Controlling a rover without a driver

[MaxwellsDemon]

Something I've been puzzling over for a while and haven't figured out yet... When I have a rover with the external command seat and a Kerbal driving it, the navball functions as I'd expect it to. But with no seat and no Kerbal, the navball points up to the sky. I've tried to fiddle around with 'control from here' but haven't figure out the right combination to correct it... and if the navball is pointed at the sky, the MechJeb rover autopilot doesn't function correctly. How do I reorient the direction the rover's "looking"?

Edited September 29, 2015 by MaxwellsDemon
Answered

[Starhawk]

Select a part that is 'pointed forward' to 'Control From Here'.

The problem occurs because your probe core in your rover is pointed upward rather than forward facing.

Hope this helps.

Happy landings!

[Jaeleth]

The command pod or a docking port must be perpendicular to terrain, not pointing upwards. The easy way is to place a small docking port facing forward and when the rover is on ground right click the docking port and select "control from here". At this point the rotation of the port is also important, otherwise you-ll have the navball pointing forward but in an odd bank angle. For this matter the best is to test the rover in kerbin and see if the navball is rotated correctly.

[MaxwellsDemon]

Select a part that is 'pointed forward' to 'Control From Here'.

The problem occurs because your probe core in your rover is pointed upward rather than forward facing.

Hope this helps.

Happy landings!

The core is the 'RoveMate'... it's a little puzzling to me why it would be 'upward-facing' but I catch your drift.

Which parts can 'point'? I've established that a solar panel and a BTDT scanner can't...

[Red Iron Crown]

Docking ports and any command pod or probe core can be used to "Control from here".

[Starhawk]

It may well be limited to probe cores and docking ports as Jaeleth indicated.

As far as the RoveMate goes. I would argue that it's default orientation is a bug since it is supposed to be for rovers. If you go in to the SPH and start a new craft and select a probe core as the first part, the default orientation will be correct to show you the navball as you'd expect. If you rotate the probe core, it will not.

Happy landings!

ETA: ninja'd!

[MaxwellsDemon]

hm. Perhaps the problem lies in the fact that I inverted the rover in the VAB to put it on its carrier rocket? The intent was to use the rover's heat shield to pull double duty in aerobraking around Duna for the entire stack, rather than waste weight carrying a second heat shield... I've tried right-clicking on the RoveMate and selecting 'Control From Here,' but it doesn't change anything. I don't think there are any other parts on it that will take a 'control from here' if it's limited to cores and ports.

So, my current trio of Duna rovers are just going to have to deal with the command peculiarities.

When designing the next generation of rovers, do i need to add a probe core in addition to the RoveMate? Or a useless Clampotron Jr.?

[Red Iron Crown]

When designing the next generation of rovers, do i need to add a probe core in addition to the RoveMate? Or a useless Clampotron Jr.?

Yes. It's unfortunate that the Rovemate's orientation is the way it is.

[MaxwellsDemon]

Okeydokey... sigh. Thanks for everyone's input; very helpful, even if it wasn't what I was hoping to hear!

[Snark]

I like to build rovers stack-fashion-- imagine a vertically-constructed rocket, that happens to have wheels mounted on it facing sideways, and the thing is lying on its side when it's rolling across terrain. This gives several benefits:

- Probe core is mounted in front and is facing naturally so that the nav ball does what one would want it to.

- Easy construction since KSP has lots of pieces that are nicely designed for stack-mounting. Usually the body of the rover will consist of a reaction wheel or two, some in-line stack batteries, and maybe a few octagonal struts.

- It's also very friendly for designing the rover to be landable. I'll put a little fuel tank (like an Oscar) on the back end, with a Spark engine pointing to the rear. My rover can therefore fly exactly like a rocket (the probe core and engine are nicely lined up). Landing the rover is a breeze; it just comes down tail-first like a rocket, then pitches over to set its wheels down on the terrain.

[Skorpychan]

Or a useless Clampotron Jr.?

Useless? USELESS?

NOTHING is useless. Stick one front and one rear, and you can dock rovers together into a train.

[Champ]

Useless? USELESS?

NOTHING is useless. Stick one front and one rear, and you can dock rovers together into a train.

Then, you get a useless train ^^

[MaxwellsDemon]

I like to build rovers stack-fashion-- imagine a vertically-constructed rocket, that happens to have wheels mounted on it facing sideways, and the thing is lying on its side when it's rolling across terrain.

hm... interesting. I'll have to think about that. I was rather pleased with the way my Duna rover worked out, all except for the navball issue. Which is really an annoyance rather than a stopper; just wondered if there was a quick fix.

[The_Rocketeer]

When the rover part is facing up instead of forward, the navball essentially becomes a bog standard compass. Fitting rover parts facing upward would be really neat if the SAS had a mode to just fix a compass bearing.