Aft Laser Adjustment Not Working

[mandoman]

I don't know if this is a bug. I tried asking this same question in the Discussion section, but received no answers. I am having difficulties with the aft laser on certain ships. Not all, but a couple. Shouldn't the aft laser be adjustable X, Y, Z just like the front? At first I was thinking that it was because I was mounting the laser on the top of the ship, but then I built another ship on which I mounted a top aft laser, and was able to adjust it's coordinates with no problems. I have two ships now that are not firing from the aft laser coordinates, but from the rear exhaust coordinates. I have tried ridiculous height and back settings to no avail. Nothing I do will budge the laser from firing from the exhaust ports. I get no errors in Latest.log on the matter. Is this a bug, or another quirk that Ubuntu has with Oolite. Everything else works perfectly, except the aft laser sporadic adjustment problem, and the game shutting down at random missile launches (that has happened with every ship I've piloted now). Hope someone knows something about this. Thanks.

[CommonSenseOTB]

Sounds like your aft_weapon_position is defaulting to the stock coordinates. This happens when you have no coordinates or faulty coordinates defined. Missile launch coordinates must be outside the ship or errors will result like the infamous thargoids error. If nothing you do will change the problem, check for duplicate files, the last one will be the one that overrides all others.

[mandoman]

Sounds like your aft_weapon_position is defaulting to the stock coordinates. This happens when you have no coordinates or faulty coordinates defined. Missile launch coordinates must be outside the ship or errors will result like the infamous thargoids error. If nothing you do will change the problem, check for duplicate files, the last one will be the one that overrides all others.

So I just change the way I enter the coordinates in shipdata.plist for each ship? Thanks, by the way.

[Killer Wolf]

post the plist, see if we can spot anything.

[mandoman]

post the plist, see if we can spot anything.

I'm sorry, wrong ship. the one I now loaded is the one with the laser problems. I haven't even tested the first one I uploaded yet.

{
"Firebird" = {
"aft_eject_position" = "0.0 7.3 6.6";
"aft_weapon_type" = "WEAPON_BEAM_LASER";
"auto_ai" = yes;
"bounty" = 0;
"cargo_type" = "CARGO_RANDOM";
"energy_recharge_rate" = "4.5";
"exhaust" = (
"-19.9 2.1 -34.47 2.8 2.8 3.2",
"-3.3 -1.2 -32.0 2.8 2.8 3.2",
"3.3 -1.2 -32.0 2.8 2.8 3.2",
"19.9 2.1 -34.47 2.8 2.8 3.2"
);
"forward_weapon_type" = "WEAPON_BEAM_LASER";
"has_ecm" = yes;
"has_fuel_injection" = yes;
"has_fuel_scoop" = yes;
"has_heat_shield" = yes;
"laser_color" = "redColor";
"likely_cargo" = "15";
"materials" = "firebird.png";
"max_cargo" = "25";
"max_energy" = "450";
"max_flight_pitch" = "1.4";
"max_flight_roll" = "1.6";
"max_flight_speed" = "400";
"max_missiles" = "6";
"missile_launch_position" = "0.0 -8.0 -3.8";
"missiles" = "3";
"model" = "firebird.dat";
"name" = "Firebird";
"roles" = "hunter escort pirate";
"thrust" = "55";
"weapon_postion_aft" = "0.0 20.3 -20.28";
"weapon_position_forward" = "0.0 -2.0 49.0";
};
"Firebird-Raptor" = {
"aft_eject_position" = "0.0 7.3 6.6";
"aft_weapon_type" = "WEAPON_BEAM_LASER";
"auto_ai" = yes;
"bounty" = 0;
"cargo_type" = "CARGO_RANDOM";
"energy_recharge_rate" = "4.5";
"exhaust" = (
"-19.9 2.1 -34.47 2.8 2.8 3.2",
"-3.3 -1.2 -32.0 2.8 2.8 3.2",
"3.3 -1.2 -32.0 2.8 2.8 3.2",
"19.9 2.1 -34.47 2.8 2.8 3.2"
);
"forward_weapon_type" = "WEAPON_BEAM_LASER";
"has_ecm" = yes;
"has_fuel_injection" = yes;
"has_fuel_scoop" = yes;
"has_heat_shield" = yes;
"laser_color" = "redColor";
"likely_cargo" = "15";
"materials" = {
"firebird.png" = {
"diffuse_map" = "firebird-raptor.png";
};
};
"max_cargo" = "25";
"max_energy" = "450";
"max_flight_pitch" = "1.4";
"max_flight_roll" = "1.6";
"max_flight_speed" = "400";
"max_missiles" = "6";
"missile_launch_position" = "0.0 -8.0 -3.8";
"missiles" = "3";
"model" = "firebird.dat";
"name" = "Firebird-Raptor";
"roles" = "hunter escort pirate";
"thrust" = "55";
"weapon_postion_aft" = "0.0 20.3 -20.28";
"weapon_position_forward" = "0.0 -2.0 49.0";
};
"Firebird-player" = {
"aft_eject_position" = "0.0 7.3 6.6";
"aft_weapon_type" = "WEAPON_BEAM_LASER";
"auto_ai" = yes;
"bounty" = 0;
"cargo_type" = "CARGO_RANDOM";
"energy_recharge_rate" = "4.5";
"exhaust" = (
"-19.9 2.1 -34.47 2.8 2.8 3.2",
"-3.3 -1.2 -32.0 2.8 2.8 3.2",
"3.3 -1.2 -32.0 2.8 2.8 3.2",
"19.9 2.1 -34.47 2.8 2.8 3.2"
);
"forward_weapon_type" = "WEAPON_BEAM_LASER";
"has_ecm" = yes;
"has_fuel_injection" = yes;
"has_fuel_scoop" = yes;
"has_heat_shield" = yes;
"laser_color" = "redColor";
"likely_cargo" = "15";
"materials" = "firebird.png";
"max_cargo" = "25";
"max_energy" = "450";
"max_flight_pitch" = "1.4";
"max_flight_roll" = "1.6";
"max_flight_speed" = "400";
"max_missiles" = "6";
"missile_launch_position" = "0.0 -8.0 -3.8";
"missiles" = "3";
"model" = "firebird.dat";
"name" = "Firebird";
"roles" = "player";
"smooth" = yes;
"thrust" = "55";
"view_position_aft" = "0.0 6.0 -22.0";
"view_position_forward" = "0.0 0.0 46.0";
"weapon_postion_aft" = "0.0 20.3 -20.28";
"weapon_position_forward" = "0.0 -2.0 49.0";
"custom_views" =
(
{
"view_description" = "Rear View";
"view_orientation" = "1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0";
"view_position" = "0.0 20.0 -200";
"weapon_facing" = "AFT";
},
{
"view_description" = "Rear Right View";
"view_orientation" = "0.9239 0.0 0.3827 0.0";
"view_position" = "180.0 20.0 -180.0";
"weapon_facing" = "AFT";
},
{
"view_description" = "Right View";
"view_orientation" = "0.7071 0.0 0.7071 0.0";
"view_position" = "280.0 10.0 00.0";
"weapon_facing" = "FORWARD";
},
{
"view_description" = "Front Right View";
"view_orientation" = "0.3827 0.0 0.9239 0.0";
"view_position" = "180.0 10.0 180.0";
"weapon_facing" = "FORWARD";
},
{
"view_description" = "Front View";
"view_orientation" = "0.0 0.0 1.0 0.0";
"view_position" = "0.0 10.0 150.0";
"weapon_facing" = "FORWARD";
},
{
"view_description" = "Front Left View";
"view_orientation" = "0.3827 0.0 -0.9239 0.0";
"view_position" = "-180.0 10.0 180.0";
"weapon_facing" = "FORWARD";
},
{
"view_description" = "Left View";
"view_orientation" = "0.7071 0.0 -0.7071 0.0";
"view_position" = "-280.0 10.0 0.0";
"weapon_facing" = "FORWARD";
},
{
"view_description" = "Rear Left View";
"view_orientation" = "0.9239 0.0 -0.3827 0.0";
"view_position" = "-180.0 10.0 -180.0";
"weapon_facing" = "AFT";
},
{
"view_description" = "Top View";
"view_orientation" = "-0.7071 0.7071 0.0 0.0";
"view_position" = "0.0 180.0 -20.0";
"weapon_facing" = "AFT";
},
{
"view_description" = "Bottom View";
"view_orientation" = "0.0 0.0 0.7071 0.7071";
"view_position" = "0.0 -200.0 20.0";
"weapon_facing" = "FORWARD";
}
);
};
"Firebird-Raptor-player" = {
"aft_eject_position" = "0.0 7.3 6.6";
"aft_weapon_type" = "WEAPON_BEAM_LASER";
"auto_ai" = yes;
"bounty" = 0;
"cargo_type" = "CARGO_RANDOM";
"energy_recharge_rate" = "4.5";
"exhaust" = (
"-19.9 2.1 -34.47 2.8 2.8 3.2",
"-3.3 -1.2 -32.0 2.8 2.8 3.2",
"3.3 -1.2 -32.0 2.8 2.8 3.2",
"19.9 2.1 -34.47 2.8 2.8 3.2"
);
"forward_weapon_type" = "WEAPON_BEAM_LASER";
"has_ecm" = yes;
"has_fuel_injection" = yes;
"has_fuel_scoop" = yes;
"has_heat_shield" = yes;
"laser_color" = "redColor";
"likely_cargo" = "15";
"materials" = {
"firebird.png" = {
"diffuse_map" = "firebird-raptor.png";
};
};
"max_cargo" = "25";
"max_energy" = "450";
"max_flight_pitch" = "1.4";
"max_flight_roll" = "1.6";
"max_flight_speed" = "400";
"max_missiles" = "6";
"missile_launch_position" = "0.0 -8.0 -3.8";
"missiles" = "3";
"model" = "firebird.dat";
"name" = "Firebird-Raptor";
"roles" = "player";
"smooth" = yes;
"thrust" = "55";
"view_position_aft" = "0.0 6.0 -22.0";
"view_position_forward" = "0.0 0.0 46.0";
"weapon_postion_aft" = "0.0 20.3 -20.28";
"weapon_position_forward" = "0.0 -2.0 49.0";
"custom_views" =
(
{
"view_description" = "Rear View";
"view_orientation" = "1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0";
"view_position" = "0.0 20.0 -200";
"weapon_facing" = "AFT";
},
{
"view_description" = "Rear Right View";
"view_orientation" = "0.9239 0.0 0.3827 0.0";
"view_position" = "180.0 20.0 -180.0";
"weapon_facing" = "AFT";
},
{
"view_description" = "Right View";
"view_orientation" = "0.7071 0.0 0.7071 0.0";
"view_position" = "280.0 10.0 00.0";
"weapon_facing" = "FORWARD";
},
{
"view_description" = "Front Right View";
"view_orientation" = "0.3827 0.0 0.9239 0.0";
"view_position" = "180.0 10.0 180.0";
"weapon_facing" = "FORWARD";
},
{
"view_description" = "Front View";
"view_orientation" = "0.0 0.0 1.0 0.0";
"view_position" = "0.0 10.0 150.0";
"weapon_facing" = "FORWARD";
},
{
"view_description" = "Front Left View";
"view_orientation" = "0.3827 0.0 -0.9239 0.0";
"view_position" = "-180.0 10.0 180.0";
"weapon_facing" = "FORWARD";
},
{
"view_description" = "Left View";
"view_orientation" = "0.7071 0.0 -0.7071 0.0";
"view_position" = "-280.0 10.0 0.0";
"weapon_facing" = "FORWARD";
},
{
"view_description" = "Rear Left View";
"view_orientation" = "0.9239 0.0 -0.3827 0.0";
"view_position" = "-180.0 10.0 -180.0";
"weapon_facing" = "AFT";
},
{
"view_description" = "Top View";
"view_orientation" = "-0.7071 0.7071 0.0 0.0";
"view_position" = "0.0 180.0 -20.0";
"weapon_facing" = "AFT";
},
{
"view_description" = "Bottom View";
"view_orientation" = "0.0 0.0 0.7071 0.7071";
"view_position" = "0.0 -200.0 20.0";
"weapon_facing" = "FORWARD";
}
);
};
}

[Thargoid]

"weapon_postion_aft" = "0.0 20.3 -20.28";
"weapon_position_forward" = "0.0 -2.0 49.0";

How many i's are there in position?

[mandoman]

"weapon_postion_aft" = "0.0 20.3 -20.28";
"weapon_position_forward" = "0.0 -2.0 49.0";

How many i's are there in position?

Crap!! In was just an i in a the word position? Double CRAP!!

[Thargoid]

Actually in all of the ships it seems to be (C&P) replicated. But yes, it looks to me like that's your root cause.

[mandoman]

Actually in all of the ships it seems to be (C&P) replicated. But yes, it looks to me like that's your root cause.

I've repaired that little bit of mischief, and am now getting ready to test that aft laser. Incredible. Thanks Thargoid.

[Eric Walch]

Crap!! In was just an i in a the word position? Double CRAP!!

One thing that helps in finding such bugs is the OXP Verifier Since 1.75 it does an even better checking than before. One thing it does is warning about unknown keys and that way any typo in a key name will immediately be spotted.

I think any oxp writer should use it prior to any release.

[Killer Wolf]

that's interesting - how come that didn't kick out a compile/syntax error in his Logs?

[another_commander]

that's interesting - how come that didn't kick out a compile/syntax error in his Logs?

It shouldn't have to. Plists are just files with a collection of properties and the property keys can be anything. When the game cannot find a key that it needs, it takes some default action most of the times and goes ahead. But there is no way of knowing that the OXPer intended to write aft_position, when it sees aft_postion instead. It just ignores the key that it does not know about. This is why the OXP Verifier is such a useful tool, as Eric said, because it is designed to catch these kinds of errors.

[mandoman]

I should use that every time, I guess. I have used it for a couple, but I guess I got lazy. I'm going to try to remember every time, now, instead of just using the Latest.log.