[1.0.x] HoloDeck - Sandboxed Flight Simulations

[enneract]

Hi folks.

This is the initial release of a mod that I've had on the backburner for a while, but decided to clean up and go ahead and throw out there.

Premise: Holodeck lets you launch flights from the VAB\SPH, and when the flight is over, it restores the game to the exact state that it was in before the simulation started. It handles restoring the state of any mod which stores its data in the vanilla persistence file (basically any of them worth their salt), and even handles it if you exit the game during a simulation.

Download: Mod \ Source

Screenshots:

[Superfluous J]

Very cool. Like the simulation mode in Kerbal Construction Time without all the Kerbal Construction Time stuff around it.

(Nothing wrong with KCT. Just not my thing)

[enneract]

Very cool. Like the simulation mode in Kerbal Construction Time without all the Kerbal Construction Time stuff around it.

(Nothing wrong with KCT. Just not my thing)

That... is basically exactly what it is. The end goal is for this mod to replace KCT's simulations, with all the bells and whistles (launch into arbitrary situations, etc).

[Dal]

Does it let you launch from a given situation around/on any celestial body? Because that's what's really missing.

[enneract]

Does it let you launch from a given situation around/on any celestial body? Because that's what's really missing.

Not yet. It will, but... not yet. I haven't figured out a really clean way to do it yet, but it is a major element on to to-do list, along with simulation costs, and some UI rework, and the ability to simulate from any arbitrary point in a real mission.

Edited May 2, 2015 by enneract

[Superfluous J]

...and the ability to simulate from any arbitrary point in a real mission.

Oooh I like the sound of that You may cure my fear of the "no quicksaves" option yet.

[Malah]

Thanks, I haven't the time to update my simulate mod (which needs a full rewrite), I think this one will be a better alternative.

Edited May 2, 2015 by Malah
grammar

[meyerweb]

Thanks to this mod, I just might disable flight reversion. Stellar work, enneract! Thanks!

[problemecium]

OMG YES~!

For a really long time now I've wanted basically exactly this in a mod. I would have written it myself, but it seemed a daunting task and I barely have time to tend my simple Jump Drive as it is.

Do you know if it's possible to make the HoloDeck a building at the KSC? My vision was of a building, perhaps next to R&D, that was basically a big dome (like a planetarium), which let you load a ship and fly it around in a "simulated" zero-G vacuum.

No worries if that's too hard though ^^

[enneract]

OMG YES~!

For a really long time now I've wanted basically exactly this in a mod. I would have written it myself, but it seemed a daunting task and I barely have time to tend my simple Jump Drive as it is.

Do you know if it's possible to make the HoloDeck a building at the KSC? My vision was of a building, perhaps next to R&D, that was basically a big dome (like a planetarium), which let you load a ship and fly it around in a "simulated" zero-G vacuum.

No worries if that's too hard though ^^

I have absolutely no idea how to even start on the problem of adding a KSC building.

I'm glad that you like the mod, though.

[Toyotawolf]

You should let the CKAN guys know about your mod so we can add it to the archive, it looks awesome.

[blu3wolf]

It cant be added to CKAN until the github release is marked as a full release, and not a pre-release.

It also needs the netkan file written, but until there is a full release of this, that cant be added anyway.

[Toyotawolf]

It cant be added to CKAN until the github release is marked as a full release, and not a pre-release.

It also needs the netkan file written, but until there is a full release of this, that cant be added anyway.

Yup, i just meant in the end

[Superfluous J]

I may have found a bug. It seems to be with this mod but I'm no modder.

After many successful simulations (Well, successful in terms that the simulation mod worked ) I modified my vessel, clicked "launch," clicked "simulate" like I always do. Then real life happened so I hit ESC to pause, was away from the computer for a minute or so, came back, resumed the simulation, and no keyboard keys or mouse clicks would work except ESC to pause and cancel again. I couldn't rotate the camera, select parts of the vessel, turn on SAS, launch, anything.

I tried a real launch, and it worked normally (which is why I think it's the mod). I went back into a simulation and had the same problem.

I've a save file and a output_log.txt if they'll help.

[enneract]

I may have found a bug. It seems to be with this mod but I'm no modder.

After many successful simulations (Well, successful in terms that the simulation mod worked ) I modified my vessel, clicked "launch," clicked "simulate" like I always do. Then real life happened so I hit ESC to pause, was away from the computer for a minute or so, came back, resumed the simulation, and no keyboard keys or mouse clicks would work except ESC to pause and cancel again. I couldn't rotate the camera, select parts of the vessel, turn on SAS, launch, anything.

I tried a real launch, and it worked normally (which is why I think it's the mod). I went back into a simulation and had the same problem.

I've a save file and a output_log.txt if they'll help.

Sounds like the input lock wasn't released correctly. Hrm.

Did you close the pause menu with escape again or using a button on it?

*Edit:* Do me a favor and try this out. Let me know if you have any problems with it. I don't see a situation where the control locks could not be released, but that adds a fallback that should work.

Edited May 3, 2015 by enneract

[Superfluous J]

Sounds like the input lock wasn't released correctly. Hrm.

Did you close the pause menu with escape again or using a button on it?

I truely don't remember. Probably by clicking. I usually click.

*Edit:* Do me a favor and try this out. Let me know if you have any problems with it. I don't see a situation where the control locks could not be released, but that adds a fallback that should work.

Will do. I've used it several times since it broke that time, after restarting the game, and it's never failed on me since. So, it may be hard to tell if this fixes it or even if was truly your mod.

[meyerweb]

I may have stumbled over a bug with career mode. I flew a simulation (badly; my rockets still flip during launch) and managed to get over 100km downrange, which was a first for me. I eventually aborted the simulation and returned to the VAB, but I still had ‘email’ congratulating me on flying over 100km, and granting the cash and prestige that went with it.

Edited December 12, 2015 by meyerweb
Cleaned up forum migration errors (Unicode and hyperlinking were both botched—sigh)

[enneract]

I may have stumbled over a bug with career mode. I flew a simulation (badly; my rockets still flip during launch) and managed to get over 100km downrange, which was a first for me. I eventually aborted the simulation and returned to the VAB, but I still had ‘email’ congratulating me on flying over 100km, and granting the cash and prestige that went with it.

Oh, balls. I have no idea how that could happen.

I'll look into it.

[meyerweb]

Thanks, enneract. It’s not a huge problem—I’ll pass that threshold soon enough in real flight anyway, so it’s more like an advance payment than a cheat—but I figured you’d want to know.

Edited December 12, 2015 by meyerweb
Cleaned up forum migration errors (Unicode and hyperlinking were both botched—sigh)

[meyerweb]

Sheepish followup: this isn’t a bug of yours. I don’t even know for sure it’s a bug.

I ran a few HoloDeck simulations, and on each, I got the mail saying I’d broken 100km the record. Gold-farming exploit!, thought I. But no: the funds and prestige weren’t actually being added to my accounts. The mail hung around after the simulation, but the payment didn’t. I see the same thing happening with Stage Recovery, so this should be chalked up to the way the messaging system works (preserving messages from a reverted flight) and not an error on your part. I’m really sorry if I caused you to waste time looking for a bug that wasn’t there!

(Of course, if you can figure out a way to delete any messages generated during a simulation once the simulation is reset or aborted, that would be an improvement, at least to my way of thinking.)

Edited December 12, 2015 by meyerweb
Cleaned up forum migration errors (Unicode and hyperlinking were both botched—sigh)

[StainX]

That mod helps a lot!

May i suggest a thing: Donno how easy it would be to implement, but would it be possible to simulate on other rocks or on the orbits around them?!

[Jansn]

If i simulate launches with MechJeb to reduce the last unneccessary kilos/tons of fuel,

do this mod also set back values in mechjeb boxes/guides?

[futrtrubl]

If i simulate launches with MechJeb to reduce the last unneccessary kilos/tons of fuel,

do this mod also set back values in mechjeb boxes/guides?

Mechjeb uses an alternate save system for craft specific settings. So it should save your settings even after a simulation, but sometimes weird things happen even in stock.

[enneract]

If i simulate launches with MechJeb to reduce the last unneccessary kilos/tons of fuel,

do this mod also set back values in mechjeb boxes/guides?

Probably not. Only stuff that is saved per-save will get restored.

The way this mod works is basically by saving the game when you start a simulation, and restoring it when you end it.

That mod helps a lot!

May i suggest a thing: Donno how easy it would be to implement, but would it be possible to simulate on other rocks or on the orbits around them?!

This is a planned feature.

[futrtrubl]

Probably not. Only stuff that is saved per-save will get restored.

The way this mod works is basically by saving the game when you start a simulation, and restoring it when you end it.

This shouldn't affect mechjeb though as it saves things to its own .cfg files in its plugindata folder, not to the persistence saves.