Idea "Solar Power" MFD

[Kaito]

I've seen in Dan Steph's "Prelude" base the solar panel on top automatically track the sun. This means that in some bit of code, the solar panel has the ability to find the sun, no matter at what angle, and point to it.

This would probably work more with Orbiter 2009, because of the "radiation force" (I forget what it's called), but It would open up a door for a bunch of new addons if someone could create an MFD that would measure, say, the angle between the xy plane of the object and the sun, and based on that angle, calculate some wattage. The higher the angle, the more power, up to a max.

Like I said, I feel this would open up the door for a BUNCH of possible addons: Solar powered stations, solar powered bases, solar powered ships, etc.

I cannot code this, but it would be cool if someone could!
~Kaito

 

[anemazoso]

I agree, this would be awesome.

 

[4throck]

It would be useful for all spacestations but it would require that you only had control of the spacecraft when the W value would be above a certain threshold.
Actually, what is needed is a modular system simulation that you could use for any vessel. The solar power MFD would be one of those modules.

 

[Kaito]

It would be useful for all spacestations but it would require that you only had control of the spacecraft when the W value would be above a certain threshold.
Actually, what is needed is a modular system simulation that you could use for any vessel. The solar power MFD would be one of those modules.

Right, since Solar Power MFD would only give a value, someone would need to write a dll for a space station that would actually make use of the value. But it would be a stepping stone.