mrsolarsail

@FreeThinker Thank you. I merged the pull request, and updated the v1.0.10 release .zip package file.

Ah. I can see that would be problem. By default PersistentThrust is inactive, though it is added to all engine parts. No sense in carrying around that extra code if it isn't necessary. The ModuleManager script could check for known incompatibilities, and not add the mod in those cases. Otherwise, v1.0.9 requires you to add PersistentThrust to engines manually through ModuleManager scripts.

OP here. You are welcome to take it over. I was last working on the 1.0.10 branch, which adds PersistentThrust to all engines by default, and has a GUI toggle switch to activate it for each engine, either in the VAB or controlling a spacecraft. But, you may need to switch out of controlling a spacecraft and back for the toggle to take effect. I hadn't figured that out yet. I recompiled and uploaded a test version here. https://github.com/bld/PersistentThrust/releases/tag/v1.0.10

I have recompiled & tested out the mod with KSP 1.3.0. It should appear on CKAN eventually.

Interesting. I'll look into it. Does that rotate the sail independently of the rest of the spacecraft? The ordinary rotations I do with the KSP controls change thrust direction, as does the Persistent Rotation mod and this one, normally.

Thanks for the fix. I merged it and put out a new v1.0.8 release that includes it. I tested that this works correctly with SolarSailNavigator as well. Does this address the issues we've seen with high acceleration vehicles dropping out of timewarp?

I'm not actually using Toolbar in this mod. You should be able to see a "Show Navigator Controls" toggle button when you right click on a control module that's attached to your spacecraft.

Good to hear. I'm learning how to model new parts, so I can add different sails, small & big. I would like to add some big ones from the literature, like the Halley's Comet rendezvous designs from the 1970s (800 meters wide), current concepts for interstellar precursor missions, and 2-mile wide Martian freighter concepts. Maybe some giant interstellar laser sails.

Glad to hear it! I do plan on adding that functionality, using the orbit states from the preview trajectory. It's one of the most requested features.

The KSP ISP is actually about right for real ion engines. The KSP devs made the thrust so high because the game can't thrust during timewarp. By thrusting at high timewarp for months or years along most of the entire trajectory, they work pretty well. The SolarSailNavigator mod helps with this by scheduling how to steer and throttle the spacecraft, and showing what the future trajectory looks like.

I have updated this plugin to work with KSP 1.1 and Unity V. See the 1st page for details:

Thanks. How exactly are you doing this? I'm looking at the source. I can see some differences with my code. https://github.com/sswelm/KSP-Interstellar-Extended/blob/master/FNPlugin/Propulsion/DeadalusEngineController.cs The problem shows up even when I'm not using PersistentEngine. If the thrust is over ~5 kN, it won't enter timewarp. When under 5 kN, it will enter timewarp and shut off the engine. Thus, preventing PersistentEngine from being able to do anything.

It definitely looks like KSP is doing some inconvenient "safety" check that prevents switching to timewarp when the thrust is above ~4kN (I tested with the stock LV-N "Nerv" Atomic Rocket Motor). Any ideas on how I can trick it? Like, temporarily zero out the throttle when the command to switch to timewarp is performed?

Sounds like the same problem Trollception is seeing. Thanks. I'll look into it.

I didn't program a limitation in there. You may have discovered a conflict between the plugin and KSP at high thrust levels. I've only tested it with low thrust engines.

Currently, PersistentEngine doesn't actually deplete any ElectricCharge (due to the problem with it doing so inconsistently at different warp levels), but your suggestion may help with that problem: do it manually based on on the timewarp, instead of trusting "RequestResource" to work correctly. With this current problem, I've only seen it happen when the vehicle isn't power positive in realtime mode, the control module batteries deplete (even if other batteries still have power), and I try to switch to timewarp. If I'm generating more ElectricCharge than the engines are consuming, I have no trouble switching to timewarp. The control modules typically have very small internal batteries, and for some reason KSP depletes them at the same rate as any other larger batteries, and can quickly deplete the control module. I was wondering if anyone else can confirm this, or has seen the problem under any other circumstances?

Thanks for making the config file. Once I get the navigator working again, I would like to set engine performance to realistic levels, because then you can apply the thrust over long periods. I am also getting the drop out of timewarp under a specific condition: when the ElectricCharge of the spacecraft control module is depleted. I'm testing this out with a solar powered vessel that has an extra battery and two AFTER engines. If I turn the throttle up too far the power generation of the solar panels can't keep up with the consumption, the control module ElectricCharge depletes (before the extra batteries do), and I can't engage timewarp. If I turn the throttle down enough that the generation keeps up with consumption, and the control module has charge, then timewarp engages. Can you verify?

Not with this plugin. I plan on making that work in SolarSailNavigator (which isn't working with KSP 1.1 yet). It predicts where the spacecraft is going, so I should be able to update the orbit if you go away from a vessel and come back.

I posted a new release, v1.0.6: https://github.com/bld/PersistentThrust/releases This recompiles the plugin with KSP 1.1.3 and fixes a serious bug where thrust & resource usage were being applied twice in realtime mode for persistent engines. Let me know if you're having any of the same issues.

I'm struggling with a very strange bug. With an NFP engine (AFTER ion engine), the power consumption is 2X with PersistentEngine applied to it than without during realtime mode. Strange, because PersistentEngine doesn't currently consume ElectricCharge. It almost looks like the engine's resource consumption is being run twice, but I haven't found where in my code in might be doing that. I haven't checked if this applied to the ion engine as well.

I noticed that problem too, with the AFTER engine and even the stock ion engine. It looks like new behavior with KSP 1.1. The trouble with the ion engine appeared when my power available to it dropped too far, like when the solar arrays were edge on to the sun and couldn't rotate to get enough sunlight. In the past, I have seen problems before where the power consumption works fine at one time warp level, but doesn't at another. I need to look into it a bit further. Edit: This error only seems to show up if the power is depleted while the throttle is on. It's intentional behavior of the game from what I've read. I disabled ElectricCharge usage during timewarp because of another bug I mentioned (inconsistent ElectricCharge usage between some timewarp levels). I'm not sure if NFP is doing more with ElectricCharge that may cause the problem during timewarp with PersistentThrust. But, the stock ion engine with the mods seems to be working as intended. I will look at the NFP behavior more to see what it's doing with electricity.

Thanks. I'm looking into it. I discovered some conflicts between NFP and the PersistentThrust patches that I'm trying to resolve. The patch described previously doesn't seem to be working anymore. The "GameData/ModuleManager.ConfigCache" file should indicate the new patched configuration of parts, and nothing except the stock ionEngine is getting PersistentEngine (the engine-specific module within PersistentThrust) added. I had to disable the NFP stock ion engine patch to take my modifications to the thrust and xenon/electriccharge ratio. The "BEFORE" and "AFTER" ModuleManager settings aren't working to apply the PersistentThrust patches after NFP. Edit: My mistake on the ModuleManager configuration. I'm successfully patching the NFP modules now, and the stock ion engine. I'll test if they work with PersistentEngine this evening.

I recompiled and tested PersistentThrust with KSP v1.1.2. You can download it here: https://github.com/bld/PersistentThrust/releases/tag/v1.0.5 I'll get it into CKAN soon. SolarSailNavigator still has problems.

I got this and SolarSailNavigator to compile by linking to the KSPUtil and UnityEngine.UI DLLs, but I'm having some problems just launching a rocket with a sail on it. I'll look into it some more.

Ok. I'll try it tonight.