How can I tell which experiments are "global" vs "per biome"?

[DeadJohn]

In stock, it's easy enough to memorize: the gravity scanner works above every biome and can be spammed, while the other stock instruments are "global" and can only be used once each in low orbit and high orbit. When adding mods though, there can be too many to memorize.

(The wiki uses the terms "biome" and "global" to differentiate  https://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Science)

Is there any way to tell the difference in the VAB?

Edited March 9, 2020 by DeadJohn

[AHHans]

10 hours ago, DeadJohn said:

Is there any way to tell the difference in the VAB?

Not that I know of.

[Kwebib]

I don't believe there is a way to see this in-game. However, it's actually pretty easy to understand if you look at the configs. You're looking for "biomeMask and "situationMask".

I struggled to understand it at first until I realized it was in binary. Here is an example. Let's say your situationMask = 63 and your biomeMask = 3. This means you can perform the experiment in any "situation", but you only get biome data for splashed and landed (see images I made in Excel below).

Situation Mask:

Biome Mask:

Let's say you have an experiment that you only want available in space. You would set situationMask = 48 (see below). You could also set biomeMask = 48 if you want to get data for specific biomes from space.

Edited March 10, 2020 by Kwebib

[DeadJohn]

@Kwebib Thanks for those details. It sucks that Squad hasn't made that info available in-game but I can at least parse through gamedata to find which unfamiliar experiments work best on orbital probes.

Probes destined for low orbit get experiments with a 16 bitmask, long distance relays in high orbit get experiments with a 32 bitmask.

Edited March 10, 2020 by DeadJohn
fixed tag

[Starhawk]

I believe that the information you require is listed here:

https://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Science

Happy landings!

[DeadJohn]

@Starhawk My original post already had the link you provided and described why it's inadequate. It only lists stock instruments not mods. Stock is completely memorizable without documentation, anyway, since only 1 experiment (gravity scan) works per biome in orbit, other experiments are global for low orbit and high orbit.

Mods are not in the wiki and mod-specific documentation usually doesn't detail every part. Right-clicking in the VAB only shows the experiment name but not where it works.

 

[DeadJohn]

I found a mod that displays it in VAB. It's yet another saved by linuxgurugamer.

 

 

 

[Starhawk]

Sorry about that, @DeadJohn.  I did not focus sufficiently on first reading and misunderstood.

Happy landings!

[Superfluous J]

On 3/10/2020 at 9:41 AM, DeadJohn said:

@Kwebib Thanks for those details. It sucks that Squad hasn't made that info available in-game but I can at least parse through gamedata to find which unfamiliar experiments work best on orbital probes.

Probes destined for low orbit get experiments with a 16 bitmask, long distance relays in high orbit get experiments with a 32 bitmask.

I just put them all on everything.