[0.20] v0.0.4: RAD ALT and VSI update

[astropapi1]

How do you minimize it?

[CaptainArbitrary]

These are the most beautiful things I've seen in a long, long time. I don't even need them, for the way I play, but I'm going to install them anyway because it'll please me to look at them. You even got the font right, man. I'm gobsmacked.

There's one bit of bad news, though. No offense meant to anybody, but … um … next to these, the game's UI kinda looks like day-old dogfood. These are that pretty.

[IvanTehFennec]

mediumchris, I'd love to see a full MFD (such as the image I posted). Any chance in the future we'll see it done?

[MOARdV]

How do you minimize it?

Right now, you don't, but a few of us have already requested that it be possible to minimize.

[mediumchris]

Due to popular demand I've added a little configuration panel as a kind of temporary measure. I'm not super happy with it and the texture is getting pretty tweaked in-game but it's temporary.

Oh and thanks for all the positive feedback, when you work on something even for a few hours you can't tell whether it's any good anymore.

These are the most beautiful things I've seen in a long, long time. I don't even need them, for the way I play, but I'm going to install them anyway because it'll please me to look at them. You even got the font right, man. I'm gobsmacked.

There's one bit of bad news, though. No offense meant to anybody, but … um … next to these, the game's UI kinda looks like day-old dogfood. These are that pretty.

Wow. It doesn't pay well but I have a "Chief Main Person in Charge of Compliments" position opening up soon...

Edited July 1, 2013 by mediumchris

[mediumchris]

*I* think a warning based on time to impact would be an interesting one. I don't know if it'd be useful in actual usage, and I don't know what the Green / Yellow / Red warning times would be.

Or, even more convoluted - warnings based on available thrust vs. dV remaining. Green - you have plenty of reserve thrust to land based on current velocity and thrust. Yellow - you need to throttle up - you're getting marginal. Red - you don't have enough thrust to avoid splattering your ship all over the surface; maybe you should try aborting. This could tie in to Mervina's voiceover becoming increasingly urgent as the transition from Green to Yellow to Red take place.

That's a cool idea, if I do anything on warnings I'll keep it in mind.

[mediumchris]

mediumchris, I'd love to see a full MFD (such as the image I posted). Any chance in the future we'll see it done?

For the time being I seriously doubt it - I'm enjoying the analog style combined with the physically impossible things you can get away with in software, as well the possibility of creating instruments that make some sense in KSP but don't exist in real life. And it would be quite a big job, these short iterations have been really useful.

That said, who knows where this stuff will go.

How would that MFD need to change for a space craft (keep in mind I can barely decipher it)?

[MR4Y]

Can we have a digital readout as an option to the slider gauge?

[eoosting]

*I* think a warning based on time to impact would be an interesting one. I don't know if it'd be useful in actual usage, and I don't know what the Green / Yellow / Red warning times would be.

Or, even more convoluted - warnings based on available thrust vs. dV remaining. Green - you have plenty of reserve thrust to land based on current velocity and thrust. Yellow - you need to throttle up - you're getting marginal. Red - you don't have enough thrust to avoid splattering your ship all over the surface; maybe you should try aborting.

Amazing idea. I really like it. Some instrumentation to help carry out suicide burns would be extremely helpful.

-e

[Nazari1382]

I like.

[Lindy]

Thanks for the toggle! I've intentionally done landings over mountains and such... Boy is it ever nice having both MSL and AGL right in front of me!

[togfox]

Gauges look great!

Or, even more convoluted - warnings based on available thrust vs. dV remaining. Green - you have plenty of reserve thrust to land based on current velocity and thrust. Yellow - you need to throttle up - you're getting marginal. Red - you don't have enough thrust to avoid splattering your ship all over the surface; maybe you should try aborting.

This would be very handy and can be incorporated into the VSI gauge. You can have two slim dials side by side with the 'needle' extended across both of them. The first shows your verticle speed and the second moves up and down from green to yellow which shows how much time and thrust you have before you create a new crater. The maths is complex but its something MechJeb does very well. You should ask for permission to use those formula's. If you fail to reduce your VS sufficiently then the dial will gradually move into the light yellow, then orange, then red. Once you hit red then you're past the point of no return and there is no time/height remaining to slow down. This is the one instrument that is crucial for measured de-orbit burns and controlled landing.

The other instrument not available in any mod is horizontal speed. No gauge available shows your left/right/forward/back movement and speed. This would be best represented with a compass-like device with a needle in the middle. The needle points in your direction of horizontal direction and the length of the needle grows with your speed. On a verticle take off, the needle would be really tiny and in the middle. For a winged landing at KSC then it would be very long and pointing directly in front.

I'm guessing that is graphically challenging so as a compromise, two sliding dials showing left/right and forward/back movement is better than nothing. Rep point for you!

[pizzaoverhead]

A suggestion for you for when you're adding tones: A variometer.

It plays a tone changes in pitch as your vertical speed rises and falls. If vertical speed is positive, it beeps, if negative, it plays constantly. It's useful for landing because it lets you use your eyes for other controls but still know your vertical speed.

I have the code to do it if you want it, but it's fairly simple.

[togfox]

Does the variometer do more than turn left?

[aggressorblue]

Isn't a similar Tone based system used for docking in real-life space missions? I thought the ISS used this system to Aid in shuttle docking (beeping faster= getting closer)

[pizzaoverhead]

Does the variometer do more than turn left?

It's not turning left, it's a vertical speed indicator, like the one to the right of the altimeter at the top of the screen.

Isn't a similar Tone based system used for docking in real-life space missions? I thought the ISS used this system to Aid in shuttle docking (beeping faster= getting closer)

That's a great idea for a mod! If mediumchris doesn't get round to it, I'll definitely give it a try.

Edited July 2, 2013 by pizzaoverhead

[mediumchris]

Just posted an update that fixes some minor issues.

[mediumchris]

Does the variometer do more than turn left?

Heh. I think the pilot was riding a thermal.

Can we have a digital readout as an option to the slider gauge?

Now on the list

A suggestion for you for when you're adding tones: A variometer.

It plays a tone changes in pitch as your vertical speed rises and falls. If vertical speed is positive, it beeps, if negative, it plays constantly. It's useful for landing because it lets you use your eyes for other controls but still know your vertical speed.

Interesting video, I would have thought that kind of sound would drive people mad, but I definitely like the audio feedback thing.

Isn't a similar Tone based system used for docking in real-life space missions? I thought the ISS used this system to Aid in shuttle docking (beeping faster= getting closer)

I think beeps would be cool for both docking and the altimeter. Also, if you play without music on, the soundtrack to doing something awesome is often nothing. Beeps will add drama

[IvanTehFennec]

Beeps will add drama

I've been using a plugin that adds vocal call-outs for the radio altimeter lower than 2500m. I'd love to add a "Sink-rate" warning as well, or better yet just incorporate radio call-outs to your mod. Would you be able to do it?

[mrsinister]

I've been using a plugin that adds vocal call-outs for the radio altimeter lower than 2500m. I'd love to add a "Sink-rate" warning as well, or better yet just incorporate radio call-outs to your mod. Would you be able to do it?

Hmmm......so yer going for a full blown configurable B!tching Betty?

[Floki]

Hmmm......so yer going for a full blown configurable B!tching Betty?

Yeah, those breakups with them are terrible when they occur.

Edited July 7, 2013 by Floki
Grammar

[mediumchris]

I've been using a plugin that adds vocal call-outs for the radio altimeter lower than 2500m. I'd love to add a "Sink-rate" warning as well, or better yet just incorporate radio call-outs to your mod. Would you be able to do it?

Have you got a link to the plugin? No luck searching for it and I'd like to take a look.

[mrsinister]

Have you got a link to the plugin? No luck searching for it and I'd like to take a look.

I would like to know this as well.....

[dlrk]

This is awesome! I'd love to see some more new avionics, like a speed tape, or better yet a full PFD.

[IvanTehFennec]

Have you got a link to the plugin? No luck searching for it and I'd like to take a look.

I have to PM it to you.