How to get current planetary phase angle?

[FreeThinker]

Alright, thanks to Interactive illustrated interplanetary guide and calculator for KSP. I now understand how to plan a planetairy transfer from Kerbin to Duna. The problem however, is in the execution. How can I know the current exact planetairy planetary phase angle between Kerbin and Duna? Am I supposed to get it on the Map view somehow, or are there any tools I can use to get this angle precisely?

[Superfluous J]

Without mods, you should just eyeball it, or use AlexMoon's Launch Window Planner instead which tells you the date and time to eject.

With mods, you should use the in-game implementation of AlexMoon's Launch Window Planner, the Transfer Window Planner

[Skorpychan]

Zoom way out, hold up a protractor?

[FreeThinker]

Transfer Window Planner

This Mod is too much. All I ask is a planetary phase angle when I select a planet in the map view. How hard can it be? Am I asking to much?

Zoom way out, hold up a protractor?

Am I the only one that thinks it's weird that a space simulator doesn't give me the basic tools for plotting a trip between stellar bodies?

Edited November 27, 2014 by FreeThinker

[Superfluous J]

This Mod is too much. All I ask is a planetary phase angle when I select a planet in the map view. How hard can it be? Am I asking to much?

The problem is, nobody who wants it can (or has bothered to) mod it.

And while that looks like a lot, it's super simple. Plug in your planets, ignore the plot, and click "add an alarm to Kerbal Alarm Clock" (Oh, and make sure you have Kerbal Alarm Clock installed. It's awesome). Then you'll have an alarm for the next awesome transfer window.

But I too think it'd be cool to, if you select a target in map mode, a little angle display comes up and shows the phase angle between your current ship (which is close to the phase angle of the planet you're orbiting) and that target with respect to the most obvious thing (planet or moon if you're both orbiting it, or sun if at least one of you is orbiting it)

Am I the only one that thinks it's weird that a space simulator doesn't give me the basic tools for plotting a trip between stellar bodies?

Like an alarm clock, dV display, digital maneuver node editor, or tool to show how atmosphere would affect your trajectory? No. You're not the only one

Edited November 27, 2014 by 5thHorseman

[Streetwind]

Am I the only one that thinks it's weird that a space simulator doesn't give me the basic tools for plotting a trip between stellar bodies?

Why should it be weird? If it's a simulation, then that means it makes at least a modicum of effort to create a believable approximation of real life. Protractors are real life tools that were used by real rocket scientists to plan real spacecraft trajectories. It doesn't get any more simulation-y than that

But, fun aside, perhaps such a mod can be made (or already exists and is just not well known). In the General Add-On Affairs subforum, you can make requests - that is, suggest a mod for creation. If an able modder agrees that your idea is cool and useful, he/she might just go and implement it. Just don't demand or expect your request to be swiftly fulfilled just because you made it... unless you're willing to pay for someone's time, they will have to do it for free when they could be playing KSP or modding something else instead.

Edited November 27, 2014 by Streetwind

[Starman4308]

The Protractor mod does give you current phase angles. I'm not sure if it can give you future phase angles; I've never used the mod.

[DrD]

Kerbal engineer redux gives phase angles also, in the rendevous tab.

[FreeThinker]

The Protractor mod does give you current phase angles. I'm not sure if it can give you future phase angles; I've never used the mod.

This seems helpfull. Only problem is that I need add an extra part to my space ships

[Starman4308]

This seems helpfull. Only problem is that I need add an extra part to my space ships

95% sure this should work if you add it to a config file somewhere (borrowed some code from RO's Mechjeb config):

@PART
[*]:HAS[@MODULE[ModuleCommand],!MODULE[ProtractorModule]]:FINAL{
	MODULE
	{
		name = ProtractorModule
	}
}

[FreeThinker]

95% sure this should work if you add it to a config file somewhere (borrowed some code from RO's Mechjeb config):

@PART
[*]:HAS[@MODULE[ModuleCommand],!MODULE[ProtractorModule]]:FINAL{
    MODULE
    {
        name = ProtractorModule
    }
}

Nice, but it would only work for new Ships. Wouldn't it?

[psyper]

Another option is the Kerbal Alarm clock. All you then need to do is to set up an alert for the transfer (which the alarm clock will automatically calculate for you) and it will count down and alert you when its ready to transfer.

Its also valuable to alert you when any of your craft enter any SOI changes or nearing manoeuvre nodes or rendezvous with other craft etc etc.

[johansen]

Print screen on orbital map...

[Snark]

This thread is quite old, nearly two years.  Various content may or may not still be relevant, and in any case the OP's question is almost certainly long since answered.

Locking thread to prevent further confusion.  If someone has further questions on this topic, feel free to open a new thread.