Orbit Transfer Opportunity Alarm/Calendar/???

[smalldiaphragms]

Hey there Kerbal community, this is my first post, so sorry if this has already been discussed. I did a brief search but couldn't really find any specific example of my idea.

I've been on board with KSP since .20 I believe. I learned more about rocket science and orbit & all in the first two weeks of this game than I had my entire life up to that point. In other words I absolutely love this game, and if there will ever be a problem in my marriage it will likely be this game

Anyways to the suggestion, considering myself a novice/apprentice/proficient/distinguished player, what I really have absolutely no idea how to approach is the best chance to transfer from Kerbin orbit to an other planet. Some transfers are doable with some extra time toying with the maneuver tool (the adjacent orbit planets), but more than one planet away from kerbin, and I have extreme difficulty (i.e. ICAN'TDOIT) finding the appropriate time/opportunity to transfer my orbit.

So what I propose is some SOME kind of system of notifying the player that her/his Jool/Moho/etc window-of-opportunity is coming up soon, or ending soon.

I saw another suggestion with the idea of some kind of flight/trajectory *planning* (not autopilot) GUI, and thought that if something like that were implemented that a simple orbit transfer reminder of some sort couldn't be that big of a deal to include.

Thoughts?

[diomedea]

Welcome, fellow kerbonaut.

While I don't know about a single tool to give you transfer windows in KSP, I believe you could be interested in the following two:

- Launch Window Planner (http://alexmoon.github.io/ksp/), a tool that calculates such windows in a browser, external to the game. As you may see using that tool, there are a number of parameters about your desired transfer to set.

- Kerbal Alarm Clock (KAC) (http://kerbalspaceprogram.com/kerbal-alarm-clock-2/), a tool that allows you to set a reminder for almost any action ingame (and realworld time as well).

So, if I plan a mission somwhere, first check the Window Planner and find the time of the launch, then set an alarm with KAC. Duration of flight and required Delta-V from the planner are also very useful, so you can build/use a ship with the required performance.

[John Nowak]

Ditto on the Kerbal Alarm Clock love. It's easily the single most important mod, in my opinion.

[sfrazer]

I was just thinking of this exact thing and came here searching for it.

The difference between what you're suggesting and tools like the Launch Window Planner and Alarm Clock are the targets of opportunity.

A Launch Calendar would (in my mind) tell you: this week is a good week to go to Jool, but next week is a good week to go to Duna.

As it is I spend time building a rocket to go to Jool, then wait 180 days on the launch pad waiting for the orbits to align. I'm probably missing opportunities to go other places in between.

Given that the orbits start out at the same place every restart, this could be kept outside the game, like the Launch Window Planner.

[sfrazer]

Something like this, only more automated, since I just spent 30 minutes putting it together

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AkoMiZDqCijMdGNyYTBSSFVacWNWMnB6SjNrSmtkbEE&usp=sharing

[Algiark]

Something like this?

http://kerbalspaceprogram.com/protractor-for-ksp-0-18/