[1.12.x] GravityTurn continued - Automated Efficient Launches

[linuxgurugamer]

On 11/8/2022 at 7:54 PM, Albedo039 said:

@linuxgurugamer

Returning to KSP after several years, and for the first time playing with the DLC, I have discovered that Engine Plates and GravityTurn do not want to play nice. Specifically, other than the initial stage, any stage below an Engine Plate will fail to Auto Stage. Additionally (and this may be expected behaviour), if such a stage is not triggered manually, subsequent stages also fail to Auto Stage in their turn.

Replacing Engine Plates with decouplers fixes all staging issues on test craft.

Craft file (a stripped-down version of the craft that led to the discovery):
https://pastebin.com/pwGKdLrr

Log file, in two parts:
https://pastebin.com/NingbDVB
https://pastebin.com/nFpVfCUD

Relevant actions performed:
Launch craft w/GravityTurn; observe side boosters fail to separate when empty; wait; observe core booster fail to separate when empty; wait; manually perform one staging; observe both stagings happen at once.

Your staging is wrong, you have three different decouplers in the same stage

Once I fixed that, I see the problem in your rocket.  The issue seems to be that the tanks on the side are also engines, with fuel in them, the fuel in them is what's confusing GT.  Doesn't matter it's solid rather than liquid.  Not sure if this can be fixed, but I'll take a look

[TMS]

On 12/19/2022 at 1:46 AM, linuxgurugamer said:

The issue seems to be that the tanks on the side are also engines, with fuel in them, the fuel in them is what's confusing GT.

lol... I just spent this morning trying to replicate my craft without seeing this post. 

I got there eventually and can independently confirm that this has something to do with the use of radially-mounted boosters.  My original craft file used liquid boosters with fuel ducts in an asparagus configuration.  My test files did the same with and without asparagus and swapping out liquid boosters with solid fuel alternatives. 

The results are all broadly the same so far: the radial separator fails to stage.  However, the exact staging behaviour depends on where the radial stage is located, relative to the engine plate staging event. 

For example, using the image below (craft file), if the radial stage (3) is immediately before the engine plate staging event (2), then the gturn script will perform two stage events back-to-back when ALL the fuel is expired from the preceding stages (just allow the central core to keep running with expired boosters attached and it will eventually stage).

If, however, there is a preceding stage that exists between the events, it appears to fail completely.  Using the image below (craft file), if the radial stage (4) is followed by a stage (3) that precedes the engine plate staging event (2), then the gturn script will fail to perform any future staging completely.

If we amend how that above ship works (craft file) and replace the engine plate with a a normal separator and an inverted fairing with interstage nodes enabled, the (otherwise) same craft will stage appropriately.  Note to other users: The only down side to this approach is that you need to remember to set the fairing air pressure cutoff to zero in the mod GUI (or you'll have an early ejection mid-atmosphere).

Maybe you already know all that and the reasons why... but those are my findings.

[rmaine]

Not sure whether it's related to the issues @TMS reports, but I used to have problems with the auto-staging of side-mounted boosters in gravity turn continued until I discovered the auto-stage option in mechjeb.  I never quite figured out when the problem did or did not occur, but turning that option on seemed to make my problems go away.

[linuxgurugamer]

9 hours ago, rmaine said:

Not sure whether it's related to the issues @TMS reports, but I used to have problems with the auto-staging of side-mounted boosters in gravity turn continued until I discovered the auto-stage option in mechjeb.  I never quite figured out when the problem did or did not occur, but turning that option on seemed to make my problems go away.

That was Mechjeb doing the staging for  you, I think it just hid the problem.

I'll be working on this soon

[linuxgurugamer]

Just an FYI, I've been able to replicate this issue with a very simple stock rocket

[linuxgurugamer]

Beta, please try this:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/1ql5w7sa447m2x6/GravityTurn-1.8.2.6.zip?dl=0

Changes

• Thanks to github user @rainsdm for this
  • Added zh-cn.cfg (chinese)
• Fixed memory leak
• Fixed engine plates not working

@TMS @Albedo039 

[TMS]

Using the crafts above (3, 5 and 6), the update appears to work.  The radial separators and subsequent stages activate as expected.  I'll leave the updated mod in my game data and run with it in my main game to see if I can find any exceptions (may take a while because I removed engine plates from my repertoire) , but it looks pretty good from where I'm sitting.

Thanks for fixing this.  I know you have taken guardianship of a large amount of code, but this mod makes launcher development and testing so much more precise.  Much appreciated.

[linuxgurugamer]

New release, 1.8.3

• Thanks to github user @rainsdm for this
  • Added zh-cn.cfg (chinese)
• Fixed memory leak
• Fixed engine plates not working
   

[Eleven]

Apologies for the OT post, but is there a mod similar to this that helps you land? 

[linuxgurugamer]

5 hours ago, Eleven said:

Apologies for the OT post, but is there a mod similar to this that helps you land? 

Depends on what help you are looking for.  There are a few autopilot mods which can help

[Atlas Gaming]

On 9/4/2022 at 10:08 PM, Atlas Gaming said:

Hey I think I posted a similar big before and you fixed it... but in GravityTurn the windown position does not seem to be saved... and it used to before you took it over, and I think also after you fixed it half a year ago or so. Now keeps coming back to top left.

Just a friendly reminder that this is still not working. Window postion keeps getting reset each flight. This used to be saved, then it broke when you took over, and you fixed it a year or more ago, then a few months ago it broke again. 

Log link https://www.dropbox.com/t/u4Sa6NhEaROZ8zT7

[Albedo039]

On 12/18/2022 at 3:46 PM, linuxgurugamer said:

Your staging is wrong, you have three different decouplers in the same stage

Once I fixed that, I see the problem in your rocket.  The issue seems to be that the tanks on the side are also engines, with fuel in them, the fuel in them is what's confusing GT.  Doesn't matter it's solid rather than liquid.  Not sure if this can be fixed, but I'll take a look

Apologies! As mentioned on the SmartStage thread, SS will lump all Engine Plates (plus the next decoupler, if there is one) into one stage. In all the rebuliding, reloading and testing, I must have forgotten to fix the staging before saving the craft file for export.

I see downthread that you have solved the issue; I will test it out the next time I go on a KSP spree. Cheers!

[antipro]

some time ago, I remember to have report a problem about autostage worked with boosters but not with radial LF tanks. re-tried few time ago, is the same, LF tanks do not detach.
can I do something?

Edited February 27, 2023 by antipro

[linuxgurugamer]

2 hours ago, antipro said:

some time ago, I remember to have report a problem about autostage worked with boosters but not with radial LF tanks. re-tried few time ago, is the same, LF tanks do not detach.
can I do something?

Should have been fixed in the last version.  Please make sure you are using the latest and try again.  If it still has a problem please provide both the log file and the craft file for analysis

[antipro]

9 hours ago, linuxgurugamer said:

 If it still has a problem please provide both the log file and the craft file for analysis

craft: https://www.dropbox.com/s/7ac37kni7hj9znc/0 test.craft?dl=0
I know u need 2 logfiles, but can't remember their names and where to find them.

[linuxgurugamer]

14 hours ago, antipro said:

craft: https://www.dropbox.com/s/7ac37kni7hj9znc/0 test.craft?dl=0
I know u need 2 logfiles, but can't remember their names and where to find them.

Read this BEFORE asking for support: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/index.php?/topic/83212-how-to-get-support-read-first/

Are you using the latest version?

 

Edited February 28, 2023 by linuxgurugamer

[antipro]

6 hours ago, linuxgurugamer said:

Are you using the latest version?

I have 1.8.3 installed from CKAN.
This is player.log
https://www.dropbox.com/s/dnez3u9u00oimhn/Player.log?dl=0

but I could not find the output_log.txt file anywhere.

[linuxgurugamer]

1 hour ago, antipro said:

I have 1.8.3 installed from CKAN.
This is player.log
https://www.dropbox.com/s/dnez3u9u00oimhn/Player.log?dl=0

but I could not find the output_log.txt file anywhere.

Output.log was from the early versions of KSP

The Player.log is what I wanted.

It looks ok, I'll see what I get with the craft file

[linuxgurugamer]

1 hour ago, antipro said:

I have 1.8.3 installed from CKAN.
This is player.log
https://www.dropbox.com/s/dnez3u9u00oimhn/Player.log?dl=0

but I could not find the output_log.txt file anywhere.

Looked at your craft file, you need to disable the crossfeed in the radial decouplers

[antipro]

4 hours ago, linuxgurugamer said:

Looked at your craft file, you need to disable the crossfeed in the radial decouplers

ok, with CF disabled it works, but I lose dV. I've never used decouplers with CF disabled.

[linuxgurugamer]

11 hours ago, antipro said:

ok, with CF disabled it works, but I lose dV. I've never used decouplers with CF disabled.

If crossfeed isn't disabled, then fuel will flow from the main tank into the two side tanks.  GT see this and doesn't trigger the staging event because you really don't want to be doing that

You shouldn't be losing dV, if you are, you aren't flying a good launch profile.  You don't want to be carrying those side tanks once they are empty, just a waste of dV

 

 

[softweir]

14 hours ago, antipro said:

ok, with CF disabled it works, but I lose dV. I've never used decouplers with CF disabled.

Rather than using crossfeed-enabled-decouplers, you might get the effect you want by using fuel lines to direct the fuel in to the core. The problem with crossfeed-enabled-decouplers is they feed both ways - when the core is emptier than the boosters they feed fuel in, BUT when the boosters are emptier than the core they feed fuel outwards! Fuel lines are single-direction.

[antipro]

this rocket has something that prevent the autostage to work, not only on radials but in every stage.
can u pls help me to determine what part to remove/modify?
thanks.

craft and log: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/9si5nehe3bg0jid/AAAbwwPGTE3NghBunwmLm75La?dl=0

Edited March 2, 2023 by antipro

[RetiredNavyVet]

On 1/15/2023 at 6:06 PM, Atlas Gaming said:

Just a friendly reminder that this is still not working. Window postion keeps getting reset each flight. This used to be saved, then it broke when you took over, and you fixed it a year or more ago, then a few months ago it broke again. 

Log link https://www.dropbox.com/t/u4Sa6NhEaROZ8zT7

Using latest version from CKAN and latest KSP version, window resets each time I start the game to x63 y63.  Tried editing the gt_window file but it still just defaults to x63 y63.

[Fr8monkey]

Don't know if this is a bug or been addressed; but ships don't seem to want to go past their turn angle.  I have to keep changing it on the fly to get it to work.  Is there a mod that messes this up?