Ship Summary Screen

[Diche Bach]

During career play, I've found that I frequently have need of something that (as far as I know) does not yet exist for the game: a pane which summarizes ships according to parameters specified by the user.

For example, in my last career play (now archived) I had about 8 or 10 different "ships" (some of which shared significant portions of their launch components) which I'd created during the course of 2 years of in game, in order to explore different stuff, and also to fit the needs of particular missions. In future, I probably won't built quite so many different models, but even so, the general principle applies: one tends to build slightly different models which have strengths and shortcomings in different areas. Lets say I wanted to know: which ships do I have in my directory which can carry at least 5 passengers, and have dV > = 5,000, and include a docking port . . . Ah I see, I have two different models that fit these specifications the Wildcat and the Zenith, but the Wildcat is 15,000 funds cheaper while the Zenith has slightly higher TWR at most stages . . . An initial prototype would barely scratch the surface of all the possible comparative indices, but as long as the initial design was coherent, it would seem that with enough typing, pretty much any and all characteristics could be incorporated, allowing a user to compare any two or more ships on virtually any attribute that is present in the game. An in-game screen which allowed the user to compare and contrast ships based on whatever set of parameters he/she wished to compare would seem to be the ideal with an app that accessed the files, but did not run through the game screen would be useful but less than ideal.

So, orthogonal consideration: I'm presently finishing up a Java III course, and I have until Aug 31 to apply what I've learned in a small capstone project. Originally I was working on a checkers game application, but I found this to be so dreadfully boring and relatively non-instructive (not to mention NOT useful) I've asked and received permission to do something else: A Kerbal Ship Summarizer Screen. Given that the craft files are basically just txt files with special post-script file type, I think it shouldn't be too much trouble to get Java to read them, and make use of the fields in them in order to present the information there to the user in a set of dialog boxes and tables (which along with exception handling are the main things it needs to do to fulfill the course requirements).

Yes, I know the game is C## based, and I have some C++ skills (doing an apprenticeship in data structures and AI design in C++ this fall), but this course is in Java, and I reckon whatever one can do with Java source code one can do with C## (more or less), so . . . if I keep it very simple, just enough functionality to fulfill the course requirements, then rewriting it into C## this fall and expanding it into a true mod would seem to be tenable. What would be neat is if I could provide it to the Kerbal X guy, and/or run it on the web.

So the prototype will be in Java, and if there is not much interest in such a thing, then it might just stay that way. But I will strive not to make it so complex and fully functional that using it as an exercise to learn how C## works is too difficult; thus if there IS any interest in such a plugin, and people tell me, then I'll have synergistic motives to do it up properly so it can run as an in-game plugin, and also as a web-based program (e.g., for Kerbal X, etc.).

Any suggestions or feedback on these ideas?

Obviously, I'm GOING to do this first incarnation in Java, because I don't want to fail the fricking course! So feedback or not, I'm going for it.

But if anyone has any good suggestions that can put it into the right direction(s) for longer-term development/expansion, much appreciated. Suggestions on the name for the mod are particularly welcome, as "Ship Summarizer Screen" just doesn't have much cache.

Edited August 25, 2016 by Diche Bach
clarify

[wasml]

If this is something you would use in game, you want to learn C# and you want to learn KSP modding - go for it even if no one else shows interest. The advice I've seen from experienced modders usually includes something to the effect of "Write mods for your self, if the rest of the world likes them so much the better, if not, you've made something that you can use and enjoy".

"Ship Specs", "Ship Stat Filter",... hmmm - oh well.

Edited August 26, 2016 by wasml

[OrbitalBuzzsaw]

Yes. Do it. Now.

Pinging @sarbian

Edited August 26, 2016 by OrbitalBuzzsaw

[Diche Bach]

Cool. I was thinking "Kerbal Craft Comparator" doesn't sound too bad. Big words seems to be a Kerbal thing

I will let ya'll know when I get it done and make it available, though it is likely to be very bare bones to start with. The C## redo will take a bit longer, but that can follow as time on C++ this fall allows. Long-term I think it could be a very intricate and detailed plugin, so it will have to grow gradually from basic functionality that covers a limited set of indices to more and more.

Guess I better get crackin' on the pseudo-code tomorrow morning

[sarbian]

8 hours ago, OrbitalBuzzsaw said:

Pinging @sarbian

Why ?

 

C# (only one #) is Java done right™. Moving from one to the other is quit easy.

Good luck with your project.