[1.4][1.7.7] GravityTurn continued - Automated Efficient Launches

[AndyMt]

After a few days I feel confident V 1.7.5 is a stable release, so I release it now. It will also be on CKAN after a while.

Download here

V1.7.5 (issue tracker):

• New feature: showing orbital info in stats window (apoapsis, periapsis, time to those).
• improvement: roll program starts after vessel has cleared it's own height.
• improvement: launches with inclination much more precise now, no wobble and overcompensation.
• improvement: Navball switches to orbital display when switching to orbital insertion pitch program.
• improvement: main window hides as soon as destination height is reached successfully.
• bugfix: solved stuttering issue and further reduced memory garbage
• bugfix: Hiding all TG windows when pressing F2

Next I really want to update the UI. I'd like to utilize the "mouse hover" feature of the stock toolbar, showing buttons to the left:

[main][staging][stats][map][settings]

The main window I'd like to have as a tabbed interface with a "simple" and a "standard" tab. Simple will just allow to enter destination height and inclination. Standard will be what we have right now, minus some of the setup button for staging, the toggles for stats, launch map etc.

Edited November 19, 2016 by AndyMt

[ccarlson]

@AndyMt, I'm thrilled at the way you're approaching the development of this mod. I've been looking for a good example of how to use GitHub's project-management tools to argue for their use by my team, and you've just provided that example.

(Additionally, the new features are exactly what I was hoping for. Thanks for that, too!)

Edited November 20, 2016 by ccarlson

[AndyMt]

5 hours ago, ccarlson said:

@AndyMt, I'm thrilled at the way you're approaching the development of this mod. I've been looking for a good example of how to use GitHub's project-management tools to argue for their use by my team, and you've just provided that example.

(Additionally, the new features are exactly what I was hoping for. Thanks for that, too!)

Thanks a lot . To give you some more arguments: I didn't read the instructions before and this is my very first GitHub based project. I've used Jira and Microsofts Team Foundation server before extensively and other tools in the decades before, so I know this kind of stuff. But even if you use something like this for the very first time - it's really easy to use.

If you'd like more arguments, write me a PM - so we do not clutter this thread.

[AndyMt]

Hello everyone - I need your input :-): As I mentioned I'd like to restructure the UI a bit. The plan is to offer a "simple" UI with the most basic parameters, but also improve the way to open the additional windows like stats, map etc. (via mouse over on the toolbar icon).

For that I need to categorize the parameters GT offers right now. First step is to separate the addon specific settings which users don't change on a per-vessel basis (usually). And I'm not sure about which to classify for "addon settings" and which ones for "vessel/launch parameters".

Here's how I see it at the moment:

• Simple launch parameters: Destination Height, Inclination, auto staging, auto deploy fairing.
• Advanced launch parameters: Destination Height, Inclination, Turn Height, Turn Speed, Staging parameters, etc.
• Addon Settings: Show Stats, Show Map, create circularisation node, use MechJeb, use TimeWarp, save vessel defaults.

I'm not sure if "use mechjeb" or "use timewarp" are vessel specific or addon global.

Or if this split does make sense at all... What are your thoughts?

[Crabman]

I think this is very good. Some users may not understand what means to the launch profile the "Time to AP" or other things, so they can see just the simple launch parameters. I think it's a good addition.

And in my opinion "use mechjeb" and "use timewrap" should be global.

Thanks for updating the mod!

[razark]

On 11/19/2016 at 8:57 AM, AndyMt said:

• improvement: roll program starts after vessel has cleared it's own height.

I have a very slight issue with this feature.

When building, I build my vehicles 90 degrees off in the VAB, so that it's already in the orientation I want on launch.  However, when launching, it immediately starts rolling to the default orientation before it starts rolling back to what I had entered.

[Argyle MHF]

I'd like to request an "Auto Solar Panel Deploy" toggle, I guess in the Advanced launch parameters tab.

Most times you feel like auto-deploying, but sometimes you don't.

[Curveball Anders]

12 minutes ago, razark said:

I have a very slight issue with this feature.

When building, I build my vehicles 90 degrees off in the VAB, so that it's already in the orientation I want on launch.  However, when launching, it immediately starts rolling to the default orientation before it starts rolling back to what I had entered.

I think the issue is one of reference.

When I launch with MJ I always roll 90 to get my boosters right, with GT it's 270 to get the same.

[razark]

1 minute ago, Curveball Anders said:

I think the issue is one of reference.

My guess is that the roll value is locked to 0 (or whatever the default is) until the vehicle clears its own height.  Since my vehicles are built on a different orientation, it starts rolling to zero, before the roll lock is cleared.

The solution, I believe, would be to keep the vehicle in whatever orientation it's in until the lock is cleared.  How hard that would be to change, I don't know, and as I said, it's only a very minor issue for me.

[Curveball Anders]

1 minute ago, razark said:

My guess is that the roll value is locked to 0 (or whatever the default is) until the vehicle clears its own height.  Since my vehicles are built on a different orientation, it starts rolling to zero, before the roll lock is cleared.

Ah, correct.

I always leave mine at default when I build, and roll them during launch (which almost always leads to no rolling at all).

[DStaal]

I'd say 'use mechjeb' is global, but 'use timewarp' - while it should have a global default - needs to be at least overridable per-vessel.  Most of the time I use timewarp manually, but I get occasional ships where it results in explosions.  (Usually launching station segments - long and light, they tend to wobble.  With timewarp, they wobble through fairings.)

As another, possibly alternate, thought: 'use timewarp' could have a setting for 'after X height' - even in the ones were I don't use timewarp, I can timewarp once I clear ~35-40km without issues, usually, and I find that GravityTurn often does a better job at lower elevations with timewarp turned off.  (Things get calculated per tick - and at timewarp ticks are further apart.)

[Superfluous J]

I feel that the last auto stage should be visible on the main screen, either at all times or at least when auto stage is enabled. And it should be saved by craft if it's not already.

[AndyMt]

5 hours ago, razark said:

I have a very slight issue with this feature.

When building, I build my vehicles 90 degrees off in the VAB, so that it's already in the orientation I want on launch.  However, when launching, it immediately starts rolling to the default orientation before it starts rolling back to what I had entered.

Oh! Well - that is not what I intended... I'll look into it.

[AndyMt]

15 hours ago, Argyle MHF said:

I'd like to request an "Auto Solar Panel Deploy" toggle, I guess in the Advanced launch parameters tab.

Most times you feel like auto-deploying, but sometimes you don't.

This is on the border of what GravityTurn is intended for. But fairing deployment already is sort of, too. So I'll consider it, but no promises.

[Argyle MHF]

4 hours ago, AndyMt said:

This is on the border of what GravityTurn is intended for. But fairing deployment already is sort of, too. So I'll consider it, but no promises.

Nothing expected. I was looking at it from a non-MechJeb using players perspective. In the MJ utilities, there is an Auto-deploy that deploys & stows panels.

[Dentar]

Mr. AndyMT... Great modifications, improvements, in the new 1.7.5 release! Thanks for the work!  

 

[razark]

I've noticed another issue.

When launching, if I do not change the default altitude, it will do the initial pitchover and continue to hold that attitude through the flight.  As soon as I change it during flight, it will start responding properly.
I know I tested it, but I do not recall if changing the target altitude before launch has the correct behavior.  I'll update after my next launch.

Edit:
Editing the altitude before launch works correctly.

Edited November 24, 2016 by razark

[AndyMt]

I've implemented a hotfix V 1.7.6 which solves the initial roll issue.

Download here

V1.7.6:

• hotfix for issue #36

Can you guys please test if this solves the problem? Only one line of code to be changed actually...

[razark]

Thanks for the fix.  I'll test it when I get home.  Right now, my employer is under the (severely mistaken) idea that there's some reason for me being here.

It's almost noon on Friday.  The phone has not rung since 9:50 AM.  On Tuesday.

 

Sigh.  I think I'll take my office chair for a walk.  I'm guessing the wheels will get stuck in the gap between the floor and the elevator, though. 

I really need to look into teleworking.

[Birdco_Space]

a quick suggestion on features:

the rocket pitching modestly towards the horizon if the time to Apoapsis continues to climb once the program hits the minimum throttle setting.  Ideally, this should occur after the orbital program initiates, and never pitch below the horizon.

 

this may allow this mod to be used for RSS and Realism overhaul.

  Thank you so much for picking up the reigns on this mod.  This mod ranks with KAC, KER and Trajectories as an essential quality of life mod for me

[AndyMt]

3 hours ago, Birdco_Space said:

a quick suggestion on features:

the rocket pitching modestly towards the horizon if the time to Apoapsis continues to climb once the program hits the minimum throttle setting.  Ideally, this should occur after the orbital program initiates, and never pitch below the horizon.

this may allow this mod to be used for RSS and Realism overhaul.

  Thank you so much for picking up the reigns on this mod.  This mod ranks with KAC, KER and Trajectories as an essential quality of life mod for me

Thanks. As soon as there is a stable RSS mod for 1.2.1, I intend to give this a try in any case. I know where and how to change the calculations.

[razark]

7 hours ago, AndyMt said:

Can you guys please test if this solves the problem? Only one line of code to be changed actually...

I've tested it, and it looks like the roll issue on launching is working now.

Thanks a lot!

 

(The roll issue of my chair wheels into the elevator, not so much.)

 

 

Edit:

On 11/23/2016 at 11:08 PM, razark said:

When launching, if I do not change the default altitude, it will do the initial pitchover and continue to hold that attitude through the flight.  As soon as I change it during flight, it will start responding properly.

...

Editing the altitude before launch works correctly.

On further usage, is appears that it's either inconsistent, or it's related to time warping before launch.  If I warp to a launch window, it seems to lock to the initial pitchover attitude until the destination altitude is changed.

Edited November 26, 2016 by razark

[AndyMt]

On 26.11.2016 at 0:18 AM, razark said:

On further usage, is appears that it's either inconsistent, or it's related to time warping before launch.  If I warp to a launch window, it seems to lock to the initial pitchover attitude until the destination altitude is changed.

I'm not really sure what problem you describe here, I'll try with my own words:

• you rotate a vessel in the VAB
• you put it on the launchpad, change the roll parameter in GT to 0
• you time warp a bit
• then you launch.

Now I don't understand what happens:

=> the vessel doesn't roll as expected? It pitches and keeps the heading?

=> the vessel DOES roll, but it should not? And then keeps the heading

Is there an inclination involved?

Because what ever I do - GT rolls and pitches how I expect it to. If I time warp before or not. So I must do something different than you.

[razark]

My process:

• Build vehicle in VAB, rotate so the Kerbals are heads east, feet west.
• Go to launchpad, change GT roll parameter to 180 (this matches the orientation of the vessel)
• Timewarp until my station is approaching
• Launch

The vessel will launch straight up until it hits 100m/s, then do the 10 degree pitch maneuver.  If I've entered an inclination (launching to Minmus with either 6 or -6 degree inclinations), it will roll and pitch to the proper direction (84 or 96 degree heading).  It will then continue to hold the 80 degree pitch attitude, and not follow the prograde marker.  GT will throttle to maintain a 50 second time to apoapsis.

 

However, it's inconsistent.  I've seen it with and without timewarp.  I've seen it with and without an inclination.  I've seen it with and without editing the target altitude before launch.  I can't find a reliable way to recreate the effect.  The vast majority of the time, the mod works great.

Since no one else seems to be reporting this problem, I'm going to guess that it might be due to the particular mix of mods I'm using.  At this point, it's not a critical issue for me.  I've got a workaround (waiting until after launching to change the altitude) and if I forget, I can revert.

[AndyMt]

I've released 1.7.6 now on the opening post and on CKAN. I'll keep an eye on the initial roll and pitch behavior anyway. I have a hotfix branch in case anything else needs to be fixed.

Now I'm working on the major code refactoring to separate UI, logic/calculations and data in preparation for the redesigned UI.

I'm eager to try the new Unity UI which would reduce performance impact and garbage. It also allows much fancier designs... but requires the UI to be rewritten entirely and strictly separated from any KSP related code (separate assemblies in fact).

So don't expect a new release any time soon. And we are getting close to Christmas already...