01 Getting Started

1.1 Opening the Application

No installation, no server, no account required. Double-click DCS_World_Briefing_Generator.html and you are ready to go. The application runs entirely in your browser, offline.

Recommended browser: Chrome (or any Chromium-based browser). PDF output is cleanest in Chrome, and that is the primary target platform.
Firefox and Safari work for editing, but may behave differently when printing.
On Android tablets, copy the HTML file to your device (USB cable, Drive, email…) and open it with Chrome.

1.2 Interface Overview

When the application opens, you are in edit mode. The interface is split into two simple zones:

At the top, the toolbar — your wing name on the left, the main action buttons on the right. Below it, the tabs that give access to each section of the briefing.

On a tablet, the tabs move to the bottom of the screen, within thumb reach:

Available tabs, left to right:

Icon	Name	What you do there
⚙	Meta	Date, classification, document reference
◕	Cover	Operation title, context, cover map
▣	SITAC	Tactical situation, weather, SITREP entries
✈	Mission	Objectives, bases, threats (mission overview)
📻	Radio	Common frequencies and per-aircraft radio plans
⊕	Missions	Individual mission cards per pilot
👤	Crew	Order of battle — groups and pilots
🗺	Charts	Airport charts (approach, taxiway, communication…)
📎	Free-form Appendices	Free illustrated content at the end of the briefing
🛡	Wing	Wing configuration (admin section)
◈	Preview	Print-ready rendering of the briefing

1.3 Edit Mode vs Preview Mode

The application has two modes, and switching between them takes a single click:

Edit mode — you fill in the forms. This is where all the work happens.
Preview mode — the briefing is displayed in A4 format, exactly as it will print. No forms, just the final rendering.

To switch: click the ◈ Aperçu tab directly.

Preview mode — what you will get in the final PDF

02 Creating a Complete Briefing

We will walk through the tabs in order, left to right. That is how a briefing naturally builds up, and it is the best way to make sure nothing gets missed.

2.1 Metadata — ⚙ Tab

These are the header fields that appear in the footer of every printed page. A few fields, quickly filled.

Operation — the operation name (e.g., “IRON DAWN”).
Mission code — a short code identifying the sortie (e.g., “ALPHA-7”).
Mission date — free-form (e.g., “14 JAN 2025 / ZULU”).
Classification — the fictional classification level displayed on every page: CONFIDENTIEL DÉFENSE, SECRET DÉFENSE, TRÈS SECRET, NON CLASSIFIÉ, NATO RESTRICTED, NATO SECRET.
Document reference — document number or internal reference (e.g., “4VEAW/OPS/2025-001”).

2.2 Cover Page — ◕ Tab

The first page of the printed briefing. This is where you set the scene for everything that follows.

Operation title — displayed in large stencil lettering on the cover. Short and punchy works best.
Narrative / Context — a free-text paragraph giving the situation to the pilots. This is the text they will read before take-off.
Operation map — drag-and-drop an image, or click the zone to select one. PNG, JPEG, WEBP — all formats accepted.

2.3 Tactical Situation — ▣ SITAC Tab

A summary of the situation at mission time — where forces stand, what the context is, what the weather looks like.

SITAC date — may differ from the mission date if the SITAC was compiled the day before.
SITREP entries — a list of short situation points (+ Add entry button). Enemy positions, restricted areas, red alerts…
METAR — weather in METAR format or plain text (“Ceiling 3 000 ft, wind 270/15 kt”).
SITAC map — optional: an annotated image showing friendly/enemy positions. If left blank, the page stays clean.

2.4 Mission Overview — ✈ Tab

The operational body of the mission: what needs to be done, where to land, and what can shoot back.

Primary objectives — a list (+ Add objective). One line, one idea — that is the right format.
FARPs & Airfields — available bases with their status (friendly, neutral, hostile).
Threats — check-boxes by type (Armor, APC, AAA, SAM) with levels or short descriptions.
Threat notes — free-text field for active SAMs, no-fly zones, or anything that does not fit the check-boxes.

2.5 Radio Plan — 📻 Tab

All frequencies in one place. This tab is split into two parts:

Radio items (max 6) — frequencies common to all pilots: primary ATC, mission frequency, guard… These appear on page 3 of the printed briefing.
Per-aircraft radio plans — for each aircraft type in use (F-16C, F/A-18C, Mi-8…), define the radios and their preset channels. You can also load an image (a screenshot of the in-game radio preset) to replace the generated table.

2.6 Individual Missions — ⊕ Tab

Often the longest section to fill in — and the most personalized. Each pilot or crew can have their own mission card.

The ◄ ► buttons navigate between missions; + creates one; ◈ duplicates; ↑ ↓ reorder; × deletes.
Each mission card includes: pilot, Escadron affecté (Assigned squadron, from the wing roster), Sous-groupe (optional sub-element/flight name), aircraft type, loadout, execution steps, and free-text notes.

2.7 Crew — 👤 Tab

The Crew tab generates an order of battle (ORBAT) page in the briefing — but only if you actually add pilots here. Leave it empty and no crew page is generated.

Organize pilots into groups (flight, section, squadron…).
Each group lists pilots with their callsign, rank, and optional notes.

2.8 Charts — 🗺 Tab

The Charts tab lets you add airport charts to the briefing. These charts are typically approach, taxiway, or communication diagrams downloaded from sources such as Chartfox or official aeronautical publications.

For each chart, you fill in:

A title (e.g., “LFMN — ILS RWY 04R”)
An image (PNG or JPEG) loaded by drag-and-drop or via the selection button
An optional comment to annotate or provide context for the chart

The + Add a chart button lets you add as many charts as needed. Charts appear in the final briefing in the order they were entered.

2.9 Free-form Appendices — 📎 Tab

The Free-form Appendices tab fills the role of the Appendices tab in v2.0.0: it lets you add free illustrated content at the end of the briefing — diagrams, reference notes, photos, enemy OOB, etc.

Each appendix combines:

A mandatory title
An optional image (loaded by drag-and-drop)
A free-length comment field

03 Saving and Resuming a Briefing

3.1 Automatic Local Save

Good news: there is nothing to do. The application continuously saves your current briefing to browser local storage (localStorage). Close the tab, shut down the PC, come back the next day — your work is still there.

3.2 Exporting a Briefing as JSON

The JSON export is the permanent save — a file you can archive, share with a squadronmate, or reload six months later.

Click Sauver (Save) in the toolbar.
A file named briefing_OPERATION_DATE.json is downloaded automatically.
Keep it somewhere safe — it is your only portable copy of the briefing.

3.3 Importing an Existing Briefing

Resuming a briefing from a previous session, or a squadronmate sends you theirs:

Click Charger (Load) in the toolbar.
Select the .json file in the file picker.
The briefing loads immediately.

3.4 Starting Fresh

Click Réinitialiser (Reset) in the toolbar.
A confirmation prompt appears — that is the only safeguard.
The entire briefing is cleared, including the automatic browser save.

04 Exporting to PDF

4.1 Preview Mode Verification

Before printing, take a quick look in Preview mode — the ◈ Aperçu tab. Check that:

The cover page shows the correct title and map.
Content pages are not truncated.
All individual mission cards are present.
Map and chart images are legible.

4.2 Exporting to PDF (Windows / macOS)

Everything happens inside Chrome — no third-party software needed. The Imprimer (Print) button automatically switches to Preview mode first.

Press Ctrl+P (Windows / Linux) or ⌘+P (macOS).
Select “Save as PDF” as the destination.
Set the following options:

Option	Recommended value
Paper size	A4
Orientation	Portrait
Margins	None (the app manages its own margins)
Scale	100%
Background graphics	✓ Enabled — required for the kraft background

4.3 Exporting to PDF on Android

On Android with Chrome, the Imprimer (Print) button opens the native Android print system or share menu directly:

Tap Imprimer (Print) in the toolbar.
Select “Save as PDF” as the destination.
Same settings as the desktop version (scale 100 %, backgrounds enabled, A4).

4.4 PNG Kneeboard Export

In addition to the standard PDF export, the generator produces a PNG export optimised for DCS kneeboards — the virtual kneepads displayed in-game during a flight.

To export as PNG kneeboard:

Click the Imprimer (Print) button in the toolbar
In the export modal, select the PNG kneeboard option (default: PDF)
Check the pages to export in the list shown (all pages checked by default)
Click Export

A ZIP file is generated, containing one PNG per selected page. Each PNG is sized to standard DCS kneeboard ratios.

4.5 Best Practices

Prepare early. A briefing done the evening before is a briefing you have time to review and fix.
Keep the exported PDF. It is the mission archive, and it comes in handy if a squadronmate missed the live brief.
Share the JSON, not the PDF, if another pilot needs to edit the briefing.

05 Wing Configuration

5.1 What Is a Wing Config?

The wing configuration is the set of data that personalizes the app for your virtual wing:

The name and identity of the wing — what appears in the toolbar, page headers, and footers.
The list of squadrons with their names, callsigns, and logos.
The main wing logo displayed on the cover page.
The HQ stamp shown on the cover page.

Once configured, this config applies to all briefings created with that installation. It exports to a single JSON file for easy distribution to every pilot in the wing.

5.2 Editing the Wing Identity

In the 🛡 Wing tab, under the Wing identity section:

Nom court (Short name) — displayed in the toolbar (e.g., “4th VEAW”). Keep it under 10 characters.
Identifiant (ID) — a technical key with no spaces or slashes (e.g., “4th-veaw”). Used internally.
Nom complet (Full name) — the wing’s full name (e.g., “4th Virtual Expeditionary Air Wing”).
Titre de l’application (App title) — text shown in the browser tab.
Tampon HQ (HQ stamp) — stamp text on the cover page (e.g., “HQ VEAW // CLASSIFIED”).

5.3 Managing Squadrons

The squadrons configured here feed directly into the squadron selector in the ⊕ Missions tab.

Click + Ajouter un escadron (Add a squadron) to create a new squadron.
Each squadron entry includes: an ID (e.g., “541-TFS”), a callsign (e.g., “DUFF”), a full name, an optional nickname, the aircraft types it flies, and an optional logo.
Click an existing card to expand, edit, or delete it.

5.4 Loading Logos

Loading a logo by drag-and-drop

Main wing logo — appears on the cover page. Recommended: transparent PNG, 400×400 px minimum, < 200 KB.
Squadron logo (one per squadron) — displayed on mission cards. Same recommendations.

Drag and drop an image onto the zone, or click it to open the file picker.

5.5 Exporting, Importing, Resetting

📥 Importer config (Import config) — loads a wing configuration JSON file.
📤 Exporter config (Export config) — downloads the current configuration as a JSON file.
♻ Réinitialiser (Reset) — restores the example wing configuration bundled with the app.

06 FAQ and Tips

I accidentally closed the tab. Is my briefing lost?

No. The automatic save (localStorage) kept everything. Simply reopen DCS_World_Briefing_Generator.html in the same browser — your work is there. Exception: if you cleared browser data or moved the HTML file since then, the briefing is gone. Hence the importance of regular JSON exports.

My squadron does not appear in the mission selector.

The selector only lists squadrons defined in the 🛡 Wing tab. Make sure at least one squadron is configured there. If you just imported a wing config, reload the page. A warning toast appears at the bottom of the screen to flag the issue.

The PDF has blank pages inserted between sections.

This happens when a section overflows the A4 page height. In Chrome (Ctrl+P), verify that margins are set to “None” and scale to 100%. If it persists, shorten the content slightly — an overly long context paragraph or an objective list with too many items.

What size should logos be?

Transparent PNG, 400×400 px or larger, under 200 KB where possible. The app scales automatically, but small logos will appear blurry when printed. Avoid JPEG — compression artifacts are visible on the kraft background.

Can I use the app on multiple PCs with the same config?

Yes. Copy the HTML file to the other PC. Export your wing config from the first PC (📤 Exporter config) and import it on the second (📥 Importer config). Same workflow for in-progress briefings — JSON export on one PC, import on the other.

The kraft background does not appear in the PDF.

In Chrome’s print dialog, enable “Background graphics”. Chrome disables backgrounds by default to save ink — you need to re-enable it manually each time you print.

Can we fill in the briefing as a team at the same time?

No — the app is designed for local, single-author use. The collaborative workflow is: one author prepares, exports the JSON, shares it on Discord or Drive, and the others load it for review.

General Best Practices

Prepare early. A briefing done the evening before is one you have time to review and correct.
Keep a template JSON. A briefing with the wing configured and common radios pre-set — reload it at the start of each mission and save ten minutes.
Use consistent file naming. OPNAME_YYYYMMDD.json will save you when searching your archives six months from now.
Include the wing config when sharing. If you send a briefing JSON to someone with a different wing config loaded, the squadrons will not display correctly.

07 Appendix — Credits and Licenses

Application

The DCS World Briefing Generator is a community tool developed for DCS World virtual wings. It is freely distributed for personal and community use within virtual wings.

Embedded Typefaces

Font	Usage	License
Stardos Stencil	Titles, section headers, branding	Open Font License (OFL)
Special Elite	Application body text (typewriter style)	Apache License 2.0

DCS World

DCS World is a product of Eagle Dynamics SA. Aircraft names, theater names, and all DCS World-related elements are the property of their respective rights holders. This tool makes no claim to any of them.

This Guide

Distributed with the application, in the same spirit: free use, non-commercial, for the community.

◆ GOOD HUNTING ◆