MechJeb 2 - Patch test bed release (October 10)

[Starwaster]

After some failed attempts to reach Moho with a reasonable dV budget, I've have been having a lot of success using the launch window planner (http://alexmoon.github.io/ksp), specifically the mid-course plane setting. To use it, I need to set the initial parameters of the ejection burn manually (usually in 2 kicks due to typically low interplanetary TWR). After launching into Kerbol SOI, MechJeb2 can take over and perform the expected mid-course plane change maneuver using the fine tune closest approach planner.

However, setting up that initial ejection angle is more of a pain than it needs to be. I typically would orbit at least once and use the orbit info window to find where to create the maneuver node for the right angle to prograde, then do the initial kick burn, then set it all up again for the interplanetary burn. Or I could get impatient and eye the ejection angle, only that angle is actually quite important for big burns like Eeloo or Moho (http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/27236-Tutorial-Step-by-step-Interplanetary-Hohmann-transfer-guide-and-tips). So what I really wanted, was that MechJeb should be able to snap the maneuver node to a particular prograde angle. After all, it calculates the prograde angle in the orbit info window.

So I added the ability to show and set it in the maneuver node editor window, like shown here (I'm the probe body setting up a 800 m/s kick burn):

I made it for me, but if anyone else is interested I can set up a pull request of github (as a giving back sort of thing).

Cheers,

CyberSoul

P.S. First Post

I say go for it

[DerekL1963]

Just curious, can anything be done about the initial (and often very violent) 'flop-over' when MJ starts the gravity turn?

[MOARdV]

Just curious, can anything be done about the initial (and often very violent) 'flop-over' when MJ starts the gravity turn?

In my (limited) experience, more torque wheels (or whatever the ASAS became) seem to do the trick. My current space station lifter configuration has a torque wheel on the 2nd stage, and there's another one on the upper stage for orbital maneuvering. The space station modules have torque wheels as well - I think the total torque when I hit the gravity turn is around 55, and I don't see the drastic flop and recovery that I saw with previous generations of my lifters (or with prior versions of KSP).

[AtomicRocketBooster]

Is there any way to edit the point where you start your gravity turn? I'm using the Ferram Aerospace Mod and it keeps starting the turn too early and I go into an uncontrollable tumble.

[Ratzap]

Is there any way to edit the point where you start your gravity turn? I'm using the Ferram Aerospace Mod and it keeps starting the turn too early and I go into an uncontrollable tumble.

I've had a lot of trouble with this recently. Delete all the plugindata .cfg files and try again. It seems to be saving garbage in the files or something.

[NathanKell]

AtomicRocketBooster, you're starting it too _late_. Start it at like 0.5km.

[sojourner]

Is there any way to edit the point where you start your gravity turn? I'm using the Ferram Aerospace Mod and it keeps starting the turn too early and I go into an uncontrollable tumble.

Do you mean besides the "edit ascent path" button on the ascent guidance window?

[seanwjones]

I say go for it

I second that. But you might need to make a video tutorial!

[jinks]

August 5 - patch added to the offcial version :

Sarbian : Remove CommandModule from AR202. no need to check if the AR202 is in control and try to turn sideway

Maybe this has been discussed elsewhere (I just found this thread today), but is there a specific reason to remove CommandModule? I kinda liked tacking MechJebs on to intermediary stages so I could deorbit them.

There's afaik no other surface-attachable CommandModule (so that's 2 more parts for a cubic strut and a probe) and certainly none as lightweight.

[viperwolf]

Im using the old command unit with this plugin, it working fine. as far as i can tell anyway

[Starwaster]

Maybe this has been discussed elsewhere (I just found this thread today), but is there a specific reason to remove CommandModule? I kinda liked tacking MechJebs on to intermediary stages so I could deorbit them.

There's afaik no other surface-attachable CommandModule (so that's 2 more parts for a cubic strut and a probe) and certainly none as lightweight.

Find the AR202 part in the parts folder inside the mechjeb2 folder.

add this code anywhere inside the first set of brackets.

MODULE
{
    name = ModuleCommand
    minimumCrew = 0
}

better yet, if you use ModuleManager then make a config file anywhere in your GameData folder and paste this code then save

@PART[mumech_MJ2_AR202]
{
    MODULE
    {
        name = ModuleCommand
        minimumCrew = 0
    }
}

[HeadHunter67]

Also, if you don't even want to use the AR202 part at all (which means that your craft won't be broken if you decide to stop using MJ later), just create a .cfg for Module Manager with this line in it:

@PART[*]:HAS[@MODULE[ModuleCommand]] {
	MODULE {
		name = MechJebCore
	}
}

I could probably have typed it up more tidily but that should do it. Now, any part that the game considers to be a "command module" should have MJ functionality built in.

[EDIT: I can't seem to get this to work with some stuff, like the LazTek SpaceX pack. Not sure what I've done incorrectly...]

Edited September 4, 2013 by HeadHunter67

[Starwaster]

Also, if you don't even want to use the AR202 part at all (which means that your craft won't be broken if you decide to stop using MJ later), just create a .cfg for Module Manager with this line in it:

@PART[*]:HAS[@MODULE[ModuleCommand]] {
	MODULE {
		name = MechJebCore
	}

I could probably have typed it up more tidily but that should do it. Now, any part that the game considers to be a "command module" should have MJ functionality built in.

[EDIT: I can't seem to get this to work with some stuff, like the LazTek SpaceX pack. Not sure what I've done incorrectly...]

you missed a }

ACK!!! also that code will only work if he also has Sarbian's ModuleManager Extensions installed.

[HeadHunter67]

Ah, OK. Thanks, I see it - missed closing the line. I edited the previous post - does that work now?

[AncientGammoner]

Any plans on making MechJeb partless? Would be nice for it to just always be there and not have to worry about parts.

[NathanKell]

Especially since that might increase performance, right? Not invoking on multiple partmodules?

[AncientGammoner]

I'm not really sure it would increase performance any, but I do think it would be a cleaner approach overall to extend Monobehavior rather than Partmodule since this isn't really a part level mod. I'm assuming right now the code is simply using part and part.vessel, but you can just as easily access the current vessel and control part using FlightGlobals.ActiveVessel and something like foreach (Part p in FlightGlobals.ActiveVessel.parts) if (p.isControlSource) controlPart = p; to set those up. Most of the stuff MechJeb deals with is outside part/partmodule anyways, so I don't think it would be all that huge of a coding change to make it partless.

[Starwaster]

Ah, OK. Thanks, I see it - missed closing the line. I edited the previous post - does that work now?

Looks like it should but I didn't try it; I have configs loaded already that add Mechjeb to every command pod already.

If it doesn't work with some parts.... Is it actually being added to the part when you check it in the VAB? If not, Make sure you have the very latest version (MMExtensions), he fixed a few bugs in it very recently. Also could be an issue with your version of ModuleManager not working correctly with MMExt. Get both of the below.

www.sarbian.com/sarbian/ModuleManager.dll

www.sarbian.com/sarbian/MMSarbianExt.dll

[AbuMaia]

Any plans on making MechJeb partless? Would be nice for it to just always be there and not have to worry about parts.

Just add

	MODULE {
		name = MechJebCore
	}

to all your command parts' cfg files.

[viperwolf]

This is really good information, thanks for sharing

[HeadHunter67]

Is it actually being added to the part when you check it in the VAB? If not, Make sure you have the very latest version (MMExtensions), he fixed a few bugs in it very recently.

I was using the current version of Extensions, but the problem I had was that the configs that add MJ to pods (even the stock ones) weren't loading at all. I didn't have this problem with versions prior to Sarbian's "all in one" release. Ultimately, I wound up just adding the line manually to each pod I wanted MJ in. It was a PITA but quicker than reloading the game each time to see if my changes worked (Alt-F12 kills Module Manager).

Did you write your configs yourself, or did you use ones that were already available? I'd be interested in using them if it meant not having to edit each pod.

[Starwaster]

I was using the current version of Extensions, but the problem I had was that the configs that add MJ to pods (even the stock ones) weren't loading at all. I didn't have this problem with versions prior to Sarbian's "all in one" release. Ultimately, I wound up just adding the line manually to each pod I wanted MJ in. It was a PITA but quicker than reloading the game each time to see if my changes worked (Alt-F12 kills Module Manager).

Did you write your configs yourself, or did you use ones that were already available? I'd be interested in using them if it meant not having to edit each pod.

I got them from kerbalspaceprogram.com, it adds remotetech and mechjeb to all command pods available at that time.

Just to be clear about Extensions, he didn't update the Extensions thread with any official update news. So if you downloaded prior to Sept 1st then you want to download again. Get both files because there was a nasty bug that he and I were going back and forth on for a few days and there were several updates in that time period that required changes to MMExtensions and ModuleManager. (so you want his version of ModuleManager too)

The bug was as follows:

I tried to use Extensions to add IonCross to all parts with CrewCapacity 1-6. During the course of that I got it working but all other ModuleManager configurations stopped loading except for those that I had added myself.

Sarbian had to make changes to both ModuleManager.dll and MMSarbianExt.dll before it all worked properly. And I seem to recall him mentioning that he was leaving for vacation so I'm guessing he didn't have time to update the front page re: the bug fixes

[HeadHunter67]

I got them from kerbalspaceprogram.com, it adds remotetech and mechjeb to all command pods available at that time.

Is this the one?

http://kerbalspaceprogram.com/mechjeb-and-remotetech-for-all/

I tried to use Extensions to add IonCross to all parts with CrewCapacity 1-6. During the course of that I got it working but all other ModuleManager configurations stopped loading except for those that I had added myself.

Sounds similar to the issue I was having - since that download didn't have configs for the LazTek SpaceX pack, for instance, I tried to make a ModuleManager config for it but wound up with the same issue. If there was a stealth hotfix to either or both of those plugins, I'll replace them with the ones you linked. Thanks.

[Starwaster]

Is this the one?

http://kerbalspaceprogram.com/mechjeb-and-remotetech-for-all/

Sounds similar to the issue I was having - since that download didn't have configs for the LazTek SpaceX pack, for instance, I tried to make a ModuleManager config for it but wound up with the same issue. If there was a stealth hotfix to either or both of those plugins, I'll replace them with the ones you linked. Thanks.

That's the one.

[triffid_hunter]

Just curious, can anything be done about the initial (and often very violent) 'flop-over' when MJ starts the gravity turn?

sure, start at 1km, end at 45km, turn shape 100%