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

[sarbian]

I'll check the logs, the reason I was looking at both was for KSP interstellar relay network setup. I'm having trouble with my relays drifting after a hundred days or so, despite my best efforts at getting them aligned. VOID displays just a bit more information in that regard, though I think at this point I'm just going to get my relays into reasonable positions and then hyperedit them into the right spot.

If you want more digits on some field or more infoItem for orbits just ask. Void is great but having both run will use more CPU.

[diomedea]

@ CleverLikeMe: I use both MJ and VOID, too, and for the same reason as yours (VOID allows higher precision with manual maneuvers). Fact is, they both work fine with me, no issue like you reported (no content in Delta-V window). Therefore I believe the issue you are experiencing is tied to something else.

@ Sarbian: about improving precision with MJ, thanks, I would like that too. Best way would be to allow the user to select the degree of precision he wants, tied to the scale, exactly as VOID currently does. But if you are going to allow customisation of each data value displayed, I would also like to be able to select the colour of the font for each value independently. I believe that would help to catch immediately the important values from all the mass of data shown.

[sonicsst]

An extra decimal or two for orbital period would be great. Right now I use Flight Engineer just for that extra digit when setting up satellite constellations.

[sarbian]

Ok, I added 1/100 second precision to orbital period to last dev

diomedea : the way MJ is made having every item configurable would require some larger change. Later ^^

[sonicsst]

Wow, that was fast. I really appreciate all the hard work you put into MechJeb, it has greatly enhanced my KSP experience

[CleverLikeMe]

Fantastic! I never really thought about asking, honestly.

If you really want to go overboard, some kind of same orbital body alignment automation would be neat for those of us into that sort of thing, though I'm not sure if an automated mechjeb process could stand up to the degree of precision needed to actually align things...

Thanks for all your hard work on this mod

[Galane]

If I press enable autopilot it immediately lifts off when I press the button, does not wait for the rendezvous countdown.

Do you have the launch clamps and first stage engines in the same stage? If you have engines already active before enabling any of MechJeb's ascent guidance functions, it will take off the instant you activate the autopilot. Just put the rocket on the pad, select your target in orbit, then use launch to rendezvous. MechJeb will take care of activating the first stage engines and releasing the clamps - if they're also in the first stage.

[diomedea]

diomedea : the way MJ is made having every item configurable would require some larger change. Later ^^

Fine. I'm happy with you considering this, I know it won't come soon (given how much time you devote to more important issues).

[sarbian]

sonicsst / CleverLikeMe / diomedea : changing precision for displayed item is really because r4m0n and the other dev made some fantastic code. Look at what I had to change : https://github.com/MuMech/MechJeb2/commit/f983f7798ccc3ca7fa55db7685e7c401024ab1e0

If you need other small change just ask and if it's not complex I'll do them.

[BigD145]

Just put the rocket on the pad, select your target in orbit, then use launch to rendezvous. MechJeb will take care of activating the first stage engines and releasing the clamps - if they're also in the first stage.

Since when? This has never worked for me. It always rolls into the next rendezvous and high warps immediately after 1 in the countdown.

[Andon]

First: After 1 second, it starts to count down in milliseconds - So, between 0.999 and 0.000 seconds (Except it's denoted as 999-000 ms) - Watch the actual warp indicator.

Second: As said before, make sure you've engaged your autopilot. I generally do that FIRST because the "Launch to Rendezvous" tends to start high-warp immediately.

If you're in doubt - Hit autopilot, hit LTR, then hide the autoascent box and wait. It'll take off.

[sojourner]

On occasion when doing the above MJ will get into a loop of missing the launch and going to timewarp to the next window. I've had it happen. Sometimes turning off the autopilot and the launch to rendezvous and reactivating them will correct the behavior.

[Logan.Darklighter]

I'm having an issue with MechJeb's KEEPVERT.

I use this thing a lot with the Wayland Eagle (and other landers - especially when I'm hovering trying to find a landing spot). And in past releases this has been the perfect VTOL control. In the past when setting up the KEEPVERT. If I input "0" it would just hold altitude with a constant thrust. And with the Eagle, I'd land the ship by means of setting the KEEPVERT to a -1 or -0.5 in the last dozen meters of descent or so.

But with .23 and the latest release, that's changed. I'm now getting what I refer to as a severe "POGO" effect (in reference to a problem that occured in the Saturn V boosters that caused problems more than once. On one Apollo mission POGO vibrations shut off the center engine of the 2nd stage, but they were able to make orbit on the remaining 4 engines.)

MechJeb's KEEPVERT doesn't seem to be able to find the "sweet spot" anymore and the throttle oscillates wildly bouncing the ship up and down almost like an ORION Nuclear pulse engine. Looks like it's damn near shaking the ship apart.

Here's a Twitch Video I made showing off Mechjeb and the KEEPVERT at arguably their best back in .22.

And here's a new video I just put up tonight illustrating the new "POGO" Problem.

Does anyone have any solution? Or is this just a known issue that still needs work?

[sebi.zzr]

press M > clik on target >set as target >engage autopilot >click launch to randezvous >after countdown the ship will launch.you need the corect orbit and inclination set manually.i newer manage to work the way it will burn directly to encounter moon or other planet,after stable orbit i use manever planer to get encounterfor moons and/or planets.

another thing:after downloading latest dev build,automatic landing "land at target" dont work.it sets the landig but then the blue landing marker flikers back and forth,ship stays locked in one poziton as long that it crashes. i dont use FAR

Edited January 7, 2014 by sebi.zzr

[JeffreyCor]

Also having landing not functioning, but even worse. It reduces time warp but then does nothing continuing to orbit without changing orientation nor engaging throttle, but the indicators for pitch, yaw, and roll bounce back and forth rapidly. Also not using FAR but am using DR.

Edited January 7, 2014 by JeffreyCor

[diomedea]

I found MJ landing not working correctly, too. I have to manually set the deceleration burn, while having already MJ on autolanding. Moreover, MJ doesn't seem to decide how to orient the ship. Having then the blue marker over the red one because of my manual setting, and after having manually oriented the ship retrograde, MJ will execute the planned burn at the correct time. However, it doesn't stop the burn at the required DV, I have to retake control and kill the burn myself. All in all, better not to let MJ do any autolanding as it stands now (this was with MJ devbuild 157).

[katalex-3]

I discovered next problem with MechJeb 161 in spaceplane mode.

I made space plane and installed MechJeb module. And i see when I press key "W-S" work pitch and yaw both. Also when I press "A-D" work pitch and yaw both too.

Edited January 7, 2014 by katalex-3

[sarbian]

I found MJ landing not working correctly, too. I have to manually set the deceleration burn, while having already MJ on autolanding. Moreover, MJ doesn't seem to decide how to orient the ship. Having then the blue marker over the red one because of my manual setting, and after having manually oriented the ship retrograde, MJ will execute the planned burn at the correct time. However, it doesn't stop the burn at the required DV, I have to retake control and kill the burn myself. All in all, better not to let MJ do any autolanding as it stands now (this was with MJ devbuild 157).

When MJ stop doing something it is most likely spamming the log with error and posting them would help.

katalex-3 : MJ does not change the keybinding.

[diomedea]

When MJ stop doing something it is most likely spamming the log with error and posting them would help.

Yes, you're absolutely right. Unfortunately I wasn't in "debugging" mode while making that landing and did not think about saving the output_log.txt, then I tried another thing so it got overwritten. I may have to reproduce that landing again, but if I note something, I will provide the log next time.

[sarbian]

I'm having an issue with MechJeb's KEEPVERT.

I use this thing a lot with the Wayland Eagle (and other landers - especially when I'm hovering trying to find a landing spot).

[..]

Does anyone have any solution? Or is this just a known issue that still needs work?

Thanks for the report and video. And the cool Eagle, that brings me back some memory

The problem is that the thrust of the VTOL engine is perpendicular to the "forward" of the craft. I added some code so MJ see that an engine that is not aligned with "forward" provide less trust, and 0 trust if perpendicular.

So the translatron don't know how much trust the Eagle has and do the POGO dance. If you put a command pod pointing up and control from there you'll it works.

I never thought of vtol when adding that. I need to think about how to handle this case cleanly.

[Logan.Darklighter]

Thanks for the report and video. And the cool Eagle, that brings me back some memory

The problem is that the thrust of the VTOL engine is perpendicular to the "forward" of the craft. I added some code so MJ see that an engine that is not aligned with "forward" provide less trust, and 0 trust if perpendicular. So the translatron don't know how much trust the Eagle has and do the POGO dance.

If you put a command pod pointing up and control from there you'll it works.

I never thought of vtol when adding that. I need to think about how to handle this case cleanly.

I've done some testing today and the POGO doesn't happen with in-line thrust as you say. Thus a standard Apollo LEM style lander will work fine with the KEEPVERT.

I am not sure I understand the reason for providing less or 0 thrust at perpendicular angles. Unless - I am guessing - you have plans to separate the two throttle components? So that one or the other set of engines can have it's own set of throttle controls?

It would be nice, for example, to be able to set altitude with the VTOL engines and then be able to throttle up/down with the rear engine on the Eagle for flying around. I can foresee any number of applications for that outside of that example.

But if my guess above is not correct, then what's the need for the perpendicular alignment change, since it was working fine for most purposes before .23?

Edited January 8, 2014 by Logan.Darklighter

[Galane]

For cases where the ship does nothing or just wobbles a little, right click a command pod part that's in line with the engine(s) you want to use then click the Control From Here button.

KSP .23 seems to have a habit of setting that to no part. Smart A.S.S. can still use reaction wheels (even without any command pod part on the ship) to change a ship's orientation. But without a command pod part or without one set to Control From Here, you get nothing or just a

jiggle from landing guidance and maneuver planner.

[togfox]

MJ does my mun landings correctly, but does a massive frame rate hit all the way down to the bit where it comes to a complete stop prior the the last descent down to the ground. Not sure what's going on with that - it works - but it is very slow as the whole game jerks around for ages.

[sarbian]

Logan.Darklighter : MJ needs to know precisely the thrust provided by the engine for many of its functions. If your engine are angled they provide less trust so MJ needs to know it.

Galane : I should add a warning message somewhere when it is in that state

togfox : Without log I can't do anything

[Bobe]

Could you add an option in the ascent guidance module to launch when the target's orbit intersects the equator? This would make rendezvousing with a ship on an inclined orbit much easier. It doesn't have to wait for the target to be in a position to rendezvous with, just as long as the two ships end up on the same plane.