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

[Innuce]

I wanted to let everybody know that with the help of The_Duck, the MechJeb1m part has been fixed to work with KSP 20.2. I've also had the pleasure of being asked to update the older MechJeb parts. The new updates shouldn't be more then a couple days or so, as I still have a few errands to do. Once completed the parts will be linked to the front page here.

Just remember that you'll need MechJeb2 installed for it to work properly.

MechJeb1m.zip (1.8 MB) - source included

https://mega.co.nz/#!p4pEFTAY!B264hRhrsUKCkOOFhHzUXQWTZ8FFfm6kgtbv-dYZmuQ

My blog post here. I hope you enjoy the part as much as I have.

Great work you guys!

[The_Duck]

How the hell can i install this addon.

I did everything what in the tutorial is written in.

I have copied the part the DLL.. all the files in the folders but there is no diffrence.

Maybe i have to activate the addon inside the game?

To install MJ 2.0.8, just unzip the downloaded file inside the GameData folder in your KSP installation. This should create a MechJeb2 folder inside your GameData folder. Then you need to add a MechJeb part to your ship in the VAB in order to use it.

Everything what happened .. i have lost in the main menu the background of a planet. i just see now the Kerbin in background not a gray planet. and when i press on start game .. there still is the kerbin and not the crashed prober on the gray planet.

How can i fix this!?

This is normal. The game cycles through more than one background for the main menu.

[KhaosCorp]

I think my original question got skewed....

I was not referring to docking autopilot rcs use...I was not talking about any autopilot or rcs use at all.

I was asking if mechjebs use of ROLL can be turned off while in space/zero-g. I do not use any autopilots ever. I use MJ2 to plan nodes, I use smart a.s.s., view useful info, and keep me from blowing engines up from goin full bore to long....

The exact situation in mind is....When a node is set I hit 'node' on smart ass, it takes MJ2 twice as long to get lined up as I can do it, and rather a bit longer even than MJ1 would. Most of this is due to its over use of roll.

It will roll a vessel this way and that, like its flying a plane in low atmosphere. Its a waste of time in space, and at times a waste of rcs (see what I did there =P)

Kinda a double edge knife I know, since MJ2 is so much better at plane/jet/spaceplane flight assistance now it seems.

As I said before..maybe if there was a 'restrict to pitch/yaw' option that could be turned on in space, if that's even possible.

[Payload]

Hi all,

I've finally gotten around to improving the autostaging interface. If you've been annoyed by the behavior of autostaging in MJ2 you might try the latest dev build (download MechJeb2.dll and copy it over GameData/MechJeb2/Plugins/MechJeb2.dll). It may well have some bugs, but you can try it if you want.

In the dev build, the ascent AP autostaging toggle has been restricted so that it only applies to the ascent AP, and there is a new global autostaging toggle in the Utilities window (new name for the old Throttle Control window). The Utilities window also has an "Autostage once" button if you know you only want to trigger the single next stage automatically.

Try it out if you're feeling adventurous; any feedback would be helpful.

Could we please get a roll field added to the smart A.S.S. computer? Please? I know it's there in surface mode and that is nice and helpful. However, it is not infrequent that I need to control roll throughout all paradigms of flight.

Ascent AP needs a Roll control tick and a setting field.

Smart A.S.S needs a global roll field and roll control tick box.

Please return the Steering error field to the bottom of the Smart A.S.S. box.

Please return the Current TWR field so that it can at least be selected to be added to a custom window.

I know I am not the only person that wants these things. They have been mentioned previously in this thread. I know someone forked the roll thing but that is old already and I prefer spoons anyway.

[KhaosCorp]

Please return the Steering error field to the bottom of the Smart A.S.S. box.

Please return the Current TWR field so that it can at least be selected to be added to a custom window.

YES!!! yes please this!

[daver4470]

I do not use any autopilots ever.

Well... SmartASS is an autopilot, too. You're not manually moving to the node when you use it, are you? It's sort of... automatically... acting like, oh... a pilot, no?

But in any event -- your issues are, I think, actually part of the same overall issue, which is "MechJeb isn't using RCS efficiently". What's happening in your case, I think (because I've seen wildly rolling SmartASS issues on RCS too), comes about because SmartASS does its whole "firing every RCS thruster to maintain an equilibrium" when the RCS thrusters aren't perfectly aligned with the center of gravity of the craft. That's what imparts the instability, some of which winds up being roll. If SmartASS was just using one puff to push the craft towards the node, you wouldn't be getting the rolling.

Having a "restrict to pitch/yaw" might help... but I think sometimes the craft has to roll, because the RCS thrust vectors aren't aligned right to push things in the direction you need to go. So it might not be a workable option if it results in MechJeb spinning you around because it can't push you in the right direction. I think the best thing to do is just change the whole RCS logic, as that should solve everyone's issues.

But yeah, your question got a little hijacked there. Sorry!

[KhaosCorp]

Well... SmartASS is an autopilot, too. You're not manually moving to the node when you use it, are you? It's sort of... automatically... acting like, oh... a pilot, no?

I would not agree, that's acting like a navigational assistance computer, not a pilot.....patato/potato ya =P

And Im still not making myself clear I guess.....

I have an issues with MJ2's use of roll in space even if the rcs jets NEVER get turned on......RCS is not the issue, never was for me, I know how to do managed blasts for maneuvering...I just don't like to babysit it like that...kinda the point in using smart a.s.s. for my personal usage. And it does not seem like such a stretch..MJ1 would come to alignment much more effectively in same scenario, mainly because it would not bother with roll input at all

edit: if it help put things in context I notice this with my small probes even, that typical don't even have rcs systems at all (because a sas disc is more than enough)

Edited June 7, 2013 by KhaosCorp

[Castun]

With MJ wanting to roll the craft as it orients to a new node or bearing, this prevents it from reorienting in a straight line. Rather, it usually ends up being a larger roundabout curved line, and this is part of the reason it takes so long. Another reason is that it likes to overshoot where it was trying to aim for and wastes more time correcting back the other way.

[KhaosCorp]

With MJ wanting to roll the craft as it orients to a new node or bearing, this prevents it from reorienting in a straight line. Rather, it usually ends up being a larger roundabout curved line, and this is part of the reason it takes so long. Another reason is that it likes to overshoot where it was trying to aim for and wastes more time correcting back the other way.

YES! ^this^ haha what I been trying to say the whole time! thank you Castun for articulating the thought I was trying to bumble out before!!

[sarbian]

Could we please get a roll field added to the smart A.S.S. computer? Please? I know it's there in surface mode and that is nice and helpful. However, it is not infrequent that I need to control roll throughout all paradigms of flight.

[...]

I know someone forked the roll thing but that is old already and I prefer spoons anyway.

I'll update my version with the force ROLL on monday since I'm not at home now. The current DLL is nearly up to date, only missing the "Reworked autostaging" I think

( http://www.sarbian.com/sarbian/MechJeb2.dll )

I agree that MJ2 sometimes do "useless" roll but I did not find why yet. The overshot is better with the patch from raf04 ( included in my version too )

Edited June 7, 2013 by sarbian

[Castun]

Only other thing I've noticed about the rolling with MJ2, is that if reorienting only takes a small adjustment, it doesn't roll. Only when the new vector is a certain distance away does it bother to roll, and the farther away the more rolling it wants to do.

[Tommygun]

Please return the Steering error field to the bottom of the Smart A.S.S. box.

Please return the Current TWR field so that it can at least be selected to be added to a custom window.

I'm also missing these things as well.

It was also convenient how it listed delta V on the GUI for each orbital maneuver like circularizing orbits, changing periapsis or transferring to another body etc.

[BigMcL4rgehuge]

Regarding SmartASS's excessive rolling, with MJ1 I used surface control for my ascent and never had a problem. Now with MJ2, instead of angling directly down to my set number, it tends to roll wildly, throwing the whole rocket out of whack. Not sure if this is a bug/feature or what. I read back a few pages and saw that a few people are having the same issue while in space, but I was just wondering if there's any proposed solution. I'd prefer not to use the ascent autopilot, as it is inefficient and grossly over-corrects itself.

[rosenkranz]

Try this on for size. I was thinking about deadly reentry and the eventual reentry damage we'll see in the stock game.

Would it be to dumb an idea to have an option for the landing AP to do a breaking burn to minimize heating on reentry? Would that even work?

From a 71km orbit max gee's during reentry is about 2.9g. From 150km it's about 5.2g. If the AP option had a field to specify max g-load, would that work?

Thoughts?

Thought this might have gotten lost in the stream. Was this not something worth doing? Or would it not work?

[TheZenGuy]

When will MechJeb be updated to KSP v0.20 and higher?

[rosenkranz]

is it not already? MJ2.0.8 works fine for me for 0.20.2

[Honeybadga]

Hai, I have the following problem. On some of my vessels the premade orbit info, surface info, vessel info and delta-v info windows don't show up in the menu. Neither do any of the windows I made myself earlier. Does this possibly have to do with me renaming my vessels?

[FredMSloniker]

EDIT: Looks like I have to run it in Administrative Mode to get MechJeb to work for me. Sometimes I hate Windows.

Somewhat belated, but by any chance, do you have KSP installed in your Program Files directory? Windows can get fussy about allowing programs to make and change files there. I moved my whole Steam install to its own directory, C:\Steam, to avoid issues like that.

[KhaosCorp]

Thought this might have gotten lost in the stream. Was this not something worth doing? Or would it not work?

It would work to an extent, the only issues is it changes your potential landing spot, so probly something that would be really hard to include in the autolanding feature. But heat and Gs generated on reentry is directly related to your speed, so the more ya break the less these effects will be, you got that part right.

[Honeybadga]

Ok, I reinstalled mechjeb2 and in the Custom Window Editor where it says 'Click an item to add it to the info window' there are no items at all, no matter which window presets I choose. Please, someone help.

Edit: Apparently there is a problem when " is part of a vessel's name.

Edited June 7, 2013 by Honeybadga

[mandingo-mc]

First sorry forr my bad english

Now, I have a problem with mechjeb 2.08 and older version.

The motors stop to 20 km, and then the auto trottle dont work anymore. This in the 2.08.

In 1.9.8 simply does not start by itself.

I only use the mod remote tech. I have reinstalled and the error persists.

I use the version 0.20.2. Any idea?

Thanks!

[mandingo-mc]

First sorry forr my bad english

Now, I have a problem with mechjeb 2.08 and older version.

The motors stop to 20 km, and then the auto trottle dont work anymore. This in the 2.08.

In 1.9.8 simply does not start by itself.

I only use the mod remote tech. I have reinstalled and the error persists.

I use the version 0.20.2. Any idea?

Thanks!

I've fixed.!!!!! Only reinstal

Now, where is inmechjeb 2.08, the option orbital operations?

[martinw89]

I have a small feature request. Is it possible to connect the PID coefficients to individual ships rather than being a global value? I'm sure you're familiar with control theory, and obviously different ships are going to need different tuning. I apologize if this has been requested before. It's a nearly 200 page thread and "PID" doesn't have enough characters to be a search term.

Then since a PID alone isn't sufficient with our error precision and delay you can add a feed forward dynamics based controller (kidding )

[Nibb31]

I've fixed.!!!!! Only reinstal

Now, where is inmechjeb 2.08, the option orbital operations?

It's gone. MJ 2.0.8 uses maneuver node planner instead.

[dronkit]

Hey, where are the drag losses, gravity losses, steering losses, statistics in 2.0.8?can't find them! Not in delta v stats or ascent autopilot, at least