Maneuver Node Gizmo 2.0

[funk]

I'm annoyed about the user-unfriendly behaviour of the maneuver node gizmo. According to Murphys Law, when I try to click on the prograde button, for sure I will click one of the others first. So I've been thinking about how to simplify the interaction, especially when the maneuver node is over- and underlayed by some other icons and text... see picture below:

It would be nice to have a separate gizmo somewhere, which is fixed (not rotating with view) with some additional informations and some small tools like preciseNode has, e.g.

1. Snap Node to AP,PE,AN/DN, view next/previous node.
   
2. An increment slider for increment steps of the vectors as well as time of the node (mousewheel or 3rd mouse button over gizmo-icons).
   
3. Readouts of the predicted orbit values: AP, PE, inclination - in Targetmode: Distance of closest approach and rel. inclination.
   
4. Perhaps +- one orbit buttons.
   
5. Visible only in Map View, if at least one node exists.
   

A quick and dirty pic to illustrate my thoughts:

I'm not able to code a plugin. Therefore I hope sb. will attend to it. I've some concrete details in my mind, which I'd like to share and I can give some support if needed... except coding!

Suggestions anybody?

Edited May 5, 2015 by funk

[Blu_C]

Check out Precise Node.

[funk]

Check out Precise Node.

I know about PreciseNode and Mechjeb ManeuverPlanner. My intention is, to have some stockalike easy click-only UI. If you like, you can call it an other UI for PreciseNode including prediction readouts. As much as necessary informations and a minimum of buttons and occupancy of screen.

[meyerweb]

funk said:

My intention is, to have some stockalike easy click-only UI. If you like, you can call it an other UI for PreciseNode including prediction readouts. As much as necessary informations and a minimum of buttons and occupancy of screen.

Agreed. I used PreciseNode for a while, but I ran into the same problem as the you and this would be a fantastic addition, especially when I’m planning mid-course corrections to Mun/Minmus encounters. (Haven’t gone beyond those, yet.) This is because I create the node, switch focus to my destination, and then rotate the view around until I can see both the destination and the maneuver node, THEN try to pull on the handles in such a way that I can get the right approach vector without losing sight of the node or the approach.

With a plugin like this one, I could concentrate on the destination and projected encounter course, and not worry about keeping the node onscreen. I wish I knew enough coding to make it happen myself!

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

[JWag]

I love your mockup picture. As much as I love PreciseNode, it's tedious to make large changes with it. The stock node editor is nice and intuitive, but as you say, it's too easy to grab the wrong widget, and it becomes really hard to use when there's lots of clutter.

[hab136]

You can operate PreciseNode entirely with the mouse. You can also type numbers, but you never need to.

If you have ideas for a GUI, sketching them out in Paint or something and posting it here might help inspire people. I'm not sure what you could do except re-make PreciseNode, but I'm not a UI designer either.

[meyerweb]

If you have ideas for a GUI, sketching them out in Paint or something and posting it here might help inspire people. I'm not sure what you could do except re-make PreciseNode, but I'm not a UI designer either.

He did. Look at the bottom of the second image in the OP, to the right of the navball.

[Superfluous J]

I like this idea. It kinda takes the idea that others have proposed for a sort of "Picture in Picture" display and distills out the stuff you don't need PiP for.

+1 would read again.

[Skylar']

geat idea ! simple and usefull !

[sarbian]

So you would click on the handles instead of dragging them ?

[funk]

Whoa... this seemed to be dead but I'm glad that Skylar pushed it!

Quote

So you would click on the handles instead of dragging them ?

I'm not familiar with rules for user interaction, but I think the best case would be copying the behaviour of the original gizmo for easy adaption.

There are a lot of mouses out there e.g. I`m using a Logitech G502 which has a feature for increment mousewheel steps, but there are also mouses with two buttons only. So there might be room for optimization for the following description.

Besides implementablility, I would use the gizmo like this:

1. click on the imcrement slider defines increment steps [0.01, 0.1, 1, 10, 100] in m/s - alternatively [1s, 10s, 100s, 1000s, orbit]
2. prograde, retrograde, radial in/out, etc. handles
   • Hover over > highlight
   • left click or mousewheel upwards > increment step forward
   • right click or mousewheel downwards > increment step backward
   • left click and hold > dragging (like the original gizmo)
3. ring or cycle in the middle is used for time steps
   • Hover over > highlight
   • left click or mousewheel upwards > increment timestep forward
   • right click or mousewheel downwards > increment timestep backward
4. AP/PE/AN/DN handles are used for "snap node to" features
5. maybe there is a possibility to switch to next/previous node somehow without using an extra button - suggestions welcome!
6. delete node with the (X) of the navball

As mentioned before, I'd be glad seeing this in an add-on...

 

 

Edited February 1, 2016 by funk

[sarbian]

I am sold on the idea but I am not sure I want to spend time on code that will go to the trash when 1.1 is out, even if it is clearly not happening soon.

[funk]

2 hours ago, sarbian said:

I am sold on the idea but I am not sure I want to spend time on code that will go to the trash when 1.1 is out, even if it is clearly not happening soon.

Nice to see you, as an expierenced add-on writer, are interested in it. I know that 1.1 will change all UI background processing and it's not necessary to do the work twice... Maybe you can keep it in mind for the time after 1.1.

[Alshain]

Since this has been bumped I'm going to point to my thread I made before I knew about this one.  Many users have added functionality suggestions in that thread, which I tried to summarize.  So if you do make a mod after 1.1, you may want to take a look over there too.

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/index.php?/topic/121368-new-maneuver-node-editing-tool/

[meyerweb]

Followup for anyone who stumbles across this thread: something very much like this has been added to Precise Maneuver.  It’s not next to the navball, but it is easily accessible, and acts pretty much as proposed.