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[1.0.5] PWB Fuel Balancer v0.1.2 (3rd November 2015)

codepoet

By codepoet
in KSP1 Mod Releases

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codepoet

codepoet

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Depending on the design of your craft it might not be possible to move the CoG all the way to the location that you have set, in which case it will conclude "balance not possible" and give up trying to move the fuel around.

I am not sure what you mean by "there are two buttons then I right click" can you post a screenshot?

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SmiteZero

SmiteZero

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Depending on the design of your craft it might not be possible to move the CoG all the way to the location that you have set, in which case it will conclude "balance not possible" and give up trying to move the fuel around.

I am not sure what you mean by "there are two buttons then I right click" can you post a screenshot?

"Keep Balanced" and "Balance Fuel". Yet, "Balance Fuel Tanks" is the option that appears in the Action Group editor.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/mi3erbf2vnvp05n/screenshot20.png?dl=0

Regarding not being able to balance, after enabling balancing from the action group in flight while still on the runway, while CoM should be exactly where I set it, this happens:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/x105i0ytkzvd2l8/screenshot21.png?dl=0

It then doesn't change until I deactivate it and select one of the activate options at which time it says it's balancing again. It then seems to fail to actually balance properly through the flight.

Next Day Edit:

I made this simple test rig. https://www.dropbox.com/s/ppmiuvw1liz5ldx/screenshot31.png?dl=0

The balancing seems to work here. Perhaps there is just something weird about my spaceplane it doesn't work on. Either during building it bugged out in some way (which i think it did) or there's something wrong with my tank and fuel setup.. or..

Still the menus confuse me. Why are there two different buttons that appear to do the same thing and why do neither of them say the same thing as what's in the Action Group editor?

Also please can we have some way to turn it off via action groups? :)

Edited by SmiteZero
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codepoet

codepoet

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OK, so the difference between "keep balanced" and "balance fuel" is that "balance fuel" will move the CoM as close to the target as possible and then stop and put the mod into a deactivated state. "Keep balanced" however will continue to try to move the CoM around even after it is as close a possible, "Keep balanced" is intended to be used when you want to keep the CoM in a certain place while burning fuel.

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codepoet

codepoet

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Okay, so in the action group editor, the option is "Balance Fuel Tanks". Which one is that?

I think the action group option activates the single "balance fuel" process and not the continuous "Keep balanced" process.

I will make this a bit clearer and add extra action group options in a future release.

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SmiteZero

SmiteZero

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I think the action group option activates the single "balance fuel" process and not the continuous "Keep balanced" process.

I will make this a bit clearer and add extra action group options in a future release.

Cool. The text needs to be the same in-flight as well as in the editor. An option to do both and an option to turn it off in the A-G editor is most needed!

I apologise if I came off as confrontational at all. I'm going to try another spaceplane. :)

Edited by SmiteZero
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SmiteZero

SmiteZero

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I noticed that while active, if it enters a condition where it cannot balance it remains stuck in that condition and never resumes balancing. You have to disable and re-enable the balance option to make it work again. :)

Edited by SmiteZero
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BudgetHedgehog

BudgetHedgehog

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I've noticed as well that when I make a new plane and attach the PWB part, if I press M while hovering the mouse over it (like I should), the 'CoM has been set' or whatever text appears like 3 times. Didn't used to in 0.23.5, does in 0.24.2. Shows more than one 'CoM has been set' message. If I set the CoM again, one less message appears.. will try and grab a screenie when it next happens (nothing of note happens in the output_log).

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SmiteZero

SmiteZero

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I've noticed as well that when I make a new plane and attach the PWB part, if I press M while hovering the mouse over it (like I should), the 'CoM has been set' or whatever text appears like 3 times. Didn't used to in 0.23.5, does in 0.24.2. Shows more than one 'CoM has been set' message. If I set the CoM again, one less message appears.. will try and grab a screenie when it next happens (nothing of note happens in the output_log).

Yeah. I assume because it's just detecting multiple keypresses because the key is being held down for longer than the hardware repeat time.

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  • 2 weeks later...
codepoet

codepoet

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Fantatstic Plugin, is it also compatible with 0.24.2?

Also I wonder can this mod move arround RCS fuel to automaticly balance a ship or can it only transfer regular fuel?

I think it works good wit 0.24.2 - let me know if there is a problem.

It can move any resource around to try to achieve balance.

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FreeThinker

FreeThinker

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Well except from the many messages I receive when setting mass center, it seems to work perfectly. :D

I can't understand why this mod receives so little attention while it is the holy grail for anyone who want to be serious about docking. I think it would help if you would fix these minor issues and broadcast with the new [0.24.2] version. I for one initialy ignored it because I was afraid it would not be compatible with 0.24.22

Anyway, whe only thing I can think of is that it is too good and makes the game too easy. In fact it works so good that I have to consider increasing the difficulty by installing Timewarp Rotation Fix or Persistent Momentum 1.0 (14 July) so I can no longer accidentally/intentionally cheat by stabilizing my craft using time acceleration. :sticktongue:

Perhaps you can balance it better by requiring a small amount of power when active. Also increase weight and lower it crash tolerance and heat tolerance which is higher than a heat shield. :rolleyes:

Edited by FreeThinker
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codepoet

codepoet

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Thanks for the encouragement. I had hoped to give this mode a big makeover, with a GUI that you could use to move the target location around in flight, but I am afraid I have just got too bust. I am probably working around 14 hours a day, 6 days a week, and although I want to play and code on my day off, there is just the stuff of life that needs to be done too.

I will try to do something about the points your raise, and rebuild against the latest release of KSP. I think this all works though on 0.24.2 so feel free to use it.

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  • 3 weeks later...
starkline

starkline

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Hey codepoet, like others posting in this thread I'm a space plane enthusiast. As such, PWB is a must have. Apologies if this has been suggested previously, I did search around, but I didn't read every post.

I'd love it if a future version treated tanks placed in symmetry as a pair that should contain equal quantities. I know that might create issues for people trying to move the CoM laterally on a vessel, but if there's a means by which the plugin could identify symmetrical parts, perhaps it could be an option in to balance pairs of tanks symmetrically.

The reason I wonder about this is that I noticed some of my planes drifting laterally, and upon investigating I noticed tanks placed in symmetry (for instance under wing tanks) were getting balanced quite differently.

Anyhow, there's my .02 cents, for whatever it's worth.

Cheers!

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  • 3 weeks later...
SmiteZero

SmiteZero

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Doublepost, but this mod needs attention.

Please can work continue on it? I'd <3 to see the little bugs fixed, and I think it desperately needs an addition whereby something to the effect that all engines still receive the fuel they need while balancing. When fuel gets low but all tanks have some fuel in them, engines sputter an die even though overall you might have enough fuel to keep going a bit longer. This would also enable more design freedom! Please OP, don't leave us hangin'! :D

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  • 2 weeks later...
codepoet

codepoet

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To provide some hope for anyone interested - I have been doing some work on this mod. I have fixed the key repeat problem when setting the CoM or toggling the target CoM display. I have also added a GUI which will be used to0 manually set the target CoM position. I also hope to make it possible to store more than one target CoM. Obviously this is all for 0.25 at the moment.

No release yet, but it is coming together.

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  • 1 month later...
Dale.s

Dale.s

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To provide some hope for anyone interested - I have been doing some work on this mod. I have fixed the key repeat problem when setting the CoM or toggling the target CoM display. I have also added a GUI which will be used to0 manually set the target CoM position. I also hope to make it possible to store more than one target CoM. Obviously this is all for 0.25 at the moment.

No release yet, but it is coming together.

Any news on this update? And 0.90 compatibility?

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  • 4 weeks later...
Skalou

Skalou

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Any news on this update? And 0.90 compatibility?

Yes it work well for me on windows(7 64 bits) and KSP 0.90 32bits, but i dont use other fuel mod (so i don't know with real fuel or other...)

for 50$ the PWB fuel balancer part it worth it...

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codepoet

codepoet

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I would love to have a new release of this, but I afraid my real life just does not allow be the time at the moment. I have a day off coming up on Thursday - perhaps I will be able to put a couple of hours in then. Sorry for those folks who enjoy using this and would like to see it updated quicker.

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Skalou

Skalou

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right,

it works well as it is, maybe just say to the world it works with 0.90

...but if u have time one day i have some ideas! :P

-add compatibilty with

KSP-AVC http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/79745

and C-KAN http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/100067-The-Comprehensive-Kerbal-Archive-Network-%28CKAN%29-Package-Manager-v1-5-0-24-Dec-2014

-i see the balance put always the fuel in extremities and so set the inertia at maximum: mode to keep balance but reduce inertia?(mode stability or agility)

-an upgrade of 3D part to look like a pump

-balance the part for carreer:

for me now there is only avantages to put it: light weight, no drag, low price, hight temperature supported.

when i build a vessel i like to think: "shall i really need this? does the functionalities worth it weight/cost/...? "

-so add electricity drain, increase cost and weight

-so add differents pumps sizes: small one balance slow but is cheap and lightweight, unlockable soon in techtree,...(tweakscale?)

-reduce the size of the green ball (maybe i just build too small vessel ) or idealy a slider to resize it like RCSbuildaid does: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/35996

but i know u don't have time and i'm sure u have great ideas too...(everyone got ideas but not always the time and capacity to does)

Now i'm too noob to help u more but i'm learning slowly (blender, etc) and if i can help u later i will do it.

can i modify your work to learn and share it here?

Edited by Skalou
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