[1.11] CommNet Constellation v1.5.7 [10 January 2021] - Beta 4 of CNC+CNM for KSP 1.12.2!

[TaxiService]

10 hours ago, shadoworld56 said:

I'm having some trouble with this mod. it seems to corrupt the save data when a flight is reverted? 

There is also this weird output line higher up in the log that looks like it might be the problem? Something about the name parameter.

Hi,

Is it happening when you revert from launchpad/runaway back to Editor? I have a few player reports (seems happen with other mods) on this issue and can not determine how the hell it happened.

In addition, can you provide output_log.txt from KSP_x64_Data folder of your KSP installation, please?

Thanks!

[Spike88]

I was having problems with RemoteTech(losing connection at about 70KM above launch pad(with 2.5 resize)). So I switched back to commnet with constellation, however I noticed BDB probes wont connect to the commnet with Constellation installed, is there something I should add to the parts configs to allow them to connect.

[TaxiService]

6 hours ago, Spike88 said:

I was having problems with RemoteTech(losing connection at about 70KM above launch pad(with 2.5 resize)). So I switched back to commnet with constellation, however I noticed BDB probes wont connect to the commnet with Constellation installed, is there something I should add to the parts configs to allow them to connect.

Bluedog-Design-Bureau, right? I look at the antennas and can see they have the ModuleDataTransmitter module to connect CommNet.

But I notice most of their antenna powers are kinda small. Like F21 Helical Antenna's 125,000 against tiniest Comm 16S's 500,000.

Try use biggest BDB antennas and see if they connect

[Poodmund]

On 2/9/2018 at 1:18 AM, MaximumThrust said:

Awesome mod. The only thing that I really want is the option to add many frequencies to the same vessel, without needing a new antenna for each one.

I brought this up in the past (last October) but it seems that this concept would go against the ethos of the mod...?

Without this feature, its kind of hard to add this mod into a pre-existing game save as your communication networks are not suitable as they only have 1 antenna.

Edited February 25, 2018 by Poodmund

[Spike88]

17 hours ago, TaxiService said:

Bluedog-Design-Bureau, right? I look at the antennas and can see they have the ModuleDataTransmitter module to connect CommNet.

But I notice most of their antenna powers are kinda small. Like F21 Helical Antenna's 125,000 against tiniest Comm 16S's 500,000.

Try use biggest BDB antennas and see if they connect

I’ll experiment more when I get home, but with testing yesterday, the antenna in question would connect without Constellaion, but would not connect with constellation installed.

 

Edit: Upon further experimentation, it seems to be an issue with the Taerobee probes not connecting when using BDB antennas. I was able to get the X1 fuselage to connect if I used a stock antenna.

Edited February 26, 2018 by Spike88

[TaxiService]

22 hours ago, Spike88 said:

I’ll experiment more when I get home, but with testing yesterday, the antenna in question would connect without Constellaion, but would not connect with constellation installed.

 

Edit: Upon further experimentation, it seems to be an issue with the Taerobee probes not connecting when using BDB antennas. I was able to get the X1 fuselage to connect if I used a stock antenna.

Hmmm, I tested BDB and Constellation from a fresh save and could connect with different non-stock probe/antennas. My guess is that you installed Constellation onto your existing save and the effect taken place was not quite full (need one flight scene to fully initialise). I encountered this intermediate effect during my tests on existing saves.

Does this description match to your experience with Constellation?

[Whovian41110]

So is there a tutorial on how to properly set this up?

[TaxiService]

18 hours ago, Whovian41110 said:

So is there a tutorial on how to properly set this up?

No, there isn't any tutorial. So I make this tutorial:

Basics

Consider this picture of a 3-layered pyramid below.

At the top, there are certainly sources that control unmanned vessels over great distances of void. These sources are Ground Stations, such as Tracking Station at Kerbal Space Center, and manned pods with antennas. However, the sources need a reliable way to send and maintain control to the vessels without signal collision.

To accomplish this, communication networks in the middle come into this picture. One or more networks are known as 'constellations'. Each constellation is associated with a single frequency number with color for easy recognition. Zero or more vessels and control sources can connect to the constellation through this frequency. There will be always a single constellation (called Public or something) at the beginning and cannot be eliminated for accessibility purpose.

Lastly at the bottom, there are antennas of a vessel that send and receive frequencies. Each antenna is assigned to a single frequency. This means a vessel with N antennas can connect to up to maximum number of N constellations at the same times. Moreover, two or more antennas can be set to the same frequency to combine their power ratings into a larger non-linear power rating than any of the power ratings.

Interfaces

There are three main interfaces in KSP.

• Control Panel at Map View/Tracking Station can be accessed from Application Launcher. It has three separate pages of Constellations, Ground Stations and Vessels. In the first page, you can modify or create constellations. In the second page, there are fixed number of Ground Stations on Kerbal that you can edit their names, colors and lists of frequencies. In the last page, eligible vessels with antennas are outlined with search filters.
• Every probe core/manned pod has the interface for managing the master list of frequencies, built from the antennas of a vessel. You can toggle off/on all or some antennas. This interface is accessible from the right-click Part Action menu.
• Every antenna has the interface for the configuration of frequency and name. Like the core/pod, the UI is available through the right-click Part Action menu.

 

[Whovian41110]

6 minutes ago, TaxiService said:

No, there isn't any tutorial. So I make this tutorial:

Basics

Consider this picture of a 3-layered pyramid below.

At the top, there are certainly sources that control unmanned vessels over great distances of void. These sources are Ground Stations, such as Tracking Station at Kerbal Space Center, and manned pods with antennas. However, the sources need a reliable way to send and maintain control to the vessels without signal collision.

To accomplish this, communication networks in the middle come into this picture. One or more networks are known as 'constellations'. Each constellation is associated with a single frequency number with color for easy recognition. Zero or more vessels and control sources can connect to the constellation through this frequency. There will be always a single constellation (called Public or something) at the beginning and cannot be eliminated for accessibility purpose.

Lastly at the bottom, there are antennas of a vessel that send and receive frequencies. Each antenna is assigned to a single frequency. This means a vessel with N antennas can connect to up to maximum number of N constellations at the same times. Moreover, two or more antennas can be set to the same frequency to combine their power ratings into a larger non-linear power rating than any of the power ratings.

Interfaces

There are three main interfaces in KSP.

• Control Panel at Map View/Tracking Station can be accessed from Application Launcher. It has three separate pages of Constellations, Ground Stations and Vessels. In the first page, you can modify or create constellations. In the second page, there are fixed number of Ground Stations on Kerbal that you can edit their names, colors and lists of frequencies. In the last page, eligible vessels with antennas are outlined with search filters.
• Every probe core/manned pod has the interface for managing the master list of frequencies, built from the antennas of a vessel. You can toggle off/on all or some antennas. This interface is accessible from the right-click Part Action menu.
• Every antenna has the interface for the configuration of frequency and name. Like the core/pod, the UI is available through the right-click Part Action menu.

 

So I'd have local range networks like a global comms for Kerbin, Frequency 1; then have mid range network for Kerbin SOI comms high altitude sats for Frequency 2, then extremely high altitude sats with long range on frequency three for deep space?

[TaxiService]

21 minutes ago, Whovian41110 said:

So I'd have local range networks like a global comms for Kerbin, Frequency 1; then have mid range network for Kerbin SOI comms high altitude sats for Frequency 2, then extremely high altitude sats with long range on frequency three for deep space?

Yup, your whole setup of networks doesn't have to be this way. Can try another setup: Solar Network (Frequency 1) with exit/entry comsats (Frequency 2 to N) for local space networks. 

Be creative!

[Whovian41110]

Is there any reason why all my ground stations aren't showing up? As in they do not broadcast

[RB101]

Does this mod work with 1.4.1?

[TaxiService]

14 hours ago, RB101 said:

Does this mod work with 1.4.1?

It is working in 1.4.1 (apart from mis-sized buttons). This is on my to-do list after clearing out RemoteTech stuff.

[RB101]

Hate to be blunt. But this mod REALLY needs a tutorial video X.x 

it's scrambling my brain.

ALSO, science bonuses aren't working with relays for some reason.

Edited March 23, 2018 by RB101

[TaxiService]

Yup, I am often getting questions about how it works. Unfortunately, I have no or limited resources to make tutorial videos (no mic, no video editing etc).

I will look into your report on science bonuses later when I update CNC for KSP 1.4.1.

Can you please provide output_log.txt at C:\Users\YOURUSERNAME\AppData\LocalLow\Squad\Kerbal Space Program?

[Inqie]

If you don't have the resources to create a proper tutorial, you could try reaching out to a Youtuber (such as Kottabos) to showcase it and embed that here on the topic. 
And in terms of showing the deterioration of signal strength, (probably a bit of a stretch but) I wonder if you could somehow use the predicted-orbit from manoeuvre nodes to generate straight dotted lines. That, or you could play with the alpha or saturation of the lines and see if that is a viable way to represent strength. 

Are plans still in place to add this to a future release of RemoteTech? Any estimated time frame?

[TaxiService]

On 3/29/2018 at 9:49 PM, PortalGunner said:

If you don't have the resources to create a proper tutorial, you could try reaching out to a Youtuber (such as Kottabos) to showcase it and embed that here on the topic. 
And in terms of showing the deterioration of signal strength, (probably a bit of a stretch but) I wonder if you could somehow use the predicted-orbit from manoeuvre nodes to generate straight dotted lines. That, or you could play with the alpha or saturation of the lines and see if that is a viable way to represent strength. 

Are plans still in place to add this to a future release of RemoteTech? Any estimated time frame?

Actually, I saw few KSP CommNet-related mods here like this baby that uses Unity Engine's visual stuff, rather than editing stock stuff. I want to learn and implement for own RemoteTech eventually.

Though I can't give solid time frame because my situation is like other indie modders/developers: "developing video games is hard, yo"

[TaxiService]

@RB101 I checked the science bonus and I think the relay part is factored for the overall signal signal. According to KSPedia, the science bonus (capped at 40%) is proportional non-linearly to the overall signal strength between KSC and active vessel, regardless of directing or bouncing through relays.

I am not finding much information about "40% magical bonus"

[TaxiService]

CommNet Constellation 1.2 is out for KSP 1.4.2! 

• Update the interfaces and move messages to top-center position
• Thicker CommNet lines in close zoom for KSP 1.4
• Change 'Working Connection' to 'Active Connection'

Linky 

Spoiler

What's new?

• Recompiled for KSP 1.4.2
• Fix the bug of duplicate frequencies in a ground station
• Change 'Working Connection' wording to 'Active Connection'
• Thicken CommNet lines in close zoom for KSP 1.4
• Move all messages to top-center position
• Update the interfaces

Requirements

• ModuleManager
• Kerbal Space Program 1.4

Known issues

• Issue #2 - White connections caused by combinations of other mods

 

[Mark Kerbin]

@TaxiService Thanks for the update! 

Minor Problemo Tho.

There seems to be some trouble with scrolling in the menus.

Seems to think it is at the bottom but its obvious that there are more vessels/ ground stations below. 

Common bug and can sometimes be fixed by clicking that menu again.

Will try to find screenshot.

[Mark Kerbin]

@TaxiService Here's your image! (sorry for double post, cant seem to edit the OG)

See at the bottom how the Kerbin System Relay is cut off? I can't scroll or drag any farther. This is a less severe case. But the bug seems to appear after creating, editing, or deleting a network or vessel.

Also I have a tiny suggestion...

Would it be at all possible to add the ability to use decimals?   

So instead of having say Kerbin System Relay be 21, I could set it to 2.1? Idk I just want to be able to do that.

(also yes I am still in the process of setting up =P )

[Beetlecat]

36 minutes ago, Mark Kerbin said:

Also I have a tiny suggestion...

Would it be at all possible to add the ability to use decimals?   

So instead of having say Kerbin System Relay be 21, I could set it to 2.1? Idk I just want to be able to do that.

Agree! free-form decimals or strings for frequencies would be great.

[Mark Kerbin]

Just now, Beetlecat said:

Agree! free-form decimals or strings for frequencies would be great.

I figured out why I want it! So I can have a set of 3 sats for Kerbin Mun and Minmus (3 Each) On 2.1, 2.2, 2.3 and then set 2 as the relay that connects the 3 bodies. Seems more organized.... and we alll know anyone here likes some good organization 

[TaxiService]

16 hours ago, Mark Kerbin said:

@TaxiService Here's your image! (sorry for double post, cant seem to edit the OG)

See at the bottom how the Kerbin System Relay is cut off? I can't scroll or drag any farther. This is a less severe case. But the bug seems to appear after creating, editing, or deleting a network or vessel.

Also I have a tiny suggestion...

Would it be at all possible to add the ability to use decimals?   

So instead of having say Kerbin System Relay be 21, I could set it to 2.1? Idk I just want to be able to do that.

(also yes I am still in the process of setting up =P )

My modder approach on the scroll component from KSP's new UI system is obnoxious when it comes to refreshing the scroll area. I am still learning how to use the scrolling properly.

For this decimal place, um it is little too late to change now :-/ The underlying software number for this frequency is integer. So all numbers in thee whole mod would have to be changed completely and it won't be even compatible with existing save.

If you feel brave, you can try fork the codebase, replace the numbers and compile. It should work fine on fresh save.

 

Edited April 18, 2018 by TaxiService

[Beetlecat]

I wonder if the scrollbar will be affected by the 1.4.3 fix with the difficulty/settings panel?