Maneuver node shortcut key

[LethalDose]

There's a long standing bug in the game that makes it difficult to impossible to place maneuver nodes on a trajectory. A workaround to this that would be insanely convenient would be to add a shortcut key that places a maneuver node 5 minutes from the vessels current position.

The node can be dragged to the appropriate location. Pressing the key again could place the maneuver node 5 minutes past the next SoI change.

It doesn't solve the underlying problem, but it'd make life way easier.

[Tuareg]

or just fix the bug...

[Superfluous J]

I would like both, actually. Give me a hotkey AND fix the bug.

[LethalDose]

or just fix the bug...

Yeah, that'd be great.

But it's Squad.

I think the problem actually comes from how they've coded the trajectories, and I really doubt they're willing to go back and revise that code. This would require much less effort on their part.

[Vaporo]

Yeah, that'd be great.

But it's Squad.

I think the problem actually comes from how they've coded the trajectories, and I really doubt they're willing to go back and revise that code. This would require much less effort on their part.

Why not, though? I wouldn't think that the trajectories are very difficult to code. I know that there's several mods that create their own or adjust Squad's trajectories. In any case, they're so buggy and inaccurate that they are going to have to go back and fix them eventually. For example, the Tylo encounter on my last Jool mission:

Clearly an encounter, but it's not registering it as an encounter. In this case, even when I got *right next* to Tylo's SOI it wouldn't register an encounter coming. And this happens to me all the time.

[LethalDose]

In any case, they're so buggy and inaccurate that they are going to have to go back and fix them eventually.

LOLOLOL... oh wait, were you serious?

But, actually on topic I think they should add the feature.

Edited November 22, 2014 by LethalDose

[Vaporo]

Yes, a hotkey that automatically creates a new node three or four minutes ahead would be a great feature. I'm not arguing that.

[hazarada]

I think the precision of the trajectories should also be increased, currently they are nowhere near accurate enough when visualizing an interplanetary meet up (not really necessary when you know how it should go anyways but for somebody who doesn't know, it looks mighty confusing). Also would probably help with trying to place a node in extremeish circumstances like while you're landing and trying to fall towards a better landing site etc.

[TinfoilChef]

This would be a great addition. Especially if it included incorporating Precise Node into the stock game (not holding my breath but it'd be great)

[Superfluous J]

But it's Squad.

I think the problem actually comes from how they've coded the trajectories, and I really doubt they're willing to go back and revise that code. This would require much less effort on their part.

Yeah like how they just took the easy route with the editor and instead of overhauling it completely they just hacked new stuff into it.

Oh wait, they didn't.

I would not be surprised if every long-standing system in the game (Including trajectories, SOIs, and everything associated with them) gets a complete overhaul before 1.0 is released.

[Technical Ben]

I don't think it's likely they will redo all those. The current problem seems to be fine tuning the GUI to allow for easy selection etc.

The "wobble" is usually down to the wobble of the craft, so is more a physics, not trajectory, problem.

No idea what the causes the failure of SOI switch. Not experienced it myself since it was integrated into timewarp (or was it always?).

[Superfluous J]

I don't think it's likely they will redo all those. The current problem seems to be fine tuning the GUI to allow for easy selection etc.

The "wobble" is usually down to the wobble of the craft, so is more a physics, not trajectory, problem.

No idea what the causes the failure of SOI switch. Not experienced it myself since it was integrated into timewarp (or was it always?).

I don't spend much time around SOI boundaries NOT at warp so I can't tell you if it'd happen at normal time. Once I'm through a boundary, I crank the warp back up and don't sit there for 20 minutes of real time to see what would happen.

However, there are more fundamental problems though I of course don't know how the code is set up or how easy anything would be to fix. Projected orbits are impossible (No entry point or periapsis shown, but just a partial trajectory and an exit point) sometimes and sometimes just vanish. Have you ever had a very close encounter planned and then you do a little burn and your projected path vanishes? That's not normal. It's been a very long standing problem that I've always assumed they didn't fix because it wasn't easy, and may require a complete rewrite... which is what you do in Beta.

Which is exactly what the VAB was. It got the job done, but was clunky and error-prone. Rather than fix each error one-by-one and then eventually do a complete rewrite, they opted to live with the problems until Beta when a proper implementation could be done.

[Technical Ben]

Hmmm. Seem to have had that bug just now. Had some debris that was suppose to burn up on entry, but as I was not focused and I was timewarping it just orbited (very eccentrically) Kerbin. (Unrelated to this bug)

Thankfully, a kick from the Mun put it back on a direct collision course... except it did not, because I was timewarping again (even when focused) and it just put the orbits in strange positions.

So I had to use the Kerbal Alarm Clock mod to slow down on each SOI change, and eventually hit target.

[Tux]

I love the idea.

I also see no reason for time warps to default to zero when time to node is 5 mins