Project Universal Autopilots alpha 100324

[fort]

Hi Artlav,

I've begin to try your Mfd and it's nice to recover, here, a feature, lost with the David Canard's NavMfd: docking with a rotating station. The world of 2001 users, as i'm from time to time , shoud be happy, if i like too, to dock without autopilot.

I've read your docs and i do not find anything about the "mode" tag but:

- if i run the "UAP-Runway_to_orbit.scn" coming with the uap-alpha-100305.zip, i've a message, "no sequence defined for current vessel". In the scenario, i've, as you know, that:

>GL-01:runway_off(engine=main,altitude=1000,heading=145,v1=170,gear_key=g),
lift_off(engine=main,mode=2,heading=145,altitude=491,pitch_tgt=60,pitch_duration=
130,off_duration=1,stage=0),trans_orbit(engine=main,kind=0,apoapsis=200000,
periapsis=200000,ta=0,azimuth=145,mode=0).

- if i tweak a little the code to to obtain :

>GL-01:runway_off(engine=main,mode=0,altitude=1000,heading=145,v1=170,gear_key
=g),lift_off(engine=main,mode=2,heading=145,altitude=491,pitch_tgt=60,pitch_duration=
130,off_duration=1,stage=0).

...it works but, by the fact without trans_orbit .

I've try many and many others manipulations, but without success.

Anyway: nice autopilot. Thank you.

 

[Artlav]

Is it possible that you could make some kind of parallel task?
What I mean is something like the following: "when altitude reaches 100k, press 'F'). In this case the 'F'-Key will jettison the fairing.

Interesting idea, something to do that will likely be added.

I've read your docs and i do not find anything about the "mode" tag but:

- if i run the "UAP-Runway_to_orbit.scn" coming with the uap-alpha-100305.zip, i've a message, "no sequence defined for current vessel". In the scenario, i've, as you know, that:

>GL-01:runway_off(engine=main,altitude=1000,heading=145,v1=170,gear_key=g),
lift_off(engine=main,mode=2,heading=145,altitude=491,pitch_tgt=60,pitch_duration=
130,off_duration=1,stage=0),trans_orbit(engine=main,kind=0,apoapsis=200000,
periapsis=200000,ta=0,azimuth=145,mode=0).

- if i tweak a little the code to to obtain :

>GL-01:runway_off(engine=main,mode=0,altitude=1000,heading=145,v1=170,gear_key
=g),lift_off(engine=main,mode=2,heading=145,altitude=491,pitch_tgt=60,pitch_duration=
130,off_duration=1,stage=0).

Strange. mode is defined in some autopilots, and it's not defined for runway take-off one, so what you did should change nothing.
Variables (tags) are autopilot-specific, some share names.

Essentially, removing trans_orbit (ascent to orbit autopilot) fixes that?
What if you replace > with $ ?

What about XR2 scenario?
Other scenarios?

Also, that doesn't look like the line in a scenario i provided.
Check for spaces - in your text it's altitude=4 91 and ,heading=14 5, for example, are these spaces present in the scn? They shouldn't be.
Line breaks should only be at symbols, not in the middle of a number.

 

[fort]

Everything was there :

"Line breaks should only be at symbols, not in the middle of a number" (this remind me something with the javascript code). But if i've read in your docs that " - Lines can be broken at any point to enhance readability " i was nevertheless launching, at the first time, the scenario without any change. So...

By the fact, i've reset just now the notepad ( with the UAP-Runway_to_orbit.scn in it ) to "no return automatically to the line" and break by myself the lines of code after each comas in it. And now, It works.

I've not installed the XR5; so it was difficult to see how the dedicated scenario to it works but i've take a look to it's code, as to others code, to try to understand the problem.

I've try Atlantis and SH-01 with luna wheel and some others without problems.

The spaces between altitude=4 91 and heading=14 5 was not in the scenario. They maybe appear when i've made the copy paste of the codes to the forum.

Thank you artlav

Oh. About the end of the line ( s ):

[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwqhdRs4jyA&feature=fvst"]YouTube- Traveling Wilburys - End Of The Line[/nomedia]

 

[Artlav]

"Line breaks should only be at symbols, not in the middle of a number" (this remind me something with the javascript code). But if i've read in your docs that " - Lines can be broken at any point to enhance readability "

Right, that needs clarification in the docs.

i was nevertheless launching, at the first time, the scenario without any change. So...
...
And now, It works.
...
I've try Atlantis and SH-01 with luna wheel and some others without problems.

So, i gather everything works now?
You first launched it unmodified, and it did not work - is that repeatable? (clean install, UAP, launch or scenario from zip, launch)?

 

[fort]

"clean install...":i use actually an orbiter beta reduced to the minimum for my trys with nightlights terrains, but i've installed in an other folder a complete beta this morning for testing your autopilot. So it's a perfect clean install.

"You first launched it unmodified, and it did not work - is that repeatable?" . Yes, repeatable for sure. I've just now made a new extract of your addon , overwriting all the old files and launched the scenario with the dg from ksc to orbit. Same message :"no sequence defined for current vessel".

I'm pretty sure that if i change the break of the end of the lines for the code, it will work.

....one minute...

I've just made it now. And it works.

But i do not really understand the basis of all that: does the break of the line depend on the configuration of my/a notepad, wordpad, etc... , or from the original "writing" of the scenario by the author ? I suppose - and i've always supposed and works with that idea - that the reponse is in favor of the second part of the alternative but...

 

[Artlav]

i use actually an orbiter beta reduced to the minimum for my trys with nightlights terrains, but i've installed in an other folder a complete beta this morning for testing your autopilot.

Wait, wait, wait - beta as in Orbiter 2010 beta?
I can reproduce the problem on that.

O2010 seems to fail to read the lines longer than 255 symbols.

So, if you break the line before or at "azimuth=145,mode=0)." it will work.
UAP-lunar_maneuvring should fail too.

Does breaking lines (actually, you can break it at any point, as was said in the docs, even mid-number) at no more 255 chars per line helps, and more - fails for you?

 

[fort]

Opening the notepad without "automatic return to the line", i have with the original scenario, one line only for the code.

I've break the code in three line to make it works. I've not made a count for each line but simply, choosed after some ( two ) commas, a way to see the entire code without to have to use the "drag bar" at the bottom of the notepad's window.

It looks like this in the notepad's window :

BEGIN_uap
>GL-01:runway_off(engine=main,altitude=1000,heading=145,v1=170,gear_key=g),
lift_off(engine=main,mode=2,heading=145,altitude=491,pitch_tgt=60,pitch_duration=130,
off_duration=1,stage=0),trans_orbit(engine=main,kind=0,apoapsis=200000,periapsis=200000,ta=0,azimuth=145,mode=0).
END

edit:

the: "=145,mode=0)." is, in the notepad, with the third line ( but here on the forum...).

 

[orb]

O2010 seems to fail to read the lines longer than 255 symbols.

Do you think it should be reported as a bug to the Orbiter Beta project?

the: "=145,mode=0)." is, in the notepad, with the third line ( but here on the forum...).

If you had enclosed it in [code][/code] tags in the post, there wouldn't be a space displayed before it.

 

[fort]

"If you had enclosed it in

tags in the post, there wouldn't be a space displayed before it."

Orb,

I think that i've known to do that in the past ( and on the old forum ), but this morning...

"O2010 seems to fail to read the lines longer than 255 symbols."

artlav,

I think that i'll remember that in the future ( and if there is not change about it in the next release ) in case of, for old addons ( if i think, nevertheless, that it must be rare.)

 

[orb]

O2010 seems to fail to read the lines longer than 255 symbols.

I just tested the oapiReadScenario_nextline function, and in Orbiter 2006 it returns string in a pointer of length equal 253, and TRUE as a return status of function, if read line is longer than 253 characters, and in Orbiter Beta, the function returns FALSE when line (without leading/trailing spaces) is longer than 253 characters.

 

[astrosammy]

I'm having some problems when launching Atlantis to ISS. The liftoff program is very usefull, but when UAP switches to Trans-orbit, the shuttle yaws right by some degrees.
So during liftoff, the shuttle first follows the Prograde marker in Surface HUD, but while running the Trans-orbit AP it follows the Prograde marker in Orbit HUD.

In the manual you write "Trans-orbit autopilot gets you from one orbit to another with the same plane".
That seems to be the problem, it yaws to stay in plane, causing the vessel to have a wrong inclination after MECO.

BEGIN_uap
  >STS-101:lift_off(mode=2,engine=main,heading=42,pitch_tgt=40,pitch_duration=130,off_duration=10),trans_orbit(engine=main,apoapsis=200000,periapsis=200000,ta=0,azimuth=42). 
END

 

[Artlav]

Alpha 100306:
orbides.1gb.ru/orbf/uap-alpha-100306.zip

Changes:
-Fixed sequence restart-ability
-Added target mode to trans-orbital
-Fixed long strings in scenario problem (forced cutting on save)
-Fixed all kinds of stability and completion bugs, in trans-orbital (keeps burning) and lift-off (spins on some headings) autopilots

Added autopilots:
Get on pad autopilot
Lands a vessel at a given location on an airless world. Could do it from orbit, but takes manual timing.
- engine specifies the engine to use
- tgt_lat is the latitude
- tgt_lon is the longitude

Scenarios:
-lunar_station_ascent - Gets a DG from brighton to Luna-OB1 orbit, demo of targeting in transorbital.
-moon-hopping - A demo of landing autopilot, DG's hopping from pad to pad, watch in 10x!.
-Moon-pad-to-pad - Timed lunar take-off and landing, demonstrates prototype off-orbit landing ability.

Nearby plans:
-Align planes autopilot
-Sync orbits autopilot
-Better land airless from orbit autopilot
-Land runway autopilot

Thoughts?
Ideas?
Problems?
Don't forget, your feedback defines the quality of the add-on you will get.

Do you think it should be reported as a bug to the Orbiter Beta project?
...
I just tested the oapiReadScenario_nextline function, and in Orbiter 2006 it returns string in a pointer of length equal 253, and TRUE as a return status of function, if read line is longer than 253 characters, and in Orbiter Beta, the function returns FALSE when line (without leading/trailing spaces) is longer than 253 characters.

Interesting, it works fine on O2006 for me. I'll look deeper into it.

In the manual you write "Trans-orbit autopilot gets you from one orbit to another with the same plane".
That seems to be the problem, it yaws to stay in plane, causing the vessel to have a wrong inclination after MECO.

Yes, that is now semi-fixed with plane targeting in trans_orbit ascent mode.

 

[pattersoncr]

Artlav,
I'm really excited about this project.
Some time ago, I made a launch autopilot for Greg Burch's Big Space Plane using the old Autopilot MFD (see here) The autopilot would flie the booster to the release point then after release, would land the booster. It worked but was klunky and I was never really satisfied with it. I tried to make a similar one for the Swift Space Plane but never got it to work.
This looks like a much more robust and flexable tool than Autopilot MFD.

 

[Pablo49]

I was trying the docking autopilot with an OFSS scenario, and I could never get it to start docking with one of the PMA's. Tried 0, 1 and 2 for the PMA's dock, 0 and 1 for the shuttle, but still nothing happened when I hit go. Occasionally after hitting go it would brink the red text like it was running the pilot, but would immediately stop, and go back to not running. I'm using the latest shuttle fleet, along with OFSS addons.

Everything else is working fine for me though, and this is coming along quite nicely.

 

[Artlav]

I was trying the docking autopilot with an OFSS scenario, and I could never get it to start docking with one of the PMA's.

Shuttle fleet 4.2.0, OFSS mission 30 - trying to dock to PMA-1, everything works nicely - port is 1, with_port - 0.

What exactly did you try?
Which versions (SF, OFSS)?
Scenarios?

 

[kevinvr]

loaded version 100306 and tried the UAP Atlantis demo. It takes off, rolls, rocketbooster fall off at 38k, I jettisoned tank then at about 40k then it starts to make circles and turns round at 50k losing altitude and then makes bigger circles till it drops through the atmosphere and crashes into earth.
What am I doing wrong? appreciate any help because I never fly the shuttle yet it is too dificult for me...still trying to fly dgiv properly . Thanks !

 

[Artlav]

I jettisoned tank then at about 40k

...Why?
Have you ever watched a shuttle launch?
Just let it fly until it stops the engines by itself, don't touch anything but time acceleration and camera view.

 

[Pablo49]

What exactly did you try?
Which versions (SF, OFSS)?
Scenarios?

4.2.0 and Mission 8. I tried it twice with that setting and it docked, but it came towards the dock nose first, went partway through the station until the docking port came to the shuttles port, then it docked and flipped into the correct position. It worked, but not realistically.

 

[Artlav]

It worked, but not realistically.

That is now fixed.

 

[kevinvr]

...Why?
Have you ever watched a shuttle launch?
Just let it fly until it stops the engines by itself, don't touch anything but time acceleration and camera view.

Not much, only seen them on tv and they just show them until they hit the clouds and go out of sight..
I tried it by just letting it go without touching anything and it did the same, went spinning round and eventually crashed.
I tried all the other cenarios and they all work fine, only the shuttle crashes.
Thanks in advance for the help.