[1.8.1] Docking Port Alignment Indicator (Version 6.8.5 - Updated 12/14/19)

[NavyFish]

Quick update, showing off the new target port text and cycle buttons.

In other news, it may be easier to custom name docking ports on-the-fly than I had initially thought. That's still low on the list of must-haves for this release, but it might make it!

The priority right now is really figuring out the best way to display the target hud overlay, but I had to take a break on that front tonight as I was feeling burnt out. My artistic patience is much thinner than my patience for code

Anyhow, enjoy!

[NavyFish]

Been incredibly busy IRL over the past week, so no big news to report. Making slow but steady progress in the moments of time I've found. Can almost guarantee that RPM integration won't make it into this update. Really was looking forward to implementing an update notifier as well (like Alarm Clock, Toolbar, etc), to help folks keep up with the latest developments (and also facilitate more frequent, smaller updates), but I haven't yet begun even the research phase of that feature, let alone implementation. :/ Next time.

On the plus side, I've become much more familiar with ModuleManager through a series of coincidences, and am pretty confident I can implement custom port naming without too much heartburn. I have a hard deadline of next Tuesday for release, though, so anything that's not on its way to being finalized this weekend will have to be cut and slid to the next version. At the very least, we'll have: Port targeting beyond 200m, automatic nearest port selection (when first targeting a vessel), port cycling buttons w/ a display of the 'default' port name (see previous post), and a targeted port HUD indicator.

I've been wondering if another (toggleable/optional) numerical readout might be useful: "Closure Distance". Currently, your linear distance to the port is displayed on the gui, whereas the "Closure Distance" would indicate distance along the "normal axis" only - similar to how CVEL displays closure distance along the normal axis only. In other words, if you were to undock, back up 1 meter, zero your relative velocity, then translate 100 meters left, "CDST" would still read 1 meter.

I smacked a couple vessels together the other day as a result of careless/rushed docking, 'sliding in' from the side at a high rate of translational closure, thinking I had enough clearance for the ports, wherein the CDST would have actually read something like -2m, indicating i'd need to back up at least 2 more meters to have just enough clearance to 'slide in' without contact.

Thoughts on this?

Edited April 30, 2014 by NavyFish

[diomedea]

...Really was looking forward to implementing an update notifier as well (like Alarm Clock, Toolbar, etc), to help folks keep up with the latest developments (and also facilitate more frequent, smaller updates), but I haven't yet begun even the research phase of that feature, let alone implementation. :/ Next time.

...

I've been wondering if another (toggleable/optional) numerical readout might be useful: "Closure Distance".

...

Thoughts on this?

About the CDST, absolutely YES. I find myself wondering really how much that distance is, knowing would allow me to make final approach better. Too often I have to "look outside" to get situational awareness about that distance, or I would find closing laterally to end smacking the sides.

About the update notifier. I don't think it is really needed, unless you are going to put new versions out real often. It is another bunch of code that will have some weight in memory (small, I know, but yet) and opens another outside connection (that I would not really like if not essential). I am actually considering to manually remove code that performs the check from the Toolbar plugin and recompile for my own use, just because of the above.

[softweir]

Closure Distance would make a lot of sense to me - not so much when perfectly aligned, but when things are going a bit wrong and one has moved off to one side and needs to know if one has the distance needed to re-align without bumping docking ports.

Edit: Exactly as Diomeda said before me!

[NavyFish]

CDST is going to happen.

In other news, I'm pretty happy with the following target port HUD icon / style:

http://sourcedreams.net/targetPort.html

It's clearly keeping with the stock 'icon vocabulary', and the new pulse effect really draws the eye to it. I'm sure some folks may want it larger, so I'll consider a toggle option.

Enjoy!

Edited May 1, 2014 by NavyFish

[diomedea]

In other news, I'm pretty happy with the following target port HUD icon / style:

http://sourcedreams.net/targetPort.html

It's clearly keeping with the stock 'icon vocabulary', and the new pulse effect really draws the eye to it. I'm sure some folks may want it larger, so I'll consider a toggle option.

Very vey nice. I like how you made it pulse, gradually changing, alike the light of a lighthouse is seen. Catches the eye.

[TMS]

http://sourcedreams.net/targetPort.html

*excited squeal*

Looks great!

[Deadweasel]

Oh man, hitting it out of the park with this one! Can't wait to try it out!

[Zeroignite]

How about RPM integration? I'm starting an "IVA ALL THE THINGS" playstyle lately

[LameLefty]

How about RPM integration? I'm starting an "IVA ALL THE THINGS" playstyle lately

I asked about this a few days ago. Navyfish said it's on the radar but not for a bit. He's got a real job, you know.

[DaMichel]

Agreed with the others. It's really looking nice.

[Taki117]

I think it should blink a little faster (Maybe twice as fast?) but other than that I am loving it!

[BudgetHedgehog]

I don't use DPAI but I've noticed an inordinate amount of people having problems with MechJeb after installing DPAI. The reason is because MJ has a soft dependency on the Toolbar but only works with the latest Toolbar so when people install DPAI, they end up overwriting the working Toolbar with an older version that breaks MJ.

So my request is simple - update your download to include the latest Toolbar please. People end up breaking MJ after they install this and then think MJ is broken so they ask for help with MJ and bother sarbian when actually, it's this mod that broke it (well, not actually this mod, but something it's bundled with).

I know, this could be resolved if people actually looked before blindly copying across Gamedata folders but you can never trust people not to be silly. Besides, it doesn't really make sense to be distributing an older version of something anyway. Thanks

[Pondafarr]

The problem with that is, if multiple mods include dependent mods to fix that, you run a risk of accidentally overwriting an updated version with an older one. I currently have 5 or so mods that include Toolbar or Firespitter or Exurgient with their archive. Makes it a pain to keep the most updated versions active.

[BudgetHedgehog]

you run a risk of accidentally overwriting an updated version with an older one.

... That's exactly what this mod is currently doing. If some mods bundle an older version because that's only what they compatible with, then the problem and fault lies at their feet and they should update their mod to be compatible with the latest versions of dependant mods. As far as I can tell, DPAI is entirely compatible with the latest Toolbar yet is distributing not only an outdated version of it, but a version that breaks another mod. To me, that makes no sense.

EDIT: Could you tell me what your other mods are that bundle Toolbar? I can go badger them to update too, but off the top of my head, I can't think of any.

Edited May 4, 2014 by ObsessedWithKSP

[LameLefty]

... That's exactly what this mod is currently doing.

If you'd read the thread, you'd see that Navyfish has already acknowledged that providing Toolbar with his last version was probably a mistake and won't happen in future versions. Just don't overwrite Toolbar when you install, or install the new version of Toolbar right from that thread and overwrite the older, incorrect version. This really isn't a serious issue to resolve.

[BudgetHedgehog]

Just don't overwrite Toolbar when you install, or install the new version of Toolbar right from that thread and overwrite the older, incorrect version.

I know, this is exactly what I've been telling people and is what I always do. But like I said, you can't stop people blindly copying across Gamedata folders. The only reason I made this suggestion in the first place is because I've seen complaints about MJ breaking a lot recently and it's always been that people have overwritten Toolbar with an older version.

I never said it was a serious issue, I just requested that the download does as much as possible to not break other mods. I hadn't read the thread, no, so if Navyfish won't include Toolbar in the next update, that's all fine and dandy and my suggestion can be ignored.

[Pondafarr]

These are mods I use that appear to include Toolbar are:

Docking Port Alignment

Mechjeb Menu

Ship Manefest

[NavyFish]

@ObsessedWithKSP: Thanks for posting. Yes, this issue has come up several times recently, with more frequency specifically in the past week. The next version of this plugin removes the hard dependency and does not bundle Toolbar in the release package.

Put your ships in orbit boys, get ready to dock. Release is gonna happen today (/hooray for all-nighters!).

[Zeroignite]

Request: RasterPropMonitor support. Dock like a pro with the HUD off!

[jstnj]

Request: RasterPropMonitor support. Dock like a pro with the HUD off!

+1

Yeah that would be cool. Currently I'm using both the RPM docking camera and DAI

[NavyFish]

I've said it a few times already but RPM is coming, just not this release. I'm.. leaving town for a month and won't have net access, so I want to push out this update before I leave.

[Zeroignite]

Ah, sorry! Hope your time AFK goes well.

[NavyFish]

Well, the day has come and gone,

The plugin has been ready to go for several hours now, including a spiffy new video.

Unfortunately, there seems to be a bug in ModuleManager which is corrupting my save file when I use it. Everything works great on an install with no other mods, but on my non-dev install (which is chock-full of mods), everything breaks, horribly.

Needless to say, I'm not going to release it until we get that figured out.

Soo close!

-Navy

[TMS]

Which version of module manager are you using?

There's been a fair few issues with 2.x. I think I'm still using 1.5.x for that reason.