Learn how to open, page through and customise the DCS World kneeboard, with default controls plus fixes for missing pages and key conflicts.
In DCS World, open Options > Controls, select your aircraft and search for “kneeboard”. Bind Kneeboard ON/OFF, Next Page and Previous Page. In flight, toggle the board, step through its mission, map and reference pages, then close it with the same command. Common keyboard defaults are Right Shift+K, ] for next and [ for previous.
What are the DCS kneeboard controls?
The standard commands let you toggle the kneeboard, view it temporarily, change pages and mark your position on a kneeboard map. Defaults can be changed, and bindings may be stored separately for each aircraft or crew position.
| Action | Common PC default | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Kneeboard ON/OFF | Right Shift+K | Opens the board and leaves it visible until toggled off. |
| Kneeboard Glance View | K | Displays the board temporarily while the command is held. |
| Next Page | ] | Moves forward through the available pages. |
| Previous Page | [ | Moves back one page. |
| Current Position Mark Point | Right Ctrl+K | Places a position mark on a suitable kneeboard map page. |
Treat these as common defaults rather than guarantees. Keyboard layouts, imported profiles and individual modules can alter them, so the Controls screen is authoritative.
- Select the correct aircraft profile. Open the Controls screen and choose the module you are flying. Multicrew aircraft may have separate profiles for pilot, rear-seat or gunner positions.
- Search for kneeboard commands. Bind at least ON/OFF, Next Page and Previous Page. A HOTAS hat or spare buttons work well because paging with the keyboard is awkward during combat; our guide to practical DCS controller setups explains which controls are most useful to keep within reach.
- Open the board in the cockpit. Use the toggle command for extended reference or Glance View for a quick check.
- Turn to the required page. Route cards, maps, charts and checklists may be separated by many pages, depending on the mission and module.
- Mark your location when needed. Move to a map page before using Current Position Mark Point. The mark is a visual reference; it does not create a waypoint or alter the aircraft’s navigation system.
What information appears on the kneeboard?
DCS assembles the kneeboard from several sources, so its contents change with the aircraft and mission. It may contain generated mission information, route and airfield data, module reference pages, maps, mission-author images and locally installed custom pages.
Most pages are static references. Changing a waypoint or radio setting in the cockpit does not necessarily rewrite the corresponding kneeboard image, and module-specific electronic tablets or cockpit displays are separate from the standard DCS overlay.
How do I add custom kneeboard pages?
Put aircraft-specific custom pages in the active DCS folder under Windows Saved Games, not in the simulator’s core installation. The usual structure is:
C:\Users\<your name>\Saved Games\DCS\Kneeboard\<aircraft ID>\
Some installations retain a branch-specific Saved Games folder, so use the folder that DCS is actually reading. The aircraft directory must match the module’s internal identifier exactly; its marketing name is not always the correct folder name.
- Create the Kneeboard folders if they do not already exist.
- Add portrait-oriented PNG images directly inside the aircraft folder. Avoid an extra nested directory created when extracting an archive.
- Name pages in the desired order. Numeric prefixes such as
01-,02-and03-make the sequence predictable. - Reload the mission. If DCS has already scanned the pages, restart the simulator before troubleshooting further.
The Saved Games structure and the difference between user files and core simulator files are covered in our DCS add-on installation instructions. Ready-made reference sheets and utilities can also be found in our DCS World add-ons library.
Why are my DCS kneeboard pages missing?
Missing pages are usually caused by the wrong control profile, Saved Games location or aircraft folder name. Check these points in order:
- The key does nothing: search the active aircraft’s controls for “kneeboard”, remove conflicting assignments and test a newly bound key or controller button.
- Only one aircraft is affected: its aircraft ID folder is probably incorrect, or the binding was configured under another module or crew station.
- Custom images do not appear: confirm that the files were extracted, placed directly in the aircraft folder and saved in a conventional image format such as PNG.
- You edited the installation directory: move personal pages to Saved Games. A DCS update or repair can replace files stored in the core installation.
- The text is unreadable: rebuild the source image with larger type and a portrait layout. Shrinking a dense landscape document into the kneeboard produces poor results, especially in VR.
- The position command appears ineffective: display a map page first. It will not visibly change an ordinary checklist or chart image.
Does the kneeboard work in VR and multiplayer?
The built-in kneeboard works in both VR and multiplayer. VR pilots should bind toggle and paging commands to physical controls, use large high-contrast custom pages and avoid designs that require reading small tables.
In multiplayer, mission-supplied pages come from the loaded mission while personal pages remain local to your installation. Do not rely on the kneeboard as an unrestricted moving map: positional information can vary with the mission design and server realism settings.