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[1.4.x] Boost Flap Controller v0.1.1.0 [9.1.18]


DoctorDavinci

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Boost Flap Controller

Adds a part that controls the deploy state of control surfaces being used as Boost Flaps ... if you do not know what a boost flap is, refer to the Boost Flap 101 section below

All credit goes to @Azimech for coming up with his Boost Flap Kraken tech

Features
- Adds a Boost Flap Controller part ... When a rover is in the air or all it's wheels are NOT touching the ground, the boost flaps will be deployed if BFC Control is enabled in the right click menu (Boost Flap Controller parts must be attached to the vessel for system to work)
- Added an adjustable slider to control the deploy speed of the boost flaps ... can be adjusted on the fly while driving
- Boost Flap Toggle is automatically set to the RCS action group and when RCS is activated it overrides the BFC Control and deploys the Boost Flaps

PLEASE NOTE that you must toggle any given elevon you intend to use as a boost flap to activated in it's part action window in order for the Boost Flap Controller to gain control over it

BFC Download Link: https://github.com/DoctorDavinci/BFC/releases

Boost Flap 101

Spoiler

Click the link below for @Azimech's Visual Boost Flap Installation Guide
https://imgur.com/a/qh6av

 

t1LzFwU.png

gJZqDpw.png

Boost Flap Controller is licensed under GPLv3

Edited by DoctorDavinci
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8 hours ago, Azimech said:

Great job! This is really useful!

I plan to add another module that will add a toggle button to all control surfaces to select whether a flap is a boost flap or not

This way you can have other control surfaces set to deploy for other purposes such as downforce or braking etc ...

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  • 6 months later...
2 minutes ago, DoctorDavinci said:

Hi all

Due to @Triop creating another racing challenge, I now have a BFC update incoming ... Recompiled for KSP v1.4.x

https://github.com/DoctorDavinci/BFC/releases/tag/v0.1.1.0

Enjoy

Good timing... I just installed the existing version (1.3.x) and I'm confused about how to add this to my rover. I looked at the Imgur description images, but I don't see what part(s) I need to add to my vehicle.

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1 hour ago, purpleivan said:

Good timing... I just installed the existing version (1.3.x) and I'm confused about how to add this to my rover. I looked at the Imgur description images, but I don't see what part(s) I need to add to my vehicle.

Best way to describe what to do is to show you .... download the following rovers and take a look at the elevon placement around the engines

The elevons when deployed will block the thrust of the engine ... Juno's are best in my experience

https://kerbalx.com/DoctorDavinci/CANUKWurks-F-1
https://kerbalx.com/DoctorDavinci/Dukes-Jalopnick
https://kerbalx.com/DoctorDavinci/Vals-Purple-People-Eater

Here's some visual aids :wink:

 

 

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I installed the updated mod and took the Purple People Eater for a drive, but I'm not sure if it's working as anticipated.

If I enable Boost Flap in the Elevon right click menu, the parts just stay flat (orientation is parallel with the ground) so not blocking the jet exhaust at any time. I tried jumping over the runway a few times to get the flaps to close, but no luck.

Am I missing something?

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1 hour ago, purpleivan said:

I installed the updated mod and took the Purple People Eater for a drive, but I'm not sure if it's working as anticipated.

If I enable Boost Flap in the Elevon right click menu, the parts just stay flat (orientation is parallel with the ground) so not blocking the jet exhaust at any time. I tried jumping over the runway a few times to get the flaps to close, but no luck.

Am I missing something?

You have to add Azimech's Boost Flap Controller part to the rover found in Command and Control ... Enable the boost flap as you did and then right click on the BFC Controller and enable BFC Control

EDIT: Updated OP to better explain this

Edited by DoctorDavinci
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Unfortunately I'm still not getting any adjustments of the elevons.

Here's how I've got the three components (BFC control unit and the two elevons at the rear of the Purple People Eater).

PXqgKp9.png

When I get airbourne (using the runway as a ramp) the elevons aren't moving to "brake" position.

JGUjHhT.png

The Brake Flaps on their own seem to be working though, as the RCS toggle control does make them close, just not automatically when the vehicle becomes airbourne.

CGaqraB.png

Sorry if I've missed something stupid... always a possibility :)

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38 minutes ago, purpleivan said:

Unfortunately I'm still not getting any adjustments of the elevons.

Here's how I've got the three components (BFC control unit and the two elevons at the rear of the Purple People Eater).

PXqgKp9.png

When I get airbourne (using the runway as a ramp) the elevons aren't moving to "brake" position.

JGUjHhT.png

The Brake Flaps on their own seem to be working though, as the RCS toggle control does make them close, just not automatically when the vehicle becomes airbourne.

CGaqraB.png

Sorry if I've missed something stupid... always a possibility :)

Odd ... I'll take a look and see what is going on

Must have missed something ... try using the toggle button on the BFC Controller, might be what I pooched :rolleyes:

Edited by DoctorDavinci
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14 minutes ago, DoctorDavinci said:

Odd ... I'll take a look and see what is going on

Must have missed something ... try using the toggle button on the BFC Controller, might be what I pooched :rolleyes:

I just tried that, but it doesn't seem to make any difference.

Strangely though, the toggle button doesn't graphically change when clicked on, staying in the bright blue, solid button state.

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@DoctorDavinci Thanks for updating this. Not tried it out yet, but I will soon!  Still tinkering with general rover design for the race, but don't worry about my request to add support for the service bays.  I've changed my design to use flaps now.  If adding it is easy (and not one of those programmer "it'll be easy"... *10 hours later, kinda things) then I'd be interested to compare my two designs (flap vs service bay) and see which is better, but don't worry if it's gonna be a hassle! 

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I think i'm having the same issue as @purpleivan;  I've got the BFC controller attached, set to enabled and my two boost flaps have the boost flap option checked.  I've tried messing with the toggle option (via menu and hitting R).  Initially I also had my flaps bound to the brake action group, in that case if I applied the brakes and the flaps closed the hitting R would override the brake action and open the flaps again. But that was the only thing I could make happen.  I thought maybe having another action group controlling the flaps was conflicting (or inverting a state) so I removed the brake action group control from the flaps, but still not getting any automatic flap control.  

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The fix seems to be working! Nice one.
My only issue is that if I use another action group (ie brakes) to also shut the boot flaps, then BFC stops working.  I've not tried this yet, but if I change the `defaultActionGroup` in the `ModuleBFCAG` module in BoostFlapController.cfg to 'BRAKES' would that enable me to have automatic boost flaps but also have manual control over them when pressing brake?

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1 hour ago, katateochi said:

The fix seems to be working! Nice one.
My only issue is that if I use another action group (ie brakes) to also shut the boot flaps, then BFC stops working.  I've not tried this yet, but if I change the `defaultActionGroup` in the `ModuleBFCAG` module in BoostFlapController.cfg to 'BRAKES' would that enable me to have automatic boost flaps but also have manual control over them when pressing brake?

Exactly :) .... change the action group in the config

I'll work on a solution for automatically detecting boost flaps and their action group assignment for the next update ... already have an inkling of what I'llhave to code (which shouldn't be all that difficult)

Edited by DoctorDavinci
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omg I'm such a dunderhead!! I hadn't realised you could assign an action group to the controller part, in game...like normal.  So my attempts to change the action group in the cfg file was pointless.  Anyway, it's working perfectly now; automatic deploy of flaps whenever off the ground, and manual override with the brake key. 
Controlling the flaps manually I was probably shutting the flaps correctly around 80-90% of the time, but I knew there were some points where I wasn't quick enough and they'd stay open longer than they should.  So its nice to be 100% sure I'm not gaining speed whilst airborne. Also means I'm not having to brake so much; just did another test drive of the rally and shaved 15 seconds of my best time so far.

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