Edited January 11, 2013 by ralfidude

[Scruffy]

Tried this and the game freezes before the track starts.

I kill it through task manager and then it gives me a "#bad-utf8" error, which is strange because i never switched encoding.

 

Edited December 9, 2013 by Scruffy

[cichlidfan]

Tried this and the game freezes before the track starts.

I kill it through task manager and then it gives me a "#bad-utf8" error, which is strange because i never switched encoding.

 

What did you use for a text editor? This should always work, unless you create an error with your edits.

[Scruffy]

Wow, that was fast.

 

Well i initially opened it with plain notepad, used ctrl + F to find the line of interest and edited the file. Then done the same with Notepad ++.

 

Maybe an extra character i put in accidentally. Ooops

 

EDIT: I just had a flash. The mission briefing is in Greek which is non unicode. Does the notepad save in UTF-8 by default?

 

EDIT 2: Nope. Deleted all the Greek characters but no joy.

Edited December 9, 2013 by Scruffy

[cichlidfan]

Try starting with a fresh copy of the track (you did make a backup, right?) and only use Notepad++. I don't know what impact the Greek text might have.

[Scruffy]

Try starting with a fresh copy of the track (you did make a backup, right?)

 

No. :doh:

 

Nevermind it wasn't anything important. I think i finally nailed a landing with the Huey and wanted to see if it looked good from outside.

 

Thanks for the help though.

[karambiatos]

you dont need to go into luas to get externals back.

rename the .trk to a .miz then go in the mission editor and change what you like in the settings, and save it, and rename the .miz to a .trk then play it, works on multiplayer tracks as well.

[Echo38]

you dont need to go into luas to get externals back.

rename the .trk to a .miz then go in the mission editor and change what you like in the settings, and save it, and rename the .miz to a .trk then play it, works on multiplayer tracks as well.

 

(A year and a ~half later, I see this.)

 

Hmm! This appears to work! The the end of my replay (perhaps the last two minutes) was cut off, but upon restoring the backup I made of the track, it was still missing, so the problem doesn't seem to have been caused by your method, which is vastly easier than mine. Thanks for the tip! I'll watch out for the cut-off problem in my next track; I'll watch it without editing first, and then edit it.

[Echo38]

I confirm that this method works. The other track must have been truncated by an error of mine during the saving process (hitting "save track" after an incomplete playback, I think). Thanks!

[Bucic]

I've added a link to this topic in the

DCS cameras, views and video recording

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=114260

[Echo38]

Updated O.P. with an even quicker method I just discovered, similar to the last one.