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

[drtedastro]

thanks. Not an 'emergency', just more of a 'why????'. I am using the multipatch.zip version just fine, but figured we should figure out why the new mj release was burning so much rcs...

many thanks and have a good weekend coming up.

[therealcrow999]

I unlocked AR202 in Flight Control tab in Career Mode, when I attach it to a rocket and go to launch pad I have limited options in mechjeb to use. Will I get full function of Mechjeb later on in game, like if I unlock Automation or Advance Flight Controls and put a ASAS on it?

As of right now the only control MechJeb gives my rockets are Smart A.S.S.

In sandbox mode I can use full function of MechJeb, so I know its not broken.

[Crater]

I unlocked AR202 in Flight Control tab in Career Mode, when I attach it to a rocket and go to launch pad I have limited options in mechjeb to use. Will I get full function of Mechjeb later on in game, like if I unlock Automation or Advance Flight Controls and put a ASAS on it?

As of right now the only control MechJeb gives my rockets are Smart A.S.S.

In sandbox mode I can use full function of MechJeb, so I know its not broken.

Yes, the rest of the functions are unlocked in unmanned flight (I think), and yes, any parts already in use when you unlock that will get a free upgrade to the newer functionality.

[sarbian]

The functions unlock as you unlock more nodes

[therealcrow999]

Yeah I just saw that in cfg file. That is a really cool feature you added to MechJeb. At first I was thinking unlocked full mechjeb at flight control seemed a little easy.

I like this feature a lot. keep up the good work!

Love the new Pod by the way, awesome!

The only thing i dont like about the AR202 it seems a little large, I always resize mine to rescaleFactor = 0.5 and then I make another AR202 copy other one and rename it in cfg file to something like AR202 pod size and make a smaller version to rescaleFactor = 0.3.

0.5 seems to match stock science part sizes. I do the same with Flight Engineer, I make the Engineer7500 to 0.5, I dont use the chips at all, I delete them.

The functions unlock as you unlock more nodes

[therealcrow999]

Yeah I just saw that in cfg file. That is a really cool feature you added to MechJeb. At first I was thinking unlocked full mechjeb at flight control seemed a little easy.

I like this feature a lot. keep up the good work!

Love the new Pod by the way, awesome!

The only thing i dont like about the AR202 it seems a little large, I always resize mine to rescaleFactor = 0.5 and then I make another AR202 copy other one and rename it in cfg file to something like AR202 pod size and make a smaller version to rescaleFactor = 0.3.

0.5 seems to match stock science part sizes. I do the same with Flight Engineer, I make the Engineer7500 to 0.5, I dont use the chips at all, I delete them.

I mean I name it like AR202_Probe_Size I make the 0.3 size for probes. the 0.5 looks good with single man pods and 3 man pods too.

[AUZZIEninjaKIWI]

can someone post a downloadable cfg file for the ar202 so i can use it with out needing to research it at the start of tech tree i spent like 5 hours reading and testing and editing the damned thing in note pad trying to get it to work but it just wont show up in game? and i just want mechjeb to fly my rockets and all that so i can sit bak and watch it do all the work plz

[Crater]

can someone post a downloadable cfg file for the ar202 so i can use it with out needing to research it at the start of tech tree i spent like 5 hours reading and testing and editing the damned thing in note pad trying to get it to work but it just wont show up in game? and i just want mechjeb to fly my rockets and all that so i can sit bak and watch it do all the work plz

Not sure if it is smiled on to post full configs or not, but all you need to change, from the initial supplied config is...

    TechRequired = flightControl

changes to

    TechRequired = start

and then for each of the lines like

            MechJebModuleBlahBlahBlah { unlockTechs = flightControl }

change the bit at the end to say

            MechJebModuleBlahBlahBlah { unlockTechs = start }

Then, if you haven't unlocked it already, you will need to go into the R&D building, click on the start node (the leftmost one) and then click on the AR202 that should show in the little list on the right. It should then be available to you to build with, and run with all its modules.

[sarbian]

Just pushed a small fix to the dev version. The docking and ASAS force roll are now aligned, and the rocket *should* not turn just after takeoff (hard to reproduce but I think I found it)

I did more test with RCS docking. It seems I need to work more on it... Activating "Conserve RCS fuel" (custom window editor in Thrust category) may help on some ship.

[Surefoot]

@sarbian: very nice catch on the takeoff roll (i got some weird instances of it recently). As for the RCS docking, i just moved around my space station tug (a very small, light vessel, basically a battery, control drone and RCS tank between 2 dock ports) and wasted incredible amounts of RCS with a lot of unnecessary wobble. Not sure if the PID parameters are fixed, if they are they are indeed tuned for a much heavier ship, are they ?

[RabidMonkey]

I always treated the roll as the autopilot trying to buzz the tower. It is Mechanical Jeb, after all.

[Mykill Metal]

Ok....just downloaded the new update for MechJeb and for some reason my Rendezvous Planner and Docking Autopilot are gone. How do I fix this? I won't fly unless I can use them so my kethane probe is sitting on the launch pad waiting for a fix.

Also, is there any way to add a "land 50m away from target" button? I keep landing on top of other things and the map doesn't zoom in enough to get an accurate click when picking a target spot next to it. It always ends up too far away or on top of the target.

Edited October 25, 2013 by Mykill Metal
added a question

[Lucchese]

So, I've been trying to see if someone asked the Q I'm going to ask before but there are so many posts, so sorry if its been asked before but:

My stock pods do not have mechjeb anymore, was this supposed to happen?

Also, in any case, how do I fix it?

[Revencher]

any 1 tell me what unlocks Mechjeb in R&D? is it past 300 SP?

[Mykill Metal]

any 1 tell me what unlocks Mechjeb in R&D? is it past 300 SP?

It's in the control tab like three tiers in, in the middle. Hope that helps.

[Guest]

Also, is there any way to add a "land 50m away from target" button? I keep landing on top of other things and the map doesn't zoom in enough to get an accurate click when picking a target spot next to it. It always ends up too far away or on top of the target.

Enter in the target's coordinates manually, then modify the latitude/longitude as desired. Once landed, use the Translatron to fine-tune your position.

[Revencher]

yep it does. thx

[Mykill Metal]

Enter in the target's coordinates manually, then modify the latitude/longitude as desired. Once landed, use the Translatron to fine-tune your position.

That never works for me, it always ends up like 2km away that's why I just want a simple button to set me down REALLY CLOSE. But not on top of it.

[Guest]

That never works for me, it always ends up like 2km away that's why I just want a simple button to set me down REALLY CLOSE. But not on top of it.

Huh, works fine for me, I can get craft landing within 10m of the target with a little practice since distances vary by world. Maybe try a smaller separation?

[Gaius]

...since distances vary by world.

This is precisely why it'd be nice to have MechJeb compute these things for us, rather having to memorize or have a chart of the minutes/seconds to meters conversion for each sphere in the solar system, plus a calculator to figure out how many deg/min/sec one needs to add to park 20m north of the target. If I wanted to do all that kind of stuff manually, I wouldn't have MechJeb installed!

[Mykill Metal]

This is precisely why it'd be nice to have MechJeb compute these things for us, rather having to memorize or have a chart of the minutes/seconds to meters conversion for each sphere in the solar system, plus a calculator to figure out how many deg/min/sec one needs to add to park 20m north of the target. If I wanted to do all that kind of stuff manually, I wouldn't have MechJeb installed!

Couldn't have said it better myself...

[a__gun]

That never works for me, it always ends up like 2km away that's why I just want a simple button to set me down REALLY CLOSE. But not on top of it.

Unless you're landing next to something MASSIVE then a speration of one or two seconds and you won't crash, and should still be plenty close enough even o the bigger planets.

[AUZZIEninjaKIWI]

Not sure if it is smiled on to post full configs or not, but all you need to change, from the initial supplied config is...

    TechRequired = flightControl

changes to

    TechRequired = start

and then for each of the lines like

            MechJebModuleBlahBlahBlah { unlockTechs = flightControl }

change the bit at the end to say

            MechJebModuleBlahBlahBlah { unlockTechs = start }

Then, if you haven't unlocked it already, you will need to go into the R&D building, click on the start node (the leftmost one) and then click on the AR202 that should show in the little list on the right. It should then be available to you to build with, and run with all its modules.

I have doen that and the mech jeb case just dissapers and i cant find it its there in flight control as defualt then altered its gone i even tried with it on the basic reaserch tech and its not there it just keeps dissapering and i have no idea why?

hence why i asked for a working cfg cause i just cant get it to work? also its the new mechjeb 2.1 if that helps and i only have the ar202 not the pod i dont liek the eye thing lol

[Galane]

Something not critical but since Sarbian has been working hard on MechJeb, I've been using Corrective Steering. It never worked too well in the 2.0.9 release.

There's a bit of a bobble in it where when a rocket begins the gravity turn it'll pitch over onto the uncorrected trajectory then turn back up to as needed angle to keep on the path. Not really a problem but with large and somewhat low TWR rockets it looks like it's first going over then "Oh, wait, I don't have enough thrust to aim my nose right down the flight path!" then it tips up to correct.

Is it waiting to engage corrective steering until after the initial pitch over is complete? It's nothing that needs fixed, haven't had problems from it. It just looks odd.

If you have a rocket that struggles to reach orbit, try corrective steering. Could be that spending some of the available fuel thrusting in a more upward direction starting as soon as it completes pitch over will get it there. 'Course if your upper stages have a TWR or 1 or less, you will not go to space today no matter how hard you point the nose up.

I do like how the pitch over seems to be much less abrupt, which with the 2.0.9 release caused no end of problems with rockets coming apart, especially when being pushed by a lot of Mainsails. 'Course figuring out that locking the Mainsails' gimbals, at least during pitchover, makes rockets tend to hang together in a single tight collection of parts also helped with reducing failures.

IIRC, the Space Shuttle throttled down some for its pitch over, then after completing it (by which time it was above the thickest part of the atmo) they'd throttle back up to full blast. "Roger, go at throttle up."

If MechJeb could have a way to fire the engines then wait to release the clamps until full thrust was reached (with a settable delay for engines that need time to reach full thrust) and a settable throttle reduction for starting the gravity turn, it could help many more delicate rockets or ones that are a bit iffy turning at full throttle make it to orbit. Even a fraction of a second delay would reduce the abuse because instead of the thrust meeting the instantaneous downward fall of the rocket, the rocket would already be supported by the thrust and be released to gently begin to rise, or crumble in an exploding pile if the TWR <1. Sure this can be done manually by putting all the launch clamps by themselves in the second stage*, but more automation is nicer for those who want more automation.

Another one for the wish list. Suborbital hop guidance. Click on a target and have MechJeb launch, maneuver and land all in one control. Could have the island runway, the KSC runway, old KSC in a list of presets for Kerbin.

*I wonder why KSP has the stages numbered top down, starting from 0? Actual rockets number from the bottom up, usually starting at 1. Ordinal VS cardinal numbers.

Edited October 26, 2013 by Galane

[Tassyr]

Question about Mechjeb Rover control. Is there -any- way to make it work with the command pods that aren't pointed horizontally? I'd love to be able to go IVA with my rovers- say, the lander-can ones, but doing so screws up the autopilot. It speeds up as fast as it can...