How to move planets with Kopernicus?

[Dunrana]

I’ve been watching the really great Outer Planets mod develop, and I noticed that they moved Eeloo.

I would like to make my own Kopernicus-based mod that simply moves around the existing planets, but I can’t figure out how this was done.

My first attempt did absolutely NOTHING.

Is there a good tutorial somewhere for moving planets around with Kopernicus? Or can someone show me how to move the planets around?

For reference, I’m looking to:

Move Moho and Eve inwards.

Move laythe to its own orbit on the inner edge of the habitable zone, giving it Mun and Minmus for moons.

Move jool to the outer edge of the habitable zone, making Kerbin take the place of bop and moving the other moons inward.

The rest of the system would be nudged outward to compensate. (I’ll leave Eeloo alone to maintain compatibility with Outer planets)

[_Augustus_]

If you really want to simply do that, use RSS to move them.

[Dunrana]

Thank you for the sujestion.

However, RSS has a lot of features I don,t really need. I,d really like to use kopernicus, partly to have the option of adding new planets, partly because I,d like to keep the ammount of mods installed, and the ammount of memory they use, down.

[Streetwind]

All that you need for Kopernicus should be a ModuleManager file - it'll let you do everything you require.

Give me a bit and I'll look up what you need...

[Streetwind]

Okay, here goes. Your basic template looks like this:

@Kopernicus:FINAL:NEEDS[Kopernicus]
{
    @Body[Kerbin]
    {
        @Properties
        {
            @ScienceValues
            {

            }
        }
        @Orbit
        {

        }
    }
}

Do this for every celestial body you wish to modify, by replacing the body's name in the square brackets.

Now the thing is, the stock planets are loaded automatically, and not through Kopernicus. Only a raw shell is provided for them. So even though you are making changes (as the @ symbol on the nodes shows), for the variables themselves, you need to define them as if they don't exist yet.

For instance, the Orbit node has a variable called referenceBody inside of it. For Kerbin, that is set to "referenceBody = Sun". Or it should be, but because it's loaded without ever actually creating a config, you cannot go and write "@referenceBody = Jool". That will not work. Counterintuitively, you need to simply write "referenceBody = Jool" without the @, even though you are making a change with respect to stock. It's just that, as far as Kopernicus is concerned, you are initializing the variable for the first time.

The simplest way to learn how all these variables are named? If you're running OPM anyway, just go into its install folder: GameData\OPM\KopernicusConfigs\SarnusMoons\Configs and load up Slate's config. It should be the most comprehensive (IIRC). You don't need all of them; in fact, avoid any that you don't need. Don't bother setting things like meanAnomalyAtEpoch or the like, just leave it out. Anything you don't explicitly set will use stock values, and only if something doesn't work out with the stock values should you look into changing them. Your main go-to settings will be semiMajorAxis and referenceBody in the Orbit node to resize orbits and move celestial bodies around.

For questions like "what do I need to enter to give Kerbin the orbit of Bop", well, you'll have to look up those values yourself. Hint: the KSP wiki linked at the top of the forums is great for that.

Of course, after you're done moving everything around, you'll notice that you're not yet done and that things get very complicated very fast. For example, if you made planets into moons, or moons into planets, or changed a moon's SMA, your next question should be: should this planet-turned-moon be tidally locked? And that moon you just moved used to be tidally locked but it no longer is because the orbit size changed! And the moon that got promoted to a planet should probably get a proper rotation going. Also, the order that the bodies cycle through when you hit tab in map view is still the same as before, causing you to jump all over the place instead of going smoothly from the Sun outwards. Also, all of the science modifiers except Kerbin's are now wrong because you changed Kerbin's positions and therefore the order of which other bodies the player visits as he climbs through the tech tree. Then you need to doublecheck all your orbits to make sure that no celestial body ever enters the SoI of something that isn't its parent body - this is especially relevant for moving Kerbin with its giant SoI close to other Joolian moons. The SoI size scales dynamically with the SMA, so it'll greatly downsize Kerbin's when you make it orbit Jool, but it is still a very large body with the third highest gravity of all bodies in stock + OPM. And should you be so foolish as to make orbits that cross one another, like Eeloo/Plock does with Jool/Neidon, you need to ensure that the orbital periods are in proper resonance and the bodies positioned in such a way that they can never encounter one another.

Good luck and perseverance, you'll need it

[sarbian]

For instance, the Orbit node has a variable called referenceBody inside of it. For Kerbin, that is set to "referenceBody = Sun". Or it should be, but because it's loaded without ever actually creating a config, you cannot go and write "@referenceBody = Jool". That will not work. Counterintuitively, you need to simply write "referenceBody = Jool" without the @, even though you are making a change with respect to stock. It's just that, as far as Kopernicus is concerned, you are initializing the variable for the first time.

Use %referenceBody = XXXX each time. That way the value is created if it does not exist and is modified if it does.

[Streetwind]

Oh, neat! I didn't even know that was a thing

Will become useful for a lot of things that I do as well.

[Dunrana]

Thank you. I’ll try the new config files shortly.

I was planning on moving Jool first. It’s likely to give me fewer issues than Kerbin would.

for reference,Here’s the config file that utterly failed for me on my first try .

@Kopernicus
{       
Body
    {
        name = Jool
        Template
        {
            name = Jool
        }
        Properties
        {
            description = .
            ScienceValues
            {
                flyingLowDataValue = 5
                flyingHighDataValue = 4
                inSpaceLowDataValue = 4
                inSpaceHighDataValue = 1
                recoveryValue = 1.5
            }
        }
        Orbit
        {
            referenceBody = Sun
            semiMajorAxis = 1605008470
            inclination = 1.9
                    eccentricity = 0.017
            longitudeOfAscendingNode = 35
        }
    }
}

- - - Updated - - -

Jool has now become a hot jovian, orbiting about four times closer to the sun than Moho.

But It Moved!!!

[Dunrana]

Success! Jool now orbits very close Kerbin.

Now to move Kerbin out of the way...

[Dunrana]

just a quick question. what's this dependent on?

I can't seem to get it to run without the outer planets mod.

[Streetwind]

Kopernicus, obviously

It's a mod that OPM bundles in its download because it's a dependency. If you don't install OPM, you need to install Kopernicus by itself.

[Dunrana]

I've tried, repeatedly with just Kopernicus, and all it gives me is the stock solar system.

i guess i should have asked what ELSE is it dependent on. It didn't sound like a real intelligent question the way i asked it -Sorry.

On a side note, I have the mod running and all the planets moved. Laythe is still in a 1/1 resonance, though.

[Dunrana]

here's my config file for laythe. it's moving the planet. but it's not disrupting the the tidal lock.

doed anyone have any ideas?

@Kopernicus:FINAL:NEEDS[Kopernicus]
{
    @Body[Laythe]
    {
        @Properties
        {
    %rotationPeriod = 216000
    @ScienceValues
            {
        flyingLowDataValue = 5
        flyingHighDataValue = 4.5            
        landedDataValue = 4
        inSpaceLowDataValue = 3
        inSpaceHighDataValue = 2.5
        recoveryValue = 3  
            }
        }
        @Orbit
        {
        %referenceBody = Sun
    semiMajorAxis = 12711029575
    inclination = 0
        eccentricity = 0
    longitudeOfAscendingNode = 0
        }
    }
}

[Streetwind]

Try specifically setting "%tidallyLocked = false".

As for other dependencies, I don't know. It shouldn't have any. The only thing that comes to mind is that OPM in its latest release is using a fork of Kopernicus called KopernicusTech - maybe something in the config you use doesn't agree with the base version. Try getting KopernicusTech standalone? Other than that, I've no idea.

[Dunrana]

That did the trick! Thank you!

[Dunrana]

Now my ships have started exploding the first time i launch them. they seem to appear in space and the game says "destroyed by overheating". reverting to vehicle assembly and launching agin causes them to work normally

I've got NO IDEA what's causing this.

[Fireheart318]

On March 10, 2015 at 5:40 AM, Dunrana said:

Now my ships have started exploding the first time i launch them. they seem to appear in space and the game says "destroyed by overheating". reverting to vehicle assembly and launching agin causes them to work normally

I've got NO IDEA what's causing this.

Assuming you're talking about moving Jool closer to the sun, IT'S PROBABLY THE loveING SUN OVERHEATING THE PLACE!

[Vanamonde]

This thread has been inactive for a year, and is no longer relevant. Time to let it slip gently into that good night.