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[1.8.1] Docking Port Alignment Indicator (Version 6.8.5 - Updated 12/14/19)


NavyFish

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Speaking of HUD, I wonder if something can be done about the annoying effect that switching to IVA also resets the control from here selection to the part the IVA is in? This basically means you can't effectively dock from IVA unless the port is co-aligned by being attached to the top of the cockpit part.

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I quite like the 180 and -180 in the current version and am not sure that 0-359 would be an improvement. With regard to the big orange arrow, what about replacing it with a pink pro-target marker, similar to the one on the nav ball? That could float in the appropriate sector to show which way to make the initial correction, and disappear the same way the arrow does once you are near the correct heading.

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I just have to say, thank you for posting this. It makes docking both easier, and more fun, while at the same time making it feel more like doing a "real" docking maneuver. I've been using the previous version for a few weeks, and just noticed the upgrade today (and switched immediately!). ;)

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I found a weird bug, but i think it might be because of the nature of the part: When attempting to dock with a deployed inline docking port the parrallelism indicator points to 90 degrees, the part's main axis.

i think MechJeb also acts the same way it seems, its smart A.S.S. went 90 degrees the same way when i put the parallel order.

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I found a weird bug, but i think it might be because of the nature of the part: When attempting to dock with a deployed inline docking port the parrallelism indicator points to 90 degrees, the part's main axis.

i think MechJeb also acts the same way it seems, its smart A.S.S. went 90 degrees the same way when i put the parallel order.

Sorry to ask the obvious question, but did you definitely select "control from here" on the inline port?

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One of the best things about this mod is I can now do instrument only dockings on the dark side of whatever planet I'm orbiting and both craft remain in one piece! Pulling off such a feat with just the navball was doable but horribly risky so now my space stations are safe with the lights off :)

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Indeed, that part's coordinate system is not aligned with its docking axis. I'll see what I can do to work around that. Thanks for the report.

Just as i thought, thanks again for the very simple yet fun mod

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Hey guys,

First off, I love this mod and I have no problems using it on ships with one docking port. On ships with two or more docking ports, I might be doing something wrong. Please let me know.

I have 2 docking ports on my ship. One is a Clamp-O-Tron Sheilded Docking Port in the nose. The Second is an Inline Clamp-O-Tron behind the cockpit. I am controlling from the port in the nose. I am targeting the Inline Clamp-O-Tron on my targeted ship. The alignment HUD is reacting as though I am controlling from the Inline port behind the cockpit. I've checked this 3 times to make certain I have the nose port selected as "control from here". Please let me know what you think. Thanks.

(I just read that this has been posted before.)

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Edited by NinpoFox
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Exactly what readouts would you like to see?

I'm not familiar with the lazor cam mod, but the readouts I would like to see is the relative velocity to the target in the x, y, z planes in addition to the overall closure velocity. I usually have that displayed with MechJeb and it makes it a lot easier to line up with the docking axis without drifting off. Having that all in one window would be nice.

Great mod, btw. It's really helped me with docking procedures.

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Exactly what readouts would you like to see?

distances along all 3 individual axes

straight line distance

velocities along all axes

velocity in straight line

alignment angles in all axes

delta angles in all axes

all of those with 3 decimal points

with the exception of two of those, lazor cam has it all, and I use it all, mostly to roleplay really. I treat KSP like a sim and frankly the way some people dock is just insane. They launch their craft at stupid angles and stupid speeds that would NEVER work IRL.

Edited by Cpt. Kipard
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Mechjeb has some options you can add. make a custom window, go to the docking tab thing and add the target relative distance and target relative speed (or something like that, not at the system I have KSP installed on) and it will show you the distance to target on all three axis, plus the relative velocity on all three axis.

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I'm not familiar with the lazor cam mod, but the readouts I would like to see is the relative velocity to the target in the x, y, z planes in addition to the overall closure velocity.

You can infer the relative lateral and vertical velocities from the drift rate of the needles. That's the beauty of analog gauges... they display not only the current value by their position but also the rate of change over time by the speed of their movement.

They do require a more intuitive (rather than purely mathematical) understanding of the process to glean all the available information from them, however.

Personally, I'd rather see this instrument remain simple than add redundant clutter. Even most of the information Cpt. Kipard is asking for is already there... simply presented graphically rather than via precise numerals.

But, so long as I can switch off the duplicate numerical displays, I certainly can't argue against them being an option.

Edited by RoboRay
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Many thanks for this mod NavyFish. To each their own, and I see lots of requests to add features to this mod, but IMHO, this is perfect. I can do completely blind rendezvous with this mod just the way it is. It is not overcluttered with xyz axis velocities and distances, everything you need to make a picture perfect slow controlled RZ is here.

EDIT: Ok, maybe 1 thing I'd like to see. Often times I want to dock off rotation, rather than just the 30 degrees left and right at the top of the hud, could we get rotational marks around the full 360 degrees? Thanks, and it's not even a huge thing, it's just that for my space planes expecially, I often have to shoe horn them into a station off of the rotational axis.:kiss:

Edited by Torch
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I love this mod but I'm also having a problem; it doesn't seem to happen every time but sometimes - despite designating the correct port as the target and designating the port in the active vessel as the "control from" part - the mod ignores the targeted port and seem to aim for the center of mass of the target vessel. The navball markers are correct but DAPI markers are all offset. Even once I'm actually right about to make contact and dock, the DAPI indicators all show I should be missing the port entirely. It's very odd. I've had this happen when targeting two different space stations and a nuclear transfer stage I use a lot from the KW Rocketry pack. One thing they all have in common is a single axial docking port and 4 radial ports. Maybe having so many docking ports in such close proximity is confusing the plugin code. I'll try to narrow it down some more tomorrow.

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Hey guys,

First off, I love this mod and I have no problems using it on ships with one docking port. On ships with two or more docking ports, I might be doing something wrong. Please let me know.

I have 2 docking ports on my ship. One is a Clamp-O-Tron Sheilded Docking Port in the nose. The Second is an Inline Clamp-O-Tron behind the cockpit. I am controlling from the port in the nose. I am targeting the Inline Clamp-O-Tron on my targeted ship. The alignment HUD is reacting as though I am controlling from the Inline port behind the cockpit. I've checked this 3 times to make certain I have the nose port selected as "control from here". Please let me know what you think. Thanks.

(I just read that this has been posted before.)

More than likely it is correctly controlling from the shielded docking port, but when you target the Inline port things get twisted. Does controlling from the shielded port while targeting a normal docking port (not inline) work fine? If so, that's definitely the problem.

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I love this mod but I'm also having a problem; it doesn't seem to happen every time but sometimes - despite designating the correct port as the target and designating the port in the active vessel as the "control from" part - the mod ignores the targeted port and seem to aim for the center of mass of the target vessel. The navball markers are correct but DAPI markers are all offset. Even once I'm actually right about to make contact and dock, the DAPI indicators all show I should be missing the port entirely. It's very odd. I've had this happen when targeting two different space stations and a nuclear transfer stage I use a lot from the KW Rocketry pack. One thing they all have in common is a single axial docking port and 4 radial ports. Maybe having so many docking ports in such close proximity is confusing the plugin code. I'll try to narrow it down some more tomorrow.

Odd. The number of ports should have nothing to do with it. I don't use KW - is the multi-port thing you mentioned a single part? If so, that might be the issue, but I haven't encountered this before.

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