Built in Protractor to calculate angles between Planets/Moons?

[jaredderaj910]

When calculating an efficient burn between planets/moons with the same parent. But to use these burns, you need to find the angles between planets to be able to find out if you will be able to reach your destination with your math. Having some button you can either click/press could show up angles betweens 2 planets and the sun. Maybe this could be built in with the new SAS? If something like this already exists I'm sorry for wasting your time. Otherwise, please consider what I am saying. An hopefully this can make [my] planetary transfers with a lot less guesswork. Thanks .

[Anquietas314]

There is the Transfer Window Planner mod, as well as a few tools like http://alexmoon.github.io/ksp/ and http://ksp.olex.biz/ that can be used to plan transfers to other planets. I believe MechJeb also has something similar. It would be very nice to have something like this in stock though

[harlikwin]

There is a protactor mod that does this.

I do think more "tools" in the stock game would be nice

[StormKat]

Das Valdez did this kind of thing using Kerbal Engineer Redux on Twitch a couple of weeks ago. I can post a link to the YouTube video in a few hours.

[Anquietas314]

Das Valdez did this kind of thing using Kerbal Engineer Redux on Twitch a couple of weeks ago. I can post a link to the YouTube video in a few hours.

The numbers provided by KER aren't particularly easy for someone who isn't an expert in orbital mechanics to grasp intuitively. It is better than nothing at all though.

[jaredderaj910]

The numbers provided by KER aren't particularly easy for someone who isn't an expert in orbital mechanics to grasp intuitively. It is better than nothing at all though.

Not only are they hard to understand if you haven't attempted to learn orbital mechanics, but they are very limited and don't provide simple information like even your period of revolution. But I do agree that it IS better than nothing

[StormKat]

The numbers provided by KER aren't particularly easy for someone who isn't an expert in orbital mechanics to grasp intuitively. It is better than nothing at all though.

Das made the point that only 5 numbers were needed in order to do an interplanetary mission. That was after he used the Transfer Window Planner to gather mission information. He even specifically mentions not needing a protractor.

I made notes, but they're at home.

[Kerbart]

(...)I do think more "tools" in the stock game would be nice

Unless he changed his mind, HarvesteR (Felipe) has stated in the past that he prefers the "eyeballing and hoping for the best" character of the stock game. But there's always mods

[Anquietas314]

Das made the point that only 5 numbers were needed in order to do an interplanetary mission. That was after he used the Transfer Window Planner to gather mission information. He even specifically mentions not needing a protractor.

I made notes, but they're at home.

You don't need a protractor, because KER tells you how far you are away from the time you need to burn ("Intercept angle").

How many numbers there are doesn't matter - this information can and should be displayed visually. Most people are not going to have any idea what a phase or intercept angle is.

[Anquietas314]

Unless he changed his mind, HarvesteR (Felipe) has stated in the past that he prefers the "eyeballing and hoping for the best" character of the stock game. But there's always mods

The tools don't need to be all that complex, and telling you (roughly) when it's a good time to go visit planet X doesn't detract from eyeballing

[thereaverofdarkness]

I like the idea. Don't give people a stock transfer window planner. That takes the magic away. But if an upgraded Tracking Center or advanced electronics technology allowed you to see what angle you are respective to another body orbiting the same parent, then you still have to discover for yourself what angles are ideal for transfers.

[jaredderaj910]

Unless he changed his mind, HarvesteR (Felipe) has stated in the past that he prefers the "eyeballing and hoping for the best" character of the stock game. But there's always mods

Don't you think its a little "dumb" that you would have to use something external from the game to calculate it without having to eyeballing it. There should be something like a pop-up menu that can tell you the 5 values which StormKat said. There also should be a built in calculator to tell you where you will be in x amount of time (which you may input) to also help with the calculations and transfers.

[StormKat]

Here's the link if anyone is interested. It starts about 40 minutes in.

[jaredderaj910]

Here's the link if anyone is interested. It starts about 40 minutes in.

Yet even he has to use external information. I think that there should be something like a built in Window Transfer Mod that could be in a tab in the top left along with resources.