Now-defunct-thread-that-should-not-appear-in-google-search.

[Ilandria]

sorry I havent read the whole thread but is there any word on when he will update for .23?

Last we heared was yesterday and he said he'll be gone for two days, gave a dev build to those that volunteered to help, and that he'd fix found bugs and try to release a 0.23 version around Christmas. The GitHub with source and stuffs is here https://github.com/Cilph/RemoteTech2 if you want though.

[jlangdale]

Regarding the whole level of realism about re-pointing, it seems more real to have an added "Backup GPS System" that can receive GPS data via a receiver and know which way to autonomously re-point itself after a power failure. This is the same thing as telling MJ to always point at the center of the Earth, etc.

[PirateCat]

My only problem with the fact that my probe's thrust cuts to 0 when it lost contact is that it popped right back up to 100 when the connection was reestablished. It'd be nice if it'd cut thrust and keep it cut.

[Rokker]

Well, the way I figure it, if you turn off all the dishes on your satellite, you actively chose to do that whilst directly controlling it. If that means you have now closed the final communication channel, so be it. The last thing the satellite was told was that it should no longer communicate. However, it is very easy for you to render a satellite inoperable by doing something to some other satellite, or just passing through a black spot for those few satellites it is set to communicate with. In which case, for me at least, I would like to still be able to tell this now connectionless satellite where to point to to try to get that connection back, and I would rationalise it as saying it is a tiny boot strap program on the satellite but it is easier for the mod to simulate it via having me tell it where to connect to. Now I realise there are some who feel even that is too 'cheaty'. The way I see, there are a few options for how to handle satellites that have no active connection.

1. Tough luck, maybe you should have left that small omni-directional antenna activated
   
2. Allow 'dead' satellites to have targets set for ACTIVE dishes - this simulates a program running that sweeps for a connection
   
3. Allow 'dead' satellites to have targets set for ACTIVE dishes - but also impose a distance based delay until the connection actually works again representing the time it takes for the signal to be found
   
4. Allow 'dead' satellites to have targets set for ANY dish - this simulates a program running that sweeps for a connection
   
5. Allow 'dead' satellites to have targets set for ANY dish - but also impose a distance based delay until the connection actually works again representing the time it takes for the signal to be found
   
6. Have a 'dead' satellite automatically sweep for a connection with ACTIVE dishes
   
7. Have a 'dead' satellite automatically sweep for a connection with ALL dishes
   
8. Allow dishes to be controlled via EVA, in which case both target can be set and dishes activated
   

Now, I like to think we can start to discuss these possibilities, so if you do want to refer to the options I have presented here, please link back to this post (rather than quoting) so people can see some context.

Personally, I think option 8 (allowing EVAs) should be added any way (It might even be, I'm not sure). I can see the appeal of options 1 for most players, it is the most stringent way of dealing with the situation. Options 4, 5 and 7 all allows dishes to be activated, which I think is a bit too much, especially when you consider the last thing you told that satellite was to stop listening for commands. I think 6 is nice ideas from a players point of view, but implementation wise would be too much. So yes, option 2 or 3 is where my money is at, I think that the delay imposed by option 3 would be a PITA to have to deal with, but it would be a fair punishment for not planning things out properly.

I see 3 and 8 as the best options.

Another option, though unlikely, complicated and other negative words, is to work with Maijir and set up some kind of data tether that would allow a spacecraft to communicate with it allowing the dish to be pointed, though ultimately the EVA idea would be easier to implement and perform.

Overall I support 3 because software already plays a major role in antenna pointing for spacecraft as evidenced by the cause of signal loss for the Viking 1 lander (code update overwrote antenna's tracking software) so one could assume that software would be written to assist during communications loss. There also is at least one case of re-acquisition of communications with a satellite (thought it was still launching to be honest) after it lost it's main signal with the launch craft. I believe it was the recent launch of the IRIS craft and the pegasus launcher lost comms with the launching plane and was re-acquired by NASA TDRS.

[Rokker]

Personally, I think the correct thing for RT2 itself to do is cut all engines if the vehicle loses connection.

What would be really nice is tight integration with kOS. KOS is a mode that let's your write small scripts, such as 'launch to orbit' scripts, that will be executed on your probe (or manned vessel). It would be nice if there was some way of letting kOS scripts run even if the vessel has no comms connection. Of course the script would have to be started before connection is lost. This does still have the slight issue of what happens if there is a bug in your script that stops it from ever ending, and it keeps the throttle held high and thus unable to change from the vessel... for the sake of game play, might need a way to kill a script... but this is a kOS issue really...

If/when kOS and Remotetech can work together it would be nice to see an ability to set a program to run in the event of signal loss and also be able to set comms targets from kOS, it would certainly solve this whole failsafe issue and allow me to write my own failsafe.

[Evilchicken]

What if you set priority levels for each target, with the highest level being the first place to target and more onto the second if the highest priorrity fails to connect, and keep going until the list has run out, after which point the signal is lost and the saterlite keeps checking the list for a connection. To stop people from just setting all their comsat on the list, cap the number of max sat on the list and later have it upgrade. Such as at first you only get one possible connection point and later 2 and 3, bepending on if you unlock that tech node.

[mdapol]

Is anyone else having an issue where the RemoteTech antennas don't animate when activated manually? They do their animation when transmitting Science, but when I click the "Activate" button there is no animation, although they do start to consume power and otherwise relay signals. I'd like to report that as a bug if it hasn't already.

[Rabble]

Still waiting for the RT2 for 0.23.

I think HoneyFox got a very good idea.

I am wondering if it is possible for a satellite to make connection with a planet instead of another satellite.

For example, if I can let a satellite orbiting Kerbin point to Duna (instead a satellite over Duna) and make connection with all the available satellites that orbiting Duna and Ike？

You already can, assuming the targeting dish has a wide enough cone

[bojangles9999]

You already can, assuming the targeting dish has a wide enough cone

Yes, but I've only had this connect to KSC when pointing at the planet. The orbiting satellites do not connect to satellites pointing towards their planet.

Edited December 24, 2013 by bojangles9999
KSC not KSP

[AndersW]

I think that a distance based delay to reconnect should be dependent on if the person has signal delay turned on or off.

Edited December 23, 2013 by AndersW
added a word to make it clearer.

[KyleofKerbin]

planet factory? what? im running like 20-30 mods with planet factory

Oh, it may just be Universe Replacer.. I know that when the first couple releases came out, PF was having issues; I guess it changed! Yay!

[KyleofKerbin]

Does this have the same installation as most mods do? Like you put the GameData folder in GameData?

EDIT: Yeah, the installation is the same. Just wasted 20 minutes trying to find that out. lol

Edited December 23, 2013 by KyleofKerbin

[Ilandria]

Does this have the same installation as most mods do? Like you put the GameData folder in GameData?

Your installation directory should look like this: ...KSP/GameData/RemoteTech2 after install

Not KSP/GameData/GameData/RemoteTech2 - people just package it in a GameData folder to make it clear where everything inside that folder gets put.

[jlangdale]

Is there an easier way of temporarily disabling RT 2 while running the game and revert to normal career mode science?

I'm using this volunteer version for .23 and it works for me for basic stuff. However, it tends to be a little laggy. So I've taken to editing the cfg files to allow manual control with the stock parts so that I can just disable the plug-in and run normal career mode with science sending regardless of relays.

Might there be an easier way to do this with the RT 2 plug-in, or be built-in?

Is anyone else having an issue where the RemoteTech antennas don't animate when activated manually? They do their animation when transmitting Science, but when I click the "Activate" button there is no animation, although they do start to consume power and otherwise relay signals. I'd like to report that as a bug if it hasn't already.

Yes, I'm seeing the same issue with the volunteer version.

[likke_A_boss]

Is anyone else having an issue where the RemoteTech antennas don't animate when activated manually? They do their animation when transmitting Science, but when I click the "Activate" button there is no animation, although they do start to consume power and otherwise relay signals. I'd like to report that as a bug if it hasn't already.

+1 for this bug.

[HoneyFox]

You already can, assuming the targeting dish has a wide enough cone

What i mean is dynamically switching. Right now you have to point your Kerbin commsats towards "Duna" specifically.

But i want it to be dynamically decided by what vessel you are controlling, just like the "Active Vessel", but with some difference.

Suppose if you have two rovers, one on Duna & one on Eve, and you have commsat network established on Duna & Eve. You can make all these satellites pointing towards Krebin, but you need to switch Kerbin's commsats direction if you want to control different rovers. (Yes i know if you have multiple dishes/multiple sets of satellites the problem can be solved also, but that's a workaround and is not about my topic)

What i want to suggest is to allow Kerbin's commsats to target the "Active Vessel's Main Body", so that when you are controlling the rover on Duna, the Kerbin's commsats will automatically target the planet Duna and thus establish connection with Duna's commsat network (cone angle works only when pointing towards a planet). And if you switch to the rover on Eve, without the need to do any additional setup, the Kerbin's commsats will switch to target the planet Eve automatically, and since Eve's commsats are targeting Kerbin already (all non-Kerbin commsats have setup to point to Kerbin in advance), the connection will be established allowing you to control the rover.

Edited December 24, 2013 by HoneyFox

[PirateCat]

I can't set a delay longer than an hour into the flight computer. If I set it to 1h it still shows 0s, and if I set it higher, like 1h 3m, it just shows everything past the hour, in this case 3m. It behaves the same if I try to input it like 63m.

[thecoshman]

I see what you are saying, but when you are talking about the distances the planets are at, targeting a ship, or the body it is orbiting/on is not really any different.

Let's say you have a relay network around Duna, say for satellites all with a dish down to the surface, one to the AV and one back to kerbin. Around kerbin you have ring, each with a dish pointing to kerbin, and a dish pointing at AV. When controlling a rover on Duna, those satellites around kerbin will target it, as it is the AV, this means they will be pointing towards Duna, and thus will be able to establish a connection with the ring of satellites around Duna, which can relay back down to your rover.

[HoneyFox]

I see what you are saying, but when you are talking about the distances the planets are at, targeting a ship, or the body it is orbiting/on is not really any different.

Let's say you have a relay network around Duna, say for satellites all with a dish down to the surface, one to the AV and one back to kerbin. Around kerbin you have ring, each with a dish pointing to kerbin, and a dish pointing at AV. When controlling a rover on Duna, those satellites around kerbin will target it, as it is the AV, this means they will be pointing towards Duna, and thus will be able to establish a connection with the ring of satellites around Duna, which can relay back down to your rover.

Are you sure these satellites pointing to the rover on Duna will use cone-angle logic for those satellites orbiting Duna? I remember that someone have stated in this thread that only by choosing a celestial body will it use that logic, otherwise it will try to establish direct link to the target vessel *ONLY*. And rover is of course not a celestial body so...

[cfds]

I can't set a delay longer than an hour into the flight computer. If I set it to 1h it still shows 0s, and if I set it higher, like 1h 3m, it just shows everything past the hour, in this case 3m. It behaves the same if I try to input it like 63m.

That is actually just a display bug: the counter runs for 63 minutes.

[kami_sama]

I have a problem, when trying to load the game, the loading bar stops at /RemoteTech2/Parts/Gigadish1/RTGigaDish1, any way to solve it?

[brickmack]

How do you disable the time delay in this version? In the previous one there was a setting in a config file for it, but I dont see it on this one

[andqui]

Sorry, but I haven't seen it anywhere else- is the spaceport version working in .23? If not, is there a dev build that does work?

[Eric S]

Are you sure these satellites pointing to the rover on Duna will use cone-angle logic for those satellites orbiting Duna? I remember that someone have stated in this thread that only by choosing a celestial body will it use that logic, otherwise it will try to establish direct link to the target vessel *ONLY*. And rover is of course not a celestial body so...

I haven't tested recent versions of this, but I know a little while back (0.22) that if a dish was targeting the active vessel and the active vessel went out of line of site, the dish wouldn't connect to anything. I assumed that the dish would continue pointing in the direction of the active vessel and establish communication with satellite dishes around the body, but this didn't happen. My solution has been to have two "mission dishes" on each Kerbin satellite, one pointed at the active vessel, one pointed at whatever celestial body that vessel's mission is going to take place at. Having "active vessel" continue to target the active vessel but connect to other dishes in the cone even if it can't connect to the targeted vessel would be nice, and possibly a bit OP for game balance purposes, as it would eliminate the need for multi-dish satellites around Kerbin in addition to not forcing me to go through my kerbin satellite constellations changing the planetary target as needed.

[EatVacuum]

I have a problem, when trying to load the game, the loading bar stops at /RemoteTech2/Parts/Gigadish1/RTGigaDish1, any way to solve it?

Ditto - loading version 1.2.7 from Spaceport. Games works fine with all my favourite mods added until I put RT in and then it locks at the exact same point kami-sama mentions. I've waited 10 minutes while the "Loading... /RemoteTech2/Parts/Gigadish1/RTGigaDish1" just stays there the whole time. The usual loading hints keep scrolling by, so the game's not frozen, and KSP's memory usage is under 2GB so while I have a fair number of mods installed, it's not running out of RMA. I looked through this thread, but it's a lot of pages, are there any known incompatibilities between RT and other mods since .23 came out that I might have missed?

<edit> tried again, deleting RTGigaDish1 and it just hangs up on RTGigaDish2 instead.

Mods used - Chatterer, Deadly Reentry, Toolbar, Visual Enhancements, Procedural Fairings, Kerbal Joint Reinforcement, Kethane, KW Rocketry, Mechjeb 2, Novapunch 2, SCANSat, Kerbal Alarm Clock. All most recent version that are listed as .23 compatible.

Edited December 24, 2013 by EatVacuum