KSP Orbital Calculator [V0.10.1] - Now with selectable Celestrial Bodies

[Warringer]

Would be interesting to see a console readout then, when you try to start it over the command line.

[KC10Boom]

Hm. .7 works but not .8

Go fig.

[mekilljoydammit]

Same error here actually. Run outside command line, nothing significant happens; running the bat from command prompt, it says 'java' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file. javaw.exe is showing up in the task manager, but nothing onscreen. 0.66, the last previous version I downloaded, works flawlessly.

[Warringer]

There was a bug in the code that I did not notice.

Somehow the inclusion of images for a window icon and the About dialog was broken by packaging up the program into a jar file. I'll need to look into it, but for now I have removed them.

[mekilljoydammit]

Works now, thanks much!

[Warringer]

No problem.

Feedback is always needed and wished.

[Entropy]

You know what would be awesome? A graphical orbit projector- plug in current altitude and velocity and see how your orbit pans out for the next four or five revolutions.

Might not be possible until we get a proper horizontal speed indicator, but man, that'd be a lifesaver on some flights- see if your current orbit is going to slam you into the ground or kick you off into space.

[Warringer]

You know what would be awesome? A graphical orbit projector- plug in current altitude and velocity and see how your orbit pans out for the next four or five revolutions.

Might not be possible until we get a proper horizontal speed indicator, but man, that'd be a lifesaver on some flights- see if your current orbit is going to slam you into the ground or kick you off into space.

Exactly. At the moment that is not possible to actually implement.

For the same reason the launch orbit calculator is experimental.

[Entropy]

Exactly. At the moment that is not possible to actually implement.

For the same reason the launch orbit calculator is experimental.

That sucks. Questions about the launch orbit calculator, though- 'Burnout' is the point where you shut off your engine, and velocity vector is... your current bearing?

[Warringer]

Actually it would be the green dot.

I expected the Velocity Vector to be the degree readout under the globe.

[Entropy]

Yeah, I meant the degrees display underneath the navball. Gonna have to give that a shot sometime. Thanks for the help!

[RaptorFuel]

I downloaded the latest. When i look at the version it says Version 0.7.

[P.Funk]

Actually it would be the green dot.

I expected the Velocity Vector to be the degree readout under the globe.

Is there any way to interpret that and even try and guess at it? I don't know what that number would be even if I was trying to guess.

I figure the number displayed in green is what... the orbital inclination or whatever? That being the mark off of the equator or whatever. I'm not sure cause I'm still reading up on orbital mechanics but that number has to serve a purpose and I know that orbital inclination is to do with which line the craft is following over the globe relative to some zero that I think is equatorial.

[RaptorFuel]

I think the time might be off on the hohmann transfer orbit calculator. It says it should take almost 51 days to get to the moon.

[mekilljoydammit]

Ooh, I like the stage calculator. Just as a question (because I don't want to have to program it myself, heh heh) would it be possible to make something like that that will read a .craft file, and the relevant parts? It just occurs to me that the paths are fixed, and the formats are pretty human-readable even... well, and if I do it myself it'll end up as a Python script that won't appear outside of my hard drive, while if I suggest it this way it might see the light of day.

[Warringer]

I think the time might be off on the hohmann transfer orbit calculator. It says it should take almost 51 days to get to the moon.

Only because the orbital speeds of Kearth are relatively low and the moon would be rather far away. Looking at the Delta-v involved and the orbital speeds... The starting velocity is about 3300m/s, but when you arrive you are only about 5m/s slow. Yeah, could need 51 days on a Hohmann orbit.

Also keep in mind that the actual Apollo missions did not follow a Hohmann orbit.

Ooh, I like the stage calculator. Just as a question (because I don't want to have to program it myself, heh heh) would it be possible to make something like that that will read a .craft file, and the relevant parts? It just occurs to me that the paths are fixed, and the formats are pretty human-readable even... well, and if I do it myself it'll end up as a Python script that won't appear outside of my hard drive, while if I suggest it this way it might see the light of day.

That is in the planning stages. But first I need to make sure that I can read what custom parts are installed, rework the stage calculator accordingly to make use of those parts and then save everything in a config file so that the whole stuff is not needed to be loaded again and again. Not to mention clean up the code a little to be reusable.

Then I will think about how to read .craft files...

[mekilljoydammit]

Cool! No rush, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't the only one thinking of it - I suspected I wasn't, but you never know and all. The whole thing has proven a really useful tool and thanks again for your efforts.

[Warringer]

Well... For me programming it serves two more uses then simply having a useful tool for KSP.

One: Its useful for a Collage course on Object Oriented Programming, as the language in the course is Java.

Two: It makes me do an in depth research on orbital mechanics that may prove useful for a little game that I have in mind for a couple of years.

[StrayEagle]

Hey, Warringer, was working my way though the new posts today, and i came across this: http://kerbalspaceprogram.com/forum/index.php?topic=1287.0;topicseen

I think it would be interesting to see some sort of implementation of a 're-entry' speed for the calculator?

Don't really know what would be useable and what would not, but it's just a thought.

[Warringer]

I don't really think that there is any need for a 'reentry calculator'. You just need to either go on a Hohmann into the atmosphere or point straight down.

Anyway, I'm now halfway towards modifying the Stage calculators to include Custom parts.

[Warringer]

Got myself a more professional place to host the Calculator!

Mediafire only gets you this far. And it's better to have two repos for development just to be on the save side.

[drizzcat]

I have Jave on my computer and I can't get this to Run either.

Any chance someone can Compile this into an Executable?

[Warringer]

Jar files are normally executable. At least when Java is installed. Of course you have to make sure to have Java 6.

I have heard that Java 7 (recent release) breaks Java 6 code.

Anyway, please start if from a console/command line and attach a screenie of the command line/console output.

[Warringer]

Update V0.8.2!

[Capt'n Skunky]

How to use with custom parts or am I missing something obvious? ???

Arrr!

Capt'n Skunky