ChuteDelay

ChuteDelay v1.6

SUMMARY

ChuteDelay allows you to add a configurable delay to any attached parachute. After staging the parachute will delay its deployment until the configured time is up e.g. until the burn time of the Sepratron I is over (about 5s).

So now you when drop your burnt out stages with a parachute it will deploy at a safe distance. Or you can time the burn time of your sepratron engines. So that the exhaust stream does not destroy the chute.

Also you can activate the option to wait until it is safe enough for deploying. But be careful, if the stage was dropped above atmosphere. The reentry heat and the speed may delay the deployment until crash.

Therefore a second option has been added, Deploy air brakes. After the configured delay the air brakes are automatically deployed.

ChuteDelay is more a karma mod, because you know the stage was dropped reusable. The "On-Rails" physics still apply's. Meaning that all Vessels when they no longer are the primary focus of the simulation, will be unloaded after a certain distance (about 23km) when the atmospheric pressure is greater than 0.01 atm. You can get more information on this [wiki page] (http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Atmosphere#On-rails_physics).

So if you want that your stages to survive you have to ride along. See the Kerbal Space Programm Wiki more information [wiki page] (http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Tutorial:_Recovering_Rocket_Stages)

REQUIREMENTS

• Kerbal Space Program version 1.3
• ModuleManager => 2.8.0
  • You can get more information on this [forum thread] (http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/index.php?/topic/50533-105-module-manager-2618-january-17th-with-even-more-sha-and-less-bug/)

INSTALLATION

• Install as you normally install mods for Kerbal Space Program - by extracting the folder in this archive into the GameData folder in Kerbal Space Program's directory.

Folder Structure

• GameData
  • ModuleManager.2.8.0.dll
  • hooky
    • ChuteDelay
      • chuteDelay.cfg
      • chuteDelay.dll

INSTRUCTIONS

• You can activate and assign delays for parachutes.
  • right click on the parachute and choose a delay between 0 - 20 sec
  • click on "Delay On"
  • in flight decouple your stage
  • parachute gets deployed after your delay
• You can activate the "Deploy when Safe" Option
  • the deployment waits for the configured time
  • if the game thinks it is not safe the deployment is delayed
  • depending on the height the stage was dropped it may be never!
• You can activate the "Deploy Airbreaks" Option
  • after the configured delay all attached air brakes are deployed
  • works well with the Deploy when Safe function
  • slows the stage on reentry, until it is safe enough for parachutes
• There is an action group "Deploy w Delay"
  • it respects the delay of each parachute
  • it respects the deploy when safe option
  • it respects the deploy air brake option
  • ignores the activated option, therefore it always delays the parachute
• Symmetry parts synchronize their changes all times

CHANGES

Version 1.6

• recompile for KSP 1.3

Version 1.5

• recompile for KSP 1.2.2

Version 1.4

• made ready for KSP 1.2
• some code clean up

Version 1.3

• added a new option Deploy when Safe
• added a new option Deploy Airbrakes
• symmetry parts now synchronize their changes all times
• code refactoring

Version 1.2

• made ready for KSP 1.1.0

Version 1.1

• Settings are synchronize to their symmetry parts
  • only apply's when in the VAB/SPH
• Parachutes have a new action group "Deploy w Delay".
  • if "deploy w delay" is used, there is no checking it the delay is activated. It will use the last configured delay saved in the persistence file.

Version 1.0

• Initial Implementation

TROUBLESHOOTING

• If you notice anything behaving strangely, please check the debug log by hitting Alt-F12 and reporting any messages that might look applicable to the problem you are having on GitHub (https://github.com/hookyAt/ChuteDelay/issues).
  • Lines from the Plugin start with [ChuteDelay]

LICENSE

ChuteDelay Copyright (C) 2016, Daniel Hooker (hookyAt)

This program comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY!
This is free software, and you are welcome to redistribute it under certain conditions, as outlined in the full content of the GNU General Public License (GNU GPL), version 3, revision date 29 June 2007.
See attached LICENSE.md

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.