Linux: Tool to record tracks forever "il2record.sh"

August 13, 2023

UPDATED AUG. 19, 2023

Hi!

Good news: In my last update, I thought the script wouldn't restart recordings when the game was under heavy load. Turns out that the reason it didn't work was a typo in the code. It works! Still not 100% of the times, but far more often than not. The audible alert works great as a reminder to restart the recording manually, if the auto fails. I found out that if you are armed with rockets, it will also change your rocket-mode (fire 1, 2, all), and I need to work out a fix for that.

Also the tacview_only mode is great. It deletes the recorded track file and it's mission folder, but leaves the tacview (*acmi) file. That's good if you are more interested in tactics than visuals when recording, because itt saves a lot of disk-space. Especially if the mission is long and has many objects.

Features:

Automatically resumes trackrecording when Il2-BOX shuts it down (most of the times)
Can be set up to use speech and/or sound, to remind you to check if recording is on (works great!)
tacview_only mode: For those long beastly missions, it can be set up to only let TACView files be recorded
saves disk-space AND flightinfo
Extremely lightweight: Relies on inotify - so it does absolutely nothing when nothing is happening. Consumes almost no resources at all. You could set it as a startup-application, and never worry no more.

Weaknesses:

Still in it's infancy
I can't find a reliable way to send keystrokes to the game. It works most of the times. Still - it works great as a reminder for you to restart the recording manually.

INSTALL AND USAGE: It should be fairly self-explanatory - you may need to install a couple of tools on your machine:

Software-dependencies:
The following software needs to be installed on your
computer
	* xkvbd - mandatory
	* inotify-tools - mandatory
	* sox - optional, if you want to use the default alert sound
	* espeak - optional, if you wish to hear a spoken alert message

On Ubuntu do eg.
	sudo apt install xvkbd inotify-tools sox espeak

This should work for all Debian/Ubuntu-based distros - otherwise install as pr. your distros preferred method.

Download the attached script, unzip it and move it to a location of your choosing. Make sure it is executable:

$ chmod +x il2record.sh

Next edit the script, some variables has to be set up:

Spoiler

track_folder: "/INSERT/PATH/TO/IL-2 Sturmovik Battle of Stalingrad/data/Tracks"

size_max: '510M' # if a recording is bigger than this, it will be resumed when it stops

tacview_only: 'NO' # if set to yes, track files are deleted, and only the tacviewfile (*.acmi) survives

auto_restart_recording: 'YES' # set it to 'NO' and you'll have to restart yourself.

play_sound_when_restarting: 'YES' # plays a sound when the game stops recording

speak_when_restarting: 'YES' # speaks a message when the game stops recording

speak_message: 'check track recorder' # the message spoken

perform_sound_check: 'YES' # perform a soundcheck on startup to ensure sound is working

Now open a terminal and run the script before launching the game (actually, if you forget, you can just ALT-TAB out of the game and start the script, it doesn't matter - just do it before your trackrecording grows so big that Il-2 GB shuts it down)

But this is all explained in more depth within the file - the code is here, but you can also download the attached zip.

Spoiler

#!/bin/bash

# Created 2023 by Roshko <acebone@gmail.com>
# Feel free to modify the script if you have some cool ideas
# please share your cool ideas with the community if you do so.
#
# Software-dependencies:
# The following software needs to be installed on your
# computer

# * xkvbd - mandatory
# * inotify-tools - mandatory
# * sox - optional, if you want to use the default alert sound
# * espeak - optional, if you wish to hear a spoken alert message
#
# On Ubuntu do eg.
#  sudo apt install xvkbd inotify-tools sox espeak

version=1.04a

# Make sure only one script is running
other_instance=`pidof -o %PPID -x $0`
if [ "$other_instance" ]; then kill -s 9 -p "$other_instance"; fi

# =========
# SETTINGS
# =========

# track_folder: Tell the script where to look for tracks ()

track_folder="/INSERT/PATH/TO/IL-2 Sturmovik Battle of Stalingrad/data/Tracks"

# size_max: if track file is larger than this
#   a restart of recording is attempted
#  ... for testing: 100K (or some other small size)
#  use M (not Mb) for megabyte eg.: 450M
#  use K (not Kb) for kilobyte eg.: 57K
# Recommended value: 500M

size_max=510M

# alert_only_mode (yes|no):
#  If you only want to be warned that
#  recording has been stopped, no
#  automatic restart of recording,
#  set it to yes
# Recommended value: no

alert_only_mode=no

# alert_when_restarting_rec (yes|no):
#  Play a sound alert when a recording is
#  stopped by the game. Sometimes restart
#  fails, the alert will remind you restart
#  recording manually
# Recommended value: yes

alert_when_restarting_rec=yes

# alert_sound_file (/path/to/file|default):
#  Specify the alert sound you want to hear.
#  accepted values are either a valid filepath
#  or the word default (no file needed)
# Example value (requires sox): default
# Tip: the soundfile "phone-outgoing-busy.oga" is quite
# nice, and should be present somewhere on Gnome-systems

alert_sound_file="/usr/share/sounds/freedesktop/stereo/phone-outgoing-busy.oga"

# spoken_alert (yes|no):
#   Requires espeak
#   If you are stressed mid-battle,
#   it can be nice with a voice
#   telling you why an alarm is going off.
#   Same as in jets!
#  Recommended value: yes

spoken_alert=yes
spoken_alert_message="check track recorder"

# perform_sound_check (yes|no):
#  If 'yes', a sound check is performed at startup
# Recommended value: yes

perform_sound_check=yes

# tacview_only (yes|no)
#   Will delete trackfiles but keep Tacview (*.acmi) files.
#   you can use this, if want to review your mission in Tacview
#   but worry that the track files will fill up your disk.
#   yes = turn it on (delete track files)
#   anything else = turn it off (keep track files)
# Recommended value: no

tacview_only=no

# =====================
# END OF SETTINGS
# you shouldn't be editing anything below this
# line, unless you know what you are doing
# =====================

settings_vars="track_folder size_max tacview_only alert_only_mode alert_when_restarting_rec alert_sound_file spoken_alert spoken_alert_message perform_sound_check"
settings_vars_noformat="track_folder spoken_alert_message alert_sound_file"

# ==========
# FUNCTIONS
# ==========

function restart_recording
{
	xvkbd -text "\Cr" -window "Il-2 Sturmovik" 2> /dev/null;
	# prevent (or minimize the risk of) Ctrl not being keyupped
	xvkbd -text "\C" -window "Il-2 Sturmovik" 2> /dev/null;
}

function play_sound {
	if [[ ${soundfile^^} == "DEFAULT" || ! -f "$alert_sound_file" ]]; then
		play -q -r 48000 -n -b 16 -c 2 synth .2 sin 430+860 vol -12dB 2> /dev/null
		play -q -r 48000 -n -b 16 -c 2 synth .2 sin 430+860 vol -12dB 2> /dev/null
		play -q -r 48000 -n -b 16 -c 2 synth .2 sin 430+860 vol -12dB 2> /dev/null
	else
		play -q "$alert_sound_file" 2> /dev/null
	fi
}

function sound_check {
	if [[ $spoken_alert == YES ]]; then
		espeak "sound check"
	fi

	alert_by_sound
}

function play_alert_sound {
		if [[ $alert_when_restarting_rec == YES ]]; then
			play_sound
		fi
		if [[ $spoken_alert == YES ]]; then
			local msg="$spoken_alert_message"
			if [[ $1 ]]; then
				msg="$1"
			fi
			espeak "$msg"
		fi
}

function alert_by_sound {
	play_alert_sound; #play_alert_sound;# sleep .6; play_alert_sound
}

function print_settings {
	local mark
	for x in $settings_vars; do
		case ${!x} in
		"YES")
			mark=$GREEN
		;;
		"NO")
			mark=$RED
		;;
		*)
			mark=$NC
		;;
		esac
		echo -e "$MARK$x$NC: ${mark}'${!x}'${NC}";
	done
}

function purge_trackfiles {
	wd=`pwd`
	cd "$track_folder"

	local trackfile=$1
	local trackfolder=${trackfile%.*}/

	output_message "Deleting track file: $trackfile"
	rm -f "$trackfile"

	# The game will sometimes have mixed cases in the foldername (yup!)
	shopt -s nocaseglob #enable
	for folder in */; do # */
		if [ "${folder,,}" == "${trackfolder,,}" ]; then
			output_message "Deleting track folder: $trackfolder"
			rm -rf "$trackfolder"
		fi
	done
	shopt -u nocaseglob # disable
}

function output_message {

	echo --------------------------
	echo -e "$1"
}


# setup colors
BLACK='\033[0;30m';     DARKGRAY='\033[1;30m';   RED='\033[0;31m';       LIGHTRED='\033[1;31m';
GREEN='\033[0;32m';     LIGHTGREEN='\033[1;32m'; ORANGE='\033[0;33m';    YELLOW='\033[1;33m';
BLUE='\033[0;34m';      LIGHTBLUE='\033[1;34m';  PURPLE='\033[0;35m';    LIGHTPURPLE='\033[1;35m';
CYAN='\033[0;36m';      LIGHTCYAN='\033[1;36m';  LIGHTGRAY='\033[0;37m'; WHITE='\033[1;37m';
NC='\033[0m';           BOLD=$WHITE;             MARK=$WHITE;           WARN=$RED; OK=$GREEN

function sanitize_settings {
	for x in $settings_vars; do
		if [[ " $settings_vars_noformat " != *" $x "* ]]; then
			export $x="${!x^^}";
		fi
	done
}

# =========
# SETUP
# =========
script_pathname="$0"
script_name=$(basename -- "$0")

sanitize_settings

# Convert $size_max to bytes
size_max_bytes=`numfmt --from iec --format "%8.4f" $size_max | awk '{print int($1+0.5)}'`

# start UI

echo -e "=================================
  Welcome to ${MARK}${script_name^^}${NC} v$version
================================="

if [[ $other_instance ]]; then
	echo -e "${WARN}ALREADY RUNNING $script_name ($other_instance) HAS BEEN TERMINATED ${NC}"
fi

# Make sure that only one script is running

# Check if the specified track-folder exists and has the correct name
if [[ ! -d "$track_folder" || ! "$track_folder" =~ Tracks$ ]]
then
    echo -e "${WARN}============================================${NC}
ERROR in track_folder:
${BOLD}$track_folder${NC}

is ${WARN}missing${NC} or ${WARN}not a track folder${NC}.
* ${BOLD}MUST BE A VALID PATH${NC}
* ${BOLD}MUST END WITH data/Tracks${NC}

Edit ${BOLD}`realpath \"$script_pathname\"`${NC}
and set track_folder correctly
${WARN}============================================${NC}"
echo exiting ...
	exit

fi

# Check if mode is tacview_only, and if so
# warn the user, and offer a chance to opt out
if [[ $tacview_only == YES ]]; then
	echo -e "${WARN}============================================${NC}
$script_name is running in ${MARK}tacview_only mode${NC}.
This will ${WARN}delete recorded tracks${NC}
and only ${OK}leave the *.acmi files${NC} used for Tacview.
${WARN}============================================${NC}
Do you want to continue in tacview_only mode (y/N)?"

	read -n 1 -s answer
	case $answer in
		[yY] ) tacview_only=YES;;
		* ) tacview_only=NO;;
	esac
	echo
fi

if [[ $alert_only_mode == YES ]]; then
	echo -e "${WARN}============================================
WARNING:${NC} alert_only_mode ${WARN}is set to YES${NC}
You will have to restart recording manually
when the alarm goes off.
${WARN}============================================${NC}
Do you want to stay in alert_only_mode (y/N)?"

	read -n 1 -s answer
	case $answer in
		[nN] ) alert_only_mode=NO
		;;
	esac
	echo
fi

echo -e "${BOLD}Settings:${NC}"
print_settings
echo -e "${BOLD}--${NC}"

echo -e "Closing this terminal will ${OK}terminate${NC} $script_name"
echo -e "Hit ${OK}CTRL+C${NC} to quit $script_name"

echo -e "${BOLD}--${NC}"

# soundcheck
if [[ $perform_sound_check == YES && ($alert_when_restarting_rec == YES || $spoken_alert == YES) ]]; then
	echo "Sound check ..."
	sound_check
	echo "Sound check finished"
fi

if [[ $tacview_only == YES ]]; then
	mode="${WARN}TACVIEW${NC}"
    tmpcolor=${WARN}
else
	mode="${OK}NORMAL${NC}"
    tmpcolor=${OK}
fi

echo -e "$script_name is ${tmpcolor}monitoring${NC} your track folder in $mode mode ..."

# =========
# LOGIC
# =========

# Monitor track_folder for files closed for writing
while true; do
	# \.acmi$
	inotifywait -e close_write "$track_folder" --format="%f" --include '\.trk$' 2> /dev/null | while read track_file; do
	    size_current=$(du -b "$track_folder/$track_file" | cut -f1)
	    # is the track file larger than size_max?
	    if [ $size_current -ge $size_max_bytes ]; then
	        if [ $alert_only_mode != YES ]; then
	        	restart_recording
	        fi
			alert_by_sound
	    fi
        if [[ ${tacview_only^^} == YES ]]; then
        	purge_trackfiles "$track_file"
        fi
	done
done

Changelog:

v. 1.04a

Fixed small problem with tacview_only mode. Tracks' missionfolder was not deleted, now it is.

v. 1.04

Different lettercasing in track names and mission folder names is now ignored

v. 1.03

Numerous fixes and tidy-ups
tacview_only mode enabled now - it seems to work just dandy
The script now makes sure that no other instances of the script is running.

v. 1.02a

fixed stupid typo that prevented the script from working at all

v. 1.02

Restored the ability to restart trackfiles, which I accidentally deleted
switched to espeak for speech-synthesis, sounds better.
added possibility to play alert-sound without any soundfile needed
created check for other instance of the script, you won't have two versions running
and sending keys to the game
disabled tacview_only option, it turns out that trackfolders can contain uppercase, while tracks are lowercase and vice versa. Need to test the code for that.

v. 1.01

More reliable restart of recording, still not 100%
Code cleanup
Added speech and soundcheck
better output at startup

v. 1.0

added code to an otherwise barren text file

Inspired by:

I am using Il-2 Great Battles on Linux, and sadly SAS_Storebrors Il-2 Great Battles recorder won't easily run under Wine.

Download:

The script won't ruin anything, still - use it on your own liability. It is provided in good faith, and I can't be held responsible for anything that happens as a consequence of using the script

il2record_1-04a.zip

Edited August 28, 2023 by Roshko
update to v1.04

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