Broken Tugs

[ahunn]

Hi all, returning to Orbiter (2010 DX9 client) and trying to get a station built using space station building blocks... unfortunately my Dragonfly seems to be broken.

When docked to a part, the automatic CofG doesn't work, translations result in un-commanded rotations, cycling manual/automatic doesn't help, also the dopler screen doesn't seem to be working but that could be finger trouble.

I also tried Kulches Tranzit tug, which I really like, and its automatic CofG works great!, but once I had a part docked I couldn't get the docking MFD to recognize the next docking port using the Vizual mode... didn't try assigning frequencies to the parts I want to dock to as that would be super tedious when station building!

Anyone have any advice for my station building crew as far as suitable tugs and their operation?

I am using 100830 and the latest DX9 client.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Dantassii]

Just an observation.

I've discovered through the construction of my Lunar Station using IMS 1.0 RC 9 that the more modules you have in your station, the more slippage occurs when you try to do things using the DX9 client. If I stick with the default Orbiter 2010 P1 DX7 client, things stay stable longer, but eventually, even with the DX7 client, things start getting a bit unstable.

Of course, I'm dealing with a space station that currently consists of over 1500 modules.....


Dantassii
HUMONGOUS IMS shipbuilder

 

[ahunn]

Thanks for the info, I dont really know what you mean by slippage?

 

[PoiterToi]

I have the same problem with the dragonfly. It seems that in the 2010 version of Orbiter the Dragonfly is broken. I haven't heard anything about it being fixed in Beta versions. Really unfortunate it doesn't work as intended, because there isn't a good substitution available for the Dragonfly, as far as I know..

 

[Dantassii]

I've been using the URMS add-on for manipulation of modules being attached to a vehicle/station under construction. The slippage I was referring to begins to occur when the URMS has to travel a good distance from where it picks up a module to where it deposits the module. It seems to get worse the further you have to travel, IE the more modules you have in the scenario.

Dantassii
HUMONGOUS IMS shipbuilder

 

[PoiterToi]

It would be nice if one of the regulars (or anybody else for that matter) could tell wether the Dragonfly will be fixed in the (near) future. I haven't seen any changes to the bug reports that were filed on it, so I assume no one has yet picked it up to fix it. I find the Dragonfly an extremely nice vessel for building stations, and its features are very helpful!

 

[ahunn]

I have the URMS scaled up and fitted to an XR5 so I have a solution but to be honest, it is very time consuming to have to try and build out using that system, the freedom a pilotable tug gives you is a necessity I think.

Please someone fix the dragonfly!

 

[gattispilot]

Whats the issue? If the code is available then It should be fixable?

 

[PoiterToi]

I tihnk it should be fixable. Somewhere between the 2006 and 2010 version something changed in the Dragonfly code. Shifting centre of gravity (ShiftCoG() ) doesn't work anymore for the vessel (or so it seems), and the radar and camera functions to use the docking port of your attached object don't function anymore either. I'm not sure dr. Martin is aware of the issue, he hasn't talked about it as far as I know, and I'm not (yet) savvy enough with Orbiter's vessel-coding that I'm able to fix the damn bug myself.

 

[gattispilot]

I don't use it but am willing to look at it.

 

[Malky]

Indeed, it would be great if someone could fix it. Dragonfly is neat vessel and I'd love to have possibility to build something with it

 

[gattispilot]

Can you tell me which scenario. and what specifically doesn't work?

 

[Malky]

Main problem is not working center of gravity shifting - moving with docked module creates unintentional rotating and so. I believe it's case of all Dragonfly scenarios.

 

[PoiterToi]

Malky is correct, main problem is the not functional Center of Gravity shifting. The thrusters thus do not compensate for the changed mass, and you get very weird results trying to move the vessel with an attached module.

Furthermore, in the instrument panel, there is an area where you can set your docking port to a port of the vessel you are already docked with. In this way, you can dock to module, and then dock that module to another one using the docking port of the first docked module to your Dragonfly. Which is véry useful and makes the life of a stationbuilder considerably easier.

As Malky stated, this happens in every scenario. It's not scenario specific issue.