auto-docking computer still turns off, when free-camera is turned on - 5000LY trip cartoG data lost.

[Vurrath]

:S

is it just me, or is how long it's taken, to correct the bug that turning on the free camera when the docking computer is on, which turns the docking computer off,

taking just a liiiiiiitle too long to fix.



how long have you had since that one was reported, Frontier?

i just returned from the triffid nebula, a 5000 Ly trip, with perhaps 10s of millions of exploration data to sell,

i land at the very port, my 1st stop, to sell it,.. and the damn free-camera, kills me, when i crash into a building because the docking computer turns-off, and the defences attack me.


*facepalm*


this is the second time this has happened to me, and also the second time, i've DETAILED it.

i can't remember how-long it's been since i reported it the 1st time,.. ( + however long since others have reported it too )

since i usually don't feel a reason to use the camera to watch myself land... since i'd been travelling for a day or so, it felt... ugh... what's the failing here, were it one...

a sense of achievement ... felt like something special to watch, my 1st landing, bringing it in... whatever...

and bang. your dissmissive, neglectative, arrogant, F@*% ING slack bug-removers/programmers,
lack of care,
kills me, while im stretching-leaning back and taking a moment's rest, after a day's 150 or so jumps.


--------------

GET AROUND, TO FIXING IT.

 

[varonica]

:S

is it just me, or is how long it's taken, to correct the bug that turning on the free camera when the docking computer is on, which turns the docking computer off,

taking just a liiiiiiitle too long to fix.



how long have you had since that one was reported, Frontier?

i just returned from the triffid nebula, a 5000 Ly trip, with perhaps 10s of millions of exploration data to sell,

i land at the very port, my 1st stop, to sell it,.. and the damn free-camera, kills me, when i crash into a building because the docking computer turns-off, and the defences attack me.


*facepalm*


this is the second time this has happened to me, and also the second time, i've DETAILED it.

i can't remember how-long it's been since i reported it the 1st time,.. ( + however long since others have reported it too )

since i usually don't feel a reason to use the camera to watch myself land... since i'd been travelling for a day or so, it felt... ugh... what's the failing here, were it one...

a sense of achievement ... felt like something special to watch, my 1st landing, bringing it in... whatever...

and bang. your dissmissive, neglectative, arrogant, F@*% ING slack bug-removers/programmers,
lack of care,
kills me, while im stretching-leaning back and taking a moment's rest, after a day's 150 or so jumps.


--------------

GET AROUND, TO FIXING IT.

1) This should be in the bug report thread if it is indeed a bug

2) Are you sure you didn't hit any controls at all when you switched to the camera, because any drive input at all will automatically disengage the docking computer.

I don't intend to test it myself next time I get to a station because a) I will have around 250kly of exploration data riding with me and b) I don't have a docking computer fitted!

 

[Speedcuffs]

I've not had this with the DC, but I have had other similar issues with controls.

Needs some QOL controls/context etc.

 

[Brrokk]

I'm not sure what went wrong for OP. I often let the docking computer engage and then use the camera to admire my ship from various angles as it manoeuvres. (Doesn't everyone do this? What's the point of paint jobs otherwise?)

 

[MickyG1982]

I'm not sure what went wrong for OP. I often let the docking computer engage and then use the camera to admire my ship from various angles as it manoeuvres. (Doesn't everyone do this? What's the point of paint jobs otherwise?)

I'm betting that there is some conflict going on with the OP's binds that they haven't yet discovered. I've never had this happen to me.

 

[Vurrath]

"2) Are you sure you didn't hit any controls at all when you switched to the camera"

Yep. thanks for the possibility tho, i know exactly what you mean. nono, when i slow down BEFORE using my docking comp, so i never have to slow afterwards if i was coming too fast, i do so i can then go hands-free, so-to speak, since im going slow enough that it then rarely fails.

only key i pressed was the switch to free camera, before then switching the loose-mode to move around my ship with.

if you mean moving what would normally move the ship, if you have the controls mapped to the same key, then yes, BUT... when you've switched to loose mode, that is overridden, or SHOULD always be.


im assuming the bug, is that when for some reason, you're autodocking AND, in loose-camera controls mode, something combines, programmatically. could be exactly what you're meaning,..

EXCEPT, that if you have pressed both external camera, AND, switch to loose-camera mode, your movement input should no longer be controlling the ship in any way, regardless of whether an autodocker is SPERATELY controlling it or not - i am familiar enough with my set up, to know it never changes, and that i used it in the right way. always the same process.

and the camera DID start moving around, when i then started rotating the camera, but i had not started moving my mouse, before hand - i'd taken my hand OFF the mouse entirely, since i'd slowed to zero stop for the docking-comp to start, and i always do that in a straight-line slow-down sort of move... as i said earlier, 'hands free' ... just to make sure im going slowly enough that the computer can handle it.

this turning it off, happened AFTER i'd started to move the camera around, but also after the auto docking comp had started.

normally, when im not at a port, if i switch to free camera, i do not turn my ship AND camera, at the same time, etc.


the controls ARE seperate,.. that's not it.

 

[Kenpachi85]

I switch to the camera all the time to watch my conda dance around while it docks itself never had a issue. Maybe you accidentally hit a throttle input that's the only way to override the DC besides powering it down that I know of. Could just be really bad luck and you won the glitch lottery I dunno but I've panned around watching my ship land on many occasions. Either sorry for your loss vurrath.

 

[Vurrath]

I'm betting that there is some conflict going on with the OP's binds that they haven't yet discovered. I've never had this happen to me.

perhaps, yes, that's what i was imagining too - a programmatIC, clash of some kind. *shrugs*

a when-on , then ABCDEF... if-also ... x ,... but not-when...
clashing with a when-off, then ADBCED , if y, but-not-if...when ....

blah blah blah blah.

programmers have a hell of a job, but they do have to admit they make mistakes sometimes, and get tangled up in a mess.

fragile like a pyramid of cards, is a suitable metaphor - if the very last structure, the very last triangle on one, is the structure the player actually needs to work, to be able to do something in game...

then there are 2, 4, 6, .... 32? 64? things needed underneath it, to be able to - if one of them fails from a single clash of some kind, phhhhhht. some say bug-fixers deserve MORE than programmers.

i can't say i disagree, despite them sometimes being slack about important ones like this one that kill you at such a frustrating/disappointing time to die by accident.


priorities for bugs for new toys, does not make committed players happy.

 

[Vurrath]

thx, but i have to insist, like i said to Varonica, i'd already seen whether or not, the auto-docking proceedure had started ok or not, by the time i'd taken my hand away from the controls that could, and only pressed one more key, so literally like stretching back in your chair, seeing your ship start to land... 5 seconds... 10 seconds,.. then pressing the external camera, then the loose-camera...

and THEN, even touching the mouse, let alone the throttle.

i have a proceedure, i slow to usually about 125-175 Kph, getting at least in terms of tilting/tipping level, press zero throttle, and then sit back, or alt-tab, etc, and go do something else, go get a coffee, etc.

im literally not AT, the keyboard, in a sense of accidental touches.

and certainly AFTER seeing the camera start to rotate, another 5 seconds or so after that first 5/10 ... i knew that the switch had happened ok,.. i was moving the camera around, with now only 1 hand, as the docking computer was still bringing me in.

but AFTER, this normal switch of mouse/flight controls now being for the loose-camera...

it THEN happened, only in the last 25m or so, only 10m or so above the landing pad.



it'd taken me in, for a good 3.5 Km, before that. i am 100% sure, the hands-free technique HAD worked... something happened after.

YET the lose-camera function, had ALSO worked, you see? the computer was still bringing me in, as i was moving the camera around... so it couldn't've been steering interrupting it.



and i don't have throttle on the mouse.

1 hand, other hand was not on the keyboard,.. how could i have?

the keys i have for rotation on the keyboard, are not NEAR, the throttle keys, so there from your/her perspective the closest that possibility could've got, was one rotation, before balancing the camera with the mouse, but that was in appraoch to the pad,.. a good 250-500m or so before starting-to slow to go up&down vertical for the drop onto the pad,.. and it slowed after i'd stopped using them. no. no this happened, after i was only using 1 hand, just to fine-balance the camera a couple of roll-touches , to make it flat, just screwing around...

seeing my ship then come in at still medium speed, instead of having slowed to land up&down,.. was at least 23 seconds after the last possibility of any key stroke.



there is one combination candidate that comes to mind now...

i have my camera rotational key binded to the same key as flight-assist on/off....

BUT... that disengages when you're in LOOSE-camera mode - not cycles-of-camera positions mode... as i said, i had BOTH, gone into external camera, BUT ALSO, loose-camera.


flight-assist stops working, you can press it all you like, and nothing happens.


i do NOT have it on toggle, i have it on HOLD, mode.

so its not possible it was 'already on', were i to have had it on toggle-ON.



*head shakes*

no i think it's programmatic, and my best guess in terms of sequences of commands?

in terms of behaviours, around about 5 seconds or so before the final up&down, to drop on a pad, assuming normal linear approach.

not sure if i can detail any more, what behaviours it was doing, in terms of where in the programming something might be...
but it was a standard, smoothing docking, up until that point.



hmmm.... something in when the AI checks for flight-assist, being PRESSED, not actually happening, not actually being turned into ACTION by your ship...

but if pressed on the keyboard, in terms of keyboard-STROKES by the player?

as in, players might assume that pressing the key SHOULD do nothing, after switching to loose-camera, like i did...

but if the autodocker is on, and it's needing to check near-zero accelleration-control forces, RATHER than steering/verring forces, when at speed, ie, when momentum is NOT near zero...

an extra-check?

there might be a legacy bit of code, or something, that checks for the flight-assist key being INPUTED... and then it assumes the same as changing throttle manually,
even if you consciously, mentally, know, you've switched to loose-camera...

but the programming can't tell the difference, and ANY keystrokes of flight-assist off... = player wants control again?


------------


pffff.... maybe, but i don't normally get this problem, when NOT in the docking process...

so IF, the check in the docking-proceeures, was a backup or secondary check, and happens in a WINDOW OF TIME, ie, if a player presses flight-assist DURING that window...

then maybe.



in that case,.. i CHANGE MY REQUEST, to add a { ignore-if } ... if the player has switched to external camera mode,.. so not screwing with it really... just IF, when a player presses flight-assist / flight-assist-off... DURING a auto-docking,..

to IGNORE it?



ie, if you've NOT switched to camera, you can still interrupt your autodocking with it... that might be the key you normally choose to remember to use - mentally, it kind of fits - overriding assistance, in a broad sense...

might be what you use to remember which key to press.

*hands up* nono... not screwing with that,.. that would STILL work...



==============


ONLY, if you've switched to camera.


in THAT case,..
ONLY THEN,.. ignore, if flight-assist, is pressed.



*shrugs*

 

[Kenpachi85]

I dunno I'm on ps4 and don't know anything at all about PC setups so can't speak to that cause my control setup is so different. Try opening up a ticket at fdevs support site they are usually good about reimbursing people for losses caused by glitches they've helped me out a couple times. If it's as you say and I got no reason to doubt you it sounds like a glitch and they will most likely help you out.

If you've never opened a ticket before with fdev support and don't know where to go holler at me and I can walk you through it.

 

[Berpol]

I'm not sure what went wrong for OP. I often let the docking computer engage and then use the camera to admire my ship from various angles as it manoeuvres. (Doesn't everyone do this? What's the point of paint jobs otherwise?)

Something similar happened to me. I assume I used the wrong combination and increased speed (instead of moving the camera or such) and thus ended the auto pilot.
I never had an accident bad enough to kill me though, perhaps because I don't go too low with my shields (like my cutter has at least 6D shields).

 

[Firebeard]

:S

i just returned from the triffid nebula, a 5000 Ly trip, with perhaps 10s of millions of exploration data to sell,

Snip...

this is the second time this has happened to me, and also the second time, i've DETAILED it.

i can't remember how-long it's been since i reported it the 1st time,.. ( + however long since others have reported it too )
.

So this has happened before, you know of the problem yet think after 5000ly and millions in data you think "now would be a good time to try that again"

Sorry dude but the camera didn't kill you your own lack of sense killed you.

 

[CMDR X]

I have two Docking Computers on each ship. If one fails the other one takes over.

Sure, it uses up another slot but the peace of mind is worth it. Never crashed once.