[0.90] Lazor System v35 (Dec 17)

[Romfarer]

When I say cheaty, I simply think that some systems sound too futuristic and immersion breaking for KSP. The operating range of lazor system are also too high for me.

This is a completely personal opinion and I didn't criticizing your work at all, as I think you are in the top list of the best plugin dev out there

About the UI, I didn't use your mod a lot because of what I say in my previous post, so I will not really help you a lot. It's again my personal opinion, but I will say that you need to get rid of the big animated red button cluttering the UI (even if it was really cool ), and replace it by something more discrete and less Noisy. I also think you need to do something about the floating button beside the lazor system UI. They move when you open them and it can be quite frustrating, maybe simply integrate them on the lazorsystem UI like toggle button.

If you split some features one day, the KPS system is one of my favorite sub-system, so please split it first It can also be shared as a common system for other mods (for ex : kethane detection)

Anyway, I'm just making suggestions. I know that it take a lot of free time and personal life are just more important . So take all the time you want.

Too futuristic: Yeah it's not much that can be done about that. But just like you don't have to press ctrl-alt-shift-D and enable infinite fuel, you don't have to attach the futuristic/op systems on your vessel. Some of the white subsystems are also just put there because i don't know where else to put them. It will gradually merge into something more sensible, and usefull ;-) hopefully.

Too big range: This is actually one of the main features in lazor system. It is the only plugin that makes you see and control things 95km away. It is not without issues though and i'd fix it if i could. (If some ksp dev would listen i have some test cases which cause their client to crash, with or without the range bugs, but it is easier to detect when the range is big of course.)

What i can do is reduce the range of some of the systems, but since nobody is saying anything speciffic, i don't know what it is you want shorter range on :/

Red animated button: No!

Floating buttons: I have seen the bug and will fix it asap.

Split kps: If you knew what i have planned, you'd see why this would not be a great idea

[ceburas]

this mod is amazing i love the map augmentor it gives me objectives in plane flights

on the topic of this mod being futuristic it would be nice to see the main piece to the lazor system integrated into a sleek futuristic looking pod and/or cockpit.

im not sure if thats too much to ask :s i just thought it sounded like a good idea.

[Mekan1k]

Fuel Transfer question: How do you target other ships? does the distance have anything to do with it?

[Mekan1k]

I cannot seem to lock on to anything at all... Using Version 0.17

[Romfarer]

Fuel Transfer question: How do you target other ships? does the distance have anything to do with it?

To target another vessel, do one of the following:

1. Press hotkey "1" to enable mouse look and click on the vessel you wish to target. (The range of the lazor has to be longer than the vessel's distance)

2. Using the "Tracking station linkup" system which comes form the blue lazors. This will make it so you can see every vessel etc. in the Target tab. From there just select the vessel and click on the Target button on the bottom of that tab.

Using method 2 you can target or track any vessel, celestial body, where ever they may be.

[katyjsst]

I would love this mod if it were little less complex.

[T-Pilot395]

I would love this mod if it were little less complex.

It's a matter of trying it.

It seems difficult from the topic, but it's like, super easy when you actually use it in KSP.

[Volt]

Hey, just need to confirm - does having a LazorSystem on your vessel automatically keep all debris off-rails for longer? If so, how long? I'd like to make a lifeboat for my new space station that drops all escape pods after the deorbit burn, but I'm worried that all my kerbals will get railed in the atmosphere.

[Kreuzung]

It should keep things loaded up to a distance of 85km or so.

[Volt]

Excellent. Can't see anything going outside that range from a standard radial decoupler.

Thanks for the quick reply!

[Romfarer]

Beta 9 is out. The big thing in this update is the interplanetary transfer system. I have added a guide to the system in the subsystems section of the topic. If you have any questions or find any bugs, please let me know

Here are the tutorials i added:

Transfering from Kerbin to Mun:

Launch your vessel, open up the Tracking Station linkup in the subsytems tab and press the "Map overlays" button.

To complete this transfer your parking orbit around Kerbin has to be non eccentric (it has to be a circle). I.e. Apoapsis has to be almost the same as Periapsis. And your parking orbit has to have almost 0 elevation. Use the readouts in the Parameters tab and the green circle in the map overlay to help with this. The green circle will show up when you press "Map overlay" and go to map view. When you have done this your orbit should look something like the image below.

Wait until the red line (your phase angle) aligns with the cyan line (departure angle) and start thrusting in a prograde direction. Using the Lazor Guided Flight in "prograde" mode will help a lot here. The goal here is for your orbital velocity to reach the "V Departure" value in the numerical display. Or your transfer orbit reaches the mun's orbit. So while thrusting zoom map view out and watch your transfer orbit. If you have aligned everything up correctly you will see your transfer orbit connect with the mun through the patched conics system in KSP. When this happends, press X on your keyboard immediately to shut of your engines. It looks something like the image below.

Transfering from Kerbin to Duna:

Before you start this transfer it is a good idea to go to map view and fast forward until the red line is close to the cyan line or in other words your phase angle is a few degrees bigger than the Departure angle. The departure window display will also give you a median estimate of how long this will take.

Then launch your vessel and assume a circular, non inclined orbit. In map view this may look like something like this. It is very important that your starting orbit has an inclination very close to 0 for this transfer to connect.

Now you have to wait until the planets align. Depending on your orbit warping forward and low orbits may take a looooong time. That's why its a good idea to launch at the right moment or set a high parking orbit. When this happends, you will see the cyan line on your map and when it is almost at Kerbins SoI its a good time to line up your eject angle.

In the image below my vessel is 6 degrees ahead of the eject angle. In this toturial i started the burn at 3 degrees ahead. Anyways, start thrusting until your velocity is somewhere around the "V Eject" value.

Then just like the kerbin - mun tutorial, zoom map view out and look at where the orbits will meet. If you have done everything right, your will see something like the image below.

It is entirely possible that the orbits does not connect. Most likely because the parking orbit had too much inclination OR the orbit of your target planet is inclined, eccentric or what not. In that case you have to do mid transfer corrections to connect the transfer. Doing that takes skill and experience but hopefully this system will get your on your way to it is easier to pull that off.

[FM]

Run the testing process. Again

[Romfarer]

Run the testing process. Again

The new transfer system has already been through two "focus tests", afaik. it works. Are you trolling or is there some critical bug?

[bomb765]

Maybe a giant laser guided rocket? You could launch it from a plane or a boat?

[FM]

Works. Missiles too. Especially helpful when the relative inclination.

The transfer may be to the other ship, and not just for the planet?

P.S. Sorry for my (Google Translate) bad english

Edited October 12, 2012 by FM

[The Destroyer]

Hmm, it looks not bad. Too bad the protractor mod is as useful as this

Anyway, nice additon, and my only request is this:

Energize!

As being a star trek fan, im wondering if you can increase the EVA teleportation thingy to like, 100 KM Distance. However, if you cant because of the game itself, thats fine.

[Romfarer]

Works. Missiles too. Especially helpful when the relative inclination.

The transfer may be to the other ship, and not just for the planet?

P.S. Sorry for my (Google Translate) bad english

I'll add vessels as targets for the transfer system in the next version. Thanks for the suggestion.

Hmm, it looks not bad. Too bad the protractor mod is as useful as this

Anyway, nice additon, and my only request is this:

Energize!

As being a star trek fan, im wondering if you can increase the EVA teleportation thingy to like, 100 KM Distance. However, if you cant because of the game itself, thats fine.

If you only want a transfer calculator, protractor is a great mod. It doesn't have the elliptic formulas though, no wonder cause i made those myself

As far as the teleporter goes, I will "make it so", as Picard would say ;-)

Edited October 12, 2012 by Romfarer

[Oicani]

I can't remember what we talked about, sorry. But since anything is possible im sure that is possible too =p

I meant the sorting parts in the VAB by modpacks and such

[Romfarer]

I meant the sorting parts in the VAB by modpacks and such

I really think the KSP team will implement this into the game.

But....i've been itching to get some feedback on this new system i spent almost a month making. Has anyone tried the transfer system?

[Matzenino]

I made some pictures of the "space planes" that can't hover with the mod:

Here before activating:

The problem:

And the (for once non explosive) aftermath:

Is there a possibility to add hover beams to space planes without the issue

that the beams think "The thing we are lifting is a rocket, amirite?"

And then proceed to flip the rocket 90 upwards?

[Oicani]

I really think the KSP team will implement this into the game.

Well, true, but they'll also implement docking and fuel transfer and launch tower removal!

Thanks anyway, keep up the great work <3

[Redrumssam]

This mod is so awesome, really! I just found out that you updated again and added the IP Transfer stuff, 'm about to try it out, actually. The only thing I could even come up with that could be considered negative is that I have to build each lazor for every craft. I just don't get the point of having to assemble the different colored Lazors, especially when it is this tedious. Why not just have each color be a part? But, yeah it's not that big of a deal, I was just curious as to why you made it that way.....

[squirrle4620]

This mod is so awesome, really! I just found out that you updated again and added the IP Transfer stuff, 'm about to try it out, actually. The only thing I could even come up with that could be considered negative is that I have to build each lazor for every craft. I just don't get the point of having to assemble the different colored Lazors, especially when it is this tedious. Why not just have each color be a part? But, yeah it's not that big of a deal, I was just curious as to why you made it that way.....

This is a good point! and a good question. it is very tedious to have to build every lazor.

[Romfarer]

Is there a possibility to add hover beams to space planes without the issue

that the beams think "The thing we are lifting is a rocket, amirite?"

And then proceed to flip the rocket 90 upwards?

I've been working on this since yesterday and i believe i have figured it out. There seems to be some issue with the way i was applying the force directly to the vessel and not to it's parts individually. Overall i think my solution will make the hovering system work better.

Pros: It will work for any craft. It will be easier to tilt crafts to make them move.

Cons: Hovercrafts are a lot easier to flip over.

To that end i'm going to add a tractor powered stabilizing system which will use whatever force the other tractor systems are not using, to keep the craft steady.

[Matzenino]

I've been working on this since yesterday and i believe i have figured it out. There seems to be some issue with the way i was applying the force directly to the vessel and not to it's parts individually. Overall i think my solution will make the hovering system work better.

Pros: It will work for any craft. It will be easier to tilt crafts to make them move.

Cons: Hovercrafts are a lot easier to flip over.

To that end i'm going to add a tractor powered stabilizing system which will use whatever force the other tractor systems are not using, to keep the craft steady.

That sounds like an hover SAS system. ^^