[1.12.x] GravityTurn continued - Automated Efficient Launches

[antipro]

7 hours ago, linuxgurugamer said:

Fixed creating extra PluginData directories under the Plugin directory

for me it was useful to have that extra directory, that I could delete when I want to delete all the old unwanted cfg or png files that GT creates for each vessel.
now I have to be careful to don't touch the Texture directory and keybind.cfg.
better, it would be nice if there was a default button that deletes all the files.

Edited June 16, 2021 by antipro

[linuxgurugamer]

56 minutes ago, antipro said:

for me it was useful to have that extra directory, that I could delete when I want to delete all the old unwanted cfg or png files that GT creates for each vessel.
now I have to be careful to don't touch the Texture directory and keybind.cfg.
better, it would be nice if there was a default button that deletes all the files.

Nothing stopping you from making your own directory for that.

I'll look into the cleanup button, shouldn't be too hard

[Tivec]

Keybind is all great but I'd rather not have one (I've got too few keys to cater for all my mods). I checked the code, and there doesn't seem to be a way to fully disable it. Is there a way?

If there is no way, maybe this could be an option to add? Granted, it only checks for the keypress when the vessel is landed, but still.

//
// This defines the key binding to trigger a launch
// Change it to whatever you want
//
GRAVITYTURN
{
	useKeybind = false
	keycode = L
}

 

[linuxgurugamer]

6 hours ago, Tivec said:

Keybind is all great but I'd rather not have one (I've got too few keys to cater for all my mods). I checked the code, and there doesn't seem to be a way to fully disable it. Is there a way?

If there is no way, maybe this could be an option to add? Granted, it only checks for the keypress when the vessel is landed, but still.

//
// This defines the key binding to trigger a launch
// Change it to whatever you want
//
GRAVITYTURN
{
	useKeybind = false
	keycode = L
}

 

 

Sure, easy enough to add

Also going to add a button to  clear the cached vessels, not sure how to present that yet.

For now, just set it to a key that you never use, or that is known to not be used in the scene.  How about a backtick for now, or a tilde?

[linuxgurugamer]

New release, 1.8.1.8

• Added option to use keybind or not
• Removed keybind.cfg
• Now always rewrites the keybind.cfg file to make sure both settings are there
• Added button to clear the cache directory on the Settings page

[Tivec]

4 hours ago, linuxgurugamer said:

Added option to use keybind or not

Thank you very much

[DeliriumTrigger]

On 6/16/2021 at 10:07 AM, linuxgurugamer said:

• Added keybinding, letter L will launch even if game UI is hidden.  Key can be changed by editing a file:  GravityTurn/PluginData/keybind.cfg

Thanks so much!!

[antipro]

GT's wrong behavior:

I'm stuck here on Bop's surface cause GT no longer turn, but it only accelerates vertically until it reaches the destination Ap
and then it continue with that hi inefficient maneuver.

1 min length video: https://www.dropbox.com/s/l0u86l8t9293q2k/gt wrong behavior.mkv?dl=0

I don't know.. maybe I'm forgetting something or doing something wrong.
if useful, let me know if you need some specific file.

Edited June 19, 2021 by antipro

[linuxgurugamer]

12 minutes ago, antipro said:

GT's wrong behavior:

I'm stuck here on Bop's surface cause GT no longer turn, but it accelerate vertically until it reaches the  destination Ap
and then it continue with that hi inefficient maneuver.

1 min length video: https://www.dropbox.com/s/l0u86l8t9293q2k/gt wrong behavior.mkv?dl=0

I don't know.. maybe I'm forgetting something or doing something wrong.
if useful, let me know if you need some specific file.

Your thrust is much too strong for such low gravity, and it doesn’t start to turn until it reaches a minimum height.  You don’t show the setup window, I can’t say much more than that.

‘Try reducing the thrust limiter on the engines to 10% and see what happens.

[antipro]

I've already unsuccessfully tried to reduce the poodle thrust to 20%.
I'm gonna try to reduce it more.

edit: testing..
https://www.dropbox.com/s/20eod66lut4sxbg/gt wrong behavior 2.mkv?dl=0

I've reduced the "Start m/s" Value to 2 so t be sure it reaches that speed before it reaches the time to Ap value.
I've reduce the engine thrust to 10% and less.
but I can't still make it turn.

I'm also noticing that once I open the Statistic window, the aforesaid window can't be no longer closed.
jeez.. I have to reinstall GT.

@linuxgurugamer  ok no, I don't have to reinstall.
I've just manually deleted all the gt files relative to that vessel.
for now I do not touch that window anymore..
I don' know if you can close the stat window once you open it anyway, imho
that clear button should be available to press in KCS or VAB too, in this way it can completely rid off all the files,
including those relative to the vessel in use.

Edited June 19, 2021 by antipro

[linuxgurugamer]

4 minutes ago, antipro said:

I've already unsuccessfully tried to reduce the poodle thrust to 20%.
I'm gonna try to reduce it more.

edit: testing..

You need to reduce it enough that it takes minutes rather than seconds to get to orbit

[antipro]

On 6/19/2021 at 11:26 PM, linuxgurugamer said:

You need to reduce it enough that it takes minutes rather than seconds to get to orbit

I've reduced it to the min without success.
anyway I realized what was the problem:
I didn't notice that MJ Smart ASS was active in SURF-SURF mode.
As soon as I disabled it, GT worked good.
sorry

ps: if you have time to look into that stat winodw issue anyway.. thanks.

Edited June 23, 2021 by antipro

[linuxgurugamer]

3 hours ago, antipro said:

I don' know if you can close the stat window once you open it anyway, imho
that clear button should be available to press in KCS or VAB too, in this way it can completely rid off all the files,
including those relative to the vessel in use.

You can close the stat window, not at my computer, but I’ve done it many times.

GT is not available in the editor, not going to make that change.

[antipro]

12 hours ago, linuxgurugamer said:

You can close the stat window, not at my computer, but I’ve done it many times.

I don't understand what it means, anyway I realized how to close that window:
There are 3 window that can be opened by pressing their buttons: Setup, Launch Map and Stats.
Setup and Launch Map can be closed by pressing the upright X button or their relative GT Main Window Buttons.
While the Stats window can be closed by pressing its relative GT Main Window Button only.
Just that. Not a big problem.
 

 

12 hours ago, linuxgurugamer said:

GT is not available in the editor, not going to make that change.

If there are no ways to delete all the files ok, not a big problem.

[antipro]

I've recently built a simple rocket to land on pol:

 

but since I've substitute 2x Skipper Engines with the 2x Vector engines, the problem of rolling rocket at launch, a problem I previously mentioned, it is much more amplified.
the rocket swings so much that it is ugly to see. Reducing gimbal to 0 makes the rocket roll less at the beginning but it continue for so long.
setting gimbal to something like 40 or so is a good compromise but still the rocket oscillates so much.
So first I would like to ask if GT takes control of "control surfaces parts" too in order to compensate the apparently inexplicable and constant, initial anticlockwise turn.
Secondly I would like to ask if it is possible to add an option to regulate the impact/force GT has on control surfaces and engines gimbal.

Edited June 22, 2021 by antipro

[linuxgurugamer]

Happens with Mechjeb as well

[antipro]

24 minutes ago, linuxgurugamer said:

Happens with Mechjeb as well

I wouldn't want to contradict you but with MJ I've never had any problems with rolling rockets.
With MJ the launches are always very fluid, while with GT there is always a small initial ACW rotation,
bad but however irrelevant in most cases, so I continue to use it, because even if, it is more performing than MJ.

Edited June 22, 2021 by antipro

[linuxgurugamer]

I really have no idea why it happens.  Could be something isn't initialized, or initialized to a non optimal value.  Not really planning on looking at it, it doesn't cause any problems 

[antipro]

4 minutes ago, linuxgurugamer said:

it doesn't cause any problems 

I'm not so agree on the word "any", better "much".
if a rocket starts taking off, rolling, it's bad to see and, even if it's rare to happens,
a fin or other parts can hit a TT18-A Launch Stability Enhancer.
anyway. ok I'll try to workaround this rocket into another way.

[Curveball Anders]

11 hours ago, antipro said:

I wouldn't want to contradict you but with MJ I've never had any problems with rolling rockets.
 

I used to have severe issue with rolling during launch until I disabled roll authority on my AV-8 (and other fins/winglets).

[Tivec]

In regards to the rolling mentioned above, something I have noticed is if the rocket isn't released by the clamps on the first stage, GravityTurn will slowly increase the roll instruction to the craft, causing it to roll wildly on liftoff (when the next stage is fired up). I suspect this is a pid controller trying to trend to a 0 value when it is actually unable to do so due to the clamps. A slight roll could be because of lag/stutter when the craft is released, giving the pid a frame or two to figure it wants to trend to a 0. Float values are funky, and a craft can in theory have a slight rotation around the roll axis even though it is reset in the editor..

[antipro]

10 hours ago, Curveball Anders said:

I used to have severe issue with rolling during launch until I disabled roll authority on my AV-8 (and other fins/winglets).

I have no doubts and thx but disabling roll auth on all my 6 winglets doesn't solve, with this rocket.

Anyway I've done several tests with all the parts that have effects on the rocket movements, such as reaction wheels, winglets and engines.
I practically have tested every combination, enabling/disabling all the possible switch and at the end I realized that the only way
to have a smooth as oil, very fluid launch with no rotation at all, is to set Vectors engines "Gimbal Locked".
No other settings like disabling Yaw, Pitch, Roll "Actuation Toggles" has the same effect.

So, apparently and according to the tests I've done till now with this rocket,
I can have a pretty nice take off, with no longer ACW roll at all by just locking vectors gimbal.

 

Edited June 23, 2021 by antipro

[Tivec]

3 hours ago, antipro said:

to set Vectors engines "Gimbal Locked".

This is only an option if you don't need those for gimbal, so, not a lot to do there if you rely on gimbaling engines for pitchover.

[antipro]

2 hours ago, Tivec said:

This is only an option if you don't need those for gimbal, so, not a lot to do there if you rely on gimbaling engines for pitchover.

you're right, that's true, it was implied it is a workaround for this rocket only, al least for now.
to perform the pitchover, at least one engine, usually the main one must have its gimbal enabled.
at least on those rockets whose mass and dimensions are too high for which the winglets alone are not enough.

anyway I'm still trying to figure out what the cause of the rotation and the "not-rotation" is, I won't succeed but I will try anyway, testing my other previous rockets as well.
some of which don't even have side-mounted engines, on which I can disable their gimbal, others have SRBs that don't have any gimbal.
and almost all of the rockets rotate at launch.

Edited June 23, 2021 by antipro

[tg626]

On 6/11/2021 at 6:40 AM, linuxgurugamer said:

game controller

I have one connected, but I don't touch it in KSP. I don't think it even does anything as I haven't mapped it.