Cover Image

My Role

Product Designer

Full-stack Developer

Team

2

Platforms

Desktop & VR browsers

Timeline & Status

Aug '22 — May '24

Overview

A web-based game analytics framework for rendering 3D telemetry from the flight simulator in a live 3D player. This framework incorporates many of the data displays and visualizations requested and required for simulator players. We then evaluated the framework with real mission data from several air-to-air engagements involving the virtual squadron.

Note that this an active submission to a research journal.
This case study will be available from 24th July 2024 onwards.
Please reach out to me personally to learn more about this work.

Lens

Operating racing and flight simulators is hard, it takes extensive time and learning just to even get started.

Analyzing 3D telemetry data collected from sessions can support players in improving performance as well as help spectators in viewing data-driven narratives of the gameplay.

Combat flight simulation in particular is considered “study-level,” which means that players are expected to have to read detailed manuals to perform even simple procedures, ranging from merely starting up or shutting down the aircraft, to taking off and landing as well as engaging weapons.

Tacreel Process

Left: Microsoft Flight Simulator, Center: DCS Flight Simulator, Right: F1 '23 Replay View

Contribution

  • Collaborated with HCI researcher to conducted pre and post user studies, understand user requirements and get feedback about the system

  • Designed, developed & deployed a 3D creator tool. Conducted user evaluation & re-iterated based on the findings

Overview

To address the needs of 3D telemetry analysis of players, we built TacReel, a web-based 3D visualization tool that allows virtual pilots to explore, analyze, and share combat flight simulator telemetry data.

Tacreel Upload replay

/ After a simulator session users upload their replay file to Tacreel and start exploring.


TacReel consists of four main components:

1. Pre-processing Backend
Backend that enables uploading, cleaning, storing and streaming of ACMI and other telemetry files.

Tacreel Player

2. Telemetry player
Enables the playback and analysis of 3D telemetry data.

3. Event timeline
Automatically detects important simulator-specific events in the telemetry reel.

Tacreel Player

4. Reel Director
A data visualization view for editing and constructing highlight reels that summarize long missions

Tacreel Player
Tacreel Player

Note that this an active submission to a research journal.
This case study will be available from 24th July 2024 onwards.
Please reach out to me personally to learn more about this work.

Designed and Devloped by Me ⋅ © 2024 Sourabh Mane