Intercept changing when new maneuver node added

[mattd390]

I have noticed that if I add a maneuver node, it adjusts my intercepts even before I add any delta v. Does anyone else have this happen? Can anyone explain why by chance? Thanks for any help!

[Hodo]

Are you still under thrust or changing velocity?

[Sirrobert]

How about a screenshot so people can see what you are talking about?

[Smidge204]

I've also experience this. Similar things too: My pro/retrograde vector indication will suddenly jump. Distance and velocity to target will suddenly jump. It's almost like lag from an online game, where suddenly the client and server re-synch and everything snaps into a new state. Very annoying because my fuel and energy levels are not updated accordingly!

Does it happen to you when in interplanetary space by any chance? Seems to happen the most to me when I'm in Kerbol SoI. I figure it's a math problem.

=Smidge=

[Odo]

This happens to me too. It drives me INSANE. Ive never been able to fix it because all of my readings become false and I dont know what to trust! It eventually drives me to insanity and I restart the mission.

[Smidge204]

Recorded a short clip of it happening:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cKl2PYk7Ds

=Smidge=

[phunk]

I have noticed that if I add a maneuver node, it adjusts my intercepts even before I add any delta v. Does anyone else have this happen? Can anyone explain why by chance? Thanks for any help!

If you put the node anywhere near an existing intercept, it shows what the intercept will be on the next orbit, not immediately after the maneuver.

[yongedevil]

What happens is when you place a manoeuvre node near to your intercept the game switches to show you the intercept information one orbit after your manoeuvre. This makes sense as you're almost always aiming to tweak your intercept on the next orbit when placing a manoeuvre node on top of an your intercept point. There is a bit of a buffer zone ahead of the intercept point on the orbit too, which is why you're seeing the information change in the video without the manoeuvre node being right on top of the intercept point. If you were to move the node back far enough though you would see the information switch back to the current orbit.

[Smidge204]

If you were to move the node back far enough though you would see the information switch back to the current orbit.

The problem is "back far enough" would end up being behind you, so that's no good.

The "Intersect 1" point should really be the earliest possible intersect solution, always, even if a maneuver node is placed 1 second in time before it occurs. If you want the intercept for the next orbit, that's what "Intersect 2" is for!

=Smidge=

[phunk]

The problem with that is that you can have two intercepts per orbit, so if it worked that way you wouldn't have a way to see what will happen one orbit later.

[Vector]

I have to agree with Smidge. I have seen this behavior too. This is a bug as far as I'm concerned.

Justifying based on seeing what will happen one orbit later is nonsense because you can always place multiple maneuver nodes to see far in the future, even two or three or more orbits later.

For rendezvous near planets or moons this bug mostly doesn't matter because you usually don't need late corrections, but in deep space it makes certain intercepts difficult because it might be impossible to make an adjustment of 0.01 m/s 100 days in advance. You need instead to make a change of say 5 m/s at 10 days in advance.

[mattd390]

Thanks for posting that video Smidge, that is exactly what I was referring to. This bug is a problem for us people who can't hit our intercept in the first shot.