MFD Parking Brake MFD

N_Molson

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I currently have my hands full, but I think it could be a good idea to implement the "touchdownpoints fix" into a MFD that can be toggled on or off at the user will. Much like a parking brake on a car !


A few ideas for features :

1. - Manual mode (on/off switch at the user will with a key combo).
2. - Auto/semi-auto mode with setting such as :
2.1 - "Glue mode" : the vessel will be immobilized as soon as hits the ground (not very realistic, but might be useful for some purpose. Like simulating an arrow planting in the ground).
2.2 - "Near-0 velocity mode" : enables the parking brake only when the horizontal velocity of the vessel is very low (like it is actually stopped, but does those infamous micro-jumps). Most useful in many cases IMHO.
 

asbjos

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Interceptor

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I haven’t had a chance to try it out yet,but I have a question.When using the parking brake mfd for a rocket launch will the parking brake let go when you give it full thrust or do you have to turn it off?BTW thanks for making this mfd it’s something the community has needed for awhile.?
 

N_Molson

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That could be a very useful feature to add ! Should not be too hard, just like if Main or Hover thrusters are at 100%, then let the spacecraft go. That would be perfect for rocket launches, like the Space Shuttle launch clamps. For various planetary landers (like the LEM, or a sample return robotic mission), maybe something like (if TWR > 1, then "let it go").
 

Interceptor

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what
That could be a very useful feature to add ! Should not be too hard, just like if Main or Hover thrusters are at 100%, then let the spacecraft go. That would be perfect for rocket launches, like the Space Shuttle launch clamps. For various planetary landers (like the LEM, or a sample return robotic mission), maybe something like (if TWR > 1, then "let it go").
What about an option to be able to set the engine,hover thrust to a chosen percentage before the brake lets go.
 

Arvil

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Perhaps a manual/auto setting and in auto, a percentage option with a “SET” button. The manual setting could used to simulate some real launches where the clamps are released when full throttle is verified.
 

asbjos

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I haven’t had a chance to try it out yet,but I have a question.When using the parking brake mfd for a rocket launch will the parking brake let go when you give it full thrust or do you have to turn it off?BTW thanks for making this mfd it’s something the community has needed for awhile.?
The plugin will only park a vessel if it has ground contact, and all thrusters are turned off.
In the low speed-mode, the vessel also has to have a groundspeed of less than 0.1 m/s (can be changed in the config file), while the contact/"glue" mode parks you immediately (e.g. also at touchdown when landing the space shuttle, while moving at 100 m/s).

Perhaps a manual/auto setting and in auto, a percentage option with a “SET” button. The manual setting could used to simulate some real launches where the clamps are released when full throttle is verified.
I could try add such a setting, but remember that it would also inhibit your XR-2 from taxiing with anything less than full thrust.

For a vertical launcher, the vessel would probably escape ground contact during one single frame, and thereby void the "ground contact" rule, so that it would not be parked the next frame, escaping the parking brake plugin.
 

francisdrake

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Many thanks for this useful addon!
I wonder if there could be .dll version only, without the MFD. Activated when installed.
Like Absolut Killrot, running in the background for all vessels in the scenario.
 

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Arvil

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I was not aware of this MFD until I ran into this thread and haven’t had any problems with rolling stuff, guess I just haven’t found the conditions yet. I’ll have to try this out. My thought for the proposal was the. User set auto to maybe 2% threshold, run the DG or XR at 5 or 10 m/s to taxi, then brake to a stop, set auto to 95%. When the throttle is run up to >95%, brake releases and the ship can take off. The user could select background run when ready to takeoff, the MFD could go to background mode, release when conditions are met, then quit. I’ll try it as is. Sounds great.
 
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N_Molson

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It could be quite cool to implement a "physical brake" effect, like the surface vessel velocity goes down smoothly (with some function, maybe taking the PMI into account) before it gets low enough for the Parking Brake to engage. Of course one could say that different vessels have different (or no) brake settings, but I'd say that's nitpicking, an universal setting would be fine for the purpose. ?
 

asbjos

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I was not aware of this MFD until I ran into this thread and haven’t had any problems with rolling stuff, guess I just haven’t found the conditions yet. I’ll have to try this out. My thought for the proposal was the. User set auto to maybe 2% threshold, run the DG or X-RAY at 5 or 10 m/s to taxi, then brake to a stop, set auto to 95%. When the throttle is run up to >95%, brake releases and the ship can take off. The user could select background run when ready to takeoff, the MFD could go to background mode, release when conditions are met, then quit. I’ll try it as is. Sounds great.
For this use: When taxiing, be in low speed mode. Your vessel will only be parked if thrusters are off AND speed below 0.1 m/s (by default, but changeable in the config file).
When finished taxiing, set to launch control mode. You will only be let loose if thrust is 100 %.
If you plan to land again, remember to set back to low speed mode, unless you want to be glued to the surface at contact.
MFD is just for interface. All parking is done in the background, no matter if the MFD is opened or not.

I'm using the "contact" option for some SC3 vessels.
May I suggest adding a velocity option to it ?

The logic would be: only land on contact if absolute velocity is relatively low (ex: <10ms).
Have you tried the low speed mode? You can set the actual speed limit (default 0.1 m/s, in groundspeed) in the config file.

It could be quite cool to implement a "physical brake" effect, like the surface vessel velocity goes down smoothly (with some function, maybe taking the PMI into account) before it gets low enough for the Parking Brake to engage. Of course one could say that different vessels have different (or no) brake settings, but I'd say that's nitpicking, an universal setting would be fine for the purpose. ?
Period and comma on your keyboard should do that. It's a native Orbiter feature. Try doing it after touching down on a runway, and you'll see the effect it has.
 

asbjos

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Just to make it clear, the current conditions for the different modes:
Low speed: vessel has contact with ground AND no thrusters running (not even the tiniest bit of RCS) AND groundspeed below threshold in config file (by default 0.1 m/s).
Contact: vessel has contact with ground AND no thrusters running (not even the tiniest bit of RCS).
Launch control: vessel has contact with ground AND NEITHER main, hover and retro has 100 % thrust.
 
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