Cannot Create Maneuver Node

[Apollo13]

I've run into this situation constantly. In this image, my probe is on the blue line going to the right (yellow arrow). I want to place a maneuver node on the blue line in front of it. The game won't let me. That is, when i place the cursor on the blue line, a blue ball/node does not appear. This PoS will, however, let me place a node on the purple line, which is a year plus 104 days in the future. Have you encountered this frustrating bug and how did you get around it?

Edited July 1, 2014 by Apollo13

[Claw]

Yes, it seems fairly common. I'm usually able to get around it by clicking further down the blue orbit line (sometimes changing view angle) and dragging the node back to where I want it.

With the addition of the "forward/backward one orbit" option on the nodes, I find that can be handy too.

[-ELF-]

I ran into this same issue yesterday during mid-course correction burn to Duna, while trying to adjust my periapsis for proper aerobrake. I had my orbits overlapping a lot closer to each other, almost in the same place. What I have done is:

- Adjusted the view such way that orbits are separated by most possible distance.

- Checked the distance on which purple node started to appear on its trajectory (moving mouse from the side opposite to blue trajectory).

- Moved mouse to the other side of blue trajectory, away from purple, roughly the same distance from trajectory.

- Started to move mouse slowly along the blue trajectory from my ship further into the future.

- Twice for upcoming month of trajectory I have seen blue node to appear.

- Created the node on one of this appearances (a bit of pixel hunting though).

- Tryed to move node around trajectory to no avail (failed hilariously, it seems that trajectory which is not a closed loop is some kind of transparent for mouse, node just keeps turning red when being moved from initial point along trajectory).

- Dealt with it, and used that less effective node to create a maneuer and perform it.

- ???

- Profit (kinda)

Hope it helps.

[Apollo13]

Cannot place the node anywhere on the blue line. Tried adding to purple line and subtracting one orbit. The "back one orbit" was grayed-out and unclickable.

Also tried moving mouse away from blue line (same distance as purle from blue); no joy there either.

Quite frankly, it pisses me off that Squad and Fellipe like to add shiny new crap top KSP when serious bugs like this go unfixed. There are other serious bugs as well. Yeah, I know, "It's alpha". Well, it's more than that; it's crap. Vers 0.24 is just around the corner, and Squad is all excited about it. Yet, well-known bugs like this pervade.

Squad, get your act together!!!

Edited July 1, 2014 by Apollo13

[-ELF-]

Wow, man, you look annoyed.

There is another probable solution, you can decrease te patched conics limit so that purple line will not be shown.

However it requires messing with config files.

Find the file settings.cfg in root folder of KSP, open it in notepad and search for "CONIC"

You will see the row:

CONIC_PATCH_LIMIT = 3 (or whatever else you have...)

Decrease this limit to 2, and it will show only blue and yellow line.

So, no purple line - no problem, right?

P.S. I am not protecting SQUAD, this bug is annoying, but anyway, stay calm, it is just a game. Pretend that it is a failure of computing system at KSC, deal with it by yourself. You can even go and try performing the course correction on-line mode, though you will have to waste a little more fuel, but it is not that critical.

[Claw]

I believe they are intentionally adding features first, so as to flush out all the bugs together. The alternative is slower releases which will still contain bugs (either new or waking up old ones).

In any case, make sure if you are trying the "previous orbit" bit that the node is far enough ahead. If it's not, the game will think that the previous orbit is in the past (and therefore not valid).

[technion]

I've hit scenarios where literally the only way I could drop a node was with the "Precisenode" mod. Process:

* Create a node on the purple line, ahead of yourself. Note the node time, N

* Use "next orbit" button, to get the future time, F.

* Alt+tab out to windows calculator and calculate an orbit time as O = F-N

* Calculate one orbit prior to the N as S = N - O

* Copy and paste S into PreciseNode as the node time

Yes, honestly of all the bugs in this game, this is the one that makes certain scenarios unplayable imo. I wish they'd focus on it.

And before anyone asks, you can't just use "previous orbit" on the purple line, it won't land on the blue line like expected.

[AlexinTokyo]

With Precise Node, can't you control the number of conics? Or only the conics mode?

If you can control the number, just reduce it until the purple orbit is no longer shown.

[ripvanlemon]

I posted the same question a while back, and based on the advice I was given, I messed around and figured out I can reliably place a maneuver node out beyond the solar periapsis and then drag it back to wherever I want it. I've done this dozens of times in the same situation you are showing in your screen shot. It hasn't ever not worked.

That's my only-slightly-annoying workaround.

[Mr Shifty]

MechJeb's node planner also can help. You can place a node, say, 1 hour in the future then drag it where you want.

[blizzy78]

With Precise Node, can't you control the number of conics? Or only the conics mode?

Both, of course.

[Kasuha]

It is no doubts a bug but there are a few relatively easy workarounds.

Simplest one is, if you use default conic patch mode, simply put your maneuver on the orange part of your trajectory and pull it along the line to the blue part. It's actually a good reason to use default conic patch mode now that it switches to local when you focus on your target.

More intricate one is that if there is a Pe/Ap marker on the blue trajectory, it is usually possible to place it on the end of the blue part behind last of these markers.

[Apollo13]

Finally resolved the issue by putting node on purple line and using MJ's Maneuver Node Editor to backup the node time at 1,000,000 seconds per click (do you know how long that takes on a Kerbol orbit?)

<rant on>

Yes, I am annoyed at Squad and their continued failure to address game-killing bugs, such as this and the Undocking Bug. The KSP fanboys will say, "It's alpha." Although a pathetic excuse, it lacks action.

Introversion (Prison Architect) and Keen Software House (Space Engineers) also have games in alpha. Yet, KSH puts out a new playable version of SE each week; each contains a new feature or two and several bug fixes. Introversion puts out a new playable version of PA each month; again, adding a new feature or two and fixing the joy-killing bugs. In May's PA video, Introversion stated that June's update would fix only bugs and add no new features. We players were pleased and on-board with that decision. The five devs squashed 75 major bugs. If you're a developer, you understand that number is huge for so short a period. Both dev houses appear to use the IID (Incremental and Iterative Development) model

Yet, Squad continues to stumble about adding shiny new toys while ignoring its community simple request: Fix that damned game. Each Tuesday, the Daily Kerbal spews its noxious Dev Notes...meaningless drivel containing little to no information. For instance, developer lalo mentioned "vers. 0.24 would be soon". OMG. The community jumped on the word "soon" like it was announcing the second coming of the Christ. "Soon"? What does that mean? To quote Shakespeare, "Tis a tale. Full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."

I would be satisfied if Squad followed Introversion's lead; take a month after the Second Coming...uh, I mean,...version 0.24, and fix the damned joy-killing bugs. Call it version "0.24-we-got-it-right" or some such.

</rant>

Edited July 1, 2014 by Apollo13

[technicalfool]

Everybody's impatient, but Gameplay Q&A isn't the place to have a jolly good moan about it.

...and while it seems all the solutions have been mentioned, the thread is listed as answered and isn't serving any useful purpose now, I guess it's time.

Have fun guys.