[1.3.0] Kerbal Engineer Redux 1.1.3.0 (2017-05-28)

[MrOnak]

It doesn't actually, it backs up my understanding of terminal velocity. I should clarify that the actual velocity in KSP is higher than the Tv calculated by me or KER, even when going straight down.

[Padishar]

Yes, it will be. When you are going slightly above terminal velocity, the drag force is only slightly higher than your weight force so the total force on your craft is upwards and quite small so you accelerate upwards (i.e. slow down) only slightly. If the terminal velocity remained constant then you would never actually slow down to it as the difference in the forces would shrink the closer you get to it. In actual fact, the terminal velocity keeps getting lower too, so you always lag behind it.

[MrOnak]

Hmmm.... I guess I'll resolve that my own and KERs calculations are in fact correct and that "terminal" in terminal velocity isn't to be taken literally... *sigh* language...

Thanks Padishar

[Superfluous J]

Hmmm.... I guess I'll resolve that my own and KERs calculations are in fact correct and that "terminal" in terminal velocity isn't to be taken literally... *sigh* language...

Thanks Padishar

I don't understand why it can't be taken literally? If the air was completely uniform and gravity did not change as you fell, you would eventually fall at exactly 100% Atmospheric Efficiency (aka exactly terminal velocity). As you fall, gravity increases slowly and air resistance increases quickly, the net effect of these being that Terminal Velocity goes lower faster than you are slowing down.

The exact same thing happens in the real world, though to a much lesser extent due to the real world having more realistic parameters and drag models.

[ialdabaoth]

I'd like to report a bug with 6.2.4. I have a ship with a ModuleHybridEngine; whenever it gets close to another vessel that does not have any engines (aka the space station I want to dock with), my engines shut off, and the following lines spam in the debug window and output_log:

...

Found RealFuels mod

(Filename: C:/BuildAgent/work/d3d49558e4d408f4/artifacts/StandalonePlayerGenerated/UnityEngineDebug.cpp Line: 53)

Cannot find module 'ModuleEngineConfigs' (-1249380957)

(Filename: C:/BuildAgent/work/d3d49558e4d408f4/artifacts/StandalonePlayerGenerated/UnityEngineDebug.cpp Line: 53)

Cannot find module 'ModuleEngineConfigs' (-1249380957)

(Filename: C:/BuildAgent/work/d3d49558e4d408f4/artifacts/StandalonePlayerGenerated/UnityEngineDebug.cpp Line: 53)

...

Removing KerbalEngineer.dll and reloading KSP fixes the problem.

Halp?

Edited June 9, 2014 by ialdabaoth

[Padishar]

I'd like to report a bug with 6.2.4. I have a ship with a ModuleHybridEngine; whenever it gets close to another vessel that does not have any engines (aka the space station I want to dock with), my engines shut off, and the following lines spam in the debug window and output_log:

...

Found RealFuels mod

(Filename: C:/BuildAgent/work/d3d49558e4d408f4/artifacts/StandalonePlayerGenerated/UnityEngineDebug.cpp Line: 53)

Cannot find module 'ModuleEngineConfigs' (-1249380957)

(Filename: C:/BuildAgent/work/d3d49558e4d408f4/artifacts/StandalonePlayerGenerated/UnityEngineDebug.cpp Line: 53)

Cannot find module 'ModuleEngineConfigs' (-1249380957)

(Filename: C:/BuildAgent/work/d3d49558e4d408f4/artifacts/StandalonePlayerGenerated/UnityEngineDebug.cpp Line: 53)

...

Removing KerbalEngineer.dll and reloading KSP fixes the problem.

Halp?

Are you sure you mean KerbalEngineer.dll? The name of the DLL should just be Engineer.dll. Are you possibly using Cybutek's new (as yet unreleased) version?

I don't see how KER can cause any engines to shut down. It doesn't try to control any aspect of the vessel behaviour, it is just an information display.

Having said that, can you try with the updated version in the thread linked in my sig? The code in 0.6.2.4 only deals with two types of RF engine modules but my latest development versions do all three...

[PyroHornet]

KER is not showing up on blizzy's toolbar. I see the icon pictures in the KER folder, as well as everything that is supposed to be in there. I re-downloaded KER, and compared the folder to what I already have in my GameData KER folder. The only difference I see is that in the GameData KER folder, there is the plugin data folder. I am currently using v. 1.7.1 of blizzy's toolbar, and the toolbar seems to be working properly in every respect, except for KER. In the "configure button" option, it shows Kerbal Engineer Redux, but no image for the button. The button never shows up on the toolbar . All the other toolbar compatible mods that I am using do show up in the toolbar. What do I have to do to get the toolbar to show KER? Thanks

[Padishar]

KER is not showing up on blizzy's toolbar. I see the icon pictures in the KER folder, as well as everything that is supposed to be in there. I re-downloaded KER, and compared the folder to what I already have in my GameData KER folder. The only difference I see is that in the GameData KER folder, there is the plugin data folder. I am currently using v. 1.7.1 of blizzy's toolbar, and the toolbar seems to be working properly in every respect, except for KER. In the "configure button" option, it shows Kerbal Engineer Redux, but no image for the button. The button never shows up on the toolbar . All the other toolbar compatible mods that I am using do show up in the toolbar. What do I have to do to get the toolbar to show KER? Thanks

This sounds quite strange. Do you run with other mods, especially ones that do strange things with textures? The only thing I can suggest at the moment is to double check that you don't have multiple versions of KER installed. Can you post a screenshot of the contents of your GameData\Engineer folder?

[KerbMav]

What I only wondered now - does the impact altitude calculate for planet/moon rotation or only check for where the orbit "impacts"?

[Padishar]

What I only wondered now - does the impact altitude calculate for planet/moon rotation or only check for where the orbit "impacts"?

Yes, it does try to account for the body's rotation using an iterative algorithm to refine the impact point. This is the relevant bit of code:

https://github.com/Gerry1135/Engineer/blob/master/Engineer/FlightEngineer.cs#L414-L489

[Superfluous J]

What I only wondered now - does the impact altitude calculate for planet/moon rotation or only check for where the orbit "impacts"?

And it works swimmingly. I've pinpoint landed both on Kerbin and Eve from the SOI boundary by burning to set my impact lat/long to what I wanted.

[TimKerbin]

Thanks lars for this, though for some reason the Engineer parts in my VAB are just greyed out and inaccessible. I can't click them or drag them onto anything (if I try doing what you did, clicking on the Sputnik robotic probe, the Engineer parts just remain static and unclickable). Sorry but sometimes I really hate these mods because they're often badly explained, and inexperienced users like me just get frustrated and wonder why they bother.

[maxrsp]

Hey Tim, its been awhile since I used this mod but usually when something is showing on the parts list but inaccessible it is because it hasn't been researched in the science tree yet or you don't have your ship build started with a valid command part.

[Padishar]

Yes, if you are using a career mode save that you started before installing KER then you will need to unlock the individual parts in the research centre. Select the first node in the tree and then select each of the 3 KER parts on the right hand side and click the button to research each one. Alternatively, you can install ModuleManager (if you haven't already got it) and one of the scripts that adds KER functionality to all command modules and/or probe cores (there are several scripts posted in the thread and I think at least one is on CurseForge)...

[NullOranje]

I'm having an issue when using KER to calculate intercept angles. Whenever I want to transfer to a lower orbit (i.e., Eve or Moho), I get some strange numbers. Right now, my intercept angle is 376 degrees, and my angle to retrograde is on the wrong side. Is this a bug somewhere in the code or a corrupted config? I've tried reinstalling the plugin but no luck.

Any thoughts on this problem?

[Padishar]

It is most likely a bug in KER though I have hardly ever looked at the code for the rendezvous window. I do know that people have complained about some of the angles being "wrong" (i.e. outside the expected range of 0 to 360 or -180 to 180) but I've not investigated it in any detail...

It would be very helpful if you could provide a (stock except for KER) save file that contains a ship set up for such a transfer with a description of what you think the numbers should be...

[NullOranje]

Sounds good, although it may be a little bit before I can.

[leeham991]

Is there any alternate config with the parts being a whole lot smaller? I'm using realism overhaul (or the best I can manage to make with the cluster of downloads and contradicting instructions it gives) and the flight computer parts stick out comically, like someone has stuck a piece of clip art over a picture. I think the parts would look much better if they were smaller, and even if they don't a much smaller part is much easier to hide in a vent or between two pieces of hardware or something.

[Padishar]

There are various module manager configs that add the build and/or flight engineer to all command pods and probe cores which removes the need for the parts completely. E.g. http://kerbal.curseforge.com/ksp-mods/221265-engineer-redux-all-pods

[TheReaper]

Hello guys, i ve installed this mod but what i really wanted was "lift-to-weight"

any chance for this mod to show me that or any other mod that would?

[jrandom]

Hello guys, i ve installed this mod but what i really wanted was "lift-to-weight"

any chance for this mod to show me that or any other mod that would?

It's called "Thrust to Weight" and is abbreviated as TWR. Make sure "compact" is not enabled and you'll see the full range of stats.

[Red Iron Crown]

It's called "Thrust to Weight" and is abbreviated as TWR. Make sure "compact" is not enabled and you'll see the full range of stats.

TWR is shown in compact mode, too. I suspect TheReaper is really after lift-to-weight, i.e. the lift generated by aerodynamic surfaces versus the weight of the craft.

I don't think KER (or any mod that I know of) calculates this, and it seems like it is a fairly complex calculation as lift varies by speed, atmospheric density and attitude.

[jrandom]

Ah! Right. I just... keep reducing fuel until I can successfully get off the runway.

[Master Tao]

It's called "Thrust to Weight" and is abbreviated as TWR. Make sure "compact" is not enabled and you'll see the full range of stats.

No, the thrust to weight ratio is not at all the same as the lift to weight ratio. With stock aerodynamics, rockets have can have 0 lift if they don't have any control surfaces, but can still launch due to having TWR > 1. Planes can have TWR less than 1 (I have a glider that can easily maintain level flight with a TWR of .3) because they also get lift due to aerodynamic properties of the wings.

The only mod I know of that calculates the lift to weight ratio is Ferram Aerospace Research. It's abbreviated as L/W and only shown in flight if you click "Flight Data." It will also graph lift to weight (L/W) as a function of angle of attack or forward velocity in the SPH.

Edited June 26, 2014 by Master Tao
ninja'd, and more info

[TheReaper]

It's called "Thrust to Weight" and is abbreviated as TWR. Make sure "compact" is not enabled and you'll see the full range of stats.

certainly 2 other guys before me told you what i really meant, but i d like to say, its called you misunderstod and you are WRONG