KSPTOT v1.6.3
Hello everyone!
This evening I'm pleased to announce the release of the KSP Trajectory Optimization Tool v1.6.3. This release brings with it a host of new functionality across the spectrum of the KSPTOT application suite. The biggest new announcement is the inclusion of a new tool, the Vehicle Sizing Tool, or VST! The purpose of the Vehicle Sizing Tool is to allow KSP engineers to optimize vehicle masses while still hitting required mission delta-v across any number of mission phases and vehicle stages. As an example, you can use VST to plan a mission from Kerbin to Eve and back again, accurately sizing the vehicle for each leg of the journey and each stage of each of those legs. Never again will you need to question whether you've brought enough propellant on your interplanetary missions! Or even just those short hops to Low Kerbin Orbit. :)
Other enhancements include some new Graphical Analysis tasks for Mission Architect (MA) and Launch Vehicle Designer (LVD), as well as a host of performance improvements and bug fixes for the same. Multi Flyby Maneuver Sequencer (MFMS) has also gotten a bit of love this go around with some new functionality for constraining your preliminary planetary tour mission designs.
Finally, there is a new Launch Vehicle Designer tutorial included in the download package. Entitled "Eve: The Final Frontier", this tutorial walks users through a complete mission analysis cycle for a complete Eve-and-Back mission.
Here's the complete change log:
NEW TOOL: Vehicle Sizing Tool (VST). Allows engineers to optimize a spacecraft or launch vehicle's mass while targeting mission Delta-V or a variety of mission phases and vehicle stages.
NEW TUTORIAL: "Eve: The Final Frontier", a Launch Vehicle Designer tutorial.
LVD: Added third body gravity force model.
LVD: Fixed bug with setting the initial state of t2t and e2t connections (if there were none of those types of connections).
LVD: Fixed bug with setting the initial state of t2t and e2t connections (if there were none of those types of connections).
LVD: Converted the velocity components of the body fixed initial state frame to use az el and magnitude
LVD: Can now plot body-fixed rotating trajectories as well as 2D lat/long ground tracks.
MEA: Resolved issue with maneuver node import.
KSPTOT RTS: Resolved issue where the RTS host wasn't being saved (getting overridden with empty str)
LVD/MA: Added tooltips to the optimization var bars in the observe optim GUI.
RMS: Now can minimize only the first burn of the burn seq.
RMS: Better plotting for hyperbolic orbits.
MA: Fixed string error in InsertDVManeuver
MA: Added a burn dv magnitude to the insert dv maneuver UI.
MA: Fixed a bug with the lb/ub textboxes not being disabled when burn type changed.
LVD/MA: Added a new C3 constraint to MA and LVD.
LVD: Fixed plotting children bodies around Sun (or top level solar system body)
LVD: Added new Eve sample return mission case
LVD: Fixed title of Set Stage State UI.
LVD: Fixed issues with deleting variables improperly
LVD: Fixed issue with thrust being reported incorrectly if throttle is > 0 but all connected tanks to an engine are empty. Now reports zero for that engine as expected.
LVD: Fixed issue when trying to create an Add Mass to Tank action
LVD: Added ability to activate/deactivate constraints without deleting them.
LVD: Added undo/redo states to most of the integrator/optimization option menu callbacks
MA: Added line width to Other Spacecraft
LVD: Added Mission Notes like MA
LVD: Fixed issue with stop watch termination condition
LVD: New Cd default for aero drag state is 0.3
MA: Added a GA task for "elevation of celestial body".
MA: Ground stations can now be placed down to the center of central bodies (allowable altitude range changed).
MFMS: Added ability to include or not departure and arrival Vinf from the MFMS objective function
MFMS: Added arrival VInf vector components
MA/LVD: Title bar for application now only shows file name and not file path of currently loaded file.
MA/LVD: Added atmo press and density tasks to GA
MA: UI now prompts users to change other s/c name when importing if name is not the default New Spacecraft
MA/LVD: Added Mach Number GA task
LVD: Resolved issue with non sequential events that occur immediately at the start of a sequential event causing the integration to go to the limits.
LVD: Updated some LVD Example MATs to fix non satisfied constraints.
...and many more LVD performance enhancements and some other minor applicaton-wide bug fixes.
As usual, the download is available in the first post of this thread. If you have any questions or discover any bugs, please drop me a line in some fashion to let me know and I'll do my best to address it! In particular, it would be great if those using the Linux version could provide any feedback on how it's working out. There are some known graphical issues, but those aside, if you discover any bugs that appear to be Linux-related, please let me know. Thanks!
Finally, if you enjoy using KSPTOT and its many applications (the Porkchop Plotter, Multi-Flyby Maneuver Sequencer, Mission Architect, Launch Vehicle Designer, and all the rest), please consider buying me a coffee via my Ko-Fi account to support KSPTOT's development. As I note in the first post of this thread, KSPTOT is a labor of love that I have put many, many hundreds of hours into for the benefit of the KSP community. The best part of it for me, aside from knowing that KSPTOT is the premier mission design tool for KSP, is all the thank you notes I've received over the years. I offer this as another way to say "Thank you!", if you so desire.
In any event, I hope you all enjoy! Happy orbiting!