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NIOD-core

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Introduction

NIOD-core is a npm package that lets you connect to DCS World using a socket. Once connected, it offers a variety of functionalities :

• Events: You can listen to events from DCS World
• Functions: You can call functions from the DCS Mission Scripting API

This is a pretty low level package, mission makers should probably not use NIOD-core directly but a package that uses NIOD-core to get higher level functionalities. My plan is to make one in the near future.

How does this work ?

A socket is created in the mission scripting environment, NIOD-core connects to it and sends / receives commands discribing events and functions.

The nodejs server stores callbacks linked to a callback id, this id is passed to the lua server which pass it back with the returned data. The dispatcher will then execute the right stored callback.

Here's a basic example

const { initNiod, getGroups, addEventHandler, COALITIONS, EVENTS } = require("niod-core");
initNiod().then(async () => {
  // Log information on all the groups in the blue coalition
  console.log(await getGroups(COALITIONS.BLUE));
  // Log position of new added marks
  addEventHandler(EVENTS.EventMarkAdded, (event) => {
      console.log("A mark was added at position", event.pos);
  })
});

Instalation

Unsanitize the require function

Niod requires DCS to import some functionalities from LUA so it can create a socket and access the OS time API, you'll need to "unsanitize" it. To do so go into your DCS installation folder DCS World\Scripts\MissionScripting.lua and edit these line.

do
    sanitizeModule('os')
    sanitizeModule('io')
    sanitizeModule('lfs')
    require = nil
    loadlib = nil
end

to

do
    --sanitizeModule('os')
    sanitizeModule('io')
    sanitizeModule('lfs')
    --require = nil
    loadlib = nil
end

Mission Editor

Then you need to create a mission that loads the NIOD lua file found in the "script" folder.

And there you go ! You're all set, you can import niod in your project and start the server using

const { initNiod } = require("niod-core");
initNiod().then(() => {
  // your mission code goes here
});

and start coding !

Typescript support

Niod is written in typescript, so the npm package is shipped with all the type declarations. Which means auto-completion depending on your code editor

API

You can find the complete docs here

Since there is a lot of documented functions you probably won't need, here are links to:

• Events documentation
• Functions documentation

Guides

I'll be writing guides with examples, links will be down below

Special thanks

Thanks to Drex from Dynamic DCS for all the help on sockets, go check his server out