[1.3.0] Kerbal Engineer Redux 1.1.3.0 (2017-05-28)

[cybutek]

I've looked into the biome thing. The method which is available to get your current biome based on latitude and longitude seems very inaccurate. It basically says you're over water when on the pad ready to launch.

[Core Xii]

Version 0.6.2.2 is now available!

This new version potentially fixes the bug where KER stops updating. I didn't have much to go on for this fix, so hopefully I've squashed the right bug

Not fixed. All I had to do was load a simple old rocket, look at it for a while and KER froze a minute later. Browsing the reference bodies, for example, doesn't switch TWR display. It just stops updating and displays data from a point in time in the past.

Edited December 25, 2013 by Core Xii

[cybutek]

Are you able to post the craft file and instructions that guarantee the reproduction of this bug? I've never came across it personally so this bug fix was a bit of a shot in the dark anyway.

[Core Xii]

I started a new sandbox game, started with a mk1 pod, slapped Engineer7500 on it and started building; adding parts (stock only, though I do have mods installed; looking at the craft file, at least KAS adds some modules), altering staging, switching reference bodies, mostly between Kerbin, Mun and atmosphere/no. 10 minutes later, KER froze. Craft file.

I have a thought. If you build a rocket large enough (not really large at all by my standards, see craft file above) with one reference body, then switch to another reference body, KER will hiccup for maybe half a second calculating the values. If at this point in time, before KER shows the updated new values for the switched reference body, you switch reference body again, it freezes. I think that's what caused it on this test at least.

There may be a separate bug that has the same effect, though, since I've had this freeze while adding parts as well. (though you may have fixed that one, don't know)

[jrandom]

Not sure if it's just the large number of mods I have installed to support Real Solar System / Realism Overhaul, but right-clicking on an engine, any engine causes Engineer to stop updating delta-v information. If I restart KSP, Engineer works again, however if I load up the saved craft I had right-clicked an engine on, Engineer will go back to not working.

MechJeb appears to correctly continue to display delta-v information but I'm seeing a lot of NaN's in the 'mass' column so that might be something.

[Creat]

Not sure if it's just the large number of mods I have installed to support Real Solar System / Realism Overhaul, but right-clicking on an engine, any engine causes Engineer to stop updating delta-v information. If I restart KSP, Engineer works again, however if I load up the saved craft I had right-clicked an engine on, Engineer will go back to not working.

MechJeb appears to correctly continue to display delta-v information but I'm seeing a lot of NaN's in the 'mass' column so that might be something.

Are you sure it's with any engine? Especially with stock engines? There is currently a bug in KW Rocketry (for example, might be in others) that shows an "electric charge" tweakable when you right-click. This confuses engineer (the stage with that engine becomes basically empty) and you need to fix it with a ModManager config file. I personally use the following as a catch-all-solution to this problem (it adds the missing tweakable fields to engines that don't have them). After you've applied the fix below you need to discard all engines from builds that you made before and re-add them from the part list (otherwise the old entry persists as it was saved that way with the ship).

Put this in a file with any name ending in .cfg inside the GameData folder (or any subfolder). Obviously needs ModManager 1.5 or above (which you probably have if you have a lot of mods).

@PART[*]:HAS[@MODULE[ModuleEngines],@RESOURCE[ElectricCharge]]
{
	@RESOURCE[ElectricCharge]
	{
		%isTweakable = false
		%hideFlow = true
	}
}

[jrandom]

Put this in a file with any name ending in .cfg inside the GameData folder (or any subfolder). Obviously needs ModManager 1.5 or above (which you probably have if you have a lot of mods).

Yep, I've already got that patch in place. I'll double-check it and then reproduce the error tonight and see if I can get some specifics. (This is happening with the stock engines, too, but they're all modified by RSS/RO/MFS.)

[glacierre]

I just installed this in 0.23 (modded with better than manned first) and the display values got stuck forever no matter if I start a new craft, go to vab/sph, even go out to main KSP menu and reload the saved game!

I always get the same stages I had a while ago.

May I suggest, until the bug gets finally solved, it would be good enough to show a button to manually force a refresh/reload of the KER? Restarting KSP is the only way to solve this right now and it is by far not a convenient workaround.

Edited December 28, 2013 by glacierre

[Kimberly]

I've been building a few small probes lately, and I've been annoyed by the fact that Kerbal Engineer doesn't calculate delta-V for RCS propulsion. For probes that 1000-2000 kg, RCS is a viable means of orbital maneuvering, and it'd be helpful if the Engineer worked. But for other crafts it's not that useful, so I suggest adding a toggle.

[Joseph_Terran]

Odd issue here. Currently running the newest versions of both Toolbar and Engineer and for some reason the toolbar mod removes the atmospheric data (drag ect) from the engineer7500 in the flight view. I have no idea why its happening, but it comes back as soon as I remove the 000_Toolbar folder.

[J_Davis]

@cybutek could you add Sea Level TWR when Modular Fuel Tanks (and Real Fuels) is installed? It now makes Thrust vary with Isp. On flight it works great but on the VAB it doesn't show the real TWR with MFT. I think NathanKell said that it could be easily calculated by making both atmo and vacc burn times the same

Does anyone know if this functionality can be toggled? Perhaps a setting that switches between "Isp changes Thrust"/"Isp changes Burn Rate"? This seems to have odd effects on the deltaV calculations as well.

[cybutek]

I started a new sandbox game, started with a mk1 pod, slapped Engineer7500 on it and started building; adding parts (stock only, though I do have mods installed; looking at the craft file, at least KAS adds some modules), altering staging, switching reference bodies, mostly between Kerbin, Mun and atmosphere/no. 10 minutes later, KER froze. Craft file.

I have a thought. If you build a rocket large enough (not really large at all by my standards, see craft file above) with one reference body, then switch to another reference body, KER will hiccup for maybe half a second calculating the values. If at this point in time, before KER shows the updated new values for the switched reference body, you switch reference body again, it freezes. I think that's what caused it on this test at least.

There may be a separate bug that has the same effect, though, since I've had this freeze while adding parts as well. (though you may have fixed that one, don't know)

I've been messing around with your craft for a good while now, attaching things, removing things, switching the reference body all over the place over and over again as fast as possible. I've even been messing with the staging and tweakables as fast as possible to try and cause this bug. Changing reference body whilst it's still calculating etc. Suffice to say, I cannot reproduce it. Without being able to reproduce this bug, there's no way for me to know where it is. Sorry. Can't fix something which I can't break

[Core Xii]

Well that's infuriating. Is there any way we can debug this? Logs of some kind? A debug build with additional tests or info?

[Castun]

Not sure if this has been pointed out before, but it seems KER thinks cubic octagonal struts transfer fuel like a fuel line or something. Have some tanks radially attached onto a center tank with the cubic struts, and the dV calculations treat the tanks as physically attached even with no fuel lines present.

[aevionknight]

UPDATE: Looks like Creat already got this one, but here's a concrete example anyway.

I have a solid way to reproduce the problem in the VAB. I've also experienced a frozen Engineer in flight, but I don't have a case for that. Hopefully they are the ultimately the same problem, and fixing one fixes both.

STEPS TO REPRODUCE:

1. Unzip a fresh copy of 0.23.

2. Install Engineer 0.6.2.2.

3. Install KW Rocketry 2.5.52 (listed as 2.5.5 on spaceport).

4. Load up this craft file: http://www./view/pjgvc892xc1lc2g/KW_Engineer%20Broken.craft

5. Notice that Engineer is working - add a fuel tank on top of the pod. Do not touch anything else.

6. Right-click on the engine (a KW Vespa). Engineer stops updating.

I was not able to reproduce this trying a couple of stock engines - it seems to be related to KW specifically.

[jrandom]

The KW engine bug has to do with tweakables and electric charge. Create a .cfg with the following and that should solve the problem:

(you will need module manager 1.5.6 or better)

@PART[*]:HAS[@MODULE[ModuleEngines]]
{
	%RESOURCE[ElectricCharge]
	{
		%isTweakable = false
		%hideFlow = true
	}
}

[Luckfish]

I'm having trouble figuring out exactly what the two Delta-V numbers on either side of the "/" mean on Kerbal Engineer Redux. Sorry if I'm being dense on this one, but any help would be appreciated.

[jrandom]

I'm having trouble figuring out exactly what the two Delta-V numbers on either side of the "/" mean on Kerbal Engineer Redux. Sorry if I'm being dense on this one, but any help would be appreciated.

One number is for the current stage, and the other is for all stages up to that point added together.

[Luckfish]

One number is for the current stage, and the other is for all stages up to that point added together.

Okay, that does make sense now that I look at it again. So the total Delta-V for the entire craft with all stages will be the upper right-most number, the one to the right of the "/" of the uppermost stage. The numbers for cost and mass in the KER build window don't seem set up that way...I'm thinking that the mass is broken down by "dry/fully fueled" for each stage (M1/M0), I'll poke around with KSP after work and check this. Thanks for the help!

[cybutek]

The deltaV totals are to show how much has been expended, not how much you have left. This allows for knowing how much of the staging will still be intact once you reach orbit, or the Mun etc.

[Luckfish]

I'm talking about the ones in the KER window in the VAB, before I've expended any deltaV. They seem to be to simplify the planning phase, so you can decide if a particular stage has enough to get where you're going, right?

[cybutek]

I'm talking about the ones in the KER window in the VAB, before I've expended any deltaV. They seem to be to simplify the planning phase, so you can decide if a particular stage has enough to get where you're going, right?

Yup, exactly that.

[Luckfish]

Well thanks for creating this mod, I think it's the most useful one I've come across yet. I had read up on calculating the deltaV for multi-stage vehicles, and did it for one or two just to see if I could, but I can see how that would get tedious. The Flight Engineer part of the Mod is great too. I just noticed this morning that the total deltaV for my craft changes slightly when I go to the launch pad. For the first second or two it's identical to the total deltaV on the KER window in the VAB, but then the ships kind of 'settles' and wobbles a bit on the pad, and the deltaV total drops by a few hundred. I thought it might be something like the weight of the Kerbal himself doesn't get added until the launchpad, but the total mass doesn't change between the VAB and launchpad. Maybe it's something to do with that settling...I'll have to check and see if it happens with every craft, and to what extent.

[Superfluous J]

For the first second or two it's identical to the total deltaV on the KER window in the VAB, but then ... the deltaV total drops by a few hundred.

That's because engines have 2 ISP values: Atmospheric and Vacuum, and as you rise you slowly go from one to the other as air pressure decreases. In the VAB, it shows you vacuum ISP. On the launch pad, because you're in the atmosphere, it shows you atmospheric ISP. You can change it in the VAB gui for KER.

Note: All those guides that say you need 4500 dV to get into orbit, they mean vacuum dV.

[Luckfish]

That makes perfect sense now... Thanks!