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

[Jacke]

[Engineer Redux v1.0 Build Engineer] is not forced onto any command pods or any parts, it is now a feature of the editor. Only the Flight Engineer requires a part for use outside of the editor because I realise that many people only want the VAB info and not the flight info.

Old MM cfg will still work to add flightengineer?

I wanted to enable partless Build and Flight Engineers on all Command pods manned and unmanned in v0.6.2.3 (and will want partless Flight Engineers in v1.0). I've searched high and low for that MM cfg but can't find one.

I tried the following but it didn't work in the VAB until I put an Engineer part on, so I've missed something.

@PART[*]:HAS[MODULE[ModuleCommand]]:Final
{
	MODULE
	{
		name = BuildEngineer
	}

	MODULE
	{
		name = FlightEngineer
	}
}

[Superfluous J]

I wanted to enable partless Build and Flight Engineers on all Command pods manned and unmanned in v0.6.2.3 (and will want partless Flight Engineers in v1.0). I've searched high and low for that MM cfg but can't find one.

Here's my config and it works fine. The only difference is mine doesn't have ":Final"

@PART[*]:HAS[@MODULE[ModuleCommand]] {
	MODULE {
		name = BuildEngineer
	}

	MODULE {
		name = FlightEngineer
	}
}

[Jacke]

Here's my config and it works fine. The only difference is mine doesn't have ":Final"

@PART[*]:HAS[@MODULE[ModuleCommand]] {
	MODULE {
		name = BuildEngineer
	}

	MODULE {
		name = FlightEngineer
	}
}

Thanks for the helpful quick reply.

I think it's not the ":Final" but your use of "HAS[@MODULE" versus my use of "HAS[MODULE". And the ModuleManager thread verifies that yours is the correct syntax.

[Paul Kingtiger]

http://kerbalspaceprogram.com/21-x-engineer-redux-stock-pods/

This mod will do exactly what you're looking for.

[SheppySage]

Hey, I ran into a strange issue. I installed he mod as per instruction and the parts show up in my Science tab in the builder, but despite having far past the "Start" requirement listed I can't click any of them to add to a ship. Any ideas? This is with an otherwise mod-free, Steam installed KSP in Win 8. Cheers.

[Jacke]

http://kerbalspaceprogram.com/21-x-engineer-redux-stock-pods/

This mod will do exactly what you're looking for.

Thanks!

I decided to go ahead and try out the v.10 2013-Dec-24 devel version from the github reposititory. Used a MM .cfg just covering the Flight Engineer (as there are no longer Build Engineer as it's integrated into the build editor) and it works great!

Edited February 18, 2014 by Jacke

[TMS]

Hey, I ran into a strange issue. I installed he mod as per instruction and the parts show up in my Science tab in the builder, but despite having far past the "Start" requirement listed I can't click any of them to add to a ship. Any ideas? This is with an otherwise mod-free, Steam installed KSP in Win 8. Cheers.

Assuming you are in career...

Go into R&D screen

Identify node with a little number on it (probably the first node, far-left)

Click it

Click on specific parts in window on right of screen

Research as necessary

[Justin Kerbice]

There is a "little" issue regarding docking port and crossfeed abilities. As we can't disable this in the VAB, KER use all resources allegedly available, giving a wrong dV :|.

[Fel]

My Engineer stops updating in VAB (sometimes) and collapses its window in flight mode for unknown reasons, pending further investigation on my part, just asking if this has happened to anyone else lately with the newest version.

It seems to coincide with me installing the HotRockets FX mod, but I havent looked at it in depth yet, though the problem starts when adding a stage and vanishes after that stage is staged ... yeah.

What baffles me is that it was the most basic design: payload (a rover), four column stage, four separators, another four column stage, four boosters around the base (that didnt even get their own stage in KER or added to the total dV displayed).

I have problem with every readings regarding vessel freezing. In VAB and in flight.

After short while of using KER it just stop updating information. In VAB even deleting KER part or going out VAB does not help...

Can it be mod incompatibility issue? I have FAR and few other mods installed.

I'd like to confirm this. Kerbal Engineer is the only mod I currently am using... I am not using the optional menu plugin nor the included dll for said menu-plugin.

What I've noted is that the log has zero null-references or anything out of the ordinary; and that (for the VAB) it is fixated on the last "ship version" (meaning even if I load, new, or w/e it doesn't change).

I've noted that this more frequently happens when reloading a ship, but I have triggered it when playing with the tweakables (specifically, the engine max throttle setting). When I triggered it as such I was rapidly and repeatedly just "clicking around to see what happens" until it stopped changing all together.

I have noted that the staging updates (for flight engineer) do "freeze" as well... and on one instance the flight engineer disappeared except for a small part of the top.

This problem has existed for quite a while, but now the plugin offers no way to "reset it" if the "part it thinks is the main part" somehow gets left in memory (which I'm guessing is the problem... as the fix use to be to disconnect and attach a new build engineer... as I recall)

Eitherway...

[michaelcrane17]

So I have this issue with Kerbal Engineer that will cause the GUI to become unresponsive and disappear entirely.

I have closed out the game entirely and reopened it, switched to other space craft and back. Still nothing. Anyone else have this issue and know of a fix?

[Superfluous J]

So I have this issue with Kerbal Engineer that will cause the GUI to become unresponsive and disappear entirely.

I have closed out the game entirely and reopened it, switched to other space craft and back. Still nothing. Anyone else have this issue and know of a fix?

I had that exact problem and found that if I edited GameData\Engineer\PluginData\Engineer\flight_engineer.cfg and changed the second line:

_TOGGLE_FLIGHT_ENGINEER = False

to

_TOGGLE_FLIGHT_ENGINEER = True

that it fixed everything.

[GavinZac]

Hey, I ran into a strange issue. I installed he mod as per instruction and the parts show up in my Science tab in the builder, but despite having far past the "Start" requirement listed I can't click any of them to add to a ship. Any ideas? This is with an otherwise mod-free, Steam installed KSP in Win 8. Cheers.

Read what the message tells you. You have to unlock the new parts in the Tech Tree, even if you've already researched the tech. You go to the tech tree, see the node that is already green ('bought'), and notice the little number on it similar to unresearched nodes. This means there are new parts to get in that tech tree. Click it, then click each individual part.

It's unintuitive, but there is a message about it, and I assume Squad have a plan for it to do something later.

[Padishar]

I have come across what appears to be a bug in the deltaV or TWR calculations (probably deltaV). If you build a complex station that has loops of parts all docked together then KSP will hang with 100% cpu if you open the "vessel" tab.

Zipped save file with "bad" station

Just load it up and switch to the "Tetrahedron" craft. Then click the VES button in the KER window.

This doesn't happen if the station doesn't have any engines, e.g. if you undock the RCS tanker from the station first then the problem wont happen. I guess this is some infinite loop bug either in the KER code or in KSP/Unity...

Pad.

P.S. The octahedron is harder to put together accurately, I need to redo it, docking the sections in a different order, so everything lines up.

P.P.S. My mods (other than KER) are alarm clock, editor extensions, NavyFish's docking alignment indicator and the toolbar thing included with that.

P.P.P.S. It looks like fixing this may turn out to be quite tricky (it might require some serious changes to the algorithm for scanning the part tree/graph) so it might be an idea to add a simple check based on how long the code runs, number of parts totalled or anything else that could be tested very quickly so if it does keep going for a very long time then it would just abort and show <fail> in any appropriate readouts. This should allow the vessel tab to be closed again without having to kill KSP. The framerate would probably drop through the floor while in this bad state so a flag that simply disables the calculation and the fields in the vessel tab until the tab is closed and reopened might be an idea...

Edited February 24, 2014 by Padishar

[Padishar]

Actually I was still using 0.6.1.5 for some reason. With 0.6.2.3 the game doesn't freeze immediately but instead gives the broken window display which stays that way until you restart the game.

[Motokid600]

This has been bugging me for awhile, but until now I haven't been able to replicate it. I had stage redouts disappear entirely from the KER window. And it seems when I right click to modify an engine it bugs out. The stage disappears. The only way to return it is to delete the engine and select a new one. This is detrimental because I need to modify the thrust to achieve the desired TWR. I can use Mj for the Dv, but I need KER for the varying TWRs per planet. Im using StretchySRB and MFT.

Edited February 26, 2014 by Motokid600

[Drew Kerman]

This has been bugging me for awhile, but until now I haven't been able to replicate it. I had stage redouts disappear entirely from the KER window. And it seems when I right click to modify an engine it bugs out. The stage disappears. The only way to return it is to delete the engine and select a new one. This is detrimental because I need to modify the thrust to achieve the desired TWR. I can use Mj for the Dv, but I need KER for the varying TWRs per planet. Im using StretchySRB and MFT.

I'd like to chime in on this too. The staging can really break KER's readout. I've gotten around it by building things in parts like the launch vehicle first and then the actual probe/manned vehicle since once I join them together and arrange my staging I get a lot of "---" readings

[Padishar]

I've spent some time looking into this now and my conclusions are as follows:

1. The code that calculates the deltaV (runs a simulation of burning the rocket until completely out of fuel) was recently moved from running in the main thread to running in a worker thread.

2. If there is a problem in the simulation code then it can get stuck in a state where the simulation didn't complete successfully and new simulations do not get run because the plugin thinks the previous simulation is still running.

3. My problem where it hanged when displaying the vessel tab (in 0.6.1.5) is caused by the simulation code getting stuck in an infinite loop. When this was in the main thread the whole game locked up but now it is in a worker thread the rest of the game continues (but the simulation never finishes and never gets run again because it is already running).

4. I believe that various issues where it stops updating or rendering the window properly are caused by an unhandled exception in the simulation code triggered by a race condition with the main game code. E.g. if the simulation is busy scanning the part tree to build its own data structures (in the background thread) when the main game code makes a change to the part tree then this could potentially cause all manner of horrible bugs.

I am currently in the process of fixing these issues:

1. Modify the recursive functions in the simulation code so they correctly track the parts that have already been visited so if there are cycles in the part tree (e.g. with my station where you have loops of parts docked together) then it doesn't get stuck. This will also improve the efficiency of the simulation code.

2. Move the initial phase of the simulation code that builds the data structure from the part tree to run in the main thread and only run the actual simulation (that only uses its own data structures) in the worker thread.

3. Modify the exception handling so that if there are exceptions in the simulation code (probably most likely with mods that create new types of engine and/or fuel resources) then the simulations won't be left in the disabled state.

Hopefully I will get these three bits done sometime over the weekend and they will fix most (if not all) of the major issues. Then I'll submit the changes to cybutek for hopeful inclusion in his version.

Pad.

[Superfluous J]

I think I've found a bug with the calculations. It seems KER doesn't account for the Kerbals that are sitting in the external command seats. Iv'e got a fairly small rocket with 3 seats, and KER said i had over 1200dV. Midway through a burn to Minmus (925 or so dV) I ran out of fuel

Edited February 28, 2014 by 5thHorseman

[Drew Kerman]

Rock on, Pad. Sounds great

[Padishar]

I think I've found a bug with the calculations. It seems KER doesn't account for the Kerbals that are sitting in the external command seats. Iv'e got a fairly small rocket with 3 seats, and KER said i had over 1200dV. Midway through a burn to Minmus (925 or so dV) I ran out of fuel

Can you let us have the craft file? It must be a very small rocket if the mass of one Kerbal puts the calculation out by that much. I suspect there may be something else going on. Does it use a mod engine or any other mod parts?

[AndreyATGB]

3 kerbals add almost 0.3 tons to a spacecraft, so his must be under 1-2 tons for it to reduce dV by such a significant amount. I'm pretty sure KER should calculate it correctly once they're all seated.

[Padishar]

I'm not sure offhand if the mass of Kerbals in seats is included during flight. Cybutek may know but I'll take a look when I get a moment. I suspect it definitely isn't included when in the VAB so a way of forcing it to do so during editing might be very handy.

This thread has given me an idea for another new feature. A display of the surface inclination and heading of the up/down slope would make it easier to avoid landing on steep slopes (and give you an idea of which way to go to get to a better spot). Would this be considered "too helpful" for KER?

Edit: It would be pretty trivial to implement as the terrain normal is directly accessible in the Vessel object. Just needs to be converted to useful numbers for display.

Edited February 28, 2014 by Padishar

[Visaggio]

This seems very odd to me, I'm hoping it's just something I've overlooked:

Engineer v6.2.2 works just fine in my steam installation, but it doesn't seem to work on the windows installation.

The parts are in the science tree, and in the VAB, but attaching the ER-7500 to a craft doesn't supply the KER window.

Engineer folder is in ../KSP/Gamedata

Fresh install of KSP, fresh download of Engineer, no other mods... anyone have an idea?

[Mitchz95]

I had that exact problem and found that if I edited GameData\Engineer\PluginData\Engineer\flight_engineer.cfg and changed the second line:

_TOGGLE_FLIGHT_ENGINEER = False

to

_TOGGLE_FLIGHT_ENGINEER = True

that it fixed everything.

Mine is already set to "True". And I'm still having the problem.

I also have HotRockets installed, if that means anything.

[Padishar]

Hopefully I will get these three bits done sometime over the weekend and they will fix most (if not all) of the major issues. Then I'll submit the changes to cybutek for hopeful inclusion in his version.

Well, it took me a bit longer than I hoped but I've finally got my changes working...

I then proceeded to move the station from its 140km orbit up to 170km (framerate gets much better above 160km) with the VES window updating correctly during the burns. I've also loaded about 80 different craft in the VAB and switched to 20+ vessels in flight and the numbers appear to check out. Given the substantial changes to the simulation algorithm (it now explicitly uses the fuel flow rules that Kasuha posted and the simulation now generates its own data structures from the core game structures in the main game thread so the background thread doesn't access anything in the core game structures that could change during the simulation) there is a reasonable chance of a bug or three but it is looking good so far...

Cybutek, I'll send you a pull request for you to take a look at shortly.