Need help using rendezvous auto pilot in Mechjeb

[SignalCorps]

I am using KSP ver 1.X, and the latest version of Mechjeb (the one that doesn't say it won't work with the current version).

I currently have Bill and some other pilot stranded in a polar orbit, out of fuel, and poor Jeb, he tried to spacewalk his way home and also ran out of fuel and is just drifting amongst the stars all alone. It's not the polar orbit if you lifted straight out of the launch facilities and went north, but more like if you went west for a quarter of the planet and then entered a polar orbit. Quite frankly, I forget how I got them there, but I would like to have back, as it's not good for the moral of the other Kerbs to just leave them up there to drift among the stars like Bender, only without a candelabra.

Anyway, I am new to Mechjeb, (and fairly new to KSP. I've made it to the Mun, [without mechjeb]but so far not managed to make it down in one piece, let alone get back with the lander module) and I got the ascent auto pilot working nicely (though I am unsure as to how the inclination degrees work....I know 0 is right along the equator, but how do the other degrees work exactly?). What I'd like to do is set a rendezvous autopilot right from launch to ensure I take an optimal ascent path, but from the pad, the rendezvous autopilot seems non functional. I got to a equator plane orbit at 100km, but when I start the first part of the rendezvous autopilot (match planes. Am I correct in assuming I go in order from the top to bottom option?) The autopilot adjustments put me back into the planet, like it has a path it wants to take, but it's trying to go *through* Kerbin.

Is there a way to autopilot a rendezvous from the pad, or a way to figure out an optimal ascent path to take? And also, what am I doing wrong once I am out of atmo? Am I just not high enough? And it seems to lake a lot of fuel to match the plane I need to be on. If I start at the equator orbit and head 'north' it burns a flying f-ton of fuel (literally), and if I go straight to polar orbit, I am exactly perpendicular to the orbit I need to match, and that seems near impossible to match then.

Any advice is appreciated.

Edited May 15, 2015 by SignalCorps

[FancyMouse]

>or a way to figure out an optimal ascent path to take?

I don't think there's anything computing the absolute optimal ascension profile, as the optimal one is dependent on the rocket you design (even ignoring aero, it's still the case, and aero just complicate the matter a lot more), and there is no simple formula/algorithm to do that other than numerically approximating. I guess (I don't use MJ) MJ is just storing some common pattern that behaves relatively well in general, but you can easily do better by correctly steering it manually.

[n0xiety]

mechjeb inclanation goes from 0 to 180 so a polar orbit would mean 90. 180 means the orbit will look the same as 0 but in reverse. So 180 is also on equator. For meeting up your target first mark them then use the launch to randevous option in ascent guidence. It will give you a close enough orbit but you need to tick the option for auto-warp in ascent guidence so it will fast forward and lunch on its own. Seems you need to set the orbit height manually and press auto pilot after that. After you are in orbit use randevous autopilot it will take more then 1 manuver so leave it and let it auto warp. The more phasing orbits you give the autopilot the less dv it will use but its all up to you wether you want to wait for it or not.

Edited May 12, 2015 by n0xiety

[SignalCorps]

I got it figured out, and finally rescued poor Jeb. First off I was wondering how the hell they were in a polar orbit, but 90 degrees to the west of the space facilities. Then 1st grade science hit me. The planet rotates over time. That mystery solved, it was on to making the rendezvous auto pilot work. I was getting in to much of a hurry, and punching the 5 five options on the rendezvous planner. Don't need to do that. Just select target and engage rendezvous, and let the autopilot do its thing. Don't need to hit any other buttons.