[1.0.2] Navball docking alignment indicator v7

[mic_e]

Note: @linuxgurugamer has continued this mod here:

 

Old Text:

When targeting a docking port, your navball gets an additional red marker that shows the orientation and roll of your target. Just point towards that marker, and you'll be perfectly set up for docking; once you're oriented, the rest of the docking can be done using translation controls only.

Typically, this plugin allows you to dock by looking at nothing but the navball, never switching vessels, and saving tremendous amounts of RCS fuel.

The mod is designed to be minimalistic, and feel as close to stock as possible; all it does is add that red marker. It therefore has almost zero memory/framerate impact and hasn't caused a single crash (that I know of). It is also part-free, i.e. it will automatically work with all vessels.

The marker color and texture can be changed via config file (recommended for colorblind people); see the readme file for details.

For a long time, I knew that docking needed just something to make it less annoying; some kind of additional rendered line on screen, but I never really knew what precisely it was - until I discovered NavyFish's awesome Docking Port Alignment Indicator mod. It gave me the whole idea for this mod, and I wish to thank him for that. However, the plugin had too many features for my taste; it opened an additional window, and displayed a lot of redundant information that is already in the navball. By that time, kitoban had already written his equally awesome Enhanced Navball mod, so I had everything I needed: The idea, and example code that shows how to draw markers to the navball; I wish to thank kitoban for his pioneering work in that field. In v3, taniwha added code to allow for more targets than just docking ports; this improves compatibility with his Extraplanetary Launchpads mod.

Download from: Github, Curse, Kerbalstuff

Feedback is always welcome, especially crash or bug reports.

Video

5th Horseman has uploaded a short demonstration video to YouTube:

 

 

Screenshots

It's just a red marker on the navball. So enjoy the following pictures of red markers... on navballs. They even have descriptions!

We're directly facing the alignment marker. As you can see, the vessels are off quite a bit, but their docking ports are precisely parallel. The target velocity marker is used to 'push' the position marker in the direction of the alignment marker. As soon as it has arrived there, the velocity marker is moved onto the alignment marker.

The ships are aligned properly, and ready for docking by moving forward. We have rolled by 90 degrees to prevent the nuclear engines from colliding. As you can see, the alignment marker is now rotated 90 degrees clockwise.

Changelog

v0, 2013-10-20, KSP 0.22: Initial release

v1, 2013-12-18, KSP 0.23: Updated for new version of KSP, changed structure of ZIP file

v2, 2013-12-18, KSP 0.23: Added option to change marker color and texture, see readme.txt for instructions. Note: Also works in KSP 0.23.5

v3, 2014-05-10, KSP 0.23.5: Instead of just docking ports, all parts that provide targeting information are now supported. This is mostly relevant for other mods.

v4, 2014-07-18, KSP 0.24: Updated for KSP 0.24, changed readme file

v5, 2014-10-17, KSP 0.25: Updated for KSP 0.25. Note: Also works in KSP 0.90

v6, 2014-12-19, KSP 0.90: Updated for KSP 0.90, changed ZIP folder structure; also works for KSP 1.0.2

v7, 2015-05-24, KSP 1.0.2: Updated for KSP 1.0.2 to fix issues some people were reporting

Code

The git repo is on github.

License

The plugin is licensed under the GNU General Public License version 3, or, at your choice, any higher version.

Edited January 1, 2017 by mic_e
Other continuation

[Savage117]

Pictures please.

I know there is one on the Spaceport thumbnail but some of us like to see a lot of detail. Great idea though, Scott Manly has been asking for this for a long time. Great job, keep up the good work.

[JewelShisen]

Something like this already exists.

[White Owl]

Is this compatible with Kitoban's Enhanced Navball? Can I have both installed at the same time?

[mic_e]

WhiteOwl: Just tested that at your request. Kitoban's Enhanced Navball and my mod are definitely compatible. Interestingly, the enhanced navball disables most of its functionality while in docking mode, while my mod exposes its functionality only while in docking mode.

JewelShisen: Could you please provide an URL? I did not find anything, which is why I wrote this.

Savage117: Uhm... I'd love to provide pictures, but... the only visible thing about this mod is the red alignment marker on the navball... If you've any specific requests, I'll try my best...

[White Owl]

WhiteOwl: Just tested that at your request. Kitoban's Enhanced Navball and my mod are definitely compatible. Interestingly, the enhanced navball disables most of its functionality while in docking mode, while my mod exposes its functionality only while in docking mode.

Perfect.

[a__gun]

Savage117: Uhm... I'd love to provide pictures, but... the only visible thing about this mod is the red alignment marker on the navball... If you've any specific requests, I'll try my best...

A very fair point! For my piece of mind I'd love to see a video explaining its use

[JewelShisen]

WhiteOwl: Just tested that at your request. Kitoban's Enhanced Navball and my mod are definitely compatible. Interestingly, the enhanced navball disables most of its functionality while in docking mode, while my mod exposes its functionality only while in docking mode.

JewelShisen: Could you please provide an URL? I did not find anything, which is why I wrote this.

Savage117: Uhm... I'd love to provide pictures, but... the only visible thing about this mod is the red alignment marker on the navball... If you've any specific requests, I'll try my best...

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/43901-0-21-Docking-Port-Alignment-Indicator-%28Version-2-1-Updated-8-17-13%29%29?highlight=navyfish

[White Owl]

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/43901-0-21-Docking-Port-Alignment-Indicator-%28Version-2-1-Updated-8-17-13%29%29?highlight=navyfish

What's your point? In the OP, mic_e credits NavyFish for the original idea. This mod is somewhat simpler in that it doesn't provide as much information, but it's also a much cleaner design. Just one icon on the navball.

[JewelShisen]

What's your point? In the OP, mic_e credits NavyFish for the original idea. This mod is somewhat simpler in that it doesn't provide as much information, but it's also a much cleaner design. Just one icon on the navball.

The OP asked me to show what mod I was saying was similar because he didn't find any. So i did.

[a__gun]

You implied there was something more similar than NavyFish's mod. As Owl said, he credited NavyFish for inspiration so he clearly knows of that mod. Pretty sure the OP (and myself also) don't know of any mods that intigrate docking information into the NavBall

[boberts314]

As a__gun said, the salient point is that NavyFish's mod *doesn't* have this specific functionality. Any other form of similarity is pretty much irrelevant.

[Superfluous J]

This mod is not (just) similar to NavyFish's wonderful mod, it supersedes it. In my opinion the ONLY thing I wanted Docking Port Alignment Indicator for was for docking port alignment. I wanted the navball for everything else. So I found myself bouncing back and forth between the two (and suffering the problem that the DPAI's movements were opposite those of the navball) constantly. Now I don't need to. Everything I want is where it should be: On the Navball itself.

I don't want to take anything away from NavyFish. His mod quite literally taught me to dock. However, this is simpler and simpler in this case is far better for me.

mic_e: From your github link, it is by no means obvious how to get your download. I couldn't find the dll anywhere. I actually used the link you provided in the Docking Alignment on Navball thread.

EDIT: Never mind. I missed your link at the bottom of your post.

Edited October 21, 2013 by 5thHorseman

[sidew]

[Andersenman]

Simple, and long overdue. Many thanks!

[RoboRay]

Looks great, but you say it only works in docking mode? Why? A lot of people prefer to dock in staging mode, working rotation and translation controls simultaneously with different hands rather than be limited to just toggling back and forth between one at a time.

If it simply appeared when a docking port is targeted, regardless of control mode, the mod would be more useful.

[mic_e]

If it simply appeared when a docking port is targeted, regardless of control mode, the mod would be more useful.

You're of course right, and this is exactly how the mod works. In my last post, I wrote 'docking mode' without really thinking about it, I actually meant 'when a target docking port is selected'.

[Ruedii]

Since you are using GitHub, do you think you could see about integrating it with Enchanced NavBall, at least as a fork at first until you and kitoban can iron out the details of getting it into the main mod?

[acealeam]

So if I'm correct you want that to be on the target marker, right?

Nice job, regardless.

[CalculusWarrior]

Since you are using GitHub, do you think you could see about integrating it with Enchanced NavBall, at least as a fork at first until you and kitoban can iron out the details of getting it into the main mod?

That would be fantastic, seeing this feature added into that mod would be super useful.

A suggestion for the OP, you might want to make your folder structure a little tidier; as of the moment, the readme is not a .txt file so it doesn't open particularly well on Windows, and you might want to make a separate folder for the .dll file? Installation might be a little confusing for less experienced computer users.

[RoboRay]

You're of course right, and this is exactly how the mod works. In my last post, I wrote 'docking mode' without really thinking about it, I actually meant 'when a target docking port is selected'.

Oh, great. I'm glad I misunderstood. I'll definitely be trying this one out.

[mic_e]

Would any of you guys be interested in making a short youtube video on how to use the mod, which I could feature in my post?

[Superfluous J]

Would any of you guys be interested in making a short youtube video on how to use the mod, which I could feature in my post?

I made a quick vid, but I can't record commentary until tomorrow. I'll try to get it up in the morning.

[Superfluous J]

Would any of you guys be interested in making a short youtube video on how to use the mod, which I could feature in my post?

I made a quick vid, but I can't record commentary until tomorrow. I'll try to get it up in the morning.

Enjoy. Feel free to link it wherever you'd like.

I think I did a better job explaining it than I did performing it, but I think it shows the simple power of this mod pretty well.

[CaptRobau]

Great mod. Doesn't remove any of the difficulty of docking, but makes it so much more intuitive.