Thanks. Besides fuel we may need to retain attachments, docked objects and animation status.
Imagine that you detach the LEM descent stage while docked to the CSM.
The new LEM should remain docked, the internal hatch should remain open, the antennas pointed the same way, etc.
Ideally any light and camera status should also be preserved, but I can live with it if they don't.
As always, just ideas, no rush to implement.
The good news is that all this is already possible and I think you're looking at it from the wrong perspective (of course since you haven't had the chance to test events and reconfigs yet). Let me explain:
Reconfigurations will be on a per SECTION basis, which means that each reconfiguration won't be a total one (unless you choose to reconfigure all sections of course), but partial. So it will about what to modify. The rest of course won't be changed. Since a section reconfiguration will reset the section it is true that relevant to propellant there could be the need to retain the values, but just about them in my opinion.
I will take your example of LEM ascent and descent stage together with the CM and here's how I would do it, 3 ways at least I can think of:
1) Two separate vessels:
- Create two vessels one for the LM descent stage and one for the LM ascent stage, and use a "Jettisonable" dock between them. Jettisonable means that as soon as the two vessels undock from each other the docking ports will be deleted and not available anymore. When you want to detach the descent stage just undock it. That's the easiest but maybe less easy to handle when playing
2) Single vessel:
- Create one vessel of course with two meshes,the lower stage mesh and the upper stage mesh.
- Create a CHILD SPAWN event triggered by a keypress that will spawn the Descent Stage and delete its mesh from the LM vessel.
- Create a Reconfiguration Event triggered by the event above that will reconfigure the general settings (Empty Mass, PMI etc ), propellant and engines on the LM vessel so the main engine will be now the ascent engine as it should be. The rest will just stay there: antenna pointed where they need, hatch open, docking etc.
3) something in the middle:
- Create two vessels, one for the ascent, one for the descent stage.
- Configure the propellant and the engines on the ascent stage with the coordinates of the descent stage so you'll have control from the ascent stage.
- Create a Jettison event that will jettison the descent stage
- Create e reconfiguration event that will reconfigure mass, propellant and engines on the upper stage to update the correct values.
That's it!!!
So, again, reconfiguration will be about what to modify and the rest will be the same. And the "crazy" thing is that events themselves will be available to reconfiguration, opening to some infinite possible combinations of things that just the fantasy of the developers will limit!
I hope my explanation was clear enough to let you understand the concepts, please let me know if things are clearer now!
Thanks Man! and I'll add the default values as per your correct suggestions. They are really invaluable inputs, Thanks!!!:thumbup: