Sun skimming / Advanced Space Compass oddity

jpab · Post by **jpab** » Sun Dec 27, 2009 7:30 pm

I've noticed that when in relatively close proximity to the sun, the advanced space compass can be switched to show the direction to the system's space station (the square symbol). I thought it was only supposed to allow this when relatively close to the planet/station itself?

I haven't checked the code, but it seems to me that this could easily happen if the advanced space compass uses the "altitude" value (the same one that the HUD altitude indicator uses) to determine whether it can be targetted at the system station...

John B

Chrisfs · Post by **Chrisfs** » Sun Dec 27, 2009 8:22 pm

I have no real advice to give. So I will be a smart aleck and say that I think Space Compass Oddity is the title of a song by Zaonce rock start David Boowie.

jpab · Post by **jpab** » Sun Dec 27, 2009 11:21 pm

Well, if it is a bug, it's not exactly a game-breaking one -- I just thought I'd point it out.

To be honest I'm not sure what the point of having a compass target for the system station is anyway, given that the docking/navigation beacon is trackable with the compass from anywhere in the system.

John B

Screet · Post by **Screet** » Sun Dec 27, 2009 11:31 pm

jpab wrote:
To be honest I'm not sure what the point of having a compass target for the system station is anyway, given that the docking/navigation beacon is trackable with the compass from anywhere in the system.

It's only trackable if you have the advanced version and the buoy has not been destroyed.

Of course, if you've got buoy repair installed it only takes a bit and then the destroyed buoy is replaced with a shiny new one

Screet

Post by **Kaks** » Mon Dec 28, 2009 7:30 am

jpab, thanks for the bug report. I'll have a look later on, though I've got the sneaky feeling that Eric might have already fixed this bug in trunk.

Screet, do you get that bug with your trunk compile?

Post by **Eric Walch** » Mon Dec 28, 2009 8:49 am

Kaks wrote:
jpab, thanks for the bug report. I'll have a look later on, though I've got the sneaky feeling that Eric might have already fixed this bug in trunk.

Already half a year ago after a report by McLane. I had almost forgot it.

Screet · Post by **Screet** » Mon Dec 28, 2009 9:12 am

Eric Walch wrote:
Already half a year ago after a report by McLane. I had almost forgot it.

That's why I couldn't reproduce it - should have re-read the board before entering that Caduceus

However, that leaves the question which version jpab is running - since what you write sounds like the 1.73.x versions should already have the fix?!?

Screet

jpab · Post by **jpab** » Mon Dec 28, 2009 10:52 am

Screet wrote:
However, that leaves the question which version jpab is running - since what you write sounds like the 1.73.x versions should already have the fix?!?

I'm running 1.73.4 Sep 22 (on win XP)

John B

Post by **another_commander** » Mon Dec 28, 2009 10:55 am

Can you please provide exact steps to reproduce? I can't seem to get the bug to happen on my 1.73.4.

Commander McLane · Post by **Commander McLane** » Mon Dec 28, 2009 11:09 am

IIRC I reported it after 1.73.4 came out, so it can't be fixed in that version.

All you need to do to trigger it is to go sunskimming. I guess you must target the planet in your ASC in order to trigger the automatical switch to the station symbol on proximity.

I think the underlying bug is that the sun is recognized as a planet. But as it is fixed in trunk already, the point is kind of moot.

Post by **Eric Walch** » Mon Dec 28, 2009 11:14 am

Screet wrote:
However, that leaves the question which version jpab is running - since what you write sounds like the 1.73.x versions should already have the fix?!?

From my head: The compass was always programmed to switch to station mode when entering an aegis without further testing because there was only one aegis at that time.

That bug was introduced in version 1.71 when stellar bodies, other than the main planet, also started to produce aegis messages. Close to any planet/sun/moon, the compass switched to station-mode.

In 1.72 an exception was added for the sun to not generate an aegis message. It was not added to fix the compass bug, but it fixed this compass problem for the sun, not for other planets or moons.

In 1.73 I re-added the aegis message for the sun, but now with a new text to differentiate sun, planet and moon aegis messages, hereby re-introducing the compass weirdness in the solar aegis.

Only after McLane did mention this bug on 1.73 release I became aware this bug existed and added code to the compass mode itself to check for main-planet aegis, not just any aegis. So it is only fixed in trunk.