KSP Visual Calculator

[Blaarkies]

KSP Visual Calculator

Online calculator tool for Kerbal Space Program

 

Delta-V Planner

• Click the planets and moons that you want to visit to get a total required delta-v number for the mission
• A mission can contain multiple checkpoints to visit, each on different planets, moons, and orbital situations (or surface landed)
• Also provides a step-by-step breakdown for each leg in the journey
• Shows the delta-v requirements for every possible trip combination (delta-v subway-maps only work when Kerbin is one of the locations)
• Configure custom preferences such as aerobraking at specific locations, applying a margin of error to your mission, or calculating the most efficient route instead of a direct route
• Save & export the mission as a JSON file to share with others

CommNet Planner

• Create satellites, relays, rovers, stations, bases, etc. with a custom selection of antennae, then drag those around the screen to see where commnet connections are valid
• Every craft automatically indicates if it has control or not based on the relay networks it is connected to
• Use this to plan out communication network constellations, without having to trial-and-error this in-game
• Set the DSN Tracking Station level at Kerbin to match in-game upgrade progress
• Set the CommNet difficulty settings to match the settings in-game
• Add Remote Guidance cores in craft to test a piloted base providing remote control to a rover, even when a connection to Kerbin is out of reach
• Shows detailed stats such as cost, power rating, mass, transmission speed, etc. for the entire collection of antennae on each craft
• Save & export the constellation as a JSON file to share with others

ISRU Mining Station Calculator

• Design a mining base by swapping out different parts to see their effects on the system
• Select the planets or moon for the mining base, adjust the ore concentration, and even add a specific skill engineer onboard
• Toggle the type of processing that the ISRU will be doing. Only refining Liquid Fuel? Then only turn on Liquid Fuel refining
• Fuel cells, solar panels, and RTGs can be added for power supply
• A handy 'Production and Consumption' panel displays the total outputs, and any deficiencies of the system
• Number sliders control the amount of each part. Use this to adjust the amount of drills, or power sources, or radiators until the outputs are green with no deficiencies
• Warning messages highlight potential issues in the design, such as not having 'Ore Storage' parts
• Choose from 73 stock parts
• Save & export the parts selection design as a JSON file to share with others

 

https://ksp-visual-calculator.blaarkies.com/

Checkout the github repo

 

Edited January 16 by Blaarkies

[Caerfinon]

Well done you. Very nice.

[DVQuill]

This is amazing. Great work! Thank you!!!

[Josh Harris]

So much more intuitive than a bunch of numbers and trial and error flights. Great job!

[Blaarkies]

On 5/10/2021 at 11:23 PM, Josh Harris said:

So much more intuitive than a bunch of numbers and trial and error flights. Great job!

Thanks! I wanted to drag craft around in the Tracking Station screen to see what the connection range limits were.

Edited January 17 by Blaarkies

[Blaarkies]

Just getting a feel for what KSP players would find useful, I'm thinking about adding this to the tool:

DV Planner

• A 2nd page on the same website
• It displays the Kerbol system
• The user clicks on planets in a sequence to setup a mission "path"
  • This populates mission nodes (it looks a bit like the KSP rocket staging icons)
  • The user can edit these nodes to set them as surface landing, or low orbit, or elliptical orbit, etc.
• It displays stats about the mission profile
  • How much dv is required?
  • The minimum recommended TWR?
    • Departing from a Kerbin elliptical orbit towards an Eeloo intercept requires 1140m/s dv
    • But a low 0.1 TWR Ion engine craft won't be able to accelerate enough during the final periapsis kick around Kerbin

What do you think, what are your thoughts on using this?

Edited January 17 by Blaarkies

[Maverick_aus]

@Blaarkies Loving the tool, mate. Big Remote Tech fan back on KSP ~1.1 on my Career #1. but finally wanted to test out the stock CommNet. Was always scared off, seemed too hard to model / test things (/couldn't be bothered doing maths) so had it switched off for my Career #2 save. Now giving it a go with your tool's help.
Thanks for developing it. Enjoy a coffee and keep up the good work.

Yep, I would probably use the dV addition to your planner. Good idea.

A qn. if you please: What does clicking Signal Check do? I don't detect anything.

Edited May 31, 2021 by Maverick_aus
extra qn

[Blaarkies]

I agree, the CommNet number under each antenna's description in the VAB is hard to visualize and actually use without trial and error. I got this idea while doing the Caveman Challenge (it is career mode, but you win by unlocking everything and without upgrading any buildings). I was sending shoestring budget craft to Minmus, and needed a better idea of the antenna range that far out.

 

On 5/31/2021 at 2:37 AM, Maverick_aus said:

A qn. if you please: What does clicking Signal Check do? I don't detect anything.

That menu links to pages. The 'Signal Check' page is also the default page in the app (the CommNet Planner page), so click it on the same page has no effect.

I might add the "DV planner" in that list, which will take you to the dv planner page

Edited January 17 by Blaarkies

[Blaarkies]

Version 1.0.3

• SOIs to planets and moons for craft to stick onto; dragging Kerbin around will keep nearby craft moving with Kerbin, dragging the craft will show SOI bubbles as it gets dragged by planets
• Focus the camera onto different planets by pressing 'Tab' (or 'Shift'+'Tab') as you would in-game; there is also a simple list to click the planet you want to focus
• More test cases to confirm the accuracy of multi-antenna craft
• Statistics panel when selecting antennae on craft; it displays the total mass, cost, power, etc. of the antennae selected
• Dashed lines between craft indicate that they support a relay signal; you can tell which craft won't have a valid connection in-game, even though there are solid green lines on the tool
  • The dashed lines that matter for relays
• Measurements on the craft altitude, signal length, and signal strength are displayed next to the craft
• Advanced placement of craft; select the planetoid to orbit, at a specific altitude, and a specific angle to put the craft exactly where you want it
• Icons in dropdown menus; in the list of antennae it is now easy to differentiate relay from direct types or tracking station types
• Tooltips to help explain some of the less obvious inputs
• A quick-help FAQ page to explain details; it is a helpful mini-wiki with search functionality

Thanks to everyone who helped by providing valuable feedback

                                                                                                                                                                                        

Edited January 17 by Blaarkies

[Maverick_aus]

On 6/12/2021 at 12:36 AM, Blaarkies said:

I just released a minor update to the tool!

Version 1.0.3

• SOIs to planets and moons for craft to stick onto; dragging Kerbin around will keep nearby craft moving with Kerbin, dragging the craft will show SOI bubbles as it gets dragged by planets
• Focus the camera onto different planets by pressing TAB just like in-game; there is also a simple list to click the planet you want to focus
• More test cases to confirm the accuracy of multi-antenna craft
• Statistics panel when selecting antennae on craft; it display the total mass, cost, power, etc. of the antennae selected
• Dashed lines between craft indicate that they support a relay signal; you can tell which craft won't have a valid connection in-game, even though there are solid green lines on the tool...it's the dashed lines that matter
• Measurements on the craft altitude, signal length, and signal strength
• Advanced placement of craft; select the body to orbit, at a specific altitude, at a specific angle to put the craft exactly where you want it
• Icons in dropdown menus; in the list of antennae it is now easy to differentiate relay from direct types or tracking station types
• Tooltips to help explain some of the less obvious inputs
• A quick-help FAQ page to explain details; it is a helpful mini-wiki with search functionality to be your guru

Thanks to everyone who helped by providing valuable feedback, I couldn't think of half of these improvements mentioned here by myself

                                                                                                                                                                                        

Nice! Thank you @Blaarkies for maintaining this and adding new features I've been using it regularly. It's so handy
If you want more feedback, I have (a big) one: a way to save a planner state would be immensely handy using the tool through time. For folks like me with a more complex relay network, every time I use it I have to enter the basic set-up universe/save game info before getting down to what I'm trying to test. Eg change Kerbin to Tracking station 3, add standard LKO relay (various antennas), add Outer Kerbal relay sat (various antennas) etc. THEN add the thing I want to test.
Just an idea.
Cheers!

[Blaarkies]

On 6/23/2021 at 10:49 AM, Maverick_aus said:

...more feedback, I have (a big) one: a way to save a planner state would be immensely handy using the tool through time. ...

On the todo list and you just described it perfectly!

I will need to setup user accounts for that though, so that users can login and select their "savegame" from a list that they would like to look at or modify.
It would be a big feature with lots of upfront effort, but after that it opens up to many more features, such as "mods" to be added for users playing with extra planet systems and antennae parts.

Edited January 17 by Blaarkies

[Blaarkies]

Version 1.1.0

• Save games; you can now save the current configuration of planets and craft in the app, and load it back up next time
• Sign in account; to access save game storage simply sign in to the app. This allows saving/loading your personal list of save games on many devices (e.g. on a tablet while playing KSP on your computer)
  • Simple email/password accounts are supported, as well as Google accounts
• Import/Export save games to .json files; share these files with other players to show your ideas, better explain a specific situation in your game, or post it on the forums for others to load
• Auto-save; keeps your currently selected game up to date as you make changes
• Manage save games; rename, delete, or reset specific games as you see fit
• Touch screen support; drag planets around with your finger, or zoom in by pinching the universe between two fingers
  • Mobile (small screen) support is currently in beta, some text panels might not fit properly on screen and some features might not function as intended
• Double-click planets to focus; double-tap on touch screen devices for the same effect
• Loading screen on startup; some eye-candy while you wait
   
• Fixes
  • Relay signal lines had a visual bug when 2 lines on screen appeared perpendicular to each other
  • Some tutorial steps could be skipped accidentally without completing the actual task
  • Some tutorial panels would appear off screen
  • Added help section about camera controls

If you run into any issues, please post feedback about it.

                                                                                                                                                                                        

Edited January 17 by Blaarkies

[Blaarkies]

 

Version 1.1.1

• Mobile-friendly versions of all large visual elements 
  • Create/edit craft window; adding craft with many antennae will now be much easier
  • Edit Celestial Body, FAQ, Manage save games, and Feedback windows, all have better layouts on mobile
  • Rearranged menus into a compact row of buttons; easy to reach on mobile
  • Adjust the Zoom Indicator to the current screen size; it will no longer zoom off beyond Eeloo
     
• Fixes
  • Auto-saving did not start immediately
  • Tutorial popups appeared off-screen
     
• App name changing to "KSP Visual Calculator"
  • The old name was too specific, it would constrict the app from going to the Mun
  • The old link won't be disabled yet, it will still point to the app like normal
  • The new link is "https://ksp-visual-calculator.blaarkies.com/"

If you run into any issues, please post feedback about it.

                                                                                                                                                                                        

[m0useparty]

Amazing work! Would definitely be interested in being able to add custom antennas to allow it to work with mods, but what's already here is a seriously useful tool 

[Blaarkies]

Version 1.1.2

• Fixes
  • Exporting a savegame with some craft removed, would break imports with that json file
  • Input number sliders would set different values depending if a number was typed in, or selected with the slider
  • Input number sliders now follow an exponential curve, making it easy to select specific numbers (e.g. 6 antennae on a craft) at the cost of having less granularity at large numbers (e.g. 96 antennae on a craft)
• Tests
  • Added some 380+ unit tests to ensure stable feature functionality during future releases

If you run into any issues, please post feedback about it.

                                                                                                                                                                                        

[Blaarkies]

Version 1.1.3

• Fixes
  • When creating/editing craft, the "advanced placement" section had a limit on the maximum altitude that could be entered/selected. This altitude limit now updates to match the SOI size of the selected "orbit parent"
    • The limit is determined as altitude, not distance from the center of the planet
    • Kerbol defines a limit of approximately twice the radius of Eeloo's orbit

If you run into any issues, please post feedback about it.

                                                                                                                                                                                        

[Blaarkies]

Version 1.2.0

• Delta-v Planner
  • Mission Checkpoints
    • A new panel used to plan missions. Tap the green 'add checkpoint' button, then tap the planet where the checkpoint should be placed
    • 2 or more checkpoints define a mission, automatically calculating the delta-v requirements
    • Checkpoints can be removed and modified to fit your mission profile
    • The mission is represented visually on the map screen, and individual travels are broken down into small steps
    • Set preferences for the default flight situation, route type, aerobraking, and expected plane change cost
  • The delta-v planner page has its own tutorial, FAQ, and save games
• Features
  • Camera control; left-click (or single touch) drag on screen to move the camera
  • Account details; users can now edit their display name, and even delete their account if they wish
• Fixes
  • Apple Mac users could not right-click drag to move the camera; a new left-click drag method has been added
  • Cleared up notification messages covering important controls on small mobile screens
  • Improved tutorial messages on small mobile screens
  • Added smooth scrolling for desktop mouse wheel scrolling

 

If you run into any issues, please post feedback about it.

                                                                                                                                                                                        

                                                                                                                                                                                        

[Blaarkies]

Version 1.2.1

• User Features
  • New profile pictures can be uploaded and cropped for the perfect fit
  • No need to log out and log back in again to verify account status; Automated the account upgrades for supporters from https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Blaarkies 
• Fixes
  • Joolian moons were missing dv numbers for 'Surface' and 'Low Orbit' flight situations

 

If you run into any issues, or have great ideas, please let me know 

                                                                                                                                                                                        

                                                                                                                                                                                        

[Blaarkies]

Version 1.2.2

• Features
  • New "Margin of Error" control in the delta-v panel preferences; Allows players to set a ratio of extra delta-v to be added to the mission for safety margins
  • Added a Privacy Policy; Please read it to keep me out of trouble 
  • Better name generator for save games; Instead of random alpha-numerical text, the names now look reminiscent of astronomical naming schemes
  • ...and a surprise for those that log in on the 23rd and after 
• Fixes
  • Upgrade framework, libraries and dependencies to latest versions
  • Focus jumper panel did not update the camera view when switching focus to other planets

 

If you run into any issues, or have great ideas, please let me know 

                                                                                                                                                                                        

                                                                                                                                                                                        

[Kwebib]

Wow, this looks amazing. Great work! Any chance of supporting other planet packs? Or having an input for custom planets (radius, gravitational parameter, semi-major axis, etc.).

[Blaarkies]

Thanks! Yeah it is an idea that i want to add in the future with some kind of mod configs that can be shared between all users. For now I just focused on the most popular questions like CommNet ranges, and Delta-V

[FrontLineFodder]

Hello @Blaarkies

Great looking tool. do you think RemoteTech support could be added in the future ?

Looking at the Signal Check function, when placing craft, the advanced placement function is handy, though they loose their settings once placed. Can this info be preserved and tweaked later ?

[Blaarkies]

Yes it's in the plan, but not implemented yet. In the future, I want to bring out a feature where users can share mod configs. This way you would be able to select a config that somebody else already set up, if they shared it.

RemoteTech would be one of the mod config packs, and it would allow you to choose the specific RemoteTech antennae

For the advanced placement, you can always edit the craft to set a new placement. Unfortunately it does not save the last locked planet yet, so you have to redefine it every time. I might add preservation of that in a future update

[The-Grim-Sleeper]

Just found this tool going to try it later today.

Questions:

Does using the 'Route Type: effecient' effecivly calculate a gravity assist via the intermediaries, or is it more like a full stop and awaiting a favorable transfer to the next leg?

Is there a way to tally up the total Delta-v for a mission. If not, (where) can I request the feature to display the sum of the Delta-v for all the legs of the trip in vacuum and/or in non-zero admospheric pressure?

[Blaarkies]

Thanks! Let me know how it goes 

TL;DR, "Route Type: efficient" finds routes that take the least dv to complete, even if it has to visit extra planets on the way (check the details between each leg of the trip), but this only calculates between distinct steps like going from Kerbin elliptical orbit, to Eve elliptical orbit, and from there to Moho elliptical orbit.

This is cheaper for a host of reasons, but does require you to stay in an elliptical Eve orbit, and launch from there at a perfect time to reach Moho (which is quite difficult given that the direction of that elliptical orbit can't be changed without using more dv). Technically, you can skip those elliptical orbits and just do gravity assists (they work better when you "over do" the intercept a little bit) and that should cut out the orbit capture costs, and even cut down on some more dv.

The way I understand it, in an Oberth perspective, these elliptical capture orbit steps do actually gain some of the advantage of gravity assists but not nearly all of it. Thus I also added the defaulted Direct route type which I hope is more useful for practical gameplay reasons.

For the delta-v total, have a look at the bottom of the Mission Checkpoints panel. That counts up the total dv for the entire mission, considering things like aerobraking, margin of error, etc.
Im not sure if the vacuum/atmospheric dv numbers is something I could show, since those differ wildly by the engine type. I aimed to follow the same methodology of the "subway dv maps", where they display the minimum dv required to launch from Kerbin surface to LKO