[0.90][WIP]Intake Build Aid

[LordFjord]

Thanks for the feedback, I intend to make the keys configurable if I find a way - and otherwise I wanted to move them by default to the F6-F8 keys, I hope those work on all platforms the same way.

I couldn't find time to look if the mod works on 0.90 or if the highlighting could be done easier than with all the material saving/restoring. Squad added some new highlighting stuff in the game from what I've seen, might be best to use something similar to that.

Hopefully Xmas holidays will give me some time to work some more on this.

[LordFjord]

Renamed the mod to IntakeBuildAid, new version 0.4 is out.

See 1st post, lotsa new stuff, highlighting, better logic and manual intake to engine assignments.

I wanted release it first here and gather some feedback before letting this out into the open.

[Red Iron Crown]

Looking very good! Will try as soon as I get my new PC up and running.

[JeffreyCor]

This is really a great idea and will be a huge benefit to multi engine planes and spaceplanes! Only item for consideration would be to actually have a button or GUI for function rather then only keyboard keys for calling the functions of this mod.

[CaptainKipard]

How do I manually do what this plugin does?

[Red Iron Crown]

How do I manually do what this plugin does?

The basics are explained here: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/84217-Explaining-burnout-asymetry?p=1234436&viewfull=1#post1234436

[LordFjord]

How do I manually do what this plugin does?

A short breakdown of the algorithm is:

- remove all airbreather engines from the ship and remember them

- remove all intakes from the ship and order them by intake area

- build a list for each engine, start distributing the intakes one by one, each to the engine with the least assigned intake area

- repeat until all engines/intakes are assigned

- place the intake/engine lists back to the ship's part list

@JeffreyCor:

regarding some form of GUI - I'd need to find out how, of course it could also make my rather shabby onscreen message obsolete

Edited December 19, 2014 by LordFjord

[basic.syntax]

Tried 0.4 on 0.90, not mixing up engine or intake types, keeping it simple so far, and loving the result.

F7 ("fix everything") is my new friend

Instead of the window-less result message, perhaps just highlight every intake (blue default) and engine (red default) at once, to inform the user that something happened. (Perhaps Text could be written to an external log file, with more details and exception messages, for technically inclined users to parse through.)

Please consider changing all filenames to include the word "IntakeBuildAid" - players may have other mods in GameData folder with the name "readme.txt."

[ZobrAA]

Anyone knows did this mod works with AJE (Advanced Jet Engines)?

[LordFjord]

Tried 0.4 on 0.90, not mixing up engine or intake types, keeping it simple so far, and loving the result.

F7 ("fix everything") is my new friend

Instead of the window-less result message, perhaps just highlight every intake (blue default) and engine (red default) at once, to inform the user that something happened. (Perhaps Text could be written to an external log file, with more details and exception messages, for technically inclined users to parse through.)

Please consider changing all filenames to include the word "IntakeBuildAid" - players may have other mods in GameData folder with the name "readme.txt."

How did you install the mod? The files should end up in <KSP>\GameData\IntakeBuildAid with all 3 files ( dll, cfg and readme) in that directory.

I know that the text feedback isn't good, I'm not to happy with it myself but its the easiest I could come up with so far. Ideally the mod would have a small UI that shown engines and intakes as a smart list.

For now, the text output is also written to the KSP logs.

Regarding AJE: I don't know yet, haven't tried that mod yet. But as long as it uses the stock resources and stock propellants, any airbreather engines and intakes should work with IntakeBuildAid.

Edited January 8, 2015 by LordFjord
typo

[numerobis]

Any reason this is done in the editor, rather than in flight? Would it fail if done in-flight?

[LordFjord]

I haven't thought about that yet, but its a good idea. If it is possible to change the vessel's part list during flight, then of course this would be a nice thing to have.

I'll write a wishlist/plan for the next version and see where this is heading.

[basic.syntax]

How did you install the mod? The files should end up in <KSP>\GameData\IntakeBuildAid with all 3 files ( dll, cfg and readme) in that directory.

Oops, my bad. I dumped the files in gamedata. Works just fine I'll make a folder. Still, unique names wouldn't hurt. Thanks again, its awesome to fight less with intakes and engines, and get back to building and tweaking COM / COL.

[LordFjord]

Damnit, making a GUI is hard with unity. It's like shaping every bit & byte with a lot of love and care.

( backend/database dev here, there's a reason I do that instead of GUIs )

Trying to look up sources of various mods that do something similar what I want, not much success so far, running in circles here.

A few more hours down the drain, but that's life. So much for me being lazy and trying to fiddle around instead of learning it the proper way (RTFM, dude!).

Anyway, I know at least know where this is heading, so I have something like a "plan"â„¢.

So this is what I am trying to achieve:

- toolbar button (both blizzy's and stock) to toggle GUI

- GUI window

- button to do the automatic assignment (F7 before)

- a list of all engines, below each engine the list of assigned intakes

- each intake shows its intake area value and has buttons to move it to the previous/next engine

- engines show the total intake area value they have assigned, maybe an indicator if values are not identical for all engines

- mouseover engine/intake in the list highlights the part in the editor (basically the existing F6 stuff)

- remove the F8 manual assignment stuff as it would become obsolete

- remove the F6 and F7 keys as well as they are not needed when I have a GUI, also remove shabby onscreen message

I'm up for other suggestions and any help pointing me towards a simple GUI with a list of items example

[Skalou]

Nice mod, congrates

i send u a suggestion: as your plan to add compatibility with solar panels / ion engine, there is karbonite mod: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/89401

some of engines instead of air consume atm (atmosphere, so it doesn't work only on kerbin but also on other body with atmosphere).

so it can have the sames failures as air breathers (assymetric shutdown).

VAB: http://i.imgur.com/C5AVSLC.jpg

Flameout assymetric >> spin:http://i.imgur.com/o4sMJEy.jpg

edit: i've just saw this...

Red Iron Crown :

It should probably mentioned in the description that distributing intakes evenly does not prevent asymmetric flameout, instead it only delays it. Otherwise you'll get barraged with complaints that engines still flameout asymmetrically.

Edited January 14, 2015 by Skalou

[LordFjord]

I'll keep mod compatibility in mind (when I finally find some free time to continue on this). I wanted to define both the resource type that specifies that it is an intake and the propellant that specifies that it is an engine in the settings file.

So far the mod only works for stock intake stuff.

[LordFjord]

I guess I have a good reason to stop pondering about the future of this mod:

Fuel flow rules get a nice change in the next KSP version, pretty much making intake build aid completely obsolete.

So yeah, the planned stuff with a GUI including a list of engines and their intakes won't happen and I can spend my already tiny KSP modding time to other ideas

[Taki117]

I guess I have a good reason to stop pondering about the future of this mod:

Fuel flow rules get a nice change in the next KSP version, pretty much making intake build aid completely obsolete.

So yeah, the planned stuff with a GUI including a list of engines and their intakes won't happen and I can spend my already tiny KSP modding time to other ideas

I would continue working on this until then, mostly because it is talking specifically about fuel, not necessarily air (Though I don't see why that wouldn't be included) and this would be a great mod to have in the interim.

[Rune]

As one of the guys that did this by hand, and knows just what a bother this is, thank you! Let's hope it gets outdated in 1.0, but until then, this goes straight to my GameData folder.

Rune. I mean, it's cool when you figure it out the first time by yourself. But when you want to apply the manual technique to 16 engines? Not so much.

[LordFjord]

Just a small update:

I will do another update of the mod, regardless if it becomes obsolete or not with 1.0.

It gets a toolbar icon in the editor that toggles a small GUI. It shows the current engine-intake groupings with the numbers for intake-area, so you can quickly see which engine gets how much air and if they are evenly distributed. A button on the top will do the same as the current "F7" - fix my intakes - Key.

It will also support modded engines that are intakes and engines in one part (using stock resources).

This already works so far, I can post a pic later tonight.

I just need to figure out some stuff - like why the hell my toolbar button is white (despite of having an icon in theory), how to prevent click through of the GUI and quirks like that, maybe add some formatting and colors to the text so it does not look so dull. Or a warning if the assignment cannot distribute the air equally to all engines.

Another cool thing would be to mouse-over a part in the list of engines/intakes and let the editor highlight the selected part.

Eventually I will add an extendable definition of intake resources and engines propellants in the config file and treat them as "resource sets".

This way one could easily provide the same functionality for:

- stock intake air and liquidfuel

- stock xenon and batt energy

- karbonite intakeair and fuel

- ...or whatever people come up with... engines that need air+LF+OX or any combinations of resources

Is anyone using the manual intake assignment at all (the F8 thing)? I "could" try to add buttons to move the intake to the previous/next engine.

I personally just use F7.

Opinions?

[Red Iron Crown]

I've been using F7 only, I use this mod to get away from manual intake assignment.

[LordFjord]

Here's a little sneak-peak of the current state:

Toggle-able GUI from the toolbar (with a totally pro icon) that displays engines and their assigned intake.

Stearwing before auto-assignment and selected left engine:

Stearwing after auto-assignment and selected left engine:

[Narval]

Please, add support for the interstellar TurboJet's, and atmospheric intakes.