Mechjeb2 not working on a fresh install

[Soondead]

Just reinstalled after being away from KSP for a long time. Downloaded and unzipped MechJeb2 into "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Kerbal Space Program" but nothing happens. No extra parts, no menu, no error messages, just... nothing.
So I googled around for a bit, found a few suggestions from way back, some confusing and some just too vague and misleading to make any sense of. Like "you have to open the editor once". Right. What editor exactly..? The one where I expected to find the parts?

So what's the deal, is the plugin just broken and dead?

[Chibbity]

1: Make sure you have the latest version.
https://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/index.php?/topic/154834-15x-anatid-robotics-mumech-mechjeb-autopilot-281-16-october-2018/

2: It goes in the Gamedata folder, not the global KSP folder. So: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Kerbal Space Program\Gamedata\MechJeb2

3: Cheating is bad mmkay?

[Soondead]

Thanks, will have another stab at this. I don't consider it cheating tbh, matching orbits to do a rendezvous without mechjeb is like using a text-only web browser. Sure, it's possible but why would you ever want to.

[Chibbity]

Originally posted by Soondead:

Thanks, will have another stab at this. I don't consider it cheating tbh, matching orbits to do a rendezvous without mechjeb is like using a text-only web browser. Sure, it's possible but why would you ever want to.

Because it's actually really easy once you know how?

It's only a handful of steps, I could teach a child to do it. I'll teach you to do it if you like.

A more apt comparison would be fishing. You've been letting a machine catch all your fish instead of learning to catch fish yourself. What will you do if MechJeb doesn't get updated promptly each patch? (happens a lot) ..Starve?

I was just busting your stones a bit so don't take it personally. Play however you want, it's a single player game after all. I think you'd be surprised at how quickly and easily you could learn to do those rendezvous by yourself though.

Here's the illustrated guide that I learned from way back, if you're interested. As you'll see there are only like 4 or 5 steps to actually performing a rendezvous. At very least it may give you more understanding of what exactly MechJeb is doing. KSP is "kind of" an educational game after all!

http://i.imgur.com/zAxhwQ5.png

[Soondead]

I know how it's done, I just can't do it. The closest I ever get is around 3 kilometers and by then I don't have any fuel left for burns and the deltaV is too great for RCS to cope with. I'm just not precise enough.

Anyway, I still get absolutely no signs of life from MechJeb. No idea why it won't work.

[Chibbity]

Hmm..

Playing Career mode? I think you have to actually put the MechJeb part on a rocket.

As far as precision, your prograde marker is the direction you are heading, you want it to be directly over your target marker. Use your nose to "pull" it around by pointing off it in the direction you want to pull. If you are burning retro, you push it.

[Soondead]

I'm playing in Sandbox for now but the part didn't appear until I also installed this:
https://www.curseforge.com/kerbal/ksp-mods/mechjeb-embedded-universal
As soon as the part appeared and I added it, the MJ menu appeared as it should.

Now to try again with improved RCS setup and maybe some navigation lights so I have any idea which side is up/down/port/starboard :-)

[Soondead]

About the orbits; when planning burns manually I always have a problem seeing exactly when the apo/peri or inclinations match perfectly all the way over at the other side of the planet so I always end up under- or overshooting by just a few kilometers. I understand the pro/retro and other directions and their effect on the orbits, I just can't get the burns exactly right. This is why I always end up with orbits that are too imprecise to be corrected as they almost intercept, even after dozens of burns and literally hundreds of orbits.

[Chibbity]

Originally posted by Soondead:

About the orbits; when planning burns manually I always have a problem seeing exactly when the apo/peri or inclinations match perfectly all the way over at the other side of the planet so I always end up under- or overshooting by just a few kilometers. I understand the pro/retro and other directions and their effect on the orbits, I just can't get the burns exactly right. This is why I always end up with orbits that are too imprecise to be corrected as they almost intercept, even after dozens of burns and literally hundreds of orbits.

It's hard to explain but what I'm trying to tell you is, if you're trying to burn towards your target it isn't enough to point your nose at the target marker and burn.

You need to drag your prograde marker over the target marker by burning.

It's a very subtle difference, but it's likely what's resulting in you being off. Maybe I'll make a quick video of what I mean, as I try to explain this to people all the time and it's just hard to put into words. I had a hard time understanding myself at first.

[Soondead]

I know how to plan burns by dragging the markers on the nodes. It's just that when, say, I want to plan a prograde node to increase altitude from 200 to 300 km, there's no way of hitting 300 km. As you drag that little marker back and forth, one pixel makes the difference between 293 and 316 km. So I never hit 300 on the nose, it's always a few kilometers off. Same for inclination. Without a correct plan, my burn is a failure even before it's executed. The result is two vehicles both flying not completely circular orbits on two slightly different planes. I can almost get it right by trying over and over but after a few dozen burns back and forth I run out of both fuel and patience.

[Chibbity]

Originally posted by Soondead:

I know how to plan burns by dragging the markers on the nodes. It's just that when, say, I want to plan a prograde node to increase altitude from 200 to 300 km, there's no way of hitting 300 km. As you drag that little marker back and forth, one pixel makes the difference between 293 and 316 km. So I never hit 300 on the nose, it's always a few kilometers off. Same for inclination. Without a correct plan, my burn is a failure even before it's executed. The result is two vehicles both flying not completely circular orbits on two slightly different planes. I can almost get it right by trying over and over but after a few dozen burns back and forth I run out of both fuel and patience.

I mean if you're that close you've already gotten rid of all the counter intuitive effects of orbits, and you can likely just fly straight to it as if you were a submarine floating in an ocean.

I think you are getting stuck on precision when you really don't have to be precise at all.

The closer you are to your target the less you need to worry about your orbit pulling you or it away.

Oh and apologies I'f I'm coming off as "downplaying" your experience with the game, I don't mean to; it's just I don't know exactly what your capable of so I'm just starting from the bottom.

[Toastie Buns]

Originally posted by Soondead:

I know how to plan burns by dragging the markers on the nodes. It's just that when, say, I want to plan a prograde node to increase altitude from 200 to 300 km, there's no way of hitting 300 km. As you drag that little marker back and forth, one pixel makes the difference between 293 and 316 km. So I never hit 300 on the nose, it's always a few kilometers off. Same for inclination. Without a correct plan, my burn is a failure even before it's executed. The result is two vehicles both flying not completely circular orbits on two slightly different planes. I can almost get it right by trying over and over but after a few dozen burns back and forth I run out of both fuel and patience.

You can use the mouse wheel for a 'certain' level of precision. It's not great but it is what it is.

[Manwith Noname]

Am I the only one who uses the negative grab for the opposing direction of what you want to change? So, if you really want to increase your prograde, grab the retrograde marker and drag it towards prograde gently. Might be placebo but I've always felt like this allows more precision.

Saying that, when I do play properly I use precise maneuver.

[LittleBlueDuneBuggy]

Originally posted by Manwith Noname:

Am I the only one who uses the negative grab for the opposing direction of what you want to change? So, if you really want to increase your prograde, grab the retrograde marker and drag it towards prograde gently. Might be placebo but I've always felt like this allows more precision.

Saying that, when I do play properly I use precise maneuver.

I do that. I'm 99% sure it moves way slower. I use it every time I need some more precision.

[RoofCat]

I use opposite grab with mouse wheel. I also have the feeling it is more sensitive.
And even if it isn't at the same distance, it's good to keep in mind node handle effect increases the further from node you move them. In case of the opposite node, you move handle towards node! Which is probably the real reason for higher precision (smaller steps).

Then for some stuff that won't be enough as even single tick on mouse wheel will move you too far (targeting Jool 190km from LKO with Tylo assist). So at this point leave it as it is, complete node, shut down all engines but one and set it to 0.5%. Which is at least 200x higher accuracy or a lot more on a mothership with 20 engines. Use RCS and get even higher one. It's actually higher accuracy than precise node can get afaik. But requires some fooling around.
Also tiny burn halfway through can increase that even more.

[Toastie Buns]

I second the idea of retarding an engine, there's no point in worrying about getting an exact node when you've got an idea of where to face and burn.

Try to get me using precise stuff and I'll say node, node, node.
rip amy