[1.8.x] DMagic Orbital Science: New Science Parts [v1.4.3] [11/2/2019]

[DMagic]

"position sat in a specific orbit around kerbin" gives no orbit data.

only conditions are:

- new probe with energy and antenna

- reach designated orbit around kerbin with a deviation of less than 3%

- have an accelerometer

- have a thermometer

- neutralize controls for 10sec (btw what does this mean exactly? sas off and not touching anything?)

even in the description is no orbit data mentioned. I'm stuck there

That's not one of my contracts, it's from Fine Print. The target orbit should be displayed around the planet and in the tracking center though.

[acc]

That's not one of my contracts, it's from Fine Print. The target orbit should be displayed around the planet and in the tracking center though.

Argh, I'm sorry. But thanks anyway for the help

guess would be more clear if all contract mods would be use just it's own company for the contracts. Sometimes it's hard to tell which is from which

[sreinmann]

:L: I had this issue too, acc. Only I thought it was a bug seeing the random orbits show up in the center until I noticed that I also had random waypoints appearing on Kerbin as well. "OOOooooohhhhhh" moment.

[robolith]

Orbital Science is at the top of my recommended mods list, what a great job by DMagic! It finally makes my probes look like they were actually made for science. Add ion+electron+neutral particle instruments and a UV imaging spectrometer and you'd have a complete geophysics suite.

DMagic, if you're interested in including these parts, here are a couple of modern designs that you can base your models on:

Particle Package:

http://www.lpi.usra.edu/opag/jan2014/presentations/21_brandt.pdf (p.4)

UV Spectrometer:

http://lasp.colorado.edu/home/maven/science/instrument-package/iuvs/

[smart013]

Is there a (coming) option to disable the OS contracts? While the instruments are really great, the contracts are slowly but surely taking over all my science slots. In combination with fine print i rarely get any vanilla contracts at all. Great mod anyways

Edited August 14, 2014 by smart013

[DMagic]

Version 0.8.4 released; see the first post for more info and download links.

All contract types have had their rewards, penalties and advances rebalanced. Contract durations are much longer, you should be able to complete any contract type within the given time.

I've also made the long term magnetic field survey contracts more robust in terms of handling changes to your craft during the mission. It should be able to handle any docking/undocking, stage separation, or renaming events.

You can also specify the amount number of active contracts for each type in the included config file.

A few other changes and bug fixes are included; see the first post for more info and the complete changelog.

Let me know about any bugs you find, or if you come across some interesting new way to break the magnetic survey contract.

Change Log:

v0.8.4
- All contract types rebalanced
      - Rewards, penalties and expiration dates have been significantly adjusted
- Standard collect science missions now account for lower than 100% transmission rates
- Magnetic field surveys now account for vessel undocking, stage separation and docking during mission
- Anomaly surveys for Joolian moons are generated once you have visited Jool
- All science part costs increased
- Combo US science parts now available later in the tech tree
- Fixed some bugs with EVA experiment resets

Edited August 14, 2014 by DMagic

[Fingal]

Well, I finally found the crashed flying saucer and I've got the little green tick for the anomalous signal detector, but the rest don't seem to work, the laser scan and magnetometer & orbital telescope scans from above. Surely this is close enough or am I doing something wrong?

[DMagic]

Well, I finally found the crashed flying saucer and I've got the little green tick for the anomalous signal detector, but the rest don't seem to work, the laser scan and magnetometer & orbital telescope scans from above. Surely this is close enough or am I doing something wrong?

That's weird, I swear this worked when I tested it, and it hasn't been changed since the last version.

It works by checking to see if the experiment you just collected matches one of the target experiments. If it does then it makes several distance calculations from the vessel to the anomaly. If you are flying or orbiting above it first checks to see that you are less than 100km above the anomaly, then it checks your horizontal distance to the anomaly. Basically it draws an upside down cone over the anomaly that has a radius of 150m at the ground and 15000m at 100km up. If you are within that cone it should work. For ground experiments it just checks to see if you are within 50m horizontally. Some of the anomalies are buried underground (even if they are visible, their actual center might be underground), but since I'm only looking at horizontal distance that doesn't matter.

If it gets far enough to display this message that means that it is registering the experiment correctly and that at least some of the distance calculations are working correctly. I'll take a look at it and see if there is something wrong.

Edit: Version 0.8.4.1 released: I updated the download links and uploaded to KerbalStuff.

There were two errors in the anomaly contracts, one is that the anomaly's position was defined upon loading, and wasn't updating appropriately. The other is that the altitude calculation was backwards giving negative values. I just switched it to the absolute value, so it doesn't matter if you are above or below the anomaly.

The distance constraints are also fairly stringent, I might increase them a little to make the surface experiments a little easier. It can be difficult to tell the exact position of the anomaly and 50m isn't that far. The best option is to mount the anomaly scanner horizontally (so that it is parallel to the surface when landed) and watch the rotating camera closely. The will always point at the center of the anomaly, so by driving or flying around it you can figure out its exact location.

Edited August 15, 2014 by DMagic

[Climberfx]

This mod will turn my game even cooler!

Thank you so much

[rkman]

oops, wrong thread

Edited August 15, 2014 by rkman

[Patrick Kerbivan]

I think I may have found a problem - or maybe somewhere additional info is just needed - with a magnetic survey contract. I'm instructed to orbit the sun for at least 420 days with an eccentricity of at least 0.39 and at least 45.5 degrees of inclination. I've met all those criteria and have an RPWS and magnetometer boom on board, but I'm not getting those points cleared on the contract. My high orbit magnetometer and RPWS scans were accepted without issue, though they were actually performed my a different vessel than the one I'm using now (but I ran them again just in case). The one point where I may be going wrong is that the orbit I was able to establish with this particular probe does not pass close enough to be considered "low orbit". Thoughts?

[Sarayakat]

Yo, D! I have been enjoying your mod for some time now. The contracts are great and add much to the gameplay. One question: How would I go about changing the contract time limit? I want to give myself more time to complete a contract once I accept it. I have looked through the configs, but can't it figure out. Thanks in advance for your reply and in general for all your hard work.

Edited August 19, 2014 by Sarayakat
typo

[DMagic]

I think I may have found a problem - or maybe somewhere additional info is just needed - with a magnetic survey contract. I'm instructed to orbit the sun for at least 420 days with an eccentricity of at least 0.39 and at least 45.5 degrees of inclination. I've met all those criteria and have an RPWS and magnetometer boom on board, but I'm not getting those points cleared on the contract. My high orbit magnetometer and RPWS scans were accepted without issue, though they were actually performed my a different vessel than the one I'm using now (but I ran them again just in case). The one point where I may be going wrong is that the orbit I was able to establish with this particular probe does not pass close enough to be considered "low orbit". Thoughts?

Do you mean that you can complete the orbital parameters, attain x eccentricity and attain y inclination, that they turn green? If you can complete those then all you have to do is wait the specified amount of time for the main orbit parameter to complete, the first three parameters should then be complete and will stay completed regardless of what you do with the vessel. The science collection parameters are entirely separate, any vessel can complete those, and they can be completed after the first three parameters. The idea is to get into an orbit that allows for both low and high reports to get collected, but if you want to wait until after the orbit parameter completes that's fine too.

The magnetic field survey contract probably needs an overhaul, it's kind-of held together with duct tape and struts and I'm sure there are many ways to break it, but as long as you can get those two orbital parameters to complete and stay that way, then it should be ok.

Yo, D! I have been enjoying your mod for some time now. The contracts are great and add much to the gameplay. One question: How would I go about changing the contract time limit? I want to give myself more time to complete a contract once I accept it. I have looked through the configs, but can't it figure out. Thanks in advance for your reply and in general for all your hard work.

You can't, at least not yet. All of these contracts still need tweaking for their durations; they should be doable, but you just have to plan carefully in some cases.

[Patrick Kerbivan]

Do you mean that you can complete the orbital parameters, attain x eccentricity and attain y inclination, that they turn green? If you can complete those then all you have to do is wait the specified amount of time for the main orbit parameter to complete, the first three parameters should then be complete and will stay completed regardless of what you do with the vessel.

Nope, eccentricity and inclination are within the specified parameters but they aren't turning green. Also, I slightly typo'd earlier, in case it makes a difference: the stated parameter was an orbit of at least 45 degrees and I've got an orbit of 45.5. The eccentricity is well over the minimum though, somewhere around 0.6 currently.

[DMagic]

Nope, eccentricity and inclination are within the specified parameters but they aren't turning green. Also, I slightly typo'd earlier, in case it makes a difference: the stated parameter was an orbit of at least 45 degrees and I've got an orbit of 45.5. The eccentricity is well over the minimum though, somewhere around 0.6 currently.

Does your vessel have both parts, the magnetometer and the RPWS? You need both at all times for it to count. You might have to try reloading the vessel to get it to register if it has failed for some reason.

[Patrick Kerbivan]

Does your vessel have both parts, the magnetometer and the RPWS? You need both at all times for it to count. You might have to try reloading the vessel to get it to register if it has failed for some reason.

Both parts online and reporting! I've closed the game entirely and revisited the vessel more than once now without change as well.

Are you using the same system for contract parameter checking that the standard contracts use, or did you need to cook up something special? If you've got some special checking going on I'm wondering if maybe some other mod I'm using is interfering with your mod's ability to scan the ship for the requisite parts or properly monitor it for orbital conditions. All other contracts (including some of yours that just required the recovery of specific experiments from specific biomes) haven't shown any issues though!

[DMagic]

Both parts online and reporting! I've closed the game entirely and revisited the vessel more than once now without change as well.

Are you using the same system for contract parameter checking that the standard contracts use, or did you need to cook up something special? If you've got some special checking going on I'm wondering if maybe some other mod I'm using is interfering with your mod's ability to scan the ship for the requisite parts or properly monitor it for orbital conditions. All other contracts (including some of yours that just required the recovery of specific experiments from specific biomes) haven't shown any issues though!

If you're feeling brave you can go into your persistent file and check the state of the contract there. Just search for "DMOrbitalParameters" and check the last field to see if the name of your vessel is recorded and if it says true or false at the end of the line.

The program first checks to see if your vessel is in orbit around the target planet, using basically the same system as the stock contracts, but then it also checks to see if you have both science parts attached to the vessel. Only then does it start checking your inclination and eccentricity. Once those parameters are satisfied then it can start the timer for the main contract parameter. If something goes wrong at any stage it could prevent the vessel from being tracked properly.

You could try breaking orbit, either escaping or going sub-orbital, just for a moment, then re-establish orbit. That should reset things and allow for the process to start over once you re-enter orbit. If you don't have fuel that obviously won't work though.

[Patrick Kerbivan]

If you're feeling brave you can go into your persistent file and check the state of the contract there. Just search for "DMOrbitalParameters" and check the last field to see if the name of your vessel is recorded and if it says true or false at the end of the line.

I found the problem! I had made one attempt at this contract with another vessel that ran out of fuel before attaining the necessary orbit, so I left it to drift (in case I wanted to go for an ambitious equipment recovery mission ). That vessel was still named in the persistent file's contract parameters for angle and eccentricity! I changed the name in the parameters to the vessel I'm using now, loaded it up, and they lit up. A quick warp through 420 days of orbits and ta-da, the main orbital requirement was completed!

So, in summary, it looks like if a vessel that could potentially fulfill contract parameters is launched first it will "claim" that contract and prevent subsequent vessels from being able to fulfill it.

If you'd like I can restore the backup persistent file I made and see if destroying the first vessel frees the contract so the second can complete it without any tinkering in the persistent file.

Thanks for the guidance on sorting this out, hopefully this will be useful for bug-squashing!

[Kaa253]

Wonderful, brilliant mod and excellent contracts work here!

I have been especially enjoying it since I installed Science Values Editor as you recommended which I have set to make earning science points fairly difficult. Thanks for the advice on that.

Unfortunately, I also seem to have found a problem with a pair of contracts. I have two asteroid contracts active. One for class C (collect multiple scien"c"tific observations - mag scan and broad spectrum analysis) and another for class A (bring into Kerbin orbit. I am attempting to do the class C first because that was the first asteroid that came close to Kerbin for me. I have the Magnetometer boom and the Multispectral Imaging (I love this one as it is my RL job, LoL) platform. I cannot get either of these tasks to turn green. I notice that when I grapple the asteroid it reports "This asteroid is not the size that was requested by" the company who issued the class A asteroid contract. Maybe this is the problem? I am continuing to investigate. There is a class A asteroid still about 18 days out from a good rendezvous opportunity, perhaps if I complete that contract first (I accepted it first).

Edited August 20, 2014 by Kaa253

[DMagic]

I have been especially enjoying it since I installed Science Values Editor as you recommended which I have set to make earning science points fairly difficult.

Just be careful not to change the "RecoveredDataValue" field too much, it's used to calculate rewards and other parameters for contracts; changing it can really screw things up.

One for class C (collect multiple scien"c"tific observations - mag scan and broad spectrum analysis) and another for class A (bring into Kerbin orbit. I am attempting to do the class C first because that was the first asteroid that came close to Kerbin for me. I have the Magnetometer boom and the Multispectral Imaging (I love this one as it is my RL job, LoL) platform. I cannot get either of these tasks to turn green. I notice that when I grapple the asteroid it reports "This asteroid is not the size that was requested by" the company who issued the class A asteroid contract. Maybe this is the problem? I am continuing to investigate. There is a class A asteroid still about 18 days out from a good rendezvous opportunity, perhaps if I complete that contract first (I accepted it first).

You have no idea how often I make that typo, every third time I type scientific it comes out scienctific...

The Class A contract is from Fine Print, but it shouldn't affect anything here. You have to transmit the science results before the Class C contract parameters will complete. Unfortunately there isn't any good indication that the data has been collected correctly before you transmit (the anomaly contracts do a better job of this), so that's something I will have to improve.

[QuantumX]

Hello, on the science mission i have one to do the following @ MUN:

- High Orbit - Gravity Scan

- High Orbit - Collect Particles

- Low Orbit - Material Study

I have tried multiple orbits ranging from 500km to 15km and i cannot get any of these items on the control to complete... Any ideas?

[Patrick Kerbivan]

Hello, on the science mission i have one to do the following @ MUN:

- High Orbit - Gravity Scan

- High Orbit - Collect Particles

- Low Orbit - Material Study

I have tried multiple orbits ranging from 500km to 15km and i cannot get any of these items on the control to complete... Any ideas?

Are you returning/transmitting the results? I believe the data has to get back to KSC for those items to complete.

[Kaa253]

Just be careful not to change the "RecoveredDataValue" field too much, it's used to calculate rewards and other parameters for contracts; changing it can really screw things up.

Thanks. I appreciate the tip.

You have no idea how often I make that typo, every third time I type scientific it comes out scienctific...

The Class A contract is from Fine Print, but it shouldn't affect anything here. You have to transmit the science results before the Class C contract parameters will complete. Unfortunately there isn't any good indication that the data has been collected correctly before you transmit (the anomaly contracts do a better job of this), so that's something I will have to improve.

Never mind about the typo. I have my own big bunch of those. I don't think that any extra indication that the data has been collected correctly is really lacking. Of course, it wouldn't hurt if you do choose to add it.

I eventually found that the problem was coming from an unusual inability to transmit the data back to KSP directly from the Multispectral Imaging Platform. Upon pressing the transmit data "blue" button there was no normal stock game notification that the data was being transmitted but the instrument thereafter reported the data as gone and unrepeatable for this asteroid. I had double checked that I had good electrical power and connection (I use RemoteTech) before pressing transmit.

I then restored a quicksave and this time I sent an EVA Kerbal to take the data off the Multispectral Imaging Platform and return it to the command module. Then by transmitting the data from the command module instead everything proceeded normally and the contract completed. ??? I had no trouble transmitting data directly from the magnetometer boom while grappled to the asteroid. I have had no trouble transmitting from other Multispectral Imagers located elsewhere in space.

[DMagic]

I eventually found that the problem was coming from an unusual inability to transmit the data back to KSP directly from the Multispectral Imaging Platform. Upon pressing the transmit data "blue" button there was no normal stock game notification that the data was being transmitted but the instrument thereafter reported the data as gone and unrepeatable for this asteroid. I had double checked that I had good electrical power and connection (I use RemoteTech) before pressing transmit.

Yeah, that's a bit of a combo bug between my parts and Squad's not-so-great transmitter modules (which I think RemoteTech builds off of). If you transmit at the wrong time, like when the transmitter is closing, it will remove the data, but won't fully send it through, but it does seem to get added to the transmitter's queue, so you just have to transmit something else and it should push it through. I can probably fix this so that the data doesn't disappear from my part when this happens, but the transmitter problems are another matter.

[tmbomber]

I found the problem! I had made one attempt at this contract with another vessel...

I've been having the same problem with a Mun/Magnitometer/RPWS contract, so I came to this thread and started reading. I took a look at the contract in the .sfs file and noticed something.

The name recorded for the contract in the .sfs file didn't match the name of the ship.

Then I remembered...

I stuck a magnetometer and RPWS modules on my standard ScanSAT orbiter. I have that vessel saved in the VAB as "MapSAT K/Lr/Bio". (indicating that it has a kethane scanner as well as ScanSATs low rez and biome scanners) When I get to the destination moon or planet I *RENAME* the vessel, adding the destination name so I can tell which is which. In this case it's name is now "Mun MapSAT K/Lr/Bio".

In the .sfs file, the contract still lists "MapSAT K/Lr/Bio" as the vessel name.

Going to change the vessel name back, I'll let y'all know how that works.