DCS Live
View
Real-time map of DCS World sessions. Shows positions, routes and event feed of all units during the mission, updated every second via a Lua script.
What it is
DCS Live View is a real-time map that shows the full picture of a DCS World session while it’s running. A small Lua script installed on the DCS server transmits the data over UDP every second to the Flask server, which serves it to the browser through an SSE (Server-Sent Events) connection.
Why it was created
Running a DCS session with multiple connected pilots means keeping many variables under control at once. Without a dedicated tool, the mission commander sees the situation exactly like any other pilot, with no real overview. Live View solves this, providing a separate dashboard built for whoever runs the mission from the outside.
How it works
The export script (mission_live_export.lua) installs into the DCS Export folder and activates automatically on every mission. It runs in “god mode”: it sees every unit on the map regardless of who detects them, ideal for full session monitoring.
The DCS script transmits the data over UDP to the Flask backend, which serves it to the browser in real time via Server-Sent Events over HTTPS.
Installing it on your own server
The repository ships a step-by-step guide (INSTALL_DCS_SERVER.md) covering the full setup: Python and Flask on the machine hosting DCS, copying mission_live_export.lua into Saved Games/DCS/Scripts/, hooking it into Export.lua and a first LAN test, where UDP traffic stays on 127.0.0.1 and there’s no firewall to touch. For access from outside, the guide uses a Cloudflare Tunnel with the app switched to “behind proxy” mode and secure session cookies.
MissionScripting.lua is not touched: the export script runs in the Export.lua environment, which already has the UDP socket, the same road SRS and Tacview take. Earlier versions of the guide asked to desanitise the sandbox; install.bat now copies the scripts, finds the Saved Games folder where it is not usually kept, and works without git too, losing only the automatic update.
What it shows
- Coalition-coloured markers — BLU, RED, Neutral, with an orange border for human pilots
- Flight routes — dashed polylines built in real time over the map
- Event feed — side stream with spawns, takeoffs and kills
- BLU/RED counters — updated every second
- Type filters — aircraft, helicopters, ground units, ships
- Unit popup — click any marker for type, coalition, pilot, altitude, speed and heading
Access
The live map is admin-only: it shows the full picture of both coalitions and would not be appropriate as a public view during operations. GCI operators use the GCI Scope, which has a separate access model based on session links.
The tool is publicly accessible at gcidemo.alessandrosimonitto.it/live, restricted to admins via authentication.