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Show in the VAB elecricity usage and generation


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I would like to suggest that KSP polls each part to check for electricity usage and generation and presents the resulting numbers to the user. The polling of each part would be so that any mods and so forth which use or generate electricity would be counted as well.

Currently it is a pain to add up parts that use 1.5/s alongside parts that generate 45/min then matching this with batteries that hold a certain amount and then putting all that into a formula to see how long your battery will last. The available mods designed to do that often miss parts from mods.

For solar panels it would be nice to be able to pick a planet and then the amount of EC generated there would be shown.

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56 minutes ago, Spudrotuskutarsu said:

It could show what EC generation is on Kerbin and have a small reminder about distance to Sol affecting EC generation

This. We know the output of solar panels on earth IRL, so we should be able to reference it from the VAB. Of course, you could also argue that its quite possible to not even use electricity on a ship and be successful but, i think its a good idea..

Edited by Violent Jeb
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There's also the problem that solar panel output depends on the angle of the panel relative to the Sun as well.  You'll probably have at least one panel blocked entirely by the rest of your craft a lot of the time.  Still, this could also be solved by showing the theoretical maximum possible output of all the panels combined and simply require the player to account for this.  Overall though, it does seem like it could be useful to have this info available.

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2 hours ago, Alshain said:

Solar is now dependent on proximity to the Sun

 

4 hours ago, John FX said:

For solar panels it would be nice to be able to pick a planet and then the amount of EC generated there would be shown.

Covered that in the OP...

In the same way as with some mods (KER, MJ) you can have your TWR displayed as though you were on Gilly for example, so you would have your EC generation displayed as though you were at Gilly. Exactly which body would be user selectable.

I would say the number presented would be the maximum the panels would generate. Fuel cells should have a toggle so you could see the EC generated when on or off.

The main part is that the craft would be partially simulated so no EC generation or usage would be missed.

Edited by John FX
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My AmpYear mod does the same. It handles all the stock parts and some mod's. The issue is solar panels which it approximates. I'm working on a whole new version for 1.1 with a better algorithm and ability to choose different SOIs for the solar panel EC production in the editor. Can't say when it will be ready though as currently my spare KSP time is busy fixing all my other mods for 1.1. But it's not that far off.

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7 hours ago, xandertifft54321 said:

Fusebox mod

A mod I currently use and is the reason I made this suggestion, I hinted at the `available mods that do that` and said they miss parts sometimes.

I recently discovered years into a mission that in fusebox scansat parts do not have their power requirements calculated.

This lead me to think that polling the parts for EC use or generation is harder than it would seem on the surface (look at each part in a craft then ask it if it uses or makes EC than add that up) which then lead me to think that Squad would be the best people to implement in a more robust way this as they already have a system in place to do that, being the live EC display in the flight screen. I have yet to see a case where it displays that your battery level is increasing but it actually decreases.

A VAB based implementation of such a robust system would be very welcome. Combined with the ability to say that 1/2, 3/4, 1/3 etc of the panels would be in shade at any one time and their distance from the sun. Maybe in a posh implementation it actually would simulate your craft rotating and find minimum and maximum EC generation from your panels depending on angle and distance from the sun.

I would use ampyear if it was a partless mod by itself, not bundled in with an ION RCS system. Yes I know I could delete parts but I don`t like messy installs that need to be redone each update. All I want is a decent display for electricity.

Edited by John FX
had a thought.
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3 minutes ago, John FX said:

A mod I currently use and is the reason I made this suggestion, I hinted at the `available mods that do that` and said they miss parts sometimes.

I recently discovered years into a mission that in fusebox scansat parts do not have their power requirements calculated.

This lead me to think that polling the parts for EC use or generation is harder than it would seem on the surface (look at each part in a craft then ask it if it uses or makes EC than add that up) which then lead me to think that Squad would be the best people to implement in a more robust way this as they already have a system in place to do that, being the live EC display in the flight screen. I have yet to see a case where it displays that your battery level is increasing but it actually decreases.

A VAB based implementation of such a robust system would be very welcome. Combined with the ability to say that 1/2, 3/4, 1/3 etc of the panels would be in shade at any one time and their distance from the sun.

I would use ampyear if it was a partless mod by itself, not bundled in with an ION RCS system. Yes I know I could delete parts but I don`t like messy install that need to be redone each update. All I want is a decent display for electricity.

The upcoming 1.1 compatible release AmpYear will allow you to turn on/off each part on your vessel in the VAB to incude/exclude them from the calcs. I posted screen shots of what I'm talking about on the AmpYear thread last week some time, so you can go over to it and you will see what I'm talking about. I also went through and pretty sure I now handle ALL the stock parts and some mods as well.

I've been thinking of splitting the parts off to another mod so maybe I will do that.

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Just now, JPLRepo said:

The upcoming 1.1 compatible release AmpYear will allow you to turn on/off each part on your vessel in the VAB to incude/exclude them from the calcs. I posted screen shots of what I'm talking about on the AmpYear thread last week some time, so you can go over to it and you will see what I'm talking about. I also went through and pretty sure I now handle ALL the stock parts and some mods as well.

I've been thinking of splitting the parts off to another mod so maybe I will do that.

That would be very nice.  I must say that I have always preferred your EC management but the bundled RCS put me off.

I just looked at the OP in your thread and I liked what I saw as to the info and controllability.

it was also nice to read " Includes correct power calculations if you have the following Mods installed (but not required for mod to function): Near Future Electrical/Solar, KAS, RemoteTech, ScanSat, Telemachus, TAC LS, AntennaRange."

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6 minutes ago, John FX said:

That would be very nice.  I must say that I have always preferred your EC management but the bundled RCS put me off.

I just looked at the OP in your thread and I liked what I saw as to the info and controllability.

it was also nice to read " Includes correct power calculations if you have the following Mods installed (but not required for mod to function): Near Future Electrical/Solar, KAS, RemoteTech, ScanSat, Telemachus, TAC LS, AntennaRange."

I think for the new version it handles a few more....
I've updated the AmpYear thread with the WIP changelog.
 

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1 hour ago, John FX said:

I would use ampyear if it was a partless mod by itself, not bundled in with an ION RCS system. Yes I know I could delete parts but I don`t like messy installs that need to be redone each update. All I want is a decent display for electricity.

Is it just the ION/PPT RCS system or the Reserve Power Batteries as well that has you not using AmpYear?

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18 minutes ago, JPLRepo said:

Is it just the ION/PPT RCS system or the Reserve Power Batteries as well that has you not using AmpYear?

For ME, I delete the RCS also... And I tried to delete the KabinKraziness .dll, but then AmpYear itself doesnt seem to work?

EDIT: @JPLRepo I for one think the reserve battereis should stay... ESPECIALLY if they will be integrated with the way your new EPS system works... ie have the craft go into EPS as soon as regular batteries are drained, and switch to the reserves at that time...???

Edited by Stone Blue
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6 minutes ago, Stone Blue said:

For ME, I delete the RCS also... And I tried to delete the KabinKraziness .dll, but then AmpYear itself doesnt seem to work?

Correction (EDITED): When the next version of AmpYear comes out KabinKraziness.dll KKInterfaces.dll is removed (no longer required). KabinKraziness.dll is only distributed with my KabinKraziness mod. I think you mean the KKinterfaces.dll which was still required for AmpYear to function, but soon won't be. See the WIP changelog over on AmpYear thread.
I'll look to split the RCS parts off.. But I will be keeping the ReservePower Batteries in AmpYear.
In fact this thread is now off topic. Sorry. Please take AmpYear discussions over to my AmpYear thread (link in sig).

Edited by JPLRepo
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2 hours ago, JPLRepo said:

Is it just the ION/PPT RCS system or the Reserve Power Batteries as well that has you not using AmpYear?

Having batteries for reserve power would probably come in handy and they seem to be fairly integral (and relevant) to the electrical manager so I`d say leave them in.

As you have already said, hehe.

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