[1.9-1.10] Throttle Controlled Avionics

[drhay53]

@allista are you stuck waiting for a linux release before you can release the next version of TCA?

[allista]

10 minutes ago, drhay53 said:

@allista are you stuck waiting for a linux release before you can release the next version of TCA?

No, I actually stuck with my "main" work which I'm about to lose, or dump, whichever happens first 

As for the new version: it's almost there, only some routine is left like updating the manual, making a video, etc. The new modules happened to be much more complicated than I anticipated at first; spend much time on testing/bughunting which led to some big code rewriting several times.

EDIT: I still don't have the 1.1.2, but it doesn't seem to differ much from the 1.1 with respect to API, so it should be OK.

Edited June 12, 2016 by allista

[drhay53]

7 minutes ago, allista said:

No, I actually stuck with my "main" work which I'm about to lose, or dump, whichever happens first 

As for the new version: it's almost there, only some routine is left like updating the manual, making a video, etc. The new modules happened to be much more complicated than I anticipated at first; spend much time on testing/bughunting which led to some big code rewriting several times.

EDIT: I still don't have the 1.1.2, but it doesn't seem to differ much from the 1.1 with respect to API, so it should be OK.

Ok, thanks for the update, I was unsure because one of your posts a while ago talked about not having the update yet. I've been anxiously anticipating trying out the new features, but take your time and make sure you're happy with the release.

[Core]

I hate to ask this, but the TCA, is it a part I can put on? I can't quite figure out where it is. I keep on finding that it is installed to my command pods, but I can't seem to find the toolbar for it. There are hints of it functioning, I just can't seem to figure it out properly. Checked the manual, but I can't seem to find what I was looking for.

As far as I know, I am using the newest module manager, so I am unsure what I am doing wrong. 

 

EDIT:

This is embarrassing. After messing with this for 2-3 days, I realize this was in the toolbar, the thing I was looking for. Had to see a picture of TCA again to actually figure it out.

Edited June 16, 2016 by Core

[allista]

20 minutes ago, Core said:

I hate to ask this, but the TCA, is it a part I can put on? I can't quite figure out where it is. I keep on finding that it is installed to my command pods, but I can't seem to find the toolbar for it. There are hints of it functioning, I just can't seem to figure it out properly. Checked the manual, but I can't seem to find what I was looking for.

As far as I know, I am using the newest module manager, so I am unsure what I am doing wrong. 

TCA is installed into every control module a vessel has. They all share the same configuration and only one is active at a given time. But the part where TCA resides does not indicate it in current version (in the next there will be a string in the part menu). So yes, the only way to get access to the functionality is though toolbar.

There is a known problem with the Blizzy's Toolbar where TCA icon doesn't show no matter what; and I'm guessing you've encountered this problem. One of the solutions is to delete the GameData/toolbar-settings.dat file to reset Toolbar settings. The other is to open the GameData/ThrottleControlledAvionics/Plugins/PluginData/ThrottleControlledAvionics/TCA.glob file with the text editor and change the option UseStockAppLauncher to true. This will force TCA to use the stock toolbar.

EDIT: I would love to fix that annoying bug, but I myself have never encountered it, so I don't have means to figure what's going on. So I'm thinking, may I should drop the support for the Toolbar and live with the stock one?

Edited June 16, 2016 by allista

[kcs123]

While anoying from time to time, there is easy workaround with this toolbar bug. Put info about it in "known issues" paragraph, in OP or readme file, somewhere adn it should be easy enough to solve.

If you abandon toolbar support compleately, soon players will come in another trouble, to find important icons in heavily moded game. Spliting important stuff between stock and blizzys toolbar is middle ground for now, as not all mods have support for blizzy toolbar.

[Core]

Well, @allista , thank you for making this mod.

Somehow, I could not find it when I accessed the toolbar. Unsure if it just wan't there, or if I couldn't see it. Sorry about that.

[Skript88]

 

[drhay53]

I love making helicopters out of the KAX props. Nice video!

[Redshift OTF]

I landed my Dropship on my Aircraft Carrier with TCA! Thanks for making such a great mod.

[Core]

Getting this mod was well worth it. I have finally made a functional hover tank, and next will be quad-copters. Now to figure out how to shut off the crash/obstacle avoidance system when I want to stay low to the surface instead of entirely hovering over a building or hill instead.

[allista]

3 minutes ago, Core said:

Getting this mod was well worth it. I have finally made a functional hover tank, and next will be quad-copters. Now to figure out how to shut off the crash/obstacle avoidance system when I want to stay low to the surface instead of entirely hovering over a building or hill instead.

For that you need to disable "Follow Terrain" option and maintain needed altitude manually.

[allista]

Everybody posting 1.1.3 updates... I still don't have KSP-1.1.2 for linux. Is it really so hard to recompile the same code for yet another OS? It's Unity we're talking about, not some platform specific C code.

I'll try to setup things under wine to be able to test TCA for 1.1.3, but that may or may not be possible.

EDIT: Sorry, it turned out I was wrong. 

Edited June 22, 2016 by allista

[AccidentalDisassembly]

3 hours ago, allista said:

Everybody posting 1.1.3 updates... I still don't have KSP-1.1.2 for linux. Is it really so hard to recompile the same code for yet another OS? It's Unity we're talking about, not some platform specific C code 

I'll try to setup things under wine to be able to test TCA for 1.1.3, but that may or may not be possible.

I don't understand. KSP 1.1.3 (for linux) is available at the store on kerbalspaceprogram.com to DL, at least. Or did you purchase it a different way? Is it not available via Steam or something?

[allista]

45 minutes ago, AccidentalDisassembly said:

I don't understand. KSP 1.1.3 (for linux) is available at the store on kerbalspaceprogram.com to DL, at least. Or did you purchase it a different way? Is it not available via Steam or something?

Ahhh! I'm an idiot. I was assuming that they won't be releasing KSP-1.1 on their site anytime soon, because "it is still in testing" as they wrote then; so I only checked the Steam version, which is still 1.1.0 for linux.

Thanks for pointing me to this: I'll grab it from Squad directly 

[ss8913]

@allista let me know when you think you have a version available that might work better with the KSPIE stuff, I'm happy to do a full set of tests.  Until then I'm using the Davon throttle control mod since it acts.. kind of like TCA used to before all the fancy RCS/autopilot stuff got added   I still am fairly confident that if you just put in a toggle in TCA to turn off the RCS handling code, it would solve my entire issue that I'm having with it, but of course that too would need to be tested, and I of course will help with that.

[drhay53]

It appears TCA doesn't load in 1.1.3. I assume this is known but I post a log snippet anyway:

Quote

AssemblyLoader: Exception loading 'ThrottleControlledAvionics': System.Reflection.ReflectionTypeLoadException: The classes in the module cannot be loaded.

  at (wrapper managed-to-native) System.Reflection.Assembly:GetTypes (bool)

  at System.Reflection.Assembly.GetTypes () [0x00000] in <filename unknown>:0

  at AssemblyLoader.LoadAssemblies () [0x00000] in <filename unknown>:0

Additional information about this exception:

 System.TypeLoadException: Could not load type 'ThrottleControlledAvionics.WayPoint' from assembly 'ThrottleControlledAvionics, Version=3.1.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null'.

 System.TypeLoadException: Could not load type 'ThrottleControlledAvionics.FollowPathMacroNode' from assembly 'ThrottleControlledAvionics, Version=3.1.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null'.

 System.TypeLoadException: Could not load type 'ThrottleControlledAvionics.NavigationPanel+<WaypointList>c__AnonStorey1' from assembly 'ThrottleControlledAvionics, Version=3.1.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null'.

 System.TypeLoadException: Could not load type 'ThrottleControlledAvionics.NavigationPanel+<WaypointOverlay>c__AnonStorey2' from assembly 'ThrottleControlledAvionics, Version=3.1.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null'.
 
(Filename: C:/buildslave/unity/build/artifacts/generated/common/runtime/UnityEngineDebugBindings.gen.cpp Line: 64)

 

[allista]

3 hours ago, drhay53 said:

It appears TCA doesn't load in 1.1.3. I assume this is known but I post a log snippet anyway:

 

Thanks. Yep, I haven't updated to 1.1.3 yet, sorry. I hope to do it today.

[allista]

TCA v3.2.0 for KSP 1.1.3 (2016.06.28)

ChangeLog:

  Hide contents

• Added orbital autopilots (see the video):
  • ToOrbit autopilot that achieves a circular orbit defined by radius and inclination, prograde or retrograde. It is smart about high orbits as it uses the double-burn technique, which is how the real satellites get to the geostationary orbit.
  • Rendezvous autopilot that can bring a ship to its target-in-orbit from anywhere in the same sphere of influence: from orbit, from a suborbital trajectory and from the surface.
  • Deorbit autopilot that lands a ship from orbit precisely at the selected target.
  • Ballistic jump that brings a ship to a target located far away on the surface of the same planet using a ballistic trajectory. It is, of course, better to use it in vacuum or sparse atmosphere.
• Added VTOL Control module that allows you to control a VTOL like a copter in a remote-controller style (see the video).
• Renamed two engine modes. I hope this way it's more intuitive:
  • Main = "Thrust & Maneuver"
  • Balanced = "Thrust"
• Control-freak special: added a set of switches to the advanced tab that allow to disable automatic usage of Staging, Landing Gear, Brakes and Parachutes.
• Added verbose status messages at the bottom of the TCA window. These are persistent and may be dismissed by clicking on them.
• Numerous bugfixes and improvements in almost every module.

 

 

[SkyKaptn]

Wow this update is a Tour de Force

[CatastrophicFailure]

Very iiiiinteresting, hmmmm...

[kcs123]

Soon, MJ will be no longer needed if you have this mod

[Steel Dragon]

Good lord man you do good work!!! how many space agencies are trying to recruit you?

In this awesome update did you include the new vtol / hover controls?

Soon, MJ will be no longer needed if you have this mod

 

Just add Docking support and I will never use MJ again

Edited June 28, 2016 by Steel Dragon
stuff

[allista]

25 minutes ago, Steel Dragon said:

Good lord man you do good work!!! how many space agencies are trying to recruit you?

In this awesome update did you include the new vtol / hover controls?

Just add Docking support and I will never use MJ again

It would seem that space agencies don't play KSP 

Yes, VTOL Control is there (see the ChangeLog in the post).

Docking support... it would be a fine challenge, but it is not directly connected with thrust control, so for now I'll pass. Besides, there's another mod that desperately needs my attention 

[Steel Dragon]

3 minutes ago, allista said:

Docking support... it would be a fine challenge, but it is not directly connected with thrust control

You sir have gone way past simple thrust control. Well done