Advanced Maneuver Nodes

[SkyRender]

Some small changes could be made to maneuver nodes to make them more player-friendly and useful, without removing their simple streamlined interface.

My first suggestion is to add an Alert Mode to them. This could be accessed by Alt+clicking the center of the node, to bring up a new set of controls: toggle Alert Mode, time to alert up, time to alert down, and reset alert time. The basic functionality of Alert Mode would be to scale back and halt time acceleration as the player approaches the alert time set, so they don't miss their node by accident. This would add one new interface element to the maneuver node indicator near the navball (time to alert) as well.

My next suggestion is keyboard controls for maneuver nodes. When the navball is down in map mode, it would be great if we could control maneuver node increments simply by using the standard WASDQE controls, as well as switching to and from fine control on the increments with Caps Lock. It would be a fluid and natural control scheme setup, easily adapted to by players already familiar with the controls for rocket flight.

[Superfluous J]

I support most any maneuver node tweaks. I find the current system too imprecise for anything other than puttering around Mun and Minmus.

[konokono]

I like your suggestions. There is an Alarm Clock mod that does your first suggestion that I find indispensable. As for keyboard controlling maneuver nodes for fine-tuning, I really like that idea.

I would also like to see an advanced maneuver planner that helps you plan advanced maneuvers like gravity assists which require specific orbital alignments. Not sure how it would be implemented

[JDobs]

That's the only reason I use Mech Jeb, for the fine tuning of maneuver nodes. It allows you to enter in a value and add o subtract that to whatever maneuver you may be using. It's essential for those long range planetary missions were a change in even 1.0 m/s delta v can put you out of the SOI.

[Kasuha]

I support this suggestion, although that's not what I see under "advanced maneuver nodes".

As an advanced feature, I'd like to see something like "Add maneuver to target" choice beside the simple "Add maneuver", which prepare an optimal burn maneuver towards the selected body within one orbit from ship's current position on the selected trajectory.

[Dwight_js]

I can see both sides of this. There is a certain charm to the clumsiness of the current system. I can just imagine the Kerbals with their fat little fingers trying to dial in the precise numbers and getting it just slightly wrong. It kind of puts you in their shoes.

[tetryds]

I don't like the idea of "Add maneuver to target", if we have a better way to setup our nodes fine tunning them is up to the player.

But i agree that the current system is imprecise, it would be great if it estimated the burn time along the trajectory and corrected it creating a "burn window" alongside with the node.

[fibonatic]

I like this idea a lot, this would make adjusting a maneuver node much easier when trying to optimize a transfer trajectory to another celestial body, since you could just focus on that body and fiddle with your node via the keyboard an watch your planned trajectory change (when in patched conic draw mode 0).

[John FX]

I support most any maneuver node tweaks. I find the current system too imprecise for anything other than puttering around Mun and Minmus.

Lots of this. Also being able to type numbers directly into a node so us with fat fingers can still set a node properly...

[Capt Snuggler]

would love to be able to put "real time markers" or "de-warp markers" in your coarse. when you reach the marker the game will automatically revert to real-time. so you can do coarse correction or data transmission or what ever. no more overshooting your burns or mission events.

maybe use arrow keys or RCS translate controls for editing maneuver nodes? id prefer to always have normal WASD control.

[DBowman]

ooooo 'de-warp markers' interesting idea, kind of like verbal alarm clock but a 'natural' extension to manoeuvre nodes bound to the flight path itself, being able to place alarm nodes would also make similar sense.

+1 on being able to do 'fine tuning' on the manoeuvre numbers.

[Kasuha]

+1 on being able to do 'fine tuning' on the manoeuvre numbers.

You can do fine tuning on current maneuvers using mouse wheel over maneuver icons. If you're careful you can fine tune the maneuver almost in cm/s. Not exactly comfortable in all situations but usable.

And of course there is the PreciseNode mod which AFAIK allows doing all kinds of things with maneuvers and can help as a workaround to majority of current issues with them.

[regex]

You can do fine tuning on current maneuvers using mouse wheel over maneuver icons. If you're careful you can fine tune the maneuver almost in cm/s. Not exactly comfortable in all situations but usable.

The ramp-up acceleration for the scrolling on this is terrible, making usage tedious and frustrating. I have an old suggestion in whereby holding <modifier> during mouse scroll locks the acceleration so that you can continue to make fine adjustments in smooth scrolls rather than slowly going "click ... click ... click ... click".

Another thing that would be great is to retain the current orbit time when dragging the node. Currently the orbit resets to the current one when dragging but it should stay on the advanced orbit. This would make the stock node editor more useful for interplanetary travel.

[BudgetHedgehog]

Also, with the node editor open, pressing Space should reset it to 0m/s. Or right-clicking the middle or something..