totm dec 2023 [WIP] [1.12.x] MOARdV's Avionics Systems - MAS Interactive IVA! (v1.3.7, 7 April 2023)

[MOARdV]

2 hours ago, Stone Blue said:

Would it be difficult, or a lot of work, to get that mod working with MAS, as well?

It looks like that mod does the same thing - it updates things prior to the camera rendering, but it doesn't shut things off after the camera's done.  So if it's also drawing artifacts on MAS displays, that's likely the reason.  However, I wouldn't expect to see them anywhere but the camera views on the MFD, since it looks like that mod puts its primitives on layer 7 (KFI draws on the same layer that MAS uses, which is why it shows artifacts on all of the MAS camera views).  Also note that I'm not fixing or supporting either mod (KFI or NavHud) - all I did was diagnose the bug vardicd saw and forward it to the current mod maintainer.

[MOARdV]

MAS v0.21.0 is now available on GitHub.

This release introduces a handful of new features, and some further tweaks to the MFDs included in the mod.  It is also likely the last release before v1.0.0, since the outstanding issues list is pretty short and there's only one significant feature from RPM that's missing (or incomplete, more accurately) in MAS.

[MOARdV]

MAS v0.21.1 is now available on GitHub.  For those of you wanting to dabble in IVA-only experiences, but not wanting to get buried in the complexity of MFDs and other modern designs, there's a (mostly) basic stock Mk1 Pod included:

Note that the DSKY is still a work-in-progress - some modes work, some do not. But it's enough to determine your Ap and Pe and track how much delta-V you have, as well as how soon you hit your apsides.

[fredbreakfast]

I know you're saying this is a basic IVA but even that is a very-welcome sight. Thank you for adding that into the mod.

[Radar]

@MOARdV Think I may have found a slight bug with regards to Jettison of parts when MAS is used.

I saw this with the Ultimate Shuttle IVA but couldn't pin point the problem. With DECQ Saturn mod recently released ( 
https://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/index.php?/topic/176505-12x13x14x-saturnv-v103-d160718/ ) I decided to add MAS into the Command Module cfg file, so before changing any parts to MAS I added the below line to the APOLLO_COMMAND.cfg file (removing Module RPM) and when anything is set to jettison parts (shrouds on) of the spacecraft it gives a micro freeze at that jettison stage, shrouds to off on the spacecraft and launch again or removing MAS Module in the config and there is no micro freeze. Depending on the number of parts being jettisoned at any one time determines the freeze length.

MODULE
	{
		name = MASFlightComputer
		requiresPower = true

		PERSISTENT_VARIABLES{}
		RPM_COLOROVERRIDE
		{
			COLORDEFINITION
			{
				// 'white' label unlit color
				name = ASET_SWITCHER_NAME_ZEROCOLOR
				color =  213, 213, 213, 255
			}
		}
	}

I'm using the latest version of MAS (0.21.1) and the log files have nothing regarding the freeze. It's easily replicated however.

[MOARdV]

8 hours ago, Radar said:

Think I may have found a slight bug with regards to Jettison of parts when MAS is used.

It is entirely possible that the logic used to detect vessel changes is causing multiple scans, which definitely would be noticeable, since MAS has to scan the entire vessel to determine what's still attached to it.  I will see if I can find what's happening.

[MOARdV]

I've taken a look at the MAS code, and I've instrumented it in the region I thought could be a problem.  However, I don't see anything odd happening during staging.  I installed the DECQ SV and launched it after adding the MM patch to install the MAS flight computer, and I don't see stutters around staging.  There are some different stutters related to the Lua DLL MAS uses, but that's only relevant to MAS IVAs, and they aren't triggered by staging.

So, I've made a couple of changes that may help (a little), but, since I don't see the stutter here, I don't know if my changes make a difference for other folks.

[MOARdV]

And MAS v0.21.2 is now available.  Despite saying that I wasn't going to touch stock IVAs ... I did a partial Mk 1-3 IVA to go with the Mk1 pod:

It's missing a key gauge for Kerbin-Mun transfers (the phase angle gauge), but it's fairly complete as-is.  This release includes a lot of retro-1960's-NASA switches.

Available, as always, on GitHub.

[Angelo Kerman]

@MOARdV These are looking great! May I also request some more controls from ASET?

The Buffalo cockpit and others use those cool fuel gauge rings and I was wondering if they will port over to MAS. I'm hoping to convert my older ASET cockpits over to MAS as well.

[MOARdV]

4 hours ago, Angel-125 said:

@MOARdV These are looking great! May I also request some more controls from ASET?

The Buffalo cockpit and others use those cool fuel gauge rings and I was wondering if they will port over to MAS. I'm hoping to convert my older ASET cockpits over to MAS as well.

Those props should easily convert over to MAS, IIRC.  I did a couple of them in the past, but they didn't fit with the design aesthetic I was using, so I didn't bother setting up a bulk conversion.

[Angelo Kerman]

25 minutes ago, MOARdV said:

Those props should easily convert over to MAS, IIRC.  I did a couple of them in the past, but they didn't fit with the design aesthetic I was using, so I didn't bother setting up a bulk conversion.

No worries, how would I go about converting them?

[MOARdV]

1 hour ago, Angel-125 said:

No worries, how would I go about converting them?

The PropConfig tool I put together will make it easy, once the basic template is put together.  I can sort out the template this week sometime - once it's done, applying the template for the prop config tool is just copy / paste / edit a few lines in an XML file.

[MOARdV]

21 hours ago, Angel-125 said:

No worries, how would I go about converting them?

Here's a first stab at setting up the templates for IndicatorCircular - DropBox.

The ZIP includes PropConfig.exe (the config generation tool), the master prop.xml (most of the props), and propIndicatorCircular.xml, which is heavily commented and defines 3 of the circular indicators (throttle, power/charge, and G Forces), and the batch file I use for generating configs in my local GitHub instance.  Hopefully, it's fairly straight forward how you'd add props to propIndicatorCircular.xml to populate it.  I think I will convert the rest of the existing ASET circular indicator props this weekend (the week's starting to look really busy).

[theonegalen]

oh

my 

gosh

[Angelo Kerman]

@MOARdV That is sooo useful!

[MOARdV]

8 hours ago, Angel-125 said:

@MOARdV That is sooo useful!

I am going to split up prop.xml, since it's big and unwieldy.  But if you fill in some new props, and you're willing to share them, I'd be happy to roll them into the master XML files.  A lot of IVA makers (understandably) don't want to mess with having to create new prop configs, so one of my goals right now is to get a broader selection of props set up, so it's more plug-and-play.

[fredbreakfast]

Forgive me if I missed this, but is there an ability in your stock IVAs that you included to label the action groups like with alexustas' ASET-based ones? Specifically the "AG1=[text]" part that you type in your vehicle description when building.

[Radar]

@MOARdV

On 7/21/2018 at 12:14 AM, MOARdV said:

I've taken a look at the MAS code, and I've instrumented it in the region I thought could be a problem.  However, I don't see anything odd happening during staging.  I installed the DECQ SV and launched it after adding the MM patch to install the MAS flight computer, and I don't see stutters around staging.  There are some different stutters related to the Lua DLL MAS uses, but that's only relevant to MAS IVAs, and they aren't triggered by staging.

So, I've made a couple of changes that may help (a little), but, since I don't see the stutter here, I don't know if my changes make a difference for other folks.

Thank you for having a look, I will have a look shortly with the latest version and see how it goes.

[MOARdV]

On 7/26/2018 at 9:36 AM, fredbreakfast said:

Forgive me if I missed this, but is there an ability in your stock IVAs that you included to label the action groups like with alexustas' ASET-based ones? Specifically the "AG1=[text]" part that you type in your vehicle description when building.

The way I configured those specific props, no.  It would be easy to create props that do use the labels.  The main reason I didn't is that it might look weird if the text was really long.  However, I guess that falls on the player to make sure the name is short enough.  I can swap the switches with versions that use labels in the next release.

[Bombaatu]

I have installed version 0.21.2 and am having an issue with the navball in the IVA. 

1. It does not light up when I turn on the Instrument Panel lights

2. It is inverted and fixed; it does not respond to the movement of the craft.

[Radar]

@MOARdV Your update has reduced the micro freeze with Jettison, thank you so much for this, really appreciate it and the work that you do.

No big deal, but curious if you thought about adding to say a config file the option to hide the toolbar icon. For me once the settings are set I see no reason to keep an icon in the toolbar.

Edited July 31, 2018 by Radar

[MOARdV]

13 hours ago, Bombaatu said:

I have installed version 0.21.2 and am having an issue with the navball in the IVA. 

1. It does not light up when I turn on the Instrument Panel lights

2. It is inverted and fixed; it does not respond to the movement of the craft.

You need to turn on the FDAI power switch.  In the Mk 1 pod (Mercury-ish), the switch is immediately to the right of the FDAI below the RCS switch.  In the Mk1-3 pod (Apollo-ish) it is the left switch immediately below the FDAI.  With the IVAs I build, I always try to keep the instrument power switch near the instrument.

4 hours ago, Radar said:

No big deal, but curious if you thought about adding to say a config file the option to hide the toolbar icon. For me once the settings are set I see no reason to keep an icon in the toolbar.

I think the only objection I have is, how to unhide it once it's hidden?  I suppose I could add some version-locking thing where if MAS updates, it unhides (in case there are new options to contend with), but otherwise it'd require manual editing of a file somewhere.

EDIT: Oh, and I'm glad the changes helped with the stutter you were seeing.  I wasn't reproducing it, so it was something of a stab in the dark.

Edited July 31, 2018 by MOARdV

[Radar]

Quote

I think the only objection I have is, how to unhide it once it's hidden?  I suppose I could add some version-locking thing where if MAS updates, it unhides (in case there are new options to contend with), but otherwise it'd require manual editing of a file somewhere.

To be honest I think I'd take the manual approach. Those with little to no knowledge are best to not alter things such as this. They will use your mod as an add-on to other mods ie Ultimate Shuttle IVA etc.

For those with knowledge a simple config file similar to TextureReplacer with the following line would be enough imho for those with knowledge to make a simple change if they so wish..

  // Enable toolbar icon that activates GUI for customising MAS.
  isGUIEnabled = false

Edited July 31, 2018 by Radar

[linuxgurugamer]

35 minutes ago, MOARdV said:

You need to turn on the FDAI power switch.  In the Mk 1 pod (Mercury-ish), the switch is immediately to the right of the FDAI below the RCS switch.  In the Mk1-3 pod (Apollo-ish) it is the left switch immediately below the FDAI.  With the IVAs I build, I always try to keep the instrument power switch near the instrument.

I think the only objection I have is, how to unhide it once it's hidden?  I suppose I could add some version-locking thing where if MAS updates, it unhides (in case there are new options to contend with), but otherwise it'd require manual editing of a file somewhere.

EDIT: Oh, and I'm glad the changes helped with the stutter you were seeing.  I wasn't reproducing it, so it was something of a stab in the dark.

You could add a simple settings page with it, using the stock settings method

[MOARdV]

14 minutes ago, Radar said:

To be honest I think I'd take the manual approach. Those with little to no knowledge are best to not alter things such as this.

Yeah, actually, that would be better.  I had been thinking of a checkbox in the GUI, but I agree that it should be hidden.

10 minutes ago, linuxgurugamer said:

You could add a simple settings page with it, using the stock settings method

My original implementation was as a difficulty / settings tab, but I didn't think it belonged there (although I don't remember now why - it was over a year ago, I think).