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

[Ratzap]

NavyFish, the Toolbar.dll in your mod package is causing extra toolbars to appear. If you see this screenshot

I deleted the dll from GameData\NavyFish and the extra toolbar disappeared.

[blizzy78]

I deleted the dll from GameData\NavyFish and the extra toolbar disappeared.

That is indeed an error in the packaging. The GameData\000_Toolbar\ folder in the download is okay, but the GameData\NavyFish\Plugins\Toolbar.dll is not.

[NavyFish]

Thanks, both of you. I've removed the extra dll from my plugin's directory, and re-uploaded the fixed archive to the Spaceport.

I think Visual Studio copied Toolbar.dll into my bin directory, and I copied it into the archive without checking. Bilzzy - you might want to follow a singleton pattern with your toolbar in case someone else makes the same mistake!

-Navy

[togfox]

Been a fan of this since pre-release but now the indicator doesn't appear when I'm in range of a vessel. Does this use the new integrated toolbar and do I need to do anything to make that work? I have copied two folders from the zip file into my gamedata file:

DockingIndicator & DockingInidcatorToolbar

Is there more to do? Thx.

[NavyFish]

You should have extracted the 'NavyFish' and '000_Toolbar' folders into Gamedata.

[togfox]

Thanks - not sure what I did the first time. Must have had a brain fade. Folders are now as required. Will give that a shot ...

[nohelmet]

Hi! I registered an account just to to let you know how awesome your mod is! Thank you so much for making it and sharing it!

[draeath]

Wow, this thing is awesome! Very nice work! Docking made easy. Yet another mechjeb autopilot that won't be used anymore

(I use it in conjunction with Lazor docking cam, but TBH that's completely unnecessary now. I just like it for the awesomeness of it all.)

Two suggestions: allow customization of colors (eg for the colorblind or those with crappy displays), and a lesser want (but still doable if you're allowing customization at all) is to change the reticle style. Think of how some FPS games let you change crosshairs - something like that.

Oh, I'd also suggest including a reticule legend in a readme and/or on the spaceport - unless you dig through this thread you'll not know what they are (and even then you never state it, you just say "line this up with that"). It takes a bit of playing around to figure it out, and that's even being familiar with aircraft instrumentation already.

EDIT2: Oh, another idea! Require a part to be on both vessels for it to function. From my understanding the ISS and such has something similar to ILS transmitters to aide in docking. If you go down this route, you may also consider requiring remote-tech connectivity if that mod is present. (eg there needs to be radio communications established at least between the two vessels for the indicator to work correctly). Perhaps instead of an outright working/nonworking you could 'degrade' it somehow.

Edited January 6, 2014 by draeath

[Deadweasel]

Wow, this thing is awesome! Very nice work! Docking made easy. Yet another mechjeb autopilot that won't be used anymore

(I use it in conjunction with Lazor docking cam, but TBH that's completely unnecessary now. I just like it for the awesomeness of it all.)

Two suggestions: allow customization of colors (eg for the colorblind or those with crappy displays), and a lesser want (but still doable if you're allowing customization at all) is to change the reticle style. Think of how some FPS games let you change crosshairs - something like that.

Oh, I'd also suggest including a reticule legend in a readme and/or on the spaceport - unless you dig through this thread you'll not know what they are (and even then you never state it, you just say "line this up with that"). It takes a bit of playing around to figure it out, and that's even being familiar with aircraft instrumentation already.

EDIT2: Oh, another idea! Require a part to be on both vessels for it to function. From my understanding the ISS and such has something similar to ILS transmitters to aide in docking. If you go down this route, you may also consider requiring remote-tech connectivity if that mod is present. (eg there needs to be radio communications established at least between the two vessels for the indicator to work correctly). Perhaps instead of an outright working/nonworking you could 'degrade' it somehow.

It doesn't really take that much to figure out what's going on, but there's no need for a reticule legend when the first post of the thread contains both a tutorial video and a direct link to a helpful post, which describes how to use this thing very well.

Also, why would you want to degrade the functionality of this thing in any way? That doesn't make much sense, and it already requires use of two docking ports to work properly anyway. I certainly wouldn't appreciate seeing this mod suddenly requiring the installation of another mod before I could use it to the fullest extent. There's realism for immersion's sake, then there's just making things unnecessarily difficult just to satisfy somebody's OCD...

[ap0r]

I made this account just to say "Thanks". Docking used to be especially hard for me. Not anymore This definitely should be integrated on the vanilla game someday

[draeath]

It doesn't really take that much to figure out what's going on, but there's no need for a reticule legend when the first post of the thread contains both a tutorial video and a direct link to a helpful post, which describes how to use this thing very well.

Also, why would you want to degrade the functionality of this thing in any way? That doesn't make much sense, and it already requires use of two docking ports to work properly anyway. I certainly wouldn't appreciate seeing this mod suddenly requiring the installation of another mod before I could use it to the fullest extent. There's realism for immersion's sake, then there's just making things unnecessarily difficult just to satisfy somebody's OCD...

Without being rude, let me call out a few things in that very quote you included, that you seem to have missed or misinterpreted:

Oh, I'd also suggest including a reticule legend in a readme and/or on the spaceport - unless you dig through this thread you'll not know what they are (and even then you never state it, you just say "line this up with that"). It takes a bit of playing around to figure it out, and that's even being familiar with aircraft instrumentation already.

EDIT2: Oh, another idea! Require a part to be on both vessels for it to function. From my understanding the ISS and such has something similar to ILS transmitters to aide in docking. If you go down this route, you may also consider requiring remote-tech connectivity if that mod is present. (eg there needs to be radio communications established at least between the two vessels for the indicator to work correctly). Perhaps instead of an outright working/nonworking you could 'degrade' it somehow.

Let's also not forget that someone might be colorblind, and telling the difference between green, yellow, and two shades of orange may be more difficult than you'd expect.

Oh, and using a video in replacement of a proper textual description is something I consider to be unacceptable, but that's a tangent.

Edited January 8, 2014 by draeath

[NavyFish]

Hi! I registered an account just to to let you know how awesome your mod is! Thank you so much for making it and sharing it!

I made this account just to say "Thanks". Docking used to be especially hard for me. Not anymore This definitely should be integrated on the vanilla game someday

You're welcome! And thank you for the comments!

[NavyFish]

Wow, this thing is awesome! Very nice work! Docking made easy. Yet another mechjeb autopilot that won't be used anymore

(I use it in conjunction with Lazor docking cam, but TBH that's completely unnecessary now. I just like it for the awesomeness of it all.)

Two suggestions: allow customization of colors (eg for the colorblind or those with crappy displays), and a lesser want (but still doable if you're allowing customization at all) is to change the reticle style. Think of how some FPS games let you change crosshairs - something like that.

Oh, I'd also suggest including a reticule legend in a readme and/or on the spaceport - unless you dig through this thread you'll not know what they are (and even then you never state it, you just say "line this up with that"). It takes a bit of playing around to figure it out, and that's even being familiar with aircraft instrumentation already.

EDIT2: Oh, another idea! Require a part to be on both vessels for it to function. From my understanding the ISS and such has something similar to ILS transmitters to aide in docking. If you go down this route, you may also consider requiring remote-tech connectivity if that mod is present. (eg there needs to be radio communications established at least between the two vessels for the indicator to work correctly). Perhaps instead of an outright working/nonworking you could 'degrade' it somehow.

I'm glad you're finding it useful!

I can provide colorblind support in a future patch - can you suggest an alternative color palette that would be easier to pick out for color

Regarding the use of a part for the mod - if I were to do this, it would be done in a separate "realism" mod, because I wouldn't want to force it upon anyone. I don't see this happening in the near future, however, due to the time commitment it would require.

Finally, the text of the link deadweasel mentioned is pasted below. It's basic, but should get anyone to the point of consistently docking, where they can then begin to discover the actual function of each needle through experimentation.

As usual, you'll do all the typical preliminaries - Match velocities with your target, set the camera to Chase Mode (essential), choose "Control from here" on the docking vessel's port, and target the chosen port on the target vessel. Then:

1) Using WASD, align your nose so that the orange crosshair is dead center in the window. You are now moving in a direction parallel to the target port.

2) Using Q and E, rotate the vessel to the desired roll angle. This will set the green needles to the proper orientation.

3) Here's the important part: Use IJKL to move the window's yellow prograde marker (not the one on the navball) over to the intersection of the green lines. Use H to thrust forward towards the target at a speed comfortable to your level of skill and actual distance to the target (the one in the window is the actual distance to the target port, rather than the center of the vessel).

4) As you approach, the green needles will inevitably move closer to the center of the orange crosshairs. Use IJKL to adjust the yellow prograde marker so that it remains centered on the intersection. (You are not wasting mono fuel here - you're simply cancelling out the necessary translation velocity from step 3)

5) When everything is dead-center, all that remains is to slow down at the proper time to ensure a soft docking (0.1 m/s works nicely).

I'll point out that "Chase mode" actually isn't essential, as the orange crosshair is always aligned to your ship's pitch/yaw axis - i.e. regardless of your camera's orientation, or your orientation with respect to your target, pressing W will still move the nose of your ship down with respect to the target port alignment indicator (orange crosshair), thus causing the crosshair to appear to move 'up'.

Edited January 9, 2014 by NavyFish

[draeath]

When it comes to color coordination I find myself quite challenged, though this would help you choose some alternative colors?

Though I think the real change that would be helpful is to use a different symbol for rotational orientation -or- prograde. Perhaps an X shape, or a partial circle like you see in this scope reticule? As it is everything is all on the axis which makes things get crowded, but is still workable because of the color contrasts. I'd say taking any one reticule and tweaking it so it doesn't "fight" for the same space on the display would fix it without having to worry so much about color.

[John FX]

I was thinking about getting this mod and then maybe not while I read the thread (no reasons, just 50/50 about getting another mod, I like to keep the numbers down)

And then I saw the magic words in the OP.

No part.

So I can use it on my already launched ships and if I remove the mod none of my ships will vanish!

downloading now

[draeath]

Yep, target a docking port and BAM! Instant indicator.

[Darth Lazarus]

this mod is just AWESOME. it's so freaking helpfull. reduced my RCSfuel usage about 50% thanks a lot

[Boamere]

Cool mod but it overlaps kethane in the toolbar plugin

[LameLefty]

Cool mod but it overlaps kethane in the toolbar plugin

They're not overlapping in my case. Make sure you don't have two copies of the toolbar .dll file. Last time I checked, Navyfish was including a copy in his installation package for this mod. If you only have the one toolbar .dll file, click the little white arrow, select "Unlock Button Order" and re-arrange to suit.

[Frederf]

I would definitely use this mod if there was a transparent version that was designed to sit on top of the navball to combine its data with the navball as layers.

[Boamere]

They're not overlapping in my case. Make sure you don't have two copies of the toolbar .dll file. Last time I checked, Navyfish was including a copy in his installation package for this mod. If you only have the one toolbar .dll file, click the little white arrow, select "Unlock Button Order" and re-arrange to suit.

Yeah a reinstall fixed it, but i can't click on the toolbar icon now, is this intentional?

[Taki117]

Yeah a reinstall fixed it, but i can't click on the toolbar icon now, is this intentional?

You have to have a docking port set as a target for it to work. Kinda annoying if you want to change settings, but it makes sense.

[einsteiner]

Awesome mod, makes docking a breeze.

If you're taking votes, I prefer the roll to be +/- 180 degrees, rather than 0-360. I realize other people have said the opposite, so a setting maybe? Also, I would vote to keep the display as clean as possible without numerical values displayed, if you increase the size a little bit you can line up the indicators pixel-by-pixel and have all the accuracy you need.

Are you still working on toggling ports from the display and drawing a docking corridor indicator? I would find it useful for lining up the approach when still rather far away, even if that is limited to 200m. It would save time vs stopping at 50 m then having to drive around to the other side of my station.

[NavyFish]

Sure, I could make the roll degrees toggle between modes in the next version. Enough people have asked for this to warrant the addition.

Long-term, yes, I'd like to incorporate the approach corridor, but there are a couple other large features I'd like to build first: a target port cycler, likely with an indicator on the main game screen depicting which port is selected. This is to alleviate the annoying hunt-and-right-click exercise you have to do every time you want to bring up the indicator, which can be near-impossible when there's relative motion involved. After that, I want to re-attack the 200m range issue. Only then will I look seriously into making an approach corridor.

In other news, I'll be away from the forums for the next month, off doing Navy stuff. Might have an opportunity to work on the mod while I'm away, but will not be checking the forums. Don't break anything while I'm gone! (Or, do, and then PM me about it )

See you folks in a month!

-NavyFish

[LameLefty]

Long-term, yes, I'd like to incorporate the approach corridor, but there are a couple other large features I'd like to build first: a target port cycler, likely with an indicator on the main game screen depicting which port is selected. This is to alleviate the annoying hunt-and-right-click exercise you have to do every time you want to bring up the indicator, which can be near-impossible when there's relative motion involved.

First off, thank you for your service, both to your country and to our community with this mod! It's absolutely indispensable for me.

Second, I really hope you're able to pull off a visual indicator for the target port cycler in a way that's useful. The handy Targetron mod tries to help with this by highlighting the target port in red. However, because it's merely changing the color of the part (just like mousing over a part), it is almost impossible to discern from more than about 50m away, especially if it's a cluttered visual environment. I don't know of any "subtle" way that target highlighting is actually useful. It seems to me that a fairly large HUD-like visual overlay is necessary to make a visual indicator that actually works for a straight-in approach. Otherwise, we're forced to move in close (~50m) and stop with near-zero relative motion, ID the appropriate port - which might require some substantial moving around - then finish the approach and dock.

Anyway, good luck with everything and thank you again for this excellent mod.