[DEV HALTED][0.90] ActiveStruts - Create & Remove Struts in Flight [v1.1.1 2014-12-31]

[marce]

Silly question: are the struts supposed to jitter back and forth if you move relative to them? If I'm perfectly stationary next to my station they look fine, if I puff the RCS to go left slowly all active strut lines start moving left-right what looks like 10x~ their width before snapping back to where they should be at a pretty high speed making it somewhat strobeish.

Shouldn't. I thought I fixed that recently but still no joy, have to investigate further but very busy at the moment, sorry.

@Eleven: same for the decoupler problem: didn't have time yet to look into it, sorry again.

[JeffreyCor]

Last time trying EVA wouldn't connect at all and targeted struts would flash on and off after launching. Don't know if it is a bug or conflict. Here are the logs from the play when the problem was seen, hope it helps in figuring it out.

KSP.log: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ba6kojawzrnfdxd/KSP.log?dl=0

Output_log.txt: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ri0xck0tqm22byz/output_log.txt?dl=0

[marce]

Last time trying EVA wouldn't connect at all and targeted struts would flash on and off after launching. Don't know if it is a bug or conflict. Here are the logs from the play when the problem was seen, hope it helps in figuring it out.

KSP.log: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ba6kojawzrnfdxd/KSP.log?dl=0

Output_log.txt: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ri0xck0tqm22byz/output_log.txt?dl=0

You have a LOT of exceptions, but I don't see anything AS specific in the log, sorry.

- - - Updated - - -

Version 1.0.7 released

Changelog:

• fixed strut jitter
  
• fixed Autostrutter Group not shown in editor
  

[JeffreyCor]

New version works a lot better though oddly when trying it it only worked around Kerbin or when landed on Mun. When in the Mun SOI the struts shifted off into space but still showed as being connected. When selecting a make a link the help line shows starting from the part for an instant than jumps away. After returning to Kerbin SOI everything started working properly again.

[marce]

New version works a lot better though oddly when trying it it only worked around Kerbin or when landed on Mun. When in the Mun SOI the struts shifted off into space but still showed as being connected. When selecting a make a link the help line shows starting from the part for an instant than jumps away. After returning to Kerbin SOI everything started working properly again.

Let me take a look. Bad, bad boy KSP, stop being strange!

Confirmed! What the hell is this again...

Kerbin - fine

Mun - broken

Duna - fine

Laythe - fine

Ike - broken

Minmus - broken

Moho - broken

Eve - fine

Jool - fine

Val - broken

It.. it looks like it's fine around bodies with an atmosphere?!

Edited November 15, 2014 by marce

[marce]

Version 1.0.7.1 released

Changelog:

• fixed struts being misaligned in orbit around bodies without atmosphere
  

[JeffreyCor]

KSP needs more spanking The struts do indeed work as they are supposed to when, yeay Weird part though, the EVA tether no longer is at the Kerbal on EVA but off in space at varying distances. I included screen captures to try to show what the heck I'm talking about These happened both under Minmus and Kerbin SOI so that doesn't seem to be a mystery factor this time.

Here the attachment point and line is far off to the left over the main fuel tank

https://www.dropbox.com/s/uv1q0al7wer4rcn/screenshot7.png?dl=0

The one, attachment guide shows to the right of the Kerbal's head

https://www.dropbox.com/s/xzy4i7phkrbxyt5/screenshot8.png?dl=0

EDIT Additional info: the guide lines when forming a link with strut parts are shifted off mark, but when the link is established the strut forms were it is supposed to be. Have not had a chance to see if the same holds with EVA (ie if the tether forms properly and it is just the guide that is showing off mark)

Edited November 16, 2014 by JeffreyCor

[marce]

KSP needs more spanking The struts do indeed work as they are supposed to when, yeay Weird part though, the EVA tether no longer is at the Kerbal on EVA but off in space at varying distances. I included screen captures to try to show what the heck I'm talking about These happened both under Minmus and Kerbin SOI so that doesn't seem to be a mystery factor this time.

Here the attachment point and line is far off to the left over the main fuel tank

https://www.dropbox.com/s/uv1q0al7wer4rcn/screenshot7.png?dl=0

The one, attachment guide shows to the right of the Kerbal's head

https://www.dropbox.com/s/xzy4i7phkrbxyt5/screenshot8.png?dl=0

EDIT Additional info: the guide lines when forming a link with strut parts are shifted off mark, but when the link is established the strut forms were it is supposed to be. Have not had a chance to see if the same holds with EVA (ie if the tether forms properly and it is just the guide that is showing off mark)

Why I'm not getting notifications any more? Totally missed that, it seems KSP forum started to hate me as well...

I'll have a look at the new misplacements tonight, no idea why it broke but I'll poke KSP until it starts to cry and tells me what it did now

[marce]

Alright, I was able to "fix" one part of the problem. Unsure if I should release this new build since the core problem is still there.

However, FreeAttach & the Kerbal tether use the same mechanic which suffers from the same problem I can't dirty-fix in this case. For reasons I don't understand in orbit above bodies without atmosphere transform positions are wrong. I was able to use Update instead of FixedUpdate in many places (leading to glitches elsewhere in the process of course) but for FreeAttach & Kerbal tether I need a coroutine which waits for Unity to spawn a part and once I wait the position is way off.

This problem requires a very deep investigation and at the moment I doubt if I can fix it.

Any help (hints, PRs,...) is very welcome at this point!

I have to admit that a lot changed in my life in the last three weeks and I'm about to start with a new job. As a result my time for KSP modding dropped from 50h/week to maybe 1-2h/week.

I'm still trying to keep all my mods alive, maybe even sneak in a feature every now and then, but to be frank: I won't have time to throw enough hours on this problem anytime soon.

[gavman420SSJ]

i feel like im missing something. how do you add struts to ships outside the VAB? i dont see any gui for such after installing the mod

[JeffreyCor]

I noticed an odd problem, but it's minor enough that just a warning should suffice unless you happen to stumble across the problem. The free attach stright out works find every time when right clicking on the part and selecting the option. However, if activated though an action group, such as when there are a few that get aligned for linking like would be done with old quantum struts, the game freezes in a waiting for unity loop. Since it's only in action groups it isn't a big problem and easy to work around, but thought it would be good to let you know.

Gavman, first put the grapplers on the ship when built of add them in flight with KAS. Once parts are on, right click the strut grappler and select "link" if you have a second grappler you wish to attach to or a grapple, or "free link" to attach to any location in range and an acceptable angle, or "free link straight out" to attach to whatever it directly out from the fact of the grappler. I may have the names slightly off but they are close enough to find them. I hope that helps

[jospanner]

I'm still getting the "waiting for Unity to catch up" thing.

I thought it might be Kerbal Joint Reinforcement (because it does physics stabilisation), or Load on Demand. Removed those mods, doesn't seem to fix it. :/

Specifically it seems to happen with the CIT Targeter in Straight Up Free Attach mode.

Edited November 25, 2014 by jospanner

[ahappydude]

This is like the bolopatch for jc2 Love it

[marce]

I noticed an odd problem, but it's minor enough that just a warning should suffice unless you happen to stumble across the problem. The free attach stright out works find every time when right clicking on the part and selecting the option. However, if activated though an action group, such as when there are a few that get aligned for linking like would be done with old quantum struts, the game freezes in a waiting for unity loop. Since it's only in action groups it isn't a big problem and easy to work around, but thought it would be good to let you know.

Gavman, first put the grapplers on the ship when built of add them in flight with KAS. Once parts are on, right click the strut grappler and select "link" if you have a second grappler you wish to attach to or a grapple, or "free link" to attach to any location in range and an acceptable angle, or "free link straight out" to attach to whatever it directly out from the fact of the grappler. I may have the names slightly off but they are close enough to find them. I hope that helps

Sounds like a race condition, I'll take a look if I can do something about it, thanks for the hint!

I'm still getting the "waiting for Unity to catch up" thing.

I thought it might be Kerbal Joint Reinforcement (because it does physics stabilisation), or Load on Demand. Removed those mods, doesn't seem to fix it. :/

Specifically it seems to happen with the CIT Targeter in Straight Up Free Attach mode.

Need a log or can't help you...

This is like the bolopatch for jc2 Love it

I'd love to have the ropes available this guy has, but thanks anyway

[marce]

Alright, it's feedback time.

Still no clue how to resolve the bug in orbit around bodies without atmosphere so I'd like to get feedback from you what I should do.

The problems mentioned in the post above will be (hopefully) solved in the process of me applying the changes you can vote for.

EDIT: Oh you can also voice your opinion (and suggestions if you have some) here in the thread of course.

Edited December 5, 2014 by marce

[JeffreyCor]

Another possibility in addition to the vote I entered, having a small attachment point (much smaller than the current one) that can be added in editor or via KAS to support the function in place of free attach and kerbal tether. The biggest drawback to this is the limitation in KAS of only carrying one part at a time for vessels that don't have the parts installed in the editor. Maybe with a decouple option action for cleaning up a ship after delivery. Just ideas

[marce]

Another possibility in addition to the vote I entered, having a small attachment point (much smaller than the current one) that can be added in editor or via KAS to support the function in place of free attach and kerbal tether. The biggest drawback to this is the limitation in KAS of only carrying one part at a time for vessels that don't have the parts installed in the editor. Maybe with a decouple option action for cleaning up a ship after delivery. Just ideas

Hi!

Thanks for your response. I already suggested adding a part for the Kerbal tether, another one for FreeAttach would be no problem. I can add a decouple option or even have it auto-decouple (that would be pretty much a stock strut then, though). However, I don't see a big advantage to Targeter-Target connections then. Maybe I should remove FreeAttach but add a new, small Target part with decouple functionality?

What I've seen KospY is working on kind of a inventory for a Kerbal, if I set the size of the attach thingy to 0 the kerbal might be able to carry a lot of them?

Just for clarification: my main problem is, that the part spawning (the position it is) is broken in orbit around bodies without atmosphere and I don't know why. So the "broken" part is only the part-spawning. Everything added via KAS (which I don't want to have as a mandatory part of this mod, because I'm not a big fan of bundles (but KAS is great, no doubt here)) or in the editor should be safe territory.

[JeffreyCor]

I very much agree with having a little interdependency as possible. I was trying to think of anything that could give a free attachment like function without free attachment. Your original setup is the best if KSP would stop being so weird about it Being able to strut to a different vessel has been extremely useful for soft dock resupply missions to keep them from moving around like crazy which KAS pipes seem to like to do when used on their own for it.

Maybe small being weak, while the larger being medium strength could give use for the difference if it comes to them being needed.

Ideally of course would be for free attach to work as intended. It is really strange in orbit of a soi without atmosphere the targeting is goofy but when landed on one they work fine.

[marce]

I very much agree with having a little interdependency as possible. I was trying to think of anything that could give a free attachment like function without free attachment. Your original setup is the best if KSP would stop being so weird about it Being able to strut to a different vessel has been extremely useful for soft dock resupply missions to keep them from moving around like crazy which KAS pipes seem to like to do when used on their own for it.

Maybe small being weak, while the larger being medium strength could give use for the difference if it comes to them being needed.

Ideally of course would be for free attach to work as intended. It is really strange in orbit of a soi without atmosphere the targeting is goofy but when landed on one they work fine.

Thanks for the kind words!

Yeah, I'd love it work as intended since that was how I imagined it should be as well.

I'll sit down once more and think over the problem and maybe pester a dev if I stumble upon them in the chan, but I'm afraid we need an escape plan. So please: everyone vote. In contrast to democracies your voice actually counts here

[marce]

*bump*

Still only 3 votes, please help me decide the further direction of this mod.

[JeffreyCor]

It's looking like keeping as is by 2/3 of the vote Since the actual link is correct that does work as a user can use "eyeball it" when things go goofy. Maybe something in a future update to KSP will remove the weirdness

[marce]

It's looking like keeping as is by 2/3 of the vote Since the actual link is correct that does work as a user can use "eyeball it" when things go goofy. Maybe something in a future update to KSP will remove the weirdness

5:4 for "keep it as it is" at the moment.

The problem is, that the link is not valid. Try creating a FreeAttach link (or Kerbal tether) in orbit around Moho or so. it will be created at a place in space several dozen meters away from the vessel

I can't shoot a video to showcase it at the moment, but with a bit of HyperEdit help you can easily see for yourself...

[JeffreyCor]

I tried it before around Mun, the indicator was way off but the link connected correctly. I have a trip to make there again today for my base so can try it again to make sure.

[marce]

I tried it before around Mun, the indicator was way off but the link connected correctly. I have a trip to make there again today for my base so can try it again to make sure.

Strange, I see the exact opposite behavior...

Please report back!

[JeffreyCor]

I got a half and half result, how's that for weirdness! The guide line was way off no where near where it's supposed to be for both the source and the end point. When making the connection, the source end was from exactly the right place but the end point to where it attached was off into space. At least it knew where the part was for the actual connection, which the guide line didn't. But it couldn't figure out where to put the end it's supposed to connect to in the actual link.