Intermediate Mission Builder - 20 Questions

[XLjedi]

@TriggerAu @Darth Badie  ...and anyone else who may understand how this thing is supposed to work?

Been messing around with the Mission Builder this weekend and so far so good!  

After a solid weekend of tinkering I'm left with 20 questions (although I could probably post more) that I think go beyond Mission Builder basics.  I have not really found a good tutorial or reference documentation that would be like  an intermediate or "Next Step" sort of resource, so if you know of any good ones, please let me know!  Guess I'm looking for a sort of "Programmers Reference Guide" for creating Mission Builder logic structures.  YouTube tutorials are rather painful to watch (at least what I've seen) in this respect as too often they plod along painfully slow while the commentator just enters node parameters over, and over, and over again...  When I figure this stuff out, I may post a video on this, unless someone can reference one or two good ones?

1. Can I see a diagram of how the "Always True/False" nodes are supposed to work?  I noticed a loop structure was mentioned?
2. Any other logic type nodes like these?   I tried using a "Point Change" node with zero points just to bring two possible routes together...  it didn't work.  Although I was thinking it should have?
3. There don't seem to be any test options for "Equal To" only greater or less than?   
4. Are there any nodes that will gather mission info?  For instance, at the end of a mission, I might want to know how fast, far, or high a craft or kerbal went?  I might also want to assign points based on this!  Like a point scale for every x meters travelled...  or fastest speed achieved?  Right now it seems I can only award points for crossing preset thresholds.
5. If I have two or three "Catch All" nodes that are all branched in such a way as to lead to the same place... How do I make that work?  So far, mine haven't
6. I'd also like to do the opposite, if I have a single node that causes 2 or 3 things to ALL happen, can I branch to all three?  (maybe setting appropriate Node Priority in the Options at that branch?)  So far, the only way I can make it work is to string them all sequentially, but was thinking I shouldn't have to do this.  I'd like to see a diagram of how one node can trigger 3 things, then reform to continue along down a single node path.
7. Similar to the above, I'd like to see the same thing, only instead of trigger all 3 things, it maybe only triggers one or two of the three based on a test, then reforms to continue
8. While on the topic of nodes...  using "Catch All" vs. "Sequential" examples would be helpful.  IN PARTICULAR!!!  Suppose I have a long-ish overall mission thread that's taking me from beginning to end.  I'd like to have a "Catch All" node sitting out there that could fire at any point along the main mission string.  So far, when I've tried to create something like this, the "Catch All" node fires, but then doesn't take me back to the main mission string?  What is the proper structure for creating this? 
9. With the possible exception of the very first node that spawns multiple vehicles...  I don't fully understand the difference between two or three separate nodes as opposed to having those nodes all docked together?  I'm sure there's a difference, I'm just not grasping it.  Is it like a logical "AND" so all of the conditions must be met for the overall node to return True?
10. For me, the "Dialog Node" will always popup a window for the user.  The "Message Node" and the nodes with the option to display a message, do not display anything on screen for me.  It just adds a message item to the log of messages and would force a user to have to go over and click to open.  I'd like to have messages appear on screen, but I don't always want a picture of Gene accompanying it. Do I have a setting in my base game options to repress the messages from appearing that I forgot about?  If so, I need some messages to appear regardless of what the user may have in their options for this.
11. How do I add a "Catch All" node (perhaps repeatable?) to detect a craft has landed, but first!   AT LEAST checks to make sure the target craft has left the ground at the start of the mission?
12. Is there any way to select a picture from the Banner directory to appear with a message, dialog, or point change node? 
13. I'm not sure when to use a built-in node message vs. a standalone message or dialog message node?  Seems like 3 ways to do the same thing, although at least the dialog is a forced message popup.  I'd like to have a forced popup message without a picture of "Gene"... I'd also like to have popup messages that can display an image I put in the banners folder.  I'd also like to be able to provide my own pictures for my own instructors (with instructor names that I create) to appear.
14. In the Options section for node, I think I understand how the "Node Order" thing works, but not exactly sure...  I would presume things at the top of the list process first?  So maybe if I have a mission ending event (like demise of a craft or kerbal) I put that up there at the top so something like a message related to being out of fuel doesn't fire first?  In which case, a Global setting for node priority might be helpful?  Is there one?
15. If I have specific flags that I created for a mission, how do I store those with the Mission so others can use them? 
16. Likewise, there's a directory for the craft(s) the players will need for the mission, but I don't see anything for any flags that may be associated with the craft?  Where does the Mission Builder read it's flags from?  ...the regular game data folder?  I guess craft flags are a "Required Mod" that needs to be installed then?
17. I notice 2 options for including craft in a mission...  Player Builds Craft in the mission or the Designer of the Mission provides it.  I can see what seems to be a 3rd unwritten option which is...  the player may copy any designs they want into the appropriate Mission/Craft folders to be able to load into the mission when the time comes for a player to build a craft in the mission.  Assuming the craft meets all the mission requirements, it should be useable in the missions? ...anyone see any problem with this?
18. I was disappointed that I could not limit or set a given part's parameter.  There only seem to be "Available Parts" and "Required Parts" as options.  I can't for instance, limit the thrust of a booster to 20% UNLESS...  As the designer of the mission, I build that particular craft and force the player to use it.  Unless I'm missing something?
19. Alternatively, there seems to be no way to give the player a group of parts or a slightly dysfunctional craft to start with...  and then ask them to repair or add to it?  
20. It seems that I can say which parts are "Available" or "Required Parts" but I can't say how many?  Like you can only use 1 booster, or you are required to build a 4-engine craft...  and here are the engines you have to choose from.  There may be 5 or 6 types of engines to choose from... but you can only use 4 of any combination of them in the final craft design.

The following bullets are the start of my "Would be Nice to Have" list:

• As my mission structures began to grow in complexity, I was looking for a "Designer Comment" textbox to drop on the working area and I wanted to draw visual boxes around certain things (or maybe apply a color or shade to the underlying boxes of the mission design grid?) so I could label sections of the mission design work area.  Like:  "this area is where all my altitude tests are"  or maybe a "Node Group" type thing?  ...maybe associated with a clickable "Table of Contents" sort of thing in the Mission Builder work area so I can jump to that off screen area?
• Managing the text dialog was a real chore!  The interface is NOT a very friendly storyboard environment.  Editing long-ish text in those tiny node parameter input boxes is a real pain.  Alternatively, a textbox object that could be sized on the mission design area to hold text and then link to a node for a description reference would be extremely helpful!  If such a thing could hold pictures to reference that could popup along with the text, that would just be wonderful!

 

Edited October 15, 2018 by XLjedi