[PART, 1.0.2] Anatid Robotics / MuMech - MechJeb - Autopilot - Historical thread

[mcdjfp]

With the Dev version 466 it is not reporting the dV of R.A.P.I.E.R engines properly. Started in air breathing mode and switched over once the air got too thin. After leaving atmosphere MechJeb claimed 37 dV left. It completed the 550+dV circularization and still had enough in the tanks to deorbit as well. All the while reporting 0 dV left. This was a SSTO space plane.

[CatastrophicFailure]

Quick question here. I've noticed that deploying airbrakes throws MJ's landing estimation way off (the calculation that shows impact point, not the AP). Any chance this could be addressed?

[Etsijä]

Hi all. #466 in use. Did the launch, trying to get into a circularized orbit. Autostaging works, manouver node planning creates a burn for the circularisation job. Mechjeb warps into the node - and nothing happens. It does not orient the spacecraft at all, nor does it do the actual burn.

What's up? Anyone else seeing the same problem?

[sarbian]

Yeah, about 1 in 3 poster for the last 200 posts.

[Phil deCube]

Yeah, Manoeuvre Planner Stopped working for me last night. Working one minute. not the next. Still Not working tonight. Bizarre. The Landing Guidance just put me down on Minmus while I typed this, so that is still good.

Edit: Yikes! Landed ok, but after a quicksave and a restore I lost the whole moon of Minmus. My base, with the ship I was having problems with attached to it via KAS/KIS, was just floating on its own, alone in the cosmos. No Minmus. http://www.hostpic.org/images/1505271312430108.jpg I had to go back to a save from last night, before I landed and connected the ship to the base. Are these issues connected? I don't know.

Sarbian, I **love** Mechjeb. It is the greatest mod in the KSP Moderverse. KSP would be a very tedious game without it. Thanks for all your hard work on it.

Edited May 27, 2015 by Phil deCube

[ecat]

Many thanks for all your hard work sarbian

On control issues: The only problem I've noticed was about a week ago, I had a nose cone attached to the top of my vessel via one of those small red and white decouplers - arrow pointing up towards the cone. Ascent guidance created the node for final orbital burn but when it came time to start the engines, nothing happened. If I disabled the engines the throttle jumped to 100% but re-enabling them the throttle jumped back to zero.

The problem?

It was related to the decoupler. I had decoupled the nose cone during ascent, the decoupler with arrows up had fired off the cone but whatever was left of it, the inert ring, remained attached and its image remained in the staging list as part of the current stage. Once I created a new dummy stage 0 and move the ghost of the decoupler into it the MechJeb burn executed without a hitch.

As a further test I recreated the flight but this time the cone decoupler was placed with the arrow pointing down so it would fly off attached to the nose cone. This flight had no issues.

Maybe this is a known problem, maybe it has been fixed, but given the number of 'no control' posts I thought it worth mentioning

[Galane]

Strange glitch last night landing on Minmus. The landing legs extended up but failed to hinge out and down and the lander set down on its engine nozzles. Poking the gear button a couple of times got the legs down. Most likely a KSP glitch. Never seen it before.

[Etsijä]

Yeah, about 1 in 3 poster for the last 200 posts.

Well I didn't check all 200 latest posts, but I did flip through the last three pages. I guess this issue escaped from my eyes. So it is a known bug? I am not using any other mods, just MJ, so the issue is certainly not a conflict with other mods.

Also some seem to say node execution was fixed some builds ago...but obviously it is broken (again?) in #466.

I hope this will get fixed soon. MJ is awesome and really makes playing KSP worthwhile.

Edited May 27, 2015 by Etsijä

[Newbinator]

I seem to only have an issue with the landing guidance function. Firstly it creates the calculations and then adjusts flight path for landing, no problems there. It then sort of goes haywire by the landing marker bouncing around all over, the mechjeb doing heaps of adjustments, it goes weird. Then when it finally sorts itself out, it then changes the orbit rotation and height, sort of punches right out into Kerbol system.

All other functions seem to work right

So in summary, I think the landing guidance is broken but others seem to think its working. Also I am using the latest 25/05/15 build.

[sarbian]

Maybe this is a known problem, maybe it has been fixed, but given the number of 'no control' posts I thought it worth mentioning

No, most of the reported problems comes from the state of the dV stats. I pulled an unfinished KER code and it create some problems. But if I revert to an older version it will create others.

Padishar worked a bit more on that code so the next dev version may fix most if not all those bugs. I can find of the easy bug in there but those that involve the fuel plumbing require to know that system much more than I do.

I would really like for that to work because seeing the thread move that fast with most of the post about the same issue is not fun at all. And I want to work on other things

In the mean time I can only give the usual advice : install the last dev release

[ArkaelDren]

I know you get told thx for all your hard work, but after reading the above post i could feel your frustration. Sorry bud, most of us would be glad to help you if we knew how to program, but I'm gonna say thx even though it doesn't help much

Thanks for all your hard work, with out it, some of us wouldn't even be playing.

[jtaylor996]

Are there any features planned for dealing with asteroids?

Here are some issues, either with the way MJ currently acts, or with things that could really use some MJ assists on:

1. You can "target center of mass" on the asteroid, but then MJ thinks no target is selected. This makes it super hard to align the thrust vector with the center of mass. A work around is that if you go to the ADV part of SmartASS, and then select target, forward, it seems to kinda maybe work, but I can't quite verify this.

2. Auto alignment of the locking arm to the center of mass would be super awesome. This would:

a. free swivel the coupler

b. align the CoT with the center of mass (to like .001 degree if possible)

c. lock the coupler

3. Maybe use the thrust vector corrections along with the coupler to keep it centered around the center of mass during a burn. This would be like #2, but I think could use all of the same calculations that are used for ascent guidance.

4. RCS balancer doesn't seem to work well with asteroids. You would use the outboard ports for alignment CoT to CoM, then use the inboard ones (by the nose of the ship) to rotate the the asteroid/ship assembly.

5. Something like docking guidance would be cool for getting the coupler attached to the asteroid. In fact, using docking guidance for this might be possible, but since MJ doesn't recognize asteroid CoM as a target it won't run.

Any other ideas?

Are there currently any other tools out there that handle any of this?

Edit: Just in case some of this was already done, I'm running dev build 455 right now.

Edited May 27, 2015 by jtaylor996

[sarbian]

uh, the asteroid targeting and aligning with the CoM was patched 1 year ago.

I guess something broke...

[nemesis666first]

@OP : I dont like mod who add parts very well , can you make an other version who dont add parts plz !

[smjjames]

@OP : I dont like mod who add parts very well , can you make an other version who dont add parts plz !

There IS an MM config that bypasses the part so that you don't need to use it, but uh, maybe I'll just let you find it

- - - Updated - - -

Edit: Just in case some of this was already done, I'm running dev build 455 right now.

See if it works with 466? Unless that's a typo and you did mean 466 and not 455.

Edit: Really minor bug, if you have unretractable panels on your ship and you deactivate and then reactivate ascent AP while above atmosphere, it gets stuck on the retracting panels phase. I wanted to reset the AP since I had a stage which was almost out of fuel and the next stage has quite a bit lower ISP. I simply used the maneuver planner instead.

Steps for better explaination:

1. Create a ship with retractable and unretractable panels.

2. Launch like normal.

3. When above the atmosphere but haven't circularized yet, deactivate the AP

4. Remove the maneuver node (probably optional, but that's what I had done) and reactivate the AP.

Edited May 27, 2015 by smjjames

[RoskoNikov]

I've been searching for an answer to the following and so far no success... hopefully I just missed something obvious.

Sometimes - though more often than not - Mechjeb sort of stops functioning. Won't auto warp or execute nodes at all. It will turn and point in the right direction of the nodes and even sets them, for rendezvous as an example. But, it won't fire the engines or auto warp at all.

I have checked power/fuel/enough reaction wheels pr RCS to turn the ship etc. nothing.

Strangely, it seems to work on some vessels just fine and occasionally starts working again on vessels that it didn't for a while.

Not very technical and I do use a few mods, so if info provided is not enough, just let me know.

Thanks in advance.

[RoskoNikov]

Might have the node bug reproduced. I doubt this will help you, since it's essentially the same one I wrote up yesterday, but here we go:

MJ Version: 2.5.1.0-462

Kerbal Version: 1.0.2.842

Clean Install, Mechjeb is the only mod installed.

Steps to reproduce:

1) Extract "To Save Folder.zip" in your save game folder.

2) Open KSP

3) Select "Start Game"

4) Select "Resume Saved"

5) Select "To Save Folder" and Continue

6) Press "Esc" at the KSC screen

7) Select "Load Save..."

8) Select "quicksave" and Select.

9) From the open Manuever Planner, select "Fine Tune Closest Approach With Target

10) Select "Remove All Nodes"

11) Select "Create and Execute"

(Further Steps, although the fault is here)

12) Warp until "Node in T-" reaches a period you're comfortable waiting out.

13) Wait that time.

Noted Result:

Although the burn node is created, time is not accelerated to the node time, and if the node time is waited out, the burn still does not occur. Est. Burn shows N/A even though delta-V information is displayed in the nav ball.

Expected Result:

Time should automatically accelerate to the node time, Est. Burn should display properly, and the burn should occur automatically.

Notes:

***Important*** (maybe): This only seems to happen with -unkerballed- craft. When you have kerbals flying, everything seems to work just fine.

There only appears to be one MJ2.AR202 unit on the current craft.

Output_Log: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ewoioshmtjemkqi/output_log.txt?dl=0

Save Folder: https://www.dropbox.com/s/vildk2c14q6irgz/To%20Save%20Folder.zip?dl=0

Screenshot1: https://www.dropbox.com/s/bb1yxbl7hopiyhs/screenshot1.png?dl=0

Screenshot2: https://www.dropbox.com/s/5pamc9bwcl2t7vo/screenshot2.png?dl=0

Thanks for your time!

Doesn't seem to be any answers to this... I'm having this issue too but can't get any info.

[Monthar]

I had the same thing happen with a new ship I launched today. However, ships I launched yesterday have their MJ working just fine. I didn't add or update any mods before the problem started. I tried removing mods, but that didn't fix the problem. I even removed and reinstalled MJ mod, but the problem persists.

I don't know if this is related to the problem, but I also noticed some orbit and biome info text in the lower right corner of the screen, right were we get the quicksave notification text. This text appears no matter which ship I'm flying even if I don't have the MJ part installed on that ship.

Here's a screenshot showing the weird text. https://www.dropbox.com/s/6agrnnmc1h9n4yo/KSP%20Wierd%20Text.jpg?dl=0

Edited May 27, 2015 by Monthar

[smjjames]

I had the same thing happen with a new ship I launched today. However, ships I launched yesterday have their MJ working just fine. I didn't add or update any mods before the problem started. I tried removing mods, but that didn't fix the problem. I even removed and reinstalled MJ mod, but the problem persists.

I don't know if this is related to the problem, but I also noticed some orbit and biome info text in the lower right corner of the screen, right were we get the quicksave notification text. This text appears no matter which ship I'm flying even if I don't have the MJ part installed on that ship.

Here's a screenshot showing the weird text. https://www.dropbox.com/s/6agrnnmc1h9n4yo/KSP%20Wierd%20Text.jpg?dl=0

What other mods do you have? MJ doesn't generate text over there AFAIK.

[autumnalequinox]

What other mods do you have? MJ doesn't generate text over there AFAIK.

I'd swear this no-manuever node problem sounds like antenna range mod with a probe out of range. I haven't gotten to use one yet but still.. any problem with just lining up and doing the burn manually? Or is it impossible?

Love Mechjeb..let me just say that. I play the game more from a mission management/engineering/admin side and while I made sure to try everything manual I do a great many things and love having an autopilot handle the mundane. Plus I work many hours in the real world and my games would grind to a halt if I had to work everything out through trial and error. So sabian: Thank you so much!. Don't let others make this feel like a job.

Oh and to everyone with flipping rockets, etc. It's all about power. I played with this problem for a bit and realized I was simply using engines with too much thrust. I scaled down to smaller engines and got perfect ascents every time. Play with thrust % and terminal setting and other stuff. It's an autopilot, not an A.I. Don't forget that are bazillions of incidents in the history of spaceflight with autopilot failures and work-arounds. I consider it part of the fun, honestly.. it's realism. Quirky realism. Think of Mechjeb as the DISKY but you still need a pilot to punch in programs and occasional workarounds.

[Monthar]

The other mods I'm running are Toolbar, Active Texture Management, Contract Filter, Kerbal Alarm Clock, KAS/KIS, Kerbal Engineer, Kerbal Joint Reinforcement, Mission Controller EC, Docking Port Alignment Indicator, Science Alert, Serious Kerbal Business, Stage Recovery, Stock Bug Fixes and Temperature Gauge Killer.

That text didn't show up until today. If it's not related to this bug that's fine. I wasn't sure since both this text and the bug with MJ started today.

I was using MJ 2.5.1.0 when the bug started. I removed this install and reinstalled the 2.5.0.0-460 dev build. This solved the problem with execute next node on the ship that it stopped working on. I suspect the bug is something that changed between the 460 dev build and the current release build. The reason I went back to the 460 build is it was the most recent dev build I had downloaded prior to the latest release build.

@ autumnalequinox I've never used the antenna range mod and this bug happened on a manned ship that was just carrying 5 tourists and rescuing 3 crew. It was a very basic manned rocket.

Edited May 28, 2015 by Monthar

[RoskoNikov]

Well i don't have any antennae mods... and MJ works in other vessels etc. It seems sporadic and not very clear when it works and when it doesn't. I am having 100% failure during a launch lately. It starts out fine, gets to 'coasting to edge of atmos' then turns for circularize burn and then nothing... auto warp does not kick in again and the ship sails past the node and just crashes to the ground without ever burning.

I can, and do turn off the AP and burn manually to get into orbit... fine. But that sort of not the point... I 'can' launch to orbit and rendezvous and all that manually, but like MJ to skip the routine bits.

I just updated every mod I have with a freshly downloaded version even if it wasn't needed... they were all up to date. And still same issue.

one last thing - occasionally, the mechjeb unit will explode on the launch pad as soon as physics kicks in... very strange to see... not always, so hard to say why. But it used to be funny... not any more

[smjjames]

Try 466? It's the most current dev build.

[autumnalequinox]

I use 466 and run the following.. get ready for this: Toolbar, USITtools, atmospheric effects (just clouds), corvus, cryoengines, dangit, dmagic orbital sci, field exp, KAS, KCT, KIS, KW rocketry, infernal robo, mission controller, near future con + solar + spacecraft, final fronteir, realchute, scansat, stage recovery, temp guage killer, TAC-LS, tweakscale (only for future tech stuff), most of the USI catalog, and KSP interstellar extended..phew.

So far 466 has worked fine, caught all my nodes and everything. No unmanned yet, I'll let everyone know.

Oh yea haha and antenna range.

Edited May 28, 2015 by autumnalequinox

[autumnalequinox]

No problem with probes and 466. Node came and probe did it's thing. Only problem was some heating at the boundry layer of atmo during ascent which lasted about 2 seconds and did no damage.