The SOI interception and transfers visuals: good, but needs tweaking

[Daniel Prates]

Whomever had the idea of improving the cues you get indicating the target body's SOI via a visible volumetric sphere, and the point of entry-exit on the same SOI.... you're a genious. Thank you.

But the execution needs some work. The basic idea is great but falls flat on being practical for a couple of reasons:

1. Now you no longer see what the flight path will be after entering the new SOI, with the periapsis indication. That was the single most useful tool we had in Ksp1 in that regard. If both visual cues can't coexist (because it would look too busy or whatever) sadly it is best to revert to the old system;

2. The concentric blue circles atop the visual sphere.... man they're just too large, cartoonish even. The idea is excellent but the point of entry/exit has to be more discrete. As it is, its kinda of an eyesore and maybe the cause for removal of more important visual data;

3. Overall in the older system I felt I had a better feeling of what would happen in the flightpath, regarding the changes due to future transfers. I cant quite put my finger on it but I think it felt more colorful and visually intuitive. Now everything looks too similar and confusing. Then again maybe it is just lack of practice. Worth mentioning tho.

4. Also, it feels I can see less ahead then what I could in the old syatem. Back then, I could do a single burn that would cause me to undergo a further 4 transfers and every patch of the flight plan would be there to see. Is it me or now you only see one or two ahead? Again, maybe lack of practice of my part, but it does feel I am getting less information than I used to.

Edited February 25, 2023 by Daniel Prates

[IbanLoL]

+1 on all 4 points stated above. I have the exact same feedback. I spent a lot of hours in ksp1 and still, I'm struggling to see what is going to happen and where I will go.

[MarcAbaddon]

I feel the concentric blue circles are fine in principle, but they are clashing with the rest of the orbital indicators which are all very minimalistic. 

I'd add that you really need to see your post-maneuver orbital characteristics while adjusting the node. You can see it, but only when deselecting the node. 

[modus]

52 minutes ago, Daniel Prates said:

2. The concentric blue circles atop the visual sphere.... man they're just too large, cartoonish even. The idea is excellent but the point of entry/exit has to be more discrete. As it is, its kinda of an eyesore and maybe the cause for removal of more important visual data

For me, they're just not necessary. A small indicator was more than enough (for me).

Some mod will definitely fix that

[Pauver]

+1 on all points, especially on the first one. Such a deal breaker for me, planning interplanetary intercepts is impossible rn

[jacksawild]

The concentric blue circles are useful for eyeballing. If they are opposite sides, you are speeding past without much effect from gravity. The closer they are together the more effect you are feeling from the body, if you are entering and exiting on the same side then you are whipping around the body and circularisation should be cheap. I think making them different colours would be good, so you know if you are ahead or behind the orbit of the body, would make gravity assists much clearer than KSP1. Actual periapsis info and flight path would be ideal though.

Edited February 25, 2023 by jacksawild

[Blaarkies]

I couldn't seem to make the flyby trajectory show up around the Mun:

From LKO, setup a maneuver to intercept the Mun. Once it intercepts, the future trajectory deflects from the gravity assist like it always did. At this point I used to setup camera focus on the Mun, and closely investigate where my flyby actually goes (for aligning up with a Mun station, or preparing for some surface contracts). This usually looks like a disconnected trajectory, but it is all relative to the focused planet.

In KSP2 i cannot get that to show up, even after changing planet focus