Kerbal Construction Time/StageRecovery Dev Thread

[JeffreyCor]

Some really neat features are planned still But overall I agree this is very stable and usable in its current state

[magico13]

This should go to released addons, IMO, is there still much left to tweak or add? Getting to the main releases page would brind a lot of supporters, testers, etc.

Thanks As for things left to add, there's not a whole lot that I can think of, honestly. There are a couple small things I'd like to add (editing ships while they're under construction, a couple internal changes [ie. when build times get recalculated after a ship finishes, it doesn't take the parts used from the inventory into account, and I need to fix that]) but otherwise it's pretty much feature complete.

I won't do a full release until 0.24 probably, since I am expecting some problems with that update. The way I rewrote the ship parser won't behave properly with the fact that fuel has a cost in 0.24. I'd like to try to support that (so that fuel cost will factor into total build time) but if fuel is a small fraction of the total cost then I may not spend the time to include it, assuming the current way of getting part costs is still valid.

After 0.24 though, I don't anticipate there being much left to add, which is good since I'll be starting grad school soon and I don't know if I'll have too much time to do anything other than maintenance (aka, updating to new KSP versions and fixing bugs).

[JeffreyCor]

I don't think being able to edit built ships is exactly a "small thing" more like "freaking awesome!" Make ships with empty cargo holds to have on hand and add the cargo as needs for short prep times

[Kalista]

I'd still like to see hiring Kerbals come with a time like ships and tech since hiring a handful of them and sending them out on a mission that day is alittle immersion breaking ( and because the only mod that comes close to doing that is keepfit and its more about keeping kerbals in shape after their hired to go on missions and not the simulated training to become kerbalnauts when hired).

[JeffreyCor]

With KeepFit you can set initial fitness low so they have to spend time building up before sending out, though launching untrained people does seem very Kerbal

[guto8797]

Just a tad little question: How does this mod integrate with Mission Controller extended? WHat revert buttons can I use, can i use quick-saves? And also, how does recycling work? Thank Thee

[magico13]

Just a tad little question: How does this mod integrate with Mission Controller extended? WHat revert buttons can I use, can i use quick-saves? And also, how does recycling work? Thank Thee

The technical explanation is that is loads the backup save that MCE creates upon visiting the space center. It only does this when exiting a simulation, no matter how the simulation is exited. This means that if you use my revert buttons it will work, but it should also work using the stock revert buttons or simply going to the space center or tracking station. This mod does nothing with regards to MCE recycling, but any parts recovered manually are "recycled" by KCT or if there's enough parachutes to drop the velocity of the spent stages to below (about) 10 m/s at sea level. I believe MCE recycling is similar (mine is based on theirs and the Real Chute support that they have is based on mine). I don't support recycling powered stages without parachutes like MCE does. I THINK the two recycling systems shouldn't interfere (neither specifically remove anything, and as long as you use the recover button for things on the ground then that'll be fine too).

As for quick saves: you can't quick save during a simulation, which is the only time KCT cares about MCE. So any problems there would be purely on MCE's end. KCT itself works fine with quick saves, since everything is stored in the persistence.

[guto8797]

-snip-

Thank you. I have grim memories of my early times with MCE, loading any sort of quicksave completelly screwing up budgets and stuff. I really hope all sorts of quicksaves, reverts and etc are supported now.

[JeffreyCor]

KCT has no problems with quicksaves, outside of simulation of course. Personally I'm just waiting for .24 to have a contract and economy system instead of MCE. Tried it 3 times now, still not using it

[TurielD]

I just started using this and its very cool!

I got caught by surprise with the tech-tree-unlock delay though. I wasn't expecting that from the mod description, and it isn't detailed in the first post of this thread either. While I do like it, it would probably be better to warn people that this is also a feature... especially as nodes seem to disappear and become unlockable again after you think you've unlocked them, though they're actually in the queue.

[magico13]

I got caught by surprise with the tech-tree-unlock delay though. I wasn't expecting that from the mod description, and it isn't detailed in the first post of this thread either. While I do like it, it would probably be better to warn people that this is also a feature... especially as nodes seem to disappear and become unlockable again after you think you've unlocked them, though they're actually in the queue.

It's a new feature that I must have forgotten to mention in the OP. It is thoroughly discussed in the getting started guide, however, including the weirdness of how unlocking works. I believe I went over it in a previous post as well, but that has probably been lost to a couple pages back. I'll make sure to update the OP, so thank you for catching that.

The weirdness with unlocking is a bug on KSP's end, as it doesn't update the screen when changes occur to the science amount or tech nodes. I intercept the tech nodes being unlocked and set them to locked. KSP displays it as unlocked even though that isn't true. When you reload the window it displays properly. You can unlock them again, but a message alerts you that the node is already being researched and you are refunded the science. Except once again KSP doesn't update the science counter at the top of the window to display the fact that it's refunded. The ability to reunlock nodes is actually a good thing though, since you can then start research on any nodes that come afterward.

If you ever decide you don't like the feature, there's a setting in the settings menu to disable it. Don't forget to upgrade your Development rate so that later nodes don't take forever!

[EnhancedCookie]

Hi, may i suggest you add a Build & Launch feature? It would save us a lot of time from going back and forth into the VAB.

[JeffreyCor]

Time doesn't progress in the VAB, so build and launch would not be functional. If construction time is disabled the stock launch button works. All builds can be set up at once, including different times and names with one visit to the VAB. I'm not understanding where you are having to spend a lot of tie going in and out of the VAB.

[magico13]

Hi, may i suggest you add a Build & Launch feature? It would save us a lot of time from going back and forth into the VAB.

Could you elaborate on what you mean by this? Are you asking for the ability to build straight from simulations, so you don't have to revert to build? If so, I do need to reimplement that, since it doesn't work since the introduction of the build list. If you are talking more along the lines of what JeffreyCor is talking about, where it gets added to the build list and then time advances to where it's built, that sorta defeats the purpose of the mod, since that's basically the same as the stock system but with some time advanced. You can, and are encouraged to, build multiple ships at once in the VAB/SPH.

If you mean something else, please let me know and I'll see what I can do

[Goliathan]

I seem to be encountering a bug where when I load a flight in progress I can't quicksave (as if it were a simulation) and I can't make the game go back to the space center, the only way to get out is to exit the game. Is this a known bug? I'm currently running the Scott Manley interstellar Quest modlist + Firespitter, AIES Aerospace, Station Science, Lack Luster Labs, and Modual Kolonization System on a 64bit Ubuntu 14.04 OS. Is there an incompatiibility with any of these things? Is this a known bug?

[Cerebrate]

I seem to be encountering a bug where when I load a flight in progress I can't quicksave (as if it were a simulation) and I can't make the game go back to the space center, the only way to get out is to exit the game. Is this a known bug? I'm currently running the Scott Manley interstellar Quest modlist + Firespitter, AIES Aerospace, Station Science, Lack Luster Labs, and Modual Kolonization System on a 64bit Ubuntu 14.04 OS. Is there an incompatiibility with any of these things? Is this a known bug?

Huh. I seem to have a similar bug - does yours happen consistently, or intermittently? (Mine's intermittent, but otherwise identical.)

My full modlist is here: https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=8B53BC30DA65DCAA!9417&authkey=!ADtSA0atDXHuEas&ithint=file%2c.xlsx - I've also got the IQ stuff, but not AIES, Station Science, LLL, or MKS, and I'm on 32-bit Windows.

-c

[JeffreyCor]

Check your debug (Alt-F12 then debug button) you will likely find you are getting a NullRef which is what it causing both the failure to quicksave and exit to space center. It also will cause a failure to recover a landed ship if you land on Kerbal. It doesn't seem to be KCT related from what I've seen when it comes up but annoyingly random to find just which is generating this.

[magico13]

My internet is messed up right now so I'm responding on my phone, but that is a problem I have seen before and you will see the same error JeffreyCor mentions in the log. It results when KCT cannot save it's data to the save file, which shouldn't ever happen but for some undetermined reason occasionally happens. Generally quick loading will fix it, or exiting the game. I may add a workaround, but it may result in data loss. Hopefully I can figure out what is causing it, but so far to me it looks totally random and nothing in the logs tell me anything.

[JeffreyCor]

I didn't think it was connected to KCT since I have seen this occurring a couple times without KCT installed. I did find it happening a lot when Lazor is installed with a large unload range

[SpacedInvader]

So I've happened across some sort of bug with simulation mode and the view controls. Suddenly, and with no changes to my GameData folder, I'm unable to control the view while in simulation mode. Normal flight mode works fine, but in sim mode, I can't zoom, pan, or rotate, both with the mouse and with the keyboard. The only view controls that work are the cycle commands. What could be going on here?

[magico13]

So I've happened across some sort of bug with simulation mode and the view controls. Suddenly, and with no changes to my GameData folder, I'm unable to control the view while in simulation mode. Normal flight mode works fine, but in sim mode, I can't zoom, pan, or rotate, both with the mouse and with the keyboard. The only view controls that work are the cycle commands. What could be going on here?

I have seen this reported before, but have never seen it myself. I don't honestly know what the cause could be, but without an output_log.txt file from the KSP_Data folder from a play session where the problem occurred (preferably with nothing else being done that session, to make it easier to sift through) there's little chance I'll figure it out. Does this happen even after restarting KSP?

[SpacedInvader]

Well, apparently removing KCT from GameData then launching and then putting it back fixes this issue, at least temporarily. I did just that with the putting back being to give you an output_log.txt, but now it's working, so I'll just keep an eye out and then give you a log if / when it happens again.

[Miximix]

I have a problem that i can't recover the vessel and i can't revert flight to any point or go to space center. And when i go to map mode i can't see any crafts in orbit around Earth (i'm using RSS). What's the reason?

[magico13]

I have a problem that i can't recover the vessel and i can't revert flight to any point or go to space center. And when i go to map mode i can't see any crafts in orbit around Earth (i'm using RSS). What's the reason?

This could be the same bug that the others are reporting. Basically, KCT can't save it's data and the game cancels any scene changes. If possible, could you get me the output_log.txt from the KSPData folder after a play session where the issue occurred? Does this happen every time you load this save? I have seen the save bug before, but quickloading or restarting KSP always fixed it for me. Others have mentioned removing KCT, starting the game, then replacing KCT (and restarting). I do not know what is causing the bug, and since I can't reproduce it consistently it's hard to fix.

I'm going to try to come up with a work around, but it may result in data loss (basically, just not saving whatever is broken, but saving the rest). Hopefully I can track it down soon though, because it's incredibly irritating.

[guto8797]

Hellooo! I am having an issue i would like to report. Currently simulation mode is borked for me. Must be something with another mod, because any sort of colision while on simulation mode causes any hit part to explode. Jeb. at 0.00000005 M/s. Hits a steel encased ship. Jeb destroys the ship. Do you need any log or anything?