Ability to test control surfaces in VAB

[pandaman]

Can we have a way to visually verify how control surfaces respond to control inputs in the VAB?

Either by just letting the relevant keys work or have a simple 'test controls' button that activates them .

This may actually be useful for RCS too actually .

[Chris_The_Crafter]

I agree, this kind of stuff would be useful. In particular, in the VAB, we should see the control surfaces deploy when we deploy them in the parts manager, that way, we could ensure they were deploying in the correct direction, it worked exactly like this in KSP1. As for the RCS, something with similar information to the KSP1 mod "RCS build aid" would be quite useful, especially if complete with wet/dry mass indicators.

[dr.phees]

YES! This should have been solved in KSP 1 and needs to be part of the VAB building!

[BowlerHatGuy3]

On 4/1/2023 at 10:42 AM, pandaman said:

Can we have a way to visually verify how control surfaces respond to control inputs in the VAB?

Either by just letting the relevant keys work or have a simple 'test controls' button that activates them .

This may actually be useful for RCS too actually .

I didn't realize I needed this until now.

[B15hop]

Absolutely, this would be great. At least we could identify any issues before launch and set inverted axis on parts if need be.

[dr.phees]

Especially with larger/more complex craft it is totally annoying to make a test flight, change all control surfaces so that they finally work and then trying to remember how one had to change them to make them work in the editor. Then launch again, find out which surfaces one mis-remembered, rinse, repeat.

 

Edit: I got my hands on a copy of "Trailmakers", a vehicle builder, which allows instant transition between vehicle editor and 'the world'. I know it is simplistic in comparison to KSP (1) crafts, but still, making it more accessible to test and develop a vehicle on the go would have been a nice transition. Switching back and forth between building mode and actually testing the vehicle is insanely fun, even if the build model is much, much simpler.

Having a "virtual development and test area", where you can change things on-the-fly and have it "remembered" by the game, possibly allowing to  switch between space, ground, possibly various planets before setting off would have been a cool new thing in KSP. Quick load times and having the craft we are working on in an environment where physics can be switched on and off for testing. *That* would bee improvement.

Edited April 4, 2023 by dr.phees

[Chris_The_Crafter]

So I've just noticed that sometimes one axis, usually pitch, will be reversed. Currently, we can only invert all inputs in the parts manager, which won't do if only 1 or 2 deflections are reversed. I've had to resort to splitting elevons into 2 wing pieces, one that only does roll, and an inverted one that only does pitch, for example. This results in weaker output, higher part count. wings that are even more fragile than they normally are, and an increase in weight since our procedural wings do not have procedural mass. There's a lot in need of fixing here.

[Lyneira]

28 minutes ago, Chris_The_Crafter said:

an increase in weight since our procedural wings do not have procedural mass. There's a lot in need of fixing here.

It may not appear so from the parts catalog, but procedural wings do, in fact, have procedural mass! If you make a wing smaller and thinner than its default configuration, the mass of your craft shown in the engineering report will go down. If you make it bigger or thicker, the mass will  go up.

Note: The mass display in the engineering report can sometimes fail to get updated after adjusting a wing's properties. Detaching and attaching the wing or saving and reloading the craft will update the number.

Side note: There is no lift benefit to making wings thicker so for now it seems keeping them at minimum thickness is optimal. It may be thicker wing roots offer better joint strength but I have not tested that.

Edited April 6, 2023 by Lyneira
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