[1.0] Figaro Global Navigation Satellite System - Launch a Working GPS System

[Raven.]

UPDATE:

I'll download v0.24 of the game later today and will have a look at how to implement a rudimentary contract for building a GNSS network. Maybe some of you here who have played the newest version of the game already can offer suggestions on how much reputation and money should be awarded for launching a constellation around Kerbin?

Hopefully I'll have a new release of the mod ready for early next week (the week of July 28th).

P.S. If someone wants to collaborate with me and take over development of a contract class for this mod, I'd be happy to consider it. Just send me a PM.

Would love to, but I'm still trying to finish up a current project. Maybe by the time I'm finished with that project, and if no one else has taken it, I'll likely take a look at this, as i've been itching to dig into modding contracts.

[m4v]

I think the difficult part is how to detect if the contract was fulfilled properly, but I guess you can rail-road the player into creating a specific constellation with n sats in specific orbits.

[Ralathon]

I can't take over any development, and I don't play in Career mode as I'm strictly a Sandbox guy, but I can suggest 4 ideas for contracts off the top of my head to whomever would be interested in implementing it.

(1) Obviously a contract for setting up the GPS network on Kerbin should be a thing, but (2) you could have contracts generated for other celestial bodies too. On top of that you could also have (3) procedurally generated ground-truthing contracts. Stuff like “Take a Figaro GPS-reciever equipped craft to these Lat,Lon coordinates to sample the GPS error at that positionâ€Â. Finally, you could have contracts for (4) setting up base-stations, essentially like the ground-truthing idea, but instead you're putting a transmitter-equipped craft there. Probably on mountains or other high elevation spots with good line of sight.

(3) would be best implemented as a feature of time. "maintain a maximum error of X at location Y for 3 hours" or something along those lines. That prevents players from cheating by setting up a garbage network and then completing the contract when the error is below the threshold.

[Entropius]

(3) would be best implemented as a feature of time. "maintain a maximum error of X at location Y for 3 hours" or something along those lines. That prevents players from cheating by setting up a garbage network and then completing the contract when the error is below the threshold.

Good point, agreed.

[DavidHunter]

Looking forward to seeing this for KSP v0.24.2. Great mod. Thanks for your ongoing work.

[PakledHostage]

Looking forward to seeing this for KSP v0.24.2. Great mod.

Sorry. Although I haven't yet downloaded v0.24 of the game, I just assumed that the current version of the mod already works with KSP v0.24 because I am not hearing a lot of noises from the user base. I will do my best to download the latest update and rebuild the plugin for that version in the next day or so. If it does already work with v0.24 of the game, then could someone please let me know and I will update the title of this thread and Curse.com.

[DavidHunter]

Sorry. Although I haven't yet downloaded v0.24 of the game, I just assumed that the current version of the mod already works with KSP v0.24 because I am not hearing a lot of noises from the user base. I will do my best to download the latest update and rebuild the plugin for that version in the next day or so. If it does already work with v0.24 of the game, then could someone please let me know and I will update the title of this thread and Curse.com.

Apologies; I just saw in other mod threads that KSP v0.24.1 made changes to the API and so other mods had to be updated, so I didn't even bother testing this - my bad. Will test it now and let you know if it works.

[DavidHunter]

Apologies; I just saw in other mod threads that KSP v0.24.1 made changes to the API and so other mods had to be updated, so I didn't even bother testing this - my bad. Will test it now and let you know if it works.

It shows up in the research tree. Haven't unlocked that node yet but it's there so presumably it works fine.

Thanks!

Can I make a suggestion please? Could you add in support for contracts, e.g. have the plugin randomly create contracts that involve the deployment of a GNSS network? For instance, it could be "establish a twelve-satellite GNSS transmitter network orbiting the Mun at 90deg orbital inclination at a 200x100km orbit" - the randomly-selected variables would be the number of satellites, the body around which the constellation should orbit, the orbital inclination and the periapse and apoapse of the constellation orbits.

(obviously the body around which the constellation should orbit should be based on currently-researched technology, if possible. That way, a total noob doesn't get asked to set up a constellation around Jool, despite only having the Mk I capsule and nothing else available.)

I certainly enjoyed setting up a GNSS constellation in KSO back in 0.23.5. Looking forward to getting back into it.

[PakledHostage]

Support for contracts is on my todo list. As lame as it sounds, my first priority is just to get the mod's various "public faces" reflecting the fact that it works in v0.24 of the game so that it doesn't look like I've abandoned the project. I'm a bit busy in life outside of KSP right now so it is taking a bit of time. Please bear with me. I am away on vacation for the next 10 days and then I've got family visiting from out of town. Mid September is when rainy weekends typically start to rear their ugly heads again in my part of the world so I'll have more time to work on developing a contracts class for the plugin then.

[DavidHunter]

No rush, I understand we all have alternate lives to live.

Thanks for your work. Love the mod.

[ArkaelDren]

I really have only one complaint, and that is calling it more than it is. I don't understand why you decided to leave the actual module for the transmitter out of the cfg. It would allow us players, the non mod creator kind, to place the module inside a separate part cfg, to simply utilize your plugin. The recent release of the "satellite in a box" mod(Khaul), uses pretty awesome individual modules, that are placed inside the satellite main body. I wanted to drop your GPS transmitter module, into the core part cfg of this sat mod and start creating a network. To be honest, I am not to excited about the transmitter part in your Mod.

I am not trying to be critical of your mod.

Thx for the long term support of this hugely helpful part.

[m4v]

I really have only one complaint, and that is calling it more than it is. I don't understand why you decided to leave the actual module for the transmitter out of the cfg. It would allow us players, the non mod creator kind, to place the module inside a separate part cfg, to simply utilize your plugin. The recent release of the "satellite in a box" mod(Khaul), uses pretty awesome individual modules, that are placed inside the satellite main body. I wanted to drop your GPS transmitter module, into the core part cfg of this sat mod and start creating a network. To be honest, I am not to excited about the transmitter part in your Mod.

I am not trying to be critical of your mod.

Thx for the long term support of this hugely helpful part.

Because there's no such module, it detects the transmitter by its part name, ei, any part named "FigaroTransmitter" works as a transmitter. While it does prevents you from having different transmitter parts (parts can't have the same name) there's neither a need of having more than one.

It can be changed, but it needs to be coded.

[PakledHostage]

I really have only one complaint, and that is calling it more than it is. [...] To be honest, I am not to excited about the transmitter part in your Mod.

I am not trying to be critical of your mod.

I'm sorry, but I am going to call BS. You are being critical. It is unfortunate that this mod doesn't work together with someone else's mod but I support it in my free time. Why not be grateful for what you've got rather than complain that it doesn't work the way that YOU want it to?

This mod is made possible through the VOLUNTEER efforts of people like M4V, MrPwner and myself. I have said from the very beginning that it is a SCIENCE mod, intended to get people thinking about where their navigation information comes from. Navigating a real-world spacecraft requires extensive support hardware, from onboard IMUs, GNSS, TDRSS, ground radar, and on and on. Very little is done in real time. While rigid simulation of the complexities of real world spaceflight would be tedious, I believe that the challenge of launching your own global navigation satellite system is rewarding enough to be worthwhile.

Sure the mod has limitations, but it will always have limitations. Someone will always wish that it was better. Complaining about it on the mod's thread isn't helpful; it is only disrespectful of the people who's efforts you're already benefiting from. If you want to make a suggestion on how it can be made better, please do. But realize that your suggestion may not get implemented because there may not be a big enough ROI for the greater community of the mod's users.

[Kerbal007]

I'm sorry, but I am going to call BS. You are being critical. It is unfortunate that this mod doesn't work together with someone else's mod but I support it in my free time. Why not be grateful for what you've got rather than complain that it doesn't work the way that YOU want it to?

This mod is made possible through the VOLUNTEER efforts of people like M4V, MrPwner and myself. I have said from the very beginning that it is a SCIENCE mod, intended to get people thinking about where their navigation information comes from. Navigating a real-world spacecraft requires extensive support hardware, from onboard IMUs, GNSS, TDRSS, ground radar, and on and on. Very little is done in real time. While rigid simulation of the complexities of real world spaceflight would be tedious, I believe that the challenge of launching your own global navigation satellite system is rewarding enough to be worthwhile.

Sure the mod has limitations, but it will always have limitations. Someone will always wish that it was better. Complaining about it on the mod's thread isn't helpful; it is only disrespectful of the people who's efforts you're already benefiting from. If you want to make a suggestion on how it can be made better, please do. But realize that your suggestion may not get implemented because there may not be a big enough ROI for the greater community of the mod's users.

I have not used your mod, but amen and it looks amazing! alot of personal effort and time goes into these things, I have added this to my list of things to try and shared with workmates. Cheers!

[ArkaelDren]

No its NOT "BS" If you read 95% of the posts I have they are filled with praise and thx for all the great work you guys are doing. Its in my sig I say it so much. I said I really don't like your models........that's it. As for not understanding how the mods dll works, I apologize for that. Certainly was not my intention to be negative, I was trying to be constructive. Thicker skin bud. I have never had a single problem with your mods functionality, I simply wanted to use its Module, if it had one, to place inside of another model. Its still enjoying the code, and I will still say, thx for all the great work you guys do,

BTW: I do geo caching and I have been hiking in our local mountains since the late 70's. I love the idea that you are using real world satellite functionality.

Edit: I'm still a bit surprised at your response, had to edit just to say after reading it...again. It would have been better if I came in here and said, "DUDE, your mod is just amazing, how are you so incredible?" Although I do say that time from time, I wont be saying it in here.

But since you could not handle a well written explanation of constructive criticism, I don't mind not using your mod. I am sure the words, "then don't use it" come to you often.

Thx as "ALWAYS" from Oregon

Dren

Edited September 2, 2014 by ArkaelDren

[PakledHostage]

But since you could not handle a well written explanation of constructive criticism, I don't mind not using your mod. I am sure the words, "then don't use it" come to you often.

Re-reading my post above, I can see how it could be interpreted as being a bit sensitive. That wasn't my intent. I sincerely doubt that any mod maker expects all of their users to be happy with their work. Least of all me. I am fully aware that this mod could be more polished if I had the time to dedicate to polishing it.

But my main point from above still stands: While you are welcome to make suggestions about how I can improve the mod, the tone in which you do so makes all the difference.

[Arron Rift]

Very interesting! Maybe now we can find Waldo!

[Errol]

Apologies ahead of time if this has already been asked, but is there a way to integrate this with rasterpropmonitor?

[PakledHostage]

Apologies ahead of time if this has already been asked, but is there a way to integrate this with rasterpropmonitor?

The plugin exposes Lat, Lon, number of visible satellites and DOP for other plugins to access. Those other plugins must be coded to use that information in some way, however. An example of a mod that has been adapted to work together with Figaro is SirJodelstein's Persistent Trails mod.

[Spooks]

is it working on 0.25 ?

[endl]

is it possible to disable the receiver during assembly or make it so you can toggle it with control groups?. i have mine hidden in a compartment of my ssto and its kind of annoying that its on by default

[PakledHostage]

is it possible to disable the receiver during assembly or make it so you can toggle it with control groups?

Yes. Please have a read through the FAQ section in the first post of this thread.

[endl]

Yes. Please have a read through the FAQ section in the first post of this thread.

except there is no control group option available nor can i disable it in the assembly bay

[PakledHostage]

except there is no control group option available nor can i disable it in the assembly bay

Back when I last played the game (around about v0.18), you could add a plugin's right-click menu options (such as the Figaro receiver's option to turn the receiver on and off) to action groups in the VAB. I'd be surprised if this is no longer the case but you could be right.

[j-tk]

Love this Mod, thank you for continuing development!!!!!