Background processing specific

[Gordon Dry]

Using MechJeb, TAC-LS with internal background processing, Persistent Rotation and AmpYear I came to the following conclusions:

• The EC usage by the Kerbals on unloaded vessels is calculated by TAC-LS in the background
• I'm not sure if Persistent Rotation also calculates unloaded vessels in the background
• When I load another vessel I see the orientation is anywhere, but the setting of MechJeb Smart A.S.S. kicks in and orients it as I wanted - this setting is saved for each craft
• I use Smart A.S.S. to orient a vessel relative to the sun to get the most light on the solar panels
• Unloaded vessels are not proper oriented, this is the reason for losing EC and eventually dying Kerbals ...

@sarbian: Could MJ calculate the Smart A.S.S. orientation setting of an unloaded vessel in the background, too?

@JPLRepo
@MarkusA380

Edited July 26, 2017 by Gordon Dry

[artwhaley]

BASED ON MY POTENTIALLY FLAWED UNDERSTANDING -

Packed vessels don't have their part tree loaded-  they're treated as a single entity.  Thus, mechjeb - and solar panels, for that matter, are neither one going to work as expected -since they're both part modules.  

So... something with a vessel module - of which, without looking at code, I would suspect TAC is a candidate...  would need to handle this.  I don't THINK it makes any sense to try to 'orient' a packed vessel, but I think it WOULD make sense to calculate a 'maximum solar panel generation' number and apply that over time.  I'm... sort of surprised that isn't the behavior you're seeing from the stock game actually?   My packed vessels with solar on board don't get dead batteries, generally speaking?   If TAC is draining the batteries itself...  it would be a question to post in THAT thread to figure out how they handle solar panels replenishing EC versus LS draining it and see if perhaps you can suggest a new way to think about that.

[sarbian]

12 hours ago, Gordon Dry said:

@sarbian: Could MJ calculate the Smart A.S.S. orientation setting of an unloaded vessel in the background, too?

No. MJ only controls loaded vessel and I have no plans to change that.