[1.12] Extraplanetary Launchpads v6.99.3

[Superfluous J]

I did a little testing now that I know what parts are what and I found that if I put the "workshop" that looks like the 4-man hab module on there, I now get the build window. I also put your space dock on the top just to be sure. However it still won't build anything. I see "Pad-0" and "Pad-1" in the drop down, 0 says "landed" and 1 says "prelaunch" so I assume 0 is the stake and 1 is the orbital construction dock. I click "Select Craft" and can pick something, but "Select Craft" stays as is and there is no indication that it's trying to build or even queued to build in the future.

Here's a pic that shows everything:

EDIT: To be 100% sure I removed the MKS part. I made a "ship" with a probe core, large rocket part tank (full), solar panels, and a workshop with the same 2 engineers that were in the above pic for a productivity of 0.43

Edited February 11, 2015 by 5thHorseman

[taniwha]

Interesting that you get landed and prelaunch. They're on the same vessel so should show the same situation.

Ok, for showing the UI, there are two options: right click menu (which you've found), or blizzy's toolbar. Using the right click menu switches the UI to that pad (good for when you don't know which is which).

Man, am I glad I put the version info in the window . Ok, unfortunately, there is less information available in 5.0.0, so it's hard to tell if the survey station can see the survey site (it's < 100m, so it should).

This is probably a silly question, but did you remember to click "Load" after clicking on the craft to load? It looks like you have the mouse hovering over it, but... (just a reminder, but that is the exact same window used in the VAB).

Productivity is still good.

I can't think of anything else at this stage.

[goldenpsp]

Haha I'm so new at this I didn't even know that wasn't a stock ELP part.

Question: Assuming it works, how do I open the window? Should it be a right-click menu option on the workstation or should that button on thetaskbar work, or something else?

If I am understanding/rememberling correctly, with the MKS parts you need to use the MKS C3 module, not the rocketbuilding module with stakes. The C3 is the one that functions as the survey station.

[Superfluous J]

Interesting that you get landed and prelaunch. They're on the same vessel so should show the same situation.

I was under the impression that "Pad-0" is the stake that is (kind of) landed out in the grass 40 meters away, while the orbital dock is "Pre-launch" because it was just put on the launchpad.

Man, am I glad I put the version info in the window . Ok, unfortunately, there is less information available in 5.0.0, so it's hard to tell if the survey station can see the survey site (it's < 100m, so it should).

I'm updating now to 5.1 and will test again

This is probably a silly question, but did you remember to click "Load" after clicking on the craft to load? It looks like you have the mouse hovering over it, but... (just a reminder, but that is the exact same window used in the VAB).

I did click "Load" and the screen goes away when I do. But all that does is make that gui window go away. The "Select Craft" button remains. I've not seen it work yet, but my gut is telling me that it (or somewhere on that window) should say that it's building something.

Edited February 11, 2015 by 5thHorseman

[Superfluous J]

Same with 5.1.0 and all ELP parts. One thing I notice, when I click "load" something appears on the launchpad very quickly and then vanishes. I thought maybe being on the launchpad myself was causing it to not load and then get put in the queue, so I turned my little base into a car and drove it off the launch pad. The thing still appears on the launchpad and disappears quickly, but still nothing else happens.

[taniwha]

Very weird. It sounds like you are getting an exception in a strange place. Please get me your log file and I'll take a look tomorrow (I'm about to go to bed). The only thing I can think of is something is going wrong with the final cost calculation (any earlier and the temporary ship would not disappear).

[Superfluous J]

I just loaded it in an otherwise stock game. I loaded Karbonite, EPL, and the EPL/Karbonite conversion pack ONLY...

...and it worked. I then deleted all of the relevant directories from my main instance of KSP, copied those folders in place, and...

...it still didn't work. So, something else is causing the problem. You'll be happy to know it's not you

If you could look, I'd appreciate it but it just may be that I need to load my mods in groups until I find what's causing the issue.

Here's the log from the most recent attempt. I'm going to bed as well (Odd I share sleeping hours with someone half a world away ) so no rush needed!

[defunct site link removed by moderator]

[Tarheel1999]

Try deleting the MM cache.

[AcidEric]

AcidEric: Hmm, do you have an origin stake? Do all your stakes have the same name? Easiest thing for that is to always place all stakes for a build using the same kerbal (stakes automatically become "[kerbal name] Base"), but an EVAed kerbal can rename stakes.

I ask about the origin stake because I have not done any testing without one. All my testing using an origin stake and combinations of X and Z direction stakes and XYZ bounds stakes have, so far, gone well... on a 20+ degree slope:

[click for a larger image]

http://taniwha.org/~bill/ksp/mun_base_ftc.jpg

This is just after placing my first tower crane (the first time... I was placing the second crane, KSP physics wigged out (I pushed them too far, I guess), loaded from quicksave to just before placing the first crane. second time went well). That is an Origin stake visible directly below the docking port. There is a -Y bounds stake to the left and up the hill: the crane spawned about 1m above the docking port .

The base itself was spawned using an Origin stake, a -Y bounds stake, and a +X bounds stake. In retrospect, I should have used a +Z stake too because the NE corner of the base was a little too low to the ground for the minimum height of the launch clamps. Things seems to have stabilized, though, so if the kraken attacks, I'll just accept it as poor surveying . Even though I wrote the code, I too am learning how to actually use it.

Ok, back to your problem... if my guess is correct and you have only +X and +Z Direction stakes, then EL will get terribly confused: you have three points (one implicit: the average location of the two stakes) and they will be exactly co-linear (within the limits of double precision). This will cause grief with cross products (cross(+X-O, +Z-O)) and the resulting 0 vector will propagate and may even cause INF and NAN to appear. Having only +X and +Z Bounds stakes might work, depending on relative locations with respect to the compass points.

Oh, dear.... AcidEric: I see your problem (just noticed now looking over that log). I have not released the bounds stake implementation. You have been operating on false information. I am very sorry.

no worries Taniwah.

I have been using origin stakes, I tried to use just an origin stake first, then I tried with an origin stake and a +X, then with an origin a +X and a +Z,and finally with origin +X +Y thinking the vertical direction might be messed up on the base, none had any different results,

I then moved over to sandbox mode to do some testing. I could build other vessels with just an origin stake and they would spawn on the origin stake no problem. Tested again with the base and got the same result as before, it spawned on the 'pad' (my FTT badger) not the stake and was still 90 degrees off with what should be 'south' actually being 'up'. Then it was midnight and I had work today so now I'm back in I'll get the new version and try again lol.

I did notice that all the stakes need to be placed by the same kerbal preferably on the same EVA.

Am I correct in thinking that :-

Origin stakes - set the datum point with +X as east, -X as west, +Z as north, -Z as south, +Y as UP and -Y as down (as spawned if launched from VAB/SPH)

+X stakes determine user defined East

-X stakes determine user defined West

+Z stakes determine user defined North

-Z stakes determine user defined South

+Y stakes determine user defined Up

-Y stakes determine user defined Down

Cheers

AE

[taniwha]

5thHorseman: ScienceAlert 1.8.3 is throwing an NRE when EL loads the ship to check resources. This is rather surprising because it caused rather impressive explosions for me (thus why I thought the bug might be elsewhere).

The changelogs for SA 1.8.4 say it re-fixes the above NRE.

- - - Updated - - -

AcidEric: yes, that looks correct.

However, the stakes do not necessarily need to be placed by the same kerbal (but it is much easier that way), and certainly not on the same EVA. Rather, the stakes only have to have the same name, and KSP automatically names them to "[kerbal name] Base". Stake names are easily changed via the same right-click menu used to change the stake mode.

[Superfluous J]

Try deleting the MM cache.

Thanks for the suggestion. I didn't even know MM HAD a cache. However, it did not work.

5thHorseman: ScienceAlert 1.8.3 is throwing an NRE when EL loads the ship to check resources. This is rather surprising because it caused rather impressive explosions for me (thus why I thought the bug might be elsewhere).

The dangers of not running CKAN, I suppose. I updated it and it works now! Yaaay!

Thanks tons, I super appreciate the help. Now to actually plan my EPL base.

[Booots]

Before I complain about my bug, I'm just going to say that I am using a slightly outdated version so that my pre-0.9 base full of pilots can still build things so I understand if support is refused for not being updated.

Anyway, I'm experiencing an interesting bug with regards to surveyed builds and launch clamps. I'm trying to build something on Eve and accidentally landed on a steep slope. When I build something with launch clamps, it jumps up so that it is above the surface (which is great!) and sits nicely vertical (which is even greater). The problem is when I try to timewarp because apparently it is staying in a 'In Flight' status despite not being launched yet. Any ideas what I can do to fix this? Is it because of the jump making KSP think it's still flying or a normal behaviour for launch clamps?

And yes, the bounding stakes would be perfect for this if I could still build afterwards or re-train my colonists to be engineers somehow. Thanks!

[taniwha]

Booots: It sounds like part of your base is spawning in the ground but getting pushed out gently (lucky!). Yeah, this is what bounds stakes are for. :/

However, all is not lost: EL does not check for engineers, but rather the construction skill. If you study both ExtraplanetaryLaunchpads/EL_MM.cfg (near the bottom, look for EXPERIENCE_TRAIT) and Squad/Experience/Traits.cfg (and know a little bit of ModuleManager hacking), you should be able to retrain your kerbals.

NOTE: this will affect all saves in your installation, so use with care. Also, I hope you have a "proper" (productivity factor >= 1) workshop (eg, EL's blue thing).

Edited February 12, 2015 by taniwha

[AcidEric]

As promised ta-dah my base built on one go thanks to EL & Taniwah.

Not sure if I have stakes fully figured out and I'm pretty sure the problems I was having before were down to the base craft. Did loads of testing and it was only that craft that was spawning wrong.

[Wisq]

FYI, got this bug in the latest EPL. I built a ship at a station, docked it to the station, undocked. Until I left the render radius of the station, everything was fine, but once I did, hitting F2 would no longer hide all the UI elements, and pressing it again wouldn't bring them back; I had to press F3 to get my UI back.

[EXC 00:57:21.684] NullReferenceException
        UnityEngine.Transform.FindChild (System.String name)
        Part.FindModelComponents[Renderer] ()
        Part.highlight (Color highlightColor)
        Part.SetHighlight (Boolean active, Boolean recursive)
        Part.SetHighlightDefault ()
        ExLP.ExLaunchPad.Highlight (Boolean on)
        ExLP.ExBuildWindow.UpdateGUIState ()
        ExLP.ExBuildWindow.onHideUI ()
        EventVoid.Fire ()
        ScreenShot.Update ()
[EXC 00:57:22.284] NullReferenceException
        UnityEngine.Transform.FindChild (System.String name)
        Part.FindModelComponents[Renderer] ()
        Part.highlight (Color highlightColor)
        Part.SetHighlight (Boolean active, Boolean recursive)
        Part.SetHighlightDefault ()
        ExLP.ExLaunchPad.Highlight (Boolean on)
        ExLP.ExBuildWindow.UpdateGUIState ()
        ExLP.ExBuildWindow.onShowUI ()
        EventVoid.Fire ()
        FlightDriver.SetPause (Boolean pauseState)
        FlightResultsDialog.Display (System.String outcomeMsg)
        FlightResultsDialog.OnGUI ()

Exiting to the KSC and returning to the ship resolved it.

[taniwha]

Wisq: Darn, I thought I fixed the root cause of such. I guess I have some more poking to do. Yay partless addons (the build window).

AcidEric: I'm glad you got it working

[taniwha]

A word of warning to KAS users: while the recycling bins will not eat the vessel to which the bin is docked, they will happily munch on the winch connector (winch on same vessel), breaking KAS (NREs). I will see if I can get the bins to not eat "active" KAS parts.

[Booots]

NOTE: this will affect all saves in your installation, so use with care. Also, I hope you have a "proper" (productivity factor >= 1) workshop (eg, EL's blue thing).

And, um, what if they're still in their survey station drop pod? Can I just boost its productivity above 1?

EDIT: Yes. Yes I can. Thanks!

Edited February 13, 2015 by Booots

[daniel l.]

is this compatible with 0.25 (0.90 wont work on my pc )

[taniwha]

daniel l.: 4.4.0 is compatible with 0.25. Take the current URL and edit the version number to suit. Or, if you are feeling adventurous, grab the code and remove the stock experience and fancy highlighting code. There might be a couple of other tweaks necessary.

[djnecro]

Won't release!

I had a fairly well used career save going and decided to spice things up with some EPL goodness. After getting an orbital station up and running and testing, I had nothing but issues: mostly the gyro kraken, but any "real" ship I tried to build would succeed wouldn't be able to be released. Very similar to the old "stuck" docking port bug.

I wiped the game and reloaded fresh with fewer mods, and got another station up and running. It passed my simple tests (simple tug, a few docking port adapters, a station fuel module, etc...), but whenever I try to build a legit ship (in this case a dead simple mun transfer stage+lander) it simply refuses to be released.

I can provide screenshots, but the test ship is very simple, no clipping to my knowledge. I'd really love to move forward, but at the moment I'm stuck faking an orbital construction yard via hyperedit, and it's taking the fun out of things!

Any ideas? My modlist (managed via CKAN, so all are updated) is below:

000_Toolbar, AmbientLightAdjustment, Chatterer, CommunityResourcePack, CommunityTechTree, ContractConfigurator, ContractPacks, Contracts Window, CrewManifest, CrossFeedEnabler, CrowdSourcedScience, Diazo, DMagic Orbital Science, ExtraplanetaryLaunchpads, KAS, KerbalEngineer, KerbalJointReinforcement, KerbalStats, Kerbaltek, MagicSmokeIndustries, MechJeb2, ModuleManager.2.5.9.dll, NavHud, NearFutureConstruction, NearFutureElectrical, NearFuturePropulsion, NearFutureSolar, PreciseNode, ProceduralFairings, QuantumStrutsContinued, RCSBuildAid, Regolith, SCANsat, ScienceAlert, ShipManifest, StockBugFixModules, TacFuelBalancer, TechManager, ToadicusTools, Trajectories, TriggerTech, TweakableEverything, TweakScale, UniversalStorage

[djnecro]

Apologies for the double post.

Edited February 15, 2015 by djnecro

[taniwha]

djnecro: try testing without KerbalJointReinforcement. It's very possible it is adding extra joints that don't get removed when EL releases the vessel. I've never used KJR so no testing has been done with it. Also, does release, save, load fix it?

[djnecro]

I'll give it a shot w/o kjr and see what happens... a save/load does indeed fix the issue and upon load the ship is floating free.

Tyvm for a fantastic mod!

[taniwha]

djnecro: Ah, thanks. That's what I suspected: extra joints. Probably due to KJR, but confirmation would be nice.