arn-c0de

Posted on Dec 22

InteractiveChecklists: An Android App for Aviation Documents & DCS Integration

#android #dcsworld #kotlin #python

A modern, open-source Android app for managing aviation checklists, PDFs, and live flight telemetry from DCS World.

Why This App?

Flight simmers and pilots deal with scattered PDFs, static checklists, and no way to track progress. InteractiveChecklists solves this with interactive documents, persistent state, and real-time DCS integration.

Features

📁 Document Management

Unified File System — Browse bundled assets and internal storage in one hierarchical view
Multi-Tab System — Open multiple PDFs/Markdown files with tab persistence, swipe navigation, and quick switching
Tagging System — Organize files with custom tags for easy filtering
Multilanguage Support — Full English UI, German available for most screens

📄 PDF Viewer

Annotations: draw, highlight, erase
Pinch-to-zoom with page snapping
Color inversion for night use
All annotations persist automatically

✅ Interactive Markdown Checklists

Stateful checkboxes (- [ ] / - [x])
Collapsible sections with auto-collapse on completion
Reset functionality for fresh starts

📝 QuickNotes

Room-powered persistent notes
Markdown support with autosave
Full-text search across all notes

💾 Data Persistence

All preferences, annotations, shortcuts, tags, and open tabs are stored locally.

🎮 DCS World Integration (Experimental)

🗺️ Aviation Map & Route Planning

OpenStreetMap-based map viewer with:

Live aircraft tracking — real-time position, heading, altitude from DataPad stream
Route planner — create flight routes with waypoints and labels
Landing pattern calculator — generate approach patterns
Marker database — save and organize navigation points
Overlays — route lines with distance/bearing info

📡 DataPad — Live Flight Telemetry

Receive real-time aircraft data from DCS World via UDP (port 5010). Streams position, heading, altitude, and more directly to your device.

Security (December 2025):

ECDH handshake with AES-256-GCM encryption
Device whitelist authentication
Forward secrecy & replay protection

Quick Start:

# Python server
python forward_parsed_udp.py --repeat-last --interval 1 \
  --host 192.168.178.101 --port 5010 --verbose \
  --authorized-devices authorized_devices.json

# Android: Settings → DataPad → Enable "ECDH Handshake Mode"

🐍 MapDatabaseTools (Python)

Desktop companion utilities: PySide6 GUI with embedded Leaflet map, marker database, AES-GCM decryption, and asset management.

Tech Stack

Component	Technology
UI	Jetpack Compose + Material 3
Architecture	MVVM + StateFlow
Database	Room
PDF	Android PdfRenderer + PDFBox
Markdown	CommonMark
Min SDK	API 34 (Android 14+)

Getting Started

git clone https://github.com/arn-c0de/InteractiveChecklists.git
# Open in Android Studio → Build → Run on Android 14+ device

Note: The first preview APK will be available with version 1.1 (coming soon). Until then, you can build and run the app yourself via Android Studio.

Roadmap

Current: DataPad Phase 1 with secure telemetry streaming

Next:

2-way communication (app → DCS)
Extended telemetry (speed, fuel, systems)
Live animated aircraft visualizations
UI/UX improvements

DEV Community