Is a CommNet "Relay Computer module" possible?

[Tyko]

I've been trying to figure out if I could make a module that would enable Direct antennas to function as relays - you'd add the direct antennas, then also add this Relay Computer onto the ship. The Relay Computer would allow the Direct antennas to be included in the Relay antenna calculations. Under this model, all antenna's would be categorized as Direct and the Relay Computer would be unlocked in the tech tree after which any antenna can be used as Relay simply by adding the Relay Computer module.

I could write a MM .cfg that would change all Antenna's to Relay type, but I can't figure out how trigger that change by the user adding the Relay Computer part. I'm not even sure if you can do it that way because I think all MM changes occur when the game is loaded, not when parts are attached.

Has anyone else explored this?

Edited December 8, 2016 by Tyko

[Shadowmage]

It might be doable at the custom plugin level, but I don't think it is possible at the ModuleManager patch level.

If you have a new part, say 'Relay Module'; it gets added to a ship similar to a MJ case, battery, or science instrument.  It has a single custom PartModule on it; lets call it 'ModuleRelayControl'.

When flight scene is started, or vessel changed, your custom partmodule (ModuleRelayControl) will look for all ModuleDataTransmitter on the vessel, and update their internal 'antennaType' fields to 'RELAY'.  They keep all of their existing range stats, but merely get turned into relays, if, and only if, your relay module is installed.  Might need some additional event handling to disable the relay functionality when vessels are undocked, where you would re-scan and re-enable the relay functionality for the two vessels independently.

Disclaimer:  While this should work in theory (based on the API), I have not tried it in practice.  It would depend entirely on the internal code of the antenna and if it caches any values that depend on the antenna-type.  May still be doable by manually calling the OnLoad() and/or OnStart() methods to re-initialize the module and recreate the caches.

[Poodmund]

Does this help at all? https://kerbalspaceprogram.com/api/interface_comm_net_1_1_i_relay_enabler.html

If not could the part just have a combinability exponent of 0, be set as a relay and have the power of that relay antenna set to a dynamic value based on the highest, combined vessel antenna power?

[pellinor]

12 minutes ago, Shadowmage said:

When flight scene is started, or vessel changed, your custom partmodule (ModuleRelayControl) will look for all ModuleDataTransmitter on the vessel, and update their internal 'antennaType' fields to 'RELAY'.  They keep all of their existing range stats, but merely get turned into relays, if, and only if, your relay module is installed.  Might need some additional event handling to disable the relay functionality when vessels are undocked, where you would re-scan and re-enable the relay functionality for the two vessels independently.

The problem is that the relay functionality is usually used when the relay vessel is not loaded, so the partModules do not come to life.

It might be possible with a custom module derived from ModuleDataTransmitter, which overloads the method(s) for unloaded antenna power. Then the relay computer would act as a relay antenna and would report the combined range.