[WIN/MAC/LINUX] KSP Trajectory Optimization Tool v1.6.9 [New MATLAB Version!]

[Snoman314]

Well I'm happy to announce the herring chase is finally over. There was never an issue with KSPTOT, although it did help me realize there was an issue which eventually led me to fingering Real Solar System as the culprit that modified the orbital period of the moons, thus changing their proper mean anomalies in the process. I reported the issue over there.

http://i.imgur.com/d6lNItW.png

(small error is from KSP, orbit Pe changes over time thx to precision issues)

So carry on everyone! Unless you're also using RSS in the Kerbol system to modify planetary atmospheres to get rid of the white horizon, in which case you better remove that until it's fixed if you want accurate SOI transition information along your flight plans.

Whew! Now I can proceed safe in the knowledge that when I fail to intercept a planet, it was my own fault and not some nebulous, hard-to-pin-down error in KSPTOT

[Alpheratz]

I've been trying to make a simple Eve flyby return mission with the Multi-Flyby Maneuver Sequencer. In most cases, my trajectory goes through Eve. Is there a way to prevent this from happening?

[Arrowstar]

It goes through Eve because the patched conics model KSP TOT uses for that particular application requires it to go through Eve. Don't worry too much about it, you can adjust things more finely in KSP itself when you go to fly it. That particular application is for early mission design work.

EDIT: And nevermind, I see you're using Mission Architect too. Try setting a periapse constraint for that particular event. That should prevent slamming through the planet.

- - - Updated - - -

Edit: just saw confirmation from the kOS devs that these values are pulled straight from the game's API and outputted to the console without anything happening in-between. I've heard from Arrowstar, who is really busy at the moment, and will be drawing up conclusions on this issue and others I've come across recently into a concise PM for him to reference in his limited spare time. If anyone else has concerns they'd like me to include, voice them - I'll compose the PM once I wake up in about 8 hours

Gaiiden, did anything ever come of this for stock KSP? Does the orbital period not match the value computing using orbital SMA?

[Drew Kerman]

Gaiiden, did anything ever come of this for stock KSP? Does the orbital period not match the value computing using orbital SMA?

Sorry, I misunderstood what you were saying in the reddit thread. For stock KSP, Mission Architect is fine. No worries there. The only issue came from RSS using a more realistic calculation for the orbital periods of the bodies. Again, stock KSP and KSPTOT/MA are fine together.

There were a lot of things I posted while you were away, but the ones worth looking back on are:

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/36476-WIN-MAC-KSP-Trajectory-Optimization-Tool-v1-1-8-Aerobraking!?p=1554958&viewfull=1#post1554958

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/36476-WIN-MAC-KSP-Trajectory-Optimization-Tool-v1-1-8-Aerobraking%21?p=1532469&viewfull=1#post1532469

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/36476-WIN-MAC-KSP-Trajectory-Optimization-Tool-v1-1-8-Aerobraking%21?p=1531243&viewfull=1#post1531243

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/36476-WIN-MAC-KSP-Trajectory-Optimization-Tool-v1-1-8-Aerobraking%21?p=1521129&viewfull=1#post1521129

[skykooler]

Is there a simple way to figure out the next transfer from a parking orbit to a moon? I tried to use the Rendezvous Maneuver Sequencer to give me a maneuver to intersect the Mun, and it's giving me maneuvers six days out, while I can easily find one by hand that's less than half an hour away.

[Snoman314]

Is there a simple way to figure out the next transfer from a parking orbit to a moon? I tried to use the Rendezvous Maneuver Sequencer to give me a maneuver to intersect the Mun, and it's giving me maneuvers six days out, while I can easily find one by hand that's less than half an hour away.

I use the mission planner. Guesstimate the anomaly of the burn, and let KSPTOT optimise it. Helps if you fix the radial velocity of the burn at 0. Then optimise for your target periapse at the Mun, and voila!

[Drew Kerman]

Is there a simple way to figure out the next transfer from a parking orbit to a moon? I tried to use the Rendezvous Maneuver Sequencer to give me a maneuver to intersect the Mun, and it's giving me maneuvers six days out, while I can easily find one by hand that's less than half an hour away.

move back your initial search epoch time until you get a rendezvous closer to the time you want. Arrowstar is aware of the issue with the RMS plotting way out days later

[Arrowstar]

I use the mission planner. Guesstimate the anomaly of the burn, and let KSPTOT optimise it. Helps if you fix the radial velocity of the burn at 0. Then optimise for your target periapse at the Mun, and voila!

Just implemented something that I hope will resolve (or heavily mitigate) this issue. Give this prerelease of v1.1.9 a try and tell me if RMS does what you need it to do now. If it doesn't, please let me know why so I can correct it...

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/29126891/KSPTOT_v119_prerelease2.zip

[skykooler]

I use the mission planner. Guesstimate the anomaly of the burn, and let KSPTOT optimise it. Helps if you fix the radial velocity of the burn at 0. Then optimise for your target periapse at the Mun, and voila!

I tried to use the mission planner, but it requires the true anomaly of my orbit, and the KSP link only displays the mean anomaly, which seems to be quite different. How do I set this up?

Just implemented something that I hope will resolve (or heavily mitigate) this issue. Give this prerelease of v1.1.9 a try and tell me if RMS does what you need it to do now. If it doesn't, please let me know why so I can correct it...

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/29126891/KSPTOT_v119_prerelease2.zip

Thanks, I'll test this tomorrow.

[Snoman314]

I tried to use the mission planner, but it requires the true anomaly of my orbit, and the KSP link only displays the mean anomaly, which seems to be quite different. How do I set this up?

To be honest, it's been a while. I've always just imported the orbit of my ship via the KSP plugin.

[skykooler]

To be honest, it's been a while. I've always just imported the orbit of my ship via the KSP plugin.

How do you do this? I've wanted to do that but couldn't find it anywhere.

[Snoman314]

How do you do this? I've wanted to do that but couldn't find it anywhere.

In the 'Edit State' window, after double clicking the initial state entry in the mission planner, right click on one of the fields, such as the SMA field. Then select 'Get Orbit From KSP' to import live via the plugin, or 'Get Orbit From SFS File' to import from a savefile, such as a quicksave just before you paused the game to enter the mission planner. I've had a lot of trouble with the plugin not working, but importing from a file always comes up. Then in the next window, select the object whose orbit you want to import.

[skykooler]

In the 'Edit State' window, after double clicking the initial state entry in the mission planner, right click on one of the fields, such as the SMA field. Then select 'Get Orbit From KSP' to import live via the plugin, or 'Get Orbit From SFS File' to import from a savefile, such as a quicksave just before you paused the game to enter the mission planner. I've had a lot of trouble with the plugin not working, but importing from a file always comes up. Then in the next window, select the object whose orbit you want to import.

Thank you! I didn't realize you could right-click on things; it doesn't seem to say this anywhere.

[skykooler]

Just implemented something that I hope will resolve (or heavily mitigate) this issue. Give this prerelease of v1.1.9 a try and tell me if RMS does what you need it to do now. If it doesn't, please let me know why so I can correct it...

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/29126891/KSPTOT_v119_prerelease2.zip

Could you make an OSX build? I don't have Windows available to test on right now.

Also, I did some more testing of the MCC Real Time System. Is the Propulsion Console supposed to be working? Any ship I conect to, it just looks like this:

[Arrowstar]

Thank you! I didn't realize you could right-click on things; it doesn't seem to say this anywhere.

Sorry, the right click context menus are kinda a hidden thing, particularly since I've never gotten around to writing real documentation.

Could you make an OSX build? I don't have Windows available to test on right now.

Sorry, can't do. MATLAB can only build for the OS it's running on at the time. Since I only own a Windows PC, that's all I can develop for. :/ There was someone doing a OSX build earlier with my authorization (you can get it on the first post in this thread), but unless he comes back and sees this, there isn't much I can do.

Also, I did some more testing of the MCC Real Time System. Is the Propulsion Console supposed to be working? Any ship I conect to, it just looks like this:

http://i.imgur.com/abdrcK6.png

It should show data... are you on 0.90? I never really updated the plugin for anything beyond 0.25 yet. Maybe try a simple vessel in 0.25, if you're willing, and let me know if it works there. If it does, I'll have a go at updating for 0.90 this weekend.

Also, anything in the debug log?

EDIT: skykooler, any luck with the new build I provided? Does it resolve the issue?

[skykooler]

It should show data... are you on 0.90? I never really updated the plugin for anything beyond 0.25 yet. Maybe try a simple vessel in 0.25, if you're willing, and let me know if it works there. If it does, I'll have a go at updating for 0.90 this weekend.

I am on 0.90. I'll try it in 0.25.

EDIT: skykooler, any luck with the new build I provided? Does it resolve the issue?

I can't test the build because it's a windows build and I only have a Mac and a Linux box. :/

[Arrowstar]

Okay, so I found an issue with the KSPTOTConnect DLL file. Basically, a small part of the KSP API changed from 0.25 to 0.90 and was causing the bug with the propulsion panel. I've updated the pre-release 2 ZIP file: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/29126891/KSPTOT_v119_prerelease2.zip

Be sure to update both the DLL as well as the KSPTOT executable. There's a fix in the compiled MATLAB code that you'll need, too.

In other news, as soon as I work with Gaiiden on some aerobraking stuff, I expect to formally release v1.1.9. Sorry for the long wait on this one, folks, real life gets in the way sometimes.

[skykooler]

Okay, so I found an issue with the KSPTOTConnect DLL file. Basically, a small part of the KSP API changed from 0.25 to 0.90 and was causing the bug with the propulsion panel. I've updated the pre-release 2 ZIP file: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/29126891/KSPTOT_v119_prerelease2.zip

Be sure to update both the DLL as well as the KSPTOT executable. There's a fix in the compiled MATLAB code that you'll need, too.

In other news, as soon as I work with Gaiiden on some aerobraking stuff, I expect to formally release v1.1.9. Sorry for the long wait on this one, folks, real life gets in the way sometimes.

Great news! Looking forward to an OSX build!

[Drew Kerman]

In other news, as soon as I work with Gaiiden on some aerobraking stuff, I expect to formally release v1.1.9. Sorry for the long wait on this one, folks, real life gets in the way sometimes.

That'll be at least a week. I'm halfway thru a 36+Hr trip home (stupid airlines) and then I have to get 0.90 set up after I feel like doing anything after finally getting home sat night (hopefully!)

[Galane]

If you were flying from New York to the UK you could make that leg in under 6 hours due to the currently 200+ MPH jet stream blowing eastward. At least one flight recently made the trip, takeoff to landing in 5 hours, 15 minutes. Happens just about this time of year, almost every year. 'Course going the other direction they avoid the headwinds as much as possible and sometimes have to land in Canada to refuel on flights that near 9 hours.

[Arrowstar]

That'll be at least a week. I'm halfway thru a 36+Hr trip home (stupid airlines) and then I have to get 0.90 set up after I feel like doing anything after finally getting home sat night (hopefully!)

No worries, take your time.

[skykooler]

If I have a Mac, is there a way I can compile this myself? Or do I need the paid part of Matlab to do that?

[Arrowstar]

Yes, you would need your own copy of MATLAB for Mac to do so. Sorry.

[skykooler]

Yes, you would need your own copy of MATLAB for Mac to do so. Sorry.

Oh, darn. I was hoping to be able to use this for mission control in a NASA-style mission we're running in February.

[Drew Kerman]

Spent the last two days working on my first kerbed orbital Mun mission:

http://i.imgur.com/SrjWAww.png

I rendezvous with 4 separate satellites in orbit around Mun, 1 on the first day I arrive, 3 on the second and then the third day is spent on a direct return to Kerbin. Not that it made much of a difference on this short trip, I still made sure to update my craft mass at each burn with the life support resources I used since the last burn. That'd be a cool thing to have handled for me by the mission planner.

Alright, I'm all set up on 0.90 but haven't had time to test any aerobraking, although I can now view the celestial body catalog with the latest pre-release so that's a good sign. At the moment I'm flying my 3-day kerbed Mun mission since I've been itching to see how this plays out for a few weeks now! So far so good, launched into a good orbit and re-optomized to get myself around Mun, after which I have plenty of coast time to re-sync my orbit to match the rest of the mission plan.

Used the RMS to get a new intercept with Mun after plugging in my actual orbital data from the game and the search window feature worked great.

However I did want to mention that, when re-optimizing a mission, the optimizer's Final State window could be extremely confusing to newbies. This is because I'm optimizing for event 5 but the Final State readout is showing me where I'll be at event 48. It would be nice to see the state of the craft in the event for which I am actually optimizing.