How to use Tacview with Falcon 4.0?

Q: Which versions of Falcon 4.0 are supported by Tacview?

A: Tacview has been tested and validated with any of the following editions of Falcon:

  • Falcon 4.0 (Original Edition)
  • Falcon 4.0 1.08 SuperPak 3
  • Falcon 4.0: Allied Force 1.0.13
  • Falcon BMS 4.32
  • FreeFalcon 5.5.5
  • Open Falcon 4.7
Q: How do I use Tacview to replay Falcon 4.0 flight recordings?

A: Tacview can directly reads VHS files generated by Falcon 4.0. All you need to do is to press the [F] key while flying to start recording. After the flight, one or several VHS file will be stored in the \Falcon4\acmibin\ folder. Launch Tacview and open one of those VHS files. Don't forget to select the proper battlefield in the open file dialog box:

Falcon 4.0 Battlefield Selection

Q: Falcon creates too many little VHS files during flight. Is it possible to open all of them at once and merge them in Tacview?

A: Tacview does not support VHS files merge. However, the solution is simplier than expected: Launch Falcon 4.0, go to general settings and set ACMI File Size to a big value like 500 MB. This will prevent Falcon from creating a new file every single minute of a heavy mission.

Falcon 4.0 ACMI file size
Q: What files should I keep on my hard drive, the bulky .VHS files or the compressed .ACMI files saved from Tacview?

A: For now, it is suggested to keep your original VHS files. Because they contain advanced telemetry data which are not yet handled by Tacview. If you really need to save a lot of disk space, you can resave your files from Tacview at the cost of losing the advanced telemetry data.

How to display the proper terrain?

Q: Why the terrain displayed in Tacview does not correspond to the one I have in Falcon?

A: It is not easy to auto detect the exact version of Falcon you are using. This is why by default Tacview displays the terrain from the unmodified version of Falcon 4.0. You can go into the settings menu to choose another terrain.

Falcon 4.0 Terrain Selection
Q: Which Falcon 4.0 terrains are included?

A: The following terrains are included in Tacview:

  • Falcon 4.0 original Korea
  • Falcon BMS Korea
  • FreeFalcon 5.5.5 Korea
  • Open Falcon 4.7 Korea
  • Open Falcon 4.7 Balkans
Q: How can I add my own Falcon 4.0 terrain in Tacview?

A: You can add your own terrain by following these instructions: Tacview Technical Reference - Terrain

Q: My favorite airport is not displayed, how can I add it?

A: Most of South Korean airports have already been added to Tacview. However since this is a long process, some airports may be missing. You can add your own airports by following these instructions: Tacview Technical Reference - Static Objects

Q: Why some ground units, aircrafts or weapons are missing or are not properly displayed in Tacview?

A: Falcon 4.0 contains a lot of objects. Some of them may remain unknown to Tacview. To improve that, you can update Nayfe's database by fixing the invalid object's types with the help of the following documentation Tacview Technical Reference - Flight Recordings

What are the known limitations?

Q: Why even with the proper terrain, some land vehicles seem to float or move under the ground?

A: Because of some optimizations, vehicles which are far away from the local aircraft are not always accurately placed on the ground. This is a limitation of Falcon 4.0. This is not a bug and should not really impair the usual debriefing process under Tacview.

Q: Why some data like aircraft orientation are not always accurate?

A: Since Falcon 4.0 uses a flat terrain and Tacview is using a spherical projection (like Google Earth), you will notice inaccuracies in telemetry data: Orientation, speed and accelerations may be inaccurate sometimes. This problem is well known and is going to be fixed in next releases of Tacview.

Q: How can I display radar locks?

A: The radar locks are not yet supported by Tacview. However they will be available in coming versions. They are part of what is called Advanced Telemetry.