Idea I can't find anything that will list all my installed vessels

[bcbarnes]

Let's say I'm starting a new scenario. I need to taxi 6 crew (plus pilot/copilot) up to a waiting long range ship in a 400k x 400k orbit. Then I want to transfer the crew (one way or another) and send the long range ship on its way to Mars.

While creating the scenario, scenario editor shows me only the names of the vessels. I'd also like to see empty wt, loaded wt, thrust, # crew, # docking ports, etc.

Does anything like this exist? If not, would anyone be interested in this as a side project - either modify the current scenario editor, or add another custom function, or even just a windows program that scans your orbiter install directory.

Hope this sparks some interest. :tiphat:

Brian

 

[Face]

While creating the scenario, scenario editor shows me only the names of the vessels. I'd also like to see empty wt, loaded wt, thrust, # crew, # docking ports, etc.

The problem here is that these properties are not easily accessible with the newer vessel interfaces. They are defined within the code of the vessel class, in contrast to the very old way of defining it in the config file.

I can see 2 approaches to make that work:

1. Reflection - get the data from the code, either statically (decompile, search for oapi-calls) or dynamically (instance the vessel, hook into oapi-calls, record the values).
2. Declaration - urge vessel developers to deliver a short specification in a unified format.

Approach 1 is hard to implement. Not impossible, but riddled with pitfalls. Approach 2 is easy to implement, but without the help of all developers, it would not be complete. I.e. you create 2 classes of vessels: those that support the format and those that don't.


Often enough, such a dilemma is sorted out by means of simply implementing both. I.e. you define the short specification format, urge developers to use it, but have a separate tool to reflect the data for those vessel that don't come with it. Together with a cloud-based database for already reflected vessels that might even work.


However, there is another problem: some of the properties heavily depend on the configuration of the vessel, e.g. DanSteph's DGIV allows for multiple realism settings that influence weight, fuel capacity and thrust. So you'd also have to implement a vessel configurator into the scenario-editor. Unfortunately, your specification is then suddenly multiplied for the various settings of that configurator. Holding this all in a static description might soon grow exponentially. Quickly enough, you'd be back to doing it all in code again.

 

[bcbarnes]

Neither approach sounds like it is workable. The third approach, is just for me to get off my lazy butt and get more familiar with the vessels I've downloaded.

Thanks for your consideration and explanation of the inherent problems.

Brian