[1.11.x] RCS Build Aid v1.0.6

[WarrenSchultz]

Would it be possible to support ModuleRCSFX?

Thanks!

[m4v]

Would it be possible to support ModuleRCSFX?

Thanks!

What doesn't work? ModuleRCSFX is a ModuleRCS subclass so I believe it should work.

[NathanKell]

It works fine. The only issue is RCS Delta V for non-monoprop propellants, unless you fixed that, but as I recall you weren't going to touch that one anyway.

[m4v]

yeah, the deltav stuff is a PITA.

[WarrenSchultz]

Huh. That's odd. On the current build, in Translation mode, it was saying no RCS was attached to the craft. *shrug* I'll poke at it some more. Doing about a dozen things at once now, so I may have missed something.

Edit: This is for a LFO RCS.

Edited December 21, 2014 by WarrenSchultz

[mecki]

Looks like the newest version isn't on CKAN

[Frostiken]

There are some minor bugs with this tool and Tweakable Everything / TweakScale.

Tweakable Everything allows you to add thrust limits to RCS thrusters, which is utterly invaluable in conjunction with this mod. TweakScale allows you to shrink / grow the RCS ports, which automatically adjusts their power output correspondingly.

RCS Build Aid works just fine with this most of the time. There are, however, some tiny inconvenient issues where it doesn't totally update all the thrusters.

Here's an example of my parameters. You can see that (at least for that direction), RCS build aid is working fine. They're outputting very little thrust, corresponding to their limited thrust output and small size: http://i.imgur.com/jdUj1Qm.png

Let's back up to when I first place the thrusters. When I first limit their thrust correspondingly to stop any errant rotation, I get this. Good thrust with no rotation in translation to the right: http://i.imgur.com/JDgaP5a.png

In this particular case, all three directions worked fine, except for one: translating left. Look at the size of the thrust arrow and you can see the rotation ring of death in the bottom right: http://i.imgur.com/vWXHgdd.png

It works fine in-game, it just seems that the RCS build aid isn't updating all thrusters when you adjust their parameters after they are placed on the ship. This can be fixed in the VAB by picking up one of the 'good' thrusters and placing them again, and rechecking all the directions. Perhaps a simple 'refresh' button on the tool would do the trick.

Edited December 26, 2014 by Frostiken

[Neutrinovore]

There are some minor bugs with this tool and Tweakable Everything / TweakScale.

Tweakable Everything allows you to add thrust limits to RCS thrusters, which is utterly invaluable in conjunction with this mod. TweakScale allows you to shrink / grow the RCS ports, which automatically adjusts their power output correspondingly.

RCS Build Aid works just fine with this most of the time. There are, however, some tiny inconvenient issues where it doesn't totally update all the thrusters.

Here's an example of my parameters. You can see that (at least for that direction), RCS build aid is working fine. They're outputting very little thrust, corresponding to their limited thrust output and small size: http://i.imgur.com/jdUj1Qm.png

Let's back up to when I first place the thrusters. When I first limit their thrust correspondingly to stop any errant rotation, I get this. Good thrust with no rotation in translation to the right: http://i.imgur.com/JDgaP5a.png

In this particular case, all three directions worked fine, except for one: translating left. Look at the size of the thrust arrow and you can see the rotation ring of death in the bottom right: http://i.imgur.com/vWXHgdd.png

It works fine in-game, it just seems that the RCS build aid isn't updating all thrusters when you adjust their parameters after they are placed on the ship. This can be fixed in the VAB by picking up one of the 'good' thrusters and placing them again, and rechecking all the directions. Perhaps a simple 'refresh' button on the tool would do the trick.

I've found the same thing as well. Basically, when you rescale a symmetry-set (like 4 at a time) of RCS blocks, only the one part that you have selected, or 'grabbed', with your mouse will update the thrust information in RCSBuildAid. Same thing with tweaking the max thrust slider, I expect.

The thing is, I think that this 'problem' is something inherent to Unity, or at least KSP base code, so I don't think that there's anything M4V can do about it.

The good news is, I've found a work-around of sorts. All you need to do is, after you've rescaled or otherwise adjusted a set of thrusters, save your craft as-is. Then just reload it from the save menu, and all of the set of thrusters will update to the new parameters. NOW RCSBuildAid will show the correct information for all the thrusters in that set. The slight downside to this method is that there is a bit of trial and error involved, but I don't find it too onerous.

Anyway, I hope this helps.

Continuing Happy Holidays to everyone!

[m4v]

There are some minor bugs with this tool and Tweakable Everything / TweakScale.

Tweakable Everything allows you to add thrust limits to RCS thrusters, which is utterly invaluable in conjunction with this mod. TweakScale allows you to shrink / grow the RCS ports, which automatically adjusts their power output correspondingly.

RCS Build Aid works just fine with this most of the time. There are, however, some tiny inconvenient issues where it doesn't totally update all the thrusters.

Here's an example of my parameters. You can see that (at least for that direction), RCS build aid is working fine. They're outputting very little thrust, corresponding to their limited thrust output and small size: http://i.imgur.com/jdUj1Qm.png

Let's back up to when I first place the thrusters. When I first limit their thrust correspondingly to stop any errant rotation, I get this. Good thrust with no rotation in translation to the right: http://i.imgur.com/JDgaP5a.png

In this particular case, all three directions worked fine, except for one: translating left. Look at the size of the thrust arrow and you can see the rotation ring of death in the bottom right: http://i.imgur.com/vWXHgdd.png

It works fine in-game, it just seems that the RCS build aid isn't updating all thrusters when you adjust their parameters after they are placed on the ship. This can be fixed in the VAB by picking up one of the 'good' thrusters and placing them again, and rechecking all the directions. Perhaps a simple 'refresh' button on the tool would do the trick.

RCSBA reads the parameters from the parts and displays that information every frame, so I doubt is something in my end. There's got to be a problem with those mods while updating the RCS thrust while in the editor, probably a conflict between them, since they both have to update the same property in ModuleRCS and they might end clobbering each other.

I'm unable to check thoroughly at the moment though.

[mecki]

There seems to be a collision between Realism Overhaul and Stock Part Revamp regarding the Mk1-2 Pod and RCS Build Aid.

RCS Build Aid doesn't recognize the Pods RCS thrusters anymore. I also have SXT installed (if that changes anything).

[Lexx Thai]

RCSBA is incompatible with ModuleRCSFX. It seems to the KSP ModuleRCS and ModuleRCSFX classes do not look the same.

[neamerjell]

Interesting mod. I've never really had trouble with placing RCS thrusters - I just put four on each end at 90 degree angles about equidistant from the center of mass. However, this could come in really handy for craft that are unusually shaped and aren't just long cylinders like rockets and most planes tend to be. Landers can be particularly troublesome because they are usually so small that both ends of the craft are really close to the center of mass.

I watched your video and I am now wondering why the devs never put the dry center of mass indicator in. I lost count of the number of planes I've built that suddenly become uncontrollable because the fuel is runs out and the center of mass is way off. I'm downloading this mod just to get that feature, the rest is just icing on the cake!

[SchildConstruct]

What doesn't work? ModuleRCSFX is a ModuleRCS subclass so I believe it should work.

It works in 5.3, but not 5.4. That confused the heck out of me. I suspected ModuleRCSFX to be to blame at first, because the RealFuels Stockalike config now pulls this in as a dependency on CKAN.

[LostOblivion]

toadicus found that Squad now uses another method to enable and disable thrust from RCS ports, meaning RCS Build Aid should do the same to continue taking into account disabled RCS ports. See his post here.

Edit: In other words, RCS Build Aid no longer works with disabled RCS until this issue is addressed.

Edited January 8, 2015 by LostOblivion

[m4v]

mostly a bugfix release.

Version 0.5.5
-------------

* Add configurable keyboard shortcut for toggle RCSBA (see settings panel for enable it, I use the 5 key).
* FIX: not detecting modules that subclass from stock modules, like ModuleRCSFX.
* FIX: KSP will hang if settings.cfg is empty.
* FIX: use ModuleRCS.rcsEnabled instead of ModuleRCS.isEnabled.

[NathanKell]

I guess subclass handling changed in PartModuleList in .90? Always before RCSBuildAid had no trouble with ModuleRCSFX, I'm surprised it needed a fix.

[m4v]

I guess subclass handling changed in PartModuleList in .90? Always before RCSBuildAid had no trouble with ModuleRCSFX, I'm surprised it needed a fix.

Is not surprising once you see it. I broke it when I was refactoring code.

[mecki]

mostly a bugfix release.

Version 0.5.5
-------------

* Add configurable keyboard shortcut for toggle RCSBA (see settings panel for enable it, I use the 5 key).
* FIX: not detecting modules that subclass from stock modules, like ModuleRCSFX.
* FIX: KSP will hang if settings.cfg is empty.
* FIX: use ModuleRCS.rcsEnabled instead of ModuleRCS.isEnabled.

Just if you don't know yet: The update is not yet listed on CKAN.

Thanks!

[m4v]

Just if you don't know yet: The update is not yet listed on CKAN.

Thanks!

I'm not using CKAN.

[DBT85]

I'm not using CKAN.

Well its on CKAN.

Can't seem to find the netkan though so no idea who added it.

Edited January 20, 2015 by DBT85

[WarrenSchultz]

Thanks, m4v!

[NathanKell]

DBT85: if a mod author did not put the mod on CKAN, please don't bother them about CKAN. Please take it to the CKAN thread.

m4v: Ah, yeah, refactoring, ever life's bane.

[Drew Kerman]

did this mod ever honor the Disable/Enable setting for RCS ports? I thought it did, but apparently not. Or is Disable/Enable a Tweakable Everything addition? I can't remember. Anyways, I have a craft with RCS blocks meant to be used for the entire ship, and RCS blocks meant to be used only when the capsule is on its own. So when I want to balance fuel in the entire ship for RCS translation, I don't want RCSBA figuring the capsule blocks into its thrust model.

[DBT85]

DBT85: if a mod author did not put the mod on CKAN, please don't bother them about CKAN. Please take it to the CKAN thread.

m4v: Ah, yeah, refactoring, ever life's bane.

Simply informing him that it is indeed there. Users have no idea that he isn't responsible for that listing, nor who did add it.

[m4v]

did this mod ever honor the Disable/Enable setting for RCS ports? I thought it did, but apparently not. Or is Disable/Enable a Tweakable Everything addition? I can't remember. Anyways, I have a craft with RCS blocks meant to be used for the entire ship, and RCS blocks meant to be used only when the capsule is on its own. So when I want to balance fuel in the entire ship for RCS translation, I don't want RCSBA figuring the capsule blocks into its thrust model.

Well, RCS ports can't be disabled from the editor in the stock game, so as far as I'm concerned that isn't something to honor, and since I don't use Tweakable Everything I don't really check if it works or not, but in 0.5.5 I changed how disabled ports are detected since Squad changed that bit (it was pointed out here), it doesn't work?

edit: I skimmed TE's source and it seems it didn't catch up with the change, since is still using the old method.

Edited January 22, 2015 by m4v