[PLUGIN+PARTS][0.23] SCANsat terrain mapping

[1of6Billion]

That's been there for a few versions, I think whoever at Squad does the terrain added it just to amuse the people running mapping mods like this. Probably added in version .18 or .19 as I recall.

Never saw it mentioned in the forum before

However, now I see it IS visible in Kerbalmaps, but you have to know where to look.

[damny]

SCANsat does not add any easter eggs. This particular one can be hard to see though, it's only about 200 m deeper than the surrounding area, and if SCANsat went from dark blue to brighter blue for land below sea level instead of the dark purple to blue that it actually uses, it would be much less obvious.

About releasing SCANsat, since it keeps coming up: Like I wrote in the build 4 announcement, it's basically feature-frozen until that happens. I've hardly gotten any bug reports since build 4, so that's probably soon. I'm not waiting for magic to happen, I just want to be confident enough that the most likely bugs have been found.

[1of6Billion]

SCANsat does not add any easter eggs. This particular one can be hard to see though, it's only about 200 m deeper than the surrounding area, and if SCANsat went from dark blue to brighter blue for land below sea level instead of the dark purple to blue that it actually uses, it would be much less obvious.

About releasing SCANsat, since it keeps coming up: Like I wrote in the build 4 announcement, it's basically feature-frozen until that happens. I've hardly gotten any bug reports since build 4, so that's probably soon. I'm not waiting for magic to happen, I just want to be confident enough that the most likely bugs have been found.

Ah, OK. I have a 'bug' for you.

When you deplete your electric charge while the scanner is active, it will not switch off. So, if output is bigger than input, your probe is lost.

[rottielover]

Ah, OK. I have a 'bug' for you.

When you deplete your electric charge while the scanner is active, it will not switch off. So, if output is bigger than input, your probe is lost.

Isn't that a feature of the game? If you send up a capsule in stock .22 and run out of power you can't move because the reaction wheels require power to work.

So if you run out of power it makes sense that you would be unable to "command the probe" to do anything, it's dead and out of power.

Not a bug IMHO

[MaximilianPs]

Would be possible to close the main map with ESC key ?

I guess, the ScanMapTraq should looks different from the scanner, 'cause it's a computer which made analysis from other scanners, don't you think ?

... maybe something with geek aspect

Edited November 23, 2013 by MaximilianPs

[KerbMav]

Is there a way to tell the MapTraq part to be always on from launch?

I guess, the ScanMapTraq should looks different from the scanner, 'cause it's a computer which made analysis from other scanners, don't you think ?

The parts are still only placeholders - take a look in here for some compatible replacements.

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/49233-WIP-Parts-from-my-garden-shed-SCANsat-Antennae

Edited November 25, 2013 by KerbMav

[Camacha]

So if you run out of power it makes sense that you would be unable to "command the probe" to do anything, it's dead and out of power.

Well, this is a little different. Look at it like it's an on-board laptop. The power would run out until the laptop goes dead, right? The laptop stops consuming power, there is enough power for controls again and the laptop will not turn on again until someone turns it on. I feel it could be the same with the SCANsat scanner.

[OrtwinS]

Well, this is a little different. Look at it like it's an on-board laptop. The power would run out until the laptop goes dead, right? The laptop stops consuming power, there is enough power for controls again and the laptop will not turn on again until someone turns it on. I feel it could be the same with the SCANsat scanner.

And untill such feature is implemented (I do support the idea) you may consider SCANsat parts to be more old-fashioned with a hard on/off switch. As long the switch is ON, it will consume energy. If you are out of energy you can't turn it in the OFF position, and the huge drain will prevent you from ever doing so. Bad luck (or bad planning).

[ImperialMando]

I've been happily using this mod for some time now and it really is fantastic! This morning, however, I ran into a small problem...

When I click the "Big Map" button, nothing shows up anymore (no window comes up). Before this occurred, I was trying to re-size it and bumped it offscreen a bit (also may have gone a bit far with the resizing). I feel like I have just placed the map somewhere where I cannot reach it, but I don't know how to re-set its location. I've tried re-starting the game, switching to other craft around other bodies, re-installing the mod, but nothing has worked so far.

Any thoughts on how I might solve this? Thanks!

[rottielover]

Well, this is a little different. Look at it like it's an on-board laptop. The power would run out until the laptop goes dead, right? The laptop stops consuming power, there is enough power for controls again and the laptop will not turn on again until someone turns it on. I feel it could be the same with the SCANsat scanner.

The key point in your scenario is that the "laptop" remains in the OFF position. If the "laptop" is what is controlling the probe then it's loss means loss of control.

There's an old air force joke here : "Pilot: Radar does not function in the OFF(icial) position. Crew Chief: Replaced pilot, radar functional again. "

Dead bugs on windscreen.

Live bugs on order.

Left tire almost needs replacement.

Left tire almost replaced.

[simmy2109]

I'll agree this mod is release worthy. Although I would recommend replacing the current part models (which you've said are place holders) with something a bit more appealing. Seems like something that should ship standard, and Milkshakefiend has created models that are doing great right now. They're tested, working, and could be incorporated for a release version. On the other hand... if you've changed your mind and fallen in love with the "place holders," that's cool too. I'll keep using Milkshakefiend's models though!

Btw I'll say this one more time... AWESOME mod! This is truly one of the best ones out there. Great job with it! I can't wait to see how you might expand it in the future.

[Camacha]

Seems like something that should ship standard, and Milkshakefiend has created models that are doing great right now.

I think he makes great models, but together they create a messy look. It is almost impossible to make a nice clean looking satellite with them.

[Xentoe]

I get it still not.

I`ve all sensors on my satelite, but I get only a Greyscale map, why this?

[Camacha]

I get it still not.

I`ve all sensors on my satelite, but I get only a Greyscale map, why this?

When you are scanning, are there orange abreviations blipping on the bottom left of your scanner window? That means you are at the wrong altitude for that type of scanner - so it will not work.

[Schitzree]

Is there a way to tell the MapTraq part to be always on from launch?

That would be Handy, saving us from having to start it at the launch of every rocket. But it might not be necessary soon. From 0.23 Update News.

* Tweakables

This long-awaited feature is finally coming with this update. Tweakables will allow you to open a context menu for each part during construction. This allows for unprecedented freedom in design and setup of a spacecraft. Want your wingtip control surfaces to act only as ailerons? Or your landing gear to start deployed or retracted, or to make some of them steerable? Tweakables will allow for all that, plus many other adjustments.

Sounds like we'll be able to set any part for active at start when we build it. Still, as you need one open anyway on you current rocket for the system to work, it might be good to have the MapTraq Default to on anyway if it wouldn't be too hard to set up.

[KerbMav]

Does this command work everywhere, no? The MODULE must be programmed to use it, yes? Damn?

@PART[*]:HAS[@MODULE[ModuleCommand]]
{
	//enables SCANsat MapTraq on all pods and probes//
	MODULE
	{
	name = SCANsat
	sensorType = 0
	fov = 0
	min_alt = 0
	max_alt = 0
	best_alt = 0
	power = 0.05
	}	
	//and let it be active//
	@MODULE[SCANsat]
	{
	isAlwaysActive = true	
	}	
}

Edited November 26, 2013 by KerbMav

[Dweller_Benthos]

That would be Handy, saving us from having to start it at the launch of every rocket. But it might not be necessary soon. From 0.23 Update News.

Sounds like we'll be able to set any part for active at start when we build it. Still, as you need one open anyway on you current rocket for the system to work, it might be good to have the MapTraq Default to on anyway if it wouldn't be too hard to set up.

I just have them all set up on an action group. I don't necessarily want them scanning all the time.

[mdosogne]

Great mod, thanks!

A question/suggestion about CPU and texture memory usage: When either the big or small map is open, it appears to be scanning the surface line by line, even if there's already data for that location loaded into the currently visible texture. Is that really necessary? I believe it could be optimized by: a) performing a scan of the mapped areas only, then incrementally updating parts of the texture as the map is completed, or scan the entire surface into a texture once, revealing only those portions that are scanned (as they're scanned). Either way would mean I don't need to manually refresh the big map (which is a bit slow, considering most of the data is already there).

Also, given that a 1024x1024 texture is only 4MB, would you consider an option of keeping the X most recent map textures in memory? I really don't mind sacrificing 16 megs to keep the last three textures cached so I can switch between the different map views quickly.

Forgive me if this has already been suggested and/or fixed; life has been interrupting my KSP lately and I haven't read all 50 pages.

[KerbMav]

You might want to run and hide after that statement of "wasting" 16MB of precious mod space!

I think the draw time of the map is purely show and could be done faster.

But as I understand it, the mod knows which part of the planet has been scanned and which information is available.

Updating the map as you go would be more CPU demanding though.

But a question of my own:

How many active scanners are healthy to use?

I activate the map tracker part of the MODULE on every probe/pod, so that everything keeps scanning at all times - can this kill anything?

[sidfu]

You might want to run and hide after that statement of "wasting" 16MB of precious mod space!

I think the draw time of the map is purely show and could be done faster.

But as I understand it, the mod knows which part of the planet has been scanned and which information is available.

Updating the map as you go would be more CPU demanding though.

But a question of my own:

How many active scanners are healthy to use?

I activate the map tracker part of the MODULE on every probe/pod, so that everything keeps scanning at all times - can this kill anything?

number u can have runniung scanning would be more based on how many mods u use. if u use no mods but scansat i wouldnt see a problem havent a scansat around nearl every planet scanning. then it wouldnt be a ram issue more of a cpu issue i think

[keoki]

So I was playing with this last night... Worked pretty good, till I overloaded it... I was playing with an orbit strategy of getting to an almost polar orbit, filling the map, then going polar to finish. I did a lot of warping, and ran three sensors at the same time, and suddenly the map screen snowed out, went grey and the game eventually crashed. When I relaunched and tried to start over, I am stuck with the grey map... and my original map craft is still in orbit. Can I delete the database and resume mapping with my two birds? How do I delete the database?

[Dweller_Benthos]

I've had the map go snowy, but I thought it was due to running out of electric power. I don't try to timewarp beyond 100X, that seems to just be asking for it.

[keoki]

Yeah, I'm an ee, so I tend to think of electric power first in designing a ship, so no I was at fill power. In fact, I hadn't deployed the main electric loads, so the ship had enough charging capacity to stay fully charged even in the shadow of the planet... using nuke batts in addition to solar. My ship is designed to deploy a lander, while an orbital section remains in orbit with some functional payload with battery and enough fuel to change orbits a few times. Actually the craft is intended for a more distant survey mission, I was just shaking the bugs out with a local mapping trip first...

I figure I might as well map the homeworld first, and drop the rover on a local anomaly... I think I'm going to redesign with a multi-rover, multi-satellite craft, to see if I can break my record on science gathered in one mission for my next away mission...

[keoki]

Also, my altimeter doesn't show real readings.... Mechjeb seems to have good data, so I can fly ok, but my altimeter has strange readings that make no sense. So I had to use navball guidence to insure I hit my orbital slope... I'm fairly un-modded. the only plugins I have are mechjeb and isa mapsat (which I don't use, it doesn't work for me). I think the NP parts are the main weird thing I've done. I did try to install a couple of shuttle systems, but I ended up backing them out when KSP didn't start up after I installed them... Perhaps one of the prerequisites for one of the shuttle packages screwed something up...

[keoki]

So it looks like the snow-out was unrelated to the grey-out. I reset the map data at one point after I crashed, and after fiddling with my orbits. I was too high to collect data. I guess my inclination change increased my altitude, and I didn't notice... Oops!