[PART, 1.0.2] Anatid Robotics / MuMech - MechJeb - Autopilot - Historical thread

[skips]

MechJeb..... what are you doing?.... lol

Seriously though, I did a return from a moon while in a polar orbit around the Mun and it worked fine, so I have no idea why it wants to send me off into a heliocentric orbit.

Tried changing the orbit to around 200km, same result, made the orbit equatorial and it worked then. I know polar orbits are generally trickier to leave from, but I didn't have this problem before with polar orbits around Minmus. Dev build 442.

I suggest that you read a book on orbital dynamics before criticizing MechJeb. Return from Moon will not work from an orbit that is normal to the orbit of the object that you are orbiting. It is not possible. You need change your orbital plane to match the orbital plane of the moon that you are orbiting.

skips

[smjjames]

I suggest that you read a book on orbital dynamics before criticizing MechJeb. Return from Moon will not work from an orbit that is normal to the orbit of the object that you are orbiting. It is not possible. You need change your orbital plane to match the orbital plane of the moon that you are orbiting.

skips

Oh, okay.

I didn't have problems with it before, then again, I usually switch from polar to equatorial after I've gotten science from Minmus's poles, but was doing scansat there.

[ITOS]

The new aero model was in MJ before the release and if it was not here you would not even land crash remotely close to the target (which I assume most of you do since I did not see a "I land 300km from my target").

Funny you should mention that.

It pretty much what MechJeb always does with my crafts since 1.0.

The landing AP behaves very strange throughout the whole decent. It starts with showing a landing prediction that is WAY of the mark, typically in the range of 300 km short of the target. After the initial de-orbit burn it will try to make a correction of 50-200 m/s and then continue to make tiny correction in all direction throughout the decent. Sometimes it seems to get stuck on a correction, trying to make corrections of >1000 m/s, getting ways from the target location and usually crash into the ground while doing the correction. This behaviour happens on both Kerbin and Laythe regardless of crafts.

While I did register on this forum pretty much only to post this I would also like to say thanks while I'm here. I've used MJ for some time now and it is really helpful (even now as long I don't let it do the landings). Having tried my hand at modding and programming I know what a pain it can be when things just refuse to work so thank you for doing this. It's a great mod you have made.

[katateochi]

Thanks for all your hard work with the update sarbian!!

I've got a small issue with the SmartASS (this is in the current 2.5, I've not tried the dev build); If I switch the SmartASS off and then go EVA, when I re-board the craft the SmartASS switches back on and goes into "node" mode.

Also a suggestion for the SmartASS; I don't use the AP for ascent, I prefer to just use the SmartASS, but since the new aero it's a bit trickier. I used to set a pitch of 70 degrees when reaching 5km, but with the new aero this much of a sharp turn causes a spin. So I'm currently just using the +/- buttons you added (nice 1 for those btw). But I'd still prefer to set a heading like 70 and not have to keep clicking. So what I like to suggest is to have a delay functionality that sets how fast MJ turns the craft to the new pitch/heading/roll. so for example I could set heading:90, roll:0, pitch:90 at launch and then at 5 km I'd set pitch:70 and also set the delay value to say 20s. So then it would turn the craft toward a pitch of 70 over a period of 20 seconds. This could be a nice feature for other situations as well launch, ie with a very small craft, rather than have it turn to the new heading as fast as the SAS allows, you could set the delay value and have it turn more gradually. What do you think?

[sarbian]

Funny you should mention that.

ah, I just had to ask

Care to share the craft file and a log (any log will do, if just need to see the mod loading) ? I did some test earlier and I landed near the airway when targeting the pad...

(grr stupid forum ate my edit)

katateochi : I have plans but not for short term. All I can offer is to use the ascent AP with the new default

[ITOS]

ah, I just had to ask

Care to share the craft file and a log (any log will do, if just need to see the mod loading) ? I did some test earlier and I landed near the airway when targeting the pad...

I'll try to dig up some log tomorrow. Got to get some sleep before work. Hopefully it's just a mod incopmability, though I don't don't run any mod I'd think would interfere with MJ.

[ss8913]

I've noticed 2 things with the latest dev build (build #440):

1. All MJ functions are available, no unlocking required. I've had this happen with a dev build before back in 0.25 or 0.90 but it's... back

2. Using landing prediction in the landing autopilot, cuts my FPS down to below 10 no matter how high it was before. Turn off 'show landing prediction' and it goes back to normal. Happens on all celestial bodies at all phases of flight and this is definitely a new problem, I've been using MJ2 since 2013 and have never seen this behavior before. The 1.0.0-certified official build did NOT do this, that I can remember. Seems to be recent.

Now, I do have the VoxelAeroPort dev build of FAR installed - but when I disable it, this behavior does not change. Anyone else experienced this?

Update - it doesn't happen on all of my *craft* ... so it looks like an incompatibility with one of the mods installed - although MJ2 dev build and VoxelAeroPort FAR are the only non "official" 1.0.2 mods I'm running (according to CKAN anyway). I'll narrow down what part(s) are causing my Mun lander craft to behave in this way and report back here, perhaps there's a conflict between mods of some sort.

[Toyotawolf]

Funny you should mention that.

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h18/ItosAtio/Untitled-1_zpsrhahreb5.jpg

It pretty much what MechJeb always does with my crafts since 1.0.

The landing AP behaves very strange throughout the whole decent. It starts with showing a landing prediction that is WAY of the mark, typically in the range of 300 km short of the target. After the initial de-orbit burn it will try to make a correction of 50-200 m/s and then continue to make tiny correction in all direction throughout the decent. Sometimes it seems to get stuck on a correction, trying to make corrections of >1000 m/s, getting ways from the target location and usually crash into the ground while doing the correction. This behaviour happens on both Kerbin and Laythe regardless of crafts.

While I did register on this forum pretty much only to post this I would also like to say thanks while I'm here. I've used MJ for some time now and it is really helpful (even now as long I don't let it do the landings). Having tried my hand at modding and programming I know what a pain it can be when things just refuse to work so thank you for doing this. It's a great mod you have made.

This is the exact same behaviour I am experiencing, it does it vanilla engines and modded, the only thing I haven't tried is a vanilla pod

- - - Updated - - -

Huh well that's interesting, you can't turn off the landing predictions in the landing autopilot, additionally, the landing prediction automatically comes up stuck to 500km from the target and never moves, it doesnt slowly move as the orbit decays as you burn, very odd. And i just did a vanilla pod and it still didn't come close to the pad, its a regular vanilla 3 person pod, a 2.5 meter rcs tank, 8 rcs thrusters, a 2.5m x 6m nova punch tank and an orbital bertha engine and it can't make the landing, I've tried with a vanilla engine with the same results

Edited May 3, 2015 by Toyotawolf

[INSULINt]

I was gonna add MJ to all command pods for convenience via MM, then I noticed the "MechJebAR202" and "MechJebPod" modules in the part.cfg's.... what are they for, and can I add MJ to all command pods?

[AndreyATGB]

I was gonna add MJ to all command pods for convenience via MM, then I noticed the "MechJebAR202" and "MechJebPod" modules in the part.cfg's.... what are they for, and can I add MJ to all command pods?

Yes you can, use something like

@PART[*]:HAS[@MODULE[ModuleCommand]]
{
 Module {
  Name = MechJebCore
 }
} 

[Beowolf]

My suggestion for the MJ unlocks is to move all of the information modules very early in the tech tree (i.e., second or third element of the tree). They are one of the truly missing components in KSP and are very useful to people learning how to construct and fly rockets.

skips

This is exactly what I do manually every time I install a new MJ release. I want SmartASS and all my info windows available immediately. If NASA had it for John Glenn's flight, I should have it too.

Which reminds me: sarbian, is there any easier way to copy my custom windows to a new release than manually editing the config files? Not that it's a big hardship, but I worry there's already a friendly button somewhere I never noticed.

[A_Burnt_Rodent]

Which reminds me: sarbian, is there any easier way to copy my custom windows to a new release than manually editing the config files? Not that it's a big hardship, but I worry there's already a friendly button somewhere I never noticed.

I think if you just backup your existing

GameData\MechJeb2\Plugins\PluginData\MechJeb2\mechjeb_settings_global.cfg file and add that to any new install (in the correct path), then any custom windows you've made will be there.

[AndreyATGB]

New releases are only an updated dll. You can download and replace the dll and you don't lose anything, what A_Burnt_Rpdent is correct as well if you insist on replacing the whole folder.

[NeoMorph]

I was gonna add MJ to all command pods for convenience via MM, then I noticed the "MechJebAR202" and "MechJebPod" modules in the part.cfg's.... what are they for, and can I add MJ to all command pods?

Use MechjebAndEngineerForAll... it uses MM to add MJ to every capsule (but it does break it in the career modes with all of MJ being available.

http://www.curse.com/ksp-mods/kerbal/221500-mechjeb-and-engineer-for-all/2225270

MJ is a bit squiffy for me atm though. I am just using it for launching test rockets (but even that is bonkers without me limiting the accel to 23). Landing is all over the place. Sometimes it works and other times it just goes "BANANA?" (in a Minion's voice). Strange thing is the landing predictions are spot on when doing it manually. I have been nailing Mun to the Pad without orbit every darned time.

[Apollo13]

My suggestion for the MJ unlocks is to move all of the information modules very early in the tech tree (i.e., second or third element of the tree). They are one of the truly missing components in KSP and are very useful to people learning how to construct and fly rockets.

I move the following to to Basic Rocketry:

- SMART A.S.S.

- Maneuver Node Editor

- Rendezvous Planner

- Delta V

Everything else remains where sarbian places it in the tech tree. For orbit info, I use kData.

I assume NASA, ESA, ROSCOSMOS don't use a crude graphics based tool for flight planning. Then, why should I?

Edited May 4, 2015 by Apollo13

[Imca]

Question is there any chance of the orientation of the AR202 ever getting fixed so that the top is where the lights are? It gets really annoying trying to place it on the side of every spaceplane and rover instead of dorsally, or is there an chance that a dorsal version could be added?

[Galane]

One change to landing AP that would be a big help is to have it orient the craft for the initial deorbit burn before warping. That's what maneuver planner does, which is very important for slow turning craft.

Landing AP just takes off however the craft is oriented then attempts to rotate after exiting warp. If your craft takes several seconds to rotate it can end up passing the node before doing the burn.

Edited May 4, 2015 by Galane

[ss8913]

Update - it doesn't happen on all of my *craft* ... so it looks like an incompatibility with one of the mods installed - although MJ2 dev build and VoxelAeroPort FAR are the only non "official" 1.0.2 mods I'm running (according to CKAN anyway). I'll narrow down what part(s) are causing my Mun lander craft to behave in this way and report back here, perhaps there's a conflict between mods of some sort.

Update again - I think I found it. Don't put TACLS *hex cans* inside a service bay, surface attached. You can put the regular round TACLS stuff in there but not the hex cans. Probably some kind of clipping issue throwing off aero calculations(?) or something. That was weird.

[Suma]

I confirm with dev build 2.5.0.0-442 the tech unlocks are working for me (in previous version I had all MechJeb functionality unlocked from unlocking the whole MJ, which I did not like).

For me current placement of unlocks in the tech tree is more or less fine. I like the challenge of making decisions regarding choosing technology to research, and I like MJ being part of this.

I understand individual preference may vary, this is how I like it:

I personally would not like MJ to be unlocked earlier. If anything, I would like MJ unlocks to be more carefully tuned to match the normal technology / capability unlocks. I like MJ to automate the tasks which I do routinely and repeatedly, but I do not want to be offered a functionality which is way beyond what I already have without it.

If possible, I would like Smart ASS to match my pilot / satellite capabilities - i.e. I do not want to be offered Pro/Retro grade unless my pilot or satellite core is capable of it.

No matter what, for me MechJeb is the single most important addon for KSP, thanks a lot for the effort of developing it and keeping it up to date.

[sarbian]

Question is there any chance of the orientation of the AR202 ever getting fixed so that the top is where the lights are? It gets really annoying trying to place it on the side of every spaceplane and rover instead of dorsally, or is there an chance that a dorsal version could be added?

I don't have the models file and I don't know if R4m0n has them. But I agree that it would make more sense.

The change I am considering for the tree is having the ascent AP before the landing AP. Maybe some other minor changes.

And I am still waiting for ship files or saves from those who have problem with the landing AP. I can't fix a bug I can't duplicate.

[Virtualgenius]

I am sure that someone could model a new AR202 or a few then vote on them

[kpu3uc]

And I am still waiting for ship files or saves from those who have problem with the landing AP. I can't fix a bug I can't duplicate.

http://rghost.ru/84xd9Zs8T

air power on orbit.

csk pad set - land at target

[Foxster]

I wonder if MJ needs some other way to see dV? I'm not sure what this might be though.

Pre-1.0, I built rockets from the top down, getting the TWR at 1.4 or whatever and building out to get the total dV needed. This meant bolting on whatever engine did the right thing for each stage. Now though, we also have to cope with the drop off in thrust towards sea level, which is a lot with some engines, making some engines useless at low altitudes.

Yes, we have SL TWR listed now. So we know if an engine will not work at initial launch. But at what altitude will it work, 1km, 5k, 10km, space?

I know this is going to be a curve thing and so hard to display.

[Woodstar]

I am sure that someone could model a new AR202 or a few then vote on them

use this one, small thin, and works I have always used it since Helldiver made it. KSO Mechjeb

Edit: the license even says R4mmon can even add it to the package.

Edited May 4, 2015 by Woodstar

[sarbian]

I won't remove the old model.

Foxster : I could add an altitude slider in the Editor but I don't really want to copy the whole KER interface. I'll see if I can do something like a curve easily but later.