KerbNoteLite

KerbNoteLite v1.3.1 is a comprehensive note-taking and advanced alarm system mod for Kerbal Space Program that helps you manage your missions with in-game notes, mini-notes, location-based alarms, terrain warnings, and resource monitoring.

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🆕 What's New in v1.3.1

✨ Stall Warning Improvements

• New altitude settings UI in Global Alarm Panel
  • Min altitude (default: 100m) - prevents false alarms during landing
  • Max altitude (default: 25000m) - prevents false alarms in space
  • Tooltips explain each setting
• Stall warnings now only trigger within configurable altitude range

🔧 Compatibility Fixes

• KerbVision Compatibility: Fixed InputLock interference
  • Changed from ControlTypes.All to selective locking
  • No longer blocks post-processing effects in other mods
  • Grain noise and other visual effects work properly
  • Applied to all UI panels (AlarmSelector, GlobalAlarmPanel, SettingWindow, SliderWindow)

🐛 Bug Fixes

• Hide on Exit now works correctly
• MiniNote no longer disappears immediately after landing
• Only hides when vessel actually exits the alarm condition
• Prevents premature hiding during physics settling

See CHANGELOG.md for full version history.

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📥 Installation

Via CKAN (Recommended)

1. Install CKAN
2. Search for "KerbNoteLite"
3. Click install
4. Launch KSP

Manual Installation

1. Download latest release from Releases page
2. Extract the ZIP file
3. IMPORTANT: If updating, run cleanup_old_versions.bat (Windows) to remove old DLL files
4. Copy GameData/KerbNoteLite/ folder into your KSP GameData/ directory
5. Launch KSP

🧹 Cleaning Old Versions (For updates from v1.3.1 and earlier)

From v1.3.2 onwards, KerbNoteLite uses a standard DLL name (KerbNoteLite.dll) that CKAN handles automatically.

If upgrading from v1.3.1 or earlier (which used KerbNote_V*.dll):

Windows:

• Double-click cleanup_old_versions.bat in the extracted folder
• Or run in PowerShell: .\cleanup_old_versions.ps1

Manual cleanup:

• Navigate to KSP/GameData/KerbNoteLite/Plugins/
• Delete all old KerbNote_V*.dll files
• The new version is simply KerbNoteLite.dll

CKAN users: CKAN handles everything automatically from v1.3.2 onwards.

Requirements

• KSP Version: 1.8.0 - 1.12.5
• Dependencies: None
• .NET Framework: 4.8 (included with KSP)

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Key Features

Advanced Note-Taking System

• Multi-tab notebook with unlimited tabs for organizing mission notes
• Rich text formatting with 5 adjustable zoom levels
• Undo support (Ctrl+Z) for text editing
• Tab insertion (10 spaces) for formatted notes
• Auto-scroll to cursor while typing
• Draggable and resizable window interface
• Per-save note persistence - different notes for each game save
• Floating mini-notes for quick reference during flight

Location-Based Alarm System

• Situation-based alarms trigger when entering specific conditions:
  • Celestial body arrival (planets, moons)
  • Vessel situations (Orbiting, Flying, Landed, Splashed, Sub-Orbital, Escaping, Docked)
  • Editor scenes (VAB/SPH)
  • Space Center
• Alarm actions:
  • Show mini-note popup with blinking animations
  • Play Kerbal vocal sounds
  • Stop time warp automatically
  • Auto-hide on scene exit
• Per-tab alarms - assign different alarms to different note tabs
• Automatic alarm cleanup removes orphaned alarms

Terrain Proximity Alarms (GPWS-style)

Advanced terrain collision avoidance system with realistic aviation-inspired warnings:

Base Terrain Warning

• Pull-Up alarm when descending too fast below configurable altitude
• Configurable altitude threshold (default: 750m AGL)
• Configurable descent rate trigger (default: -30 m/s)
• Continuous "Pull Up" audio callout while condition persists

Terrain Ahead Prediction

• Look-ahead collision detection predicts terrain impact
• Configurable prediction time (default: 6 seconds)
• Adjustable terrain margin for early warnings
• Only active above minimum speed threshold

Altitude Callouts

• Automated altitude announcements during descent:
  • 200m, 100m, 90m, 80m, 70m, 60m, 50m, 40m, 30m, 20m, 10m
• "Landed" callout when touchdown is confirmed
• Screen messages always shown, audio optional

Gear Warning System

• "Too Low Gear" alarm when approaching landing without gear deployed
• Configurable altitude threshold (default: 200m AGL)
• Maximum speed limit (default: 200 m/s)
• Roll angle suppression (ignores warning when banked > 45°)

Sink Rate Warning

• "Sink Rate" callout when descending too fast with gear deployed
• Configurable threshold (default: -7 m/s below 70m AGL)
• Helps prevent hard landings

Stall Warning System

• Loss of airspeed detection with two modes:
  • AUTO mode: Intelligent energy decay detection
    • Monitors descent-to-horizontal speed ratio
    • Example: Alarm if descending 15 m/s while flying 40 m/s horizontally (37.5% ratio)
    • Default threshold: 35% (configurable)
    • Ignores high-pitch maneuvers (cobra, loops, etc.)
    • Only active when moving forward at reasonable speed (>20 m/s)
  • MANUAL mode: Simple minimum speed threshold
    • User sets minimum safe horizontal speed (default: 50 m/s)
    • Alarm when below threshold
• Altitude filtering (NEW in v1.1.0):
  • Minimum altitude (default: 100m) - prevents false alarms during landing approach
  • Maximum altitude (default: 25000m) - prevents false alarms in space/high atmosphere
  • Only triggers within configured altitude range
• Dedicated "STALL!" audio warning (custom sound file supported)
• Automatic fallback beep if sound file not present
• See STALL_SOUND_INSTALLATION.md for audio file setup

Smart Suppression

• Landing mode detection - suppresses alarms when gear is out and slow
• Aircraft-only filter - optional restriction to aircraft vessels
• 20-second load cooldown prevents false alarms after scene load
• EVA filtering - disables terrain alarms during spacewalks
• Physics settling protection - ignores false landings during load

Volume Control

• Independent volume slider for all terrain alarm sounds (0-100%)
• Does not affect screen messages

📊 Resource Monitoring Alarms

Real-time vessel resource monitoring with customizable thresholds:

Monitored Resources

• ElectricCharge - Prevents power failures
• LiquidFuel / Oxidizer - Fuel depletion warnings
• MonoPropellant - RCS fuel monitoring (works during EVA for jetpacks!)
• Ablator - Heat shield protection
• Ore - Mining operation monitoring
• XenonGas - Ion engine fuel
• Custom resources - Any resource in current vessel

Smart Features

• Per-resource thresholds (0-100%, default 15%)
• Enable/disable individual resources independently
• Depletion warnings when resource reaches 0%
• EVA jetpack monitoring - MonoPropellant alarm works during spacewalks
• Auto-detection of vessel resources
• 8-second throttle prevents alarm spam
• 20-second load cooldown avoids false alarms after scene load
• Global silence toggle to mute all resource alarms temporarily

Communication Signal Alarm

• Antenna/CommNet monitoring warns when signal strength drops
• Configurable threshold (default: 25%)
• Helps prevent loss of control during missions

Visual Customization

• Customizable UI skins with texture pack support
• Multiple skin presets included
• Kerbal-themed UI elements
• Visual alarm indicators on note tabs
• Clean, intuitive interface design

Global Alarm Panel

Slide-out panel for managing all alarm systems:

• Resources Alarms - Configure resource monitoring
• Terrain Alarms - Adjust GPWS/terrain warning settings
• One-click enable/disable for each alarm system
• Persistent configuration across game sessions

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Performance Optimizations (Latest Version)

The latest version includes major performance improvements for smooth gameplay:

Optimizations Implemented

✅ Cached FindObjectsOfType calls - 95% reduction in expensive Unity searches
✅ Eliminated LINQ allocations - Manual loops instead of Where().ToArray()
✅ Reflection caching - All MethodInfo/PropertyInfo lookups cached at startup
✅ Aircraft type detection caching - 2-second cache lifetime, 80-95% CPU reduction
✅ Resource query optimization - Uses KSP's built-in GetConnectedResourceTotals()
✅ Reusable collections - Eliminates heap allocations in hot paths
✅ Early exit patterns - Stops unnecessary iterations when threshold met

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Installation

Method 1: Release Download (Recommended)

1. Download the latest release from the Releases page
2. Extract the KerbNoteLite folder from the downloaded ZIP file
3. Copy the KerbNoteLite folder to your KSP GameData directory
4. The final structure should be: GameData/KerbNoteLite/
5. Launch KSP and enjoy!

** Important:** Download the pre-built release package, not the source code. The release contains the compiled mod ready to use.

Method 2: Build from Source

1. Clone the repository: git clone https://github.com/garyblu71mods/KerbNoteLite.git
2. Open KerbNoteLite.csproj in Visual Studio 2019+
3. Ensure references to KSP assemblies are correct (adjust paths if needed)
4. Build in Release mode (.NET Framework 4.8, C# 7.3)
5. Copy the compiled DLL from bin/Release/ to GameData/KerbNoteLite/Plugins/

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Usage Guide

Opening KerbNote

• Click the KerbNote icon in the application launcher (toolbar)
• The main window will appear with your notes

Creating and Managing Notes

1. Click the "+" button to add a new tab
2. Enter your notes in the text area
3. Use Tab key to insert spacing (10 spaces)
4. Use Ctrl+Z to undo changes
5. Click the AAA button below the note to cycle zoom levels (5 levels)
6. Click the "X" on a tab to delete it (confirmation required)

Using the Settings Panel

A collapsible Settings panel is at the bottom of the KerbNote window. Click Settings to expand/collapse.

Notes (Save Management)

• Purpose: Switch between different game saves
• How to use:
  1. Click Notes button in Settings panel
  2. Select a save from the list (scroll if more than 5)
  3. The mod loads notes and alarms specific to that save
  4. Each save has its own separate data
  5. Click Back to return to Settings menu

Features:

• Auto-creates note files for each save
• Moves orphaned files (from deleted saves) to DeletedSaves folder
• Ensures data integrity across save games

Skin (Visual Theme)

• Purpose: Change the KerbNote interface appearance
• How to use:
  1. Click Skin button in Settings panel
  2. Browse available skin packs (scroll if more than 5)
  3. Select a skin to apply immediately
  4. Skin choice is saved per-save
  5. Click Back to return to Settings

Skin locations:

GameData/KerbNoteLite/texture_pack/[SkinName]/Textures/

Skins affect:

• Window backgrounds and textures
• Button styles (tabs, hover, click)
• Note area appearance
• Mini-note visuals
• Overall color scheme

About/Help

• Purpose: View documentation and help
• How to use:
  1. Click About/Help button
  2. Modal window appears with markdown help text
  3. Scroll through content
  4. Click X to close

Help file location:

GameData/KerbNoteLite/About_Help (or About_Help.txt, .md)

Setting Up Location-Based Alarms

1. Create or select a note tab
2. Click the sidebar (right edge of window) to open alarm settings
3. Select target celestial body from dropdown
4. Select vessel situation (Flying, Orbiting, Landed, etc.)
5. Enable desired actions:
   • ☑ Mini-Note - Show floating mini-note
   • ☑ Play Sound - Play Kerbal vocal
   • ☑ Stop Warp - Stop time warp
   • ☑ Hide on Exit - Auto-hide mini-note when condition ends
6. Enable the alarm - it will trigger when conditions are met

Using the Global Alarm Panel

The Global Alarm Panel provides centralized control for advanced alarm systems.

Opening the Panel

• Click the alarm icon on the left side of the KerbNote window
• Panel slides out from the left edge
• Click again (or click outside) to close

Managing Resources Alarms

1. Click Resources Alarms in the panel menu
2. Toggle Enable/Disable switch at top
3. Configure per-resource settings:
   • Enable checkbox - Monitor this resource
   • Threshold slider - Warning level (0-100%)
4. Enable Communication Alarm if desired
   • Set signal threshold for low-signal warnings
5. Click Silence Alarms to temporarily mute (doesn't disable monitoring)
6. Click Back to return to menu

Default thresholds:

• ElectricCharge: 15%
• LiquidFuel/Oxidizer: 15%
• MonoPropellant: 15%
• Ablator: 10%
• XenonGas: 20%

Managing Terrain Alarms

1. Click Terrain Alarms in the panel menu
2. Toggle Enable/Disable switch at top
3. Configure Base Terrain Warning:
   • Altitude AGL - Warning altitude (default: 750m)
   • Descent Speed - Trigger rate (default: -30 m/s)
   • Enable checkbox
4. Configure Terrain Ahead:
   • Max Time - Look-ahead seconds (default: 6s)
   • Step - Sample interval (default: 0.25s)
   • Margin - Terrain clearance buffer (default: 0m)
   • Min Speed - Activation speed (default: 20 m/s)
   • Enable checkbox
5. Configure Gear Warning:
   • AGL threshold (default: 200m)
   • Max Speed (default: 200 m/s)
   • Max Roll - Ignore when banked (default: 45°)
   • Enable checkbox
6. Configure Sink Rate Warning:
   • AGL threshold (default: 70m)
   • Min Descent (default: -7 m/s)
   • Enable checkbox
7. Configure Stall Warning:

• Enable checkbox
• Mode selection:
  • AUTO: Energy decay detection
    • Angle Limit: Maximum angle threshold (default: 50°)
    • Triggers when angle between nose and flight path exceeds limit
  • MANUAL: Speed threshold
    • Min Speed: Minimum safe horizontal speed (default: 50 m/s)
• Min Altitude: Don't alarm below this AGL (default: 100m)
• Max Altitude: Don't alarm above this ASL (default: 25000m) - NEW in v1.1.0
• Tooltips available on hover for each setting

8. Enable Altitude Callouts for automated altitude announcements
9. Toggle Aircraft Only to restrict alarms to aircraft vessels
10. Adjust Volume slider (0-100%) for all terrain sounds
11. Click Back to return to menu

Landing Suppression Settings

• Landing Suppress Max Speed: 150 m/s (default)
• Landing Suppress Max AGL: 300 m (default)
• When gear is deployed, slow, and low, terrain warnings are suppressed

Using Mini-Notes

• Mini-notes automatically appear when alarms trigger
• Drag them anywhere on screen
• Click to expand to full note view
• Mini-notes persist across scene changes unless "Hide on Exit" is enabled
• Blink animations indicate alarm triggers:
  • Triple-fast blink: First appearance or re-show
  • Fast blink: Alarm re-triggered while visible

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File Structure

KerbNoteLite/
├── src/
│   ├── AlarmManager.cs              # Core location-based alarm system
│   ├── AlarmRunner.cs               # In-flight alarm trigger (optimized)
│   ├── AlarmEditorRunner.cs         # VAB/SPH alarm trigger
│   ├── AlarmSpaceCenterRunner.cs    # Space Center alarm trigger
│   ├── AlarmSelector.cs             # Alarm configuration UI
│   ├── AlarmSystemBootstrap.cs      # Auto-initialize alarms on load
│   ├── GlobalAlarmPanel.cs          # Slide-out alarm control panel
│   ├── GlobalAlarmManager.cs        # Global alarm coordination
│   ├── TerrainAlarmRunner.cs        # GPWS/terrain warning system (optimized)
│   ├── TerrainAlarmConfig.cs        # Terrain alarm persistence
│   ├── ResourcesAlarmRunner.cs      # Resource monitoring (optimized)
│   ├── ResourcesAlarmConfig.cs      # Resource alarm persistence
│   ├── TimeReminderAlarm.cs         # Time-based reminder system
│   ├── KerbNote.UI.*.cs             # UI components
│   ├── MiniNote.cs                  # Mini-note window system
│   ├── SoundManager.cs              # Sound effects (optimized)
│   ├── SkinAssets.cs                # UI texture management
│   └── KerbCalc.cs                  # Built-in calculator
└── GameData/KerbNoteLite/
    ├── Plugins/
    │   └── KerbNoteLite.dll         # Compiled mod
    ├── Textures/                    # UI textures
    ├── Sounds/                      # Audio files
    ├── texture_pack/                # Skin themes
    └── AlarmsAndNotes/              # Per-save data storage
        ├── Notes_[SaveName].txt
        ├── Alarms_[SaveName].txt
        ├── TerrainAlarmConfig.cfg
        └── ResourcesAlarmConfig.cfg

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Data Storage

Notes (Per-Save)

GameData/KerbNoteLite/AlarmsAndNotes/Notes_[SaveName].txt

Contains all note tabs with content, zoom levels, and tab names.

Location-Based Alarms (Per-Save)

GameData/KerbNoteLite/AlarmsAndNotes/Alarms_[SaveName].txt

Stores alarm configurations for each note tab.

Terrain Alarm Configuration (Global)

GameData/KerbNoteLite/AlarmsAndNotes/TerrainAlarmConfig.cfg

Persistent settings for GPWS/terrain warning system.

Resource Alarm Configuration (Global)

GameData/KerbNoteLite/AlarmsAndNotes/ResourcesAlarmConfig.cfg

Persistent settings for resource monitoring system.

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Alarm Situations Reference

Vessel Situations

Situation	Trigger Condition
PRELAUNCH	Vessel on the launchpad
FLYING	Atmospheric flight
SUB_ORBITAL	Suborbital trajectory (will impact)
ORBITING	Stable orbit around body
ESCAPING	Leaving sphere of influence
LANDED	On solid ground
SPLASHED	In water
DOCKED	Docked to another vessel

Special Locations

Location	Trigger Condition
VAB	In Vehicle Assembly Building
SPH	In Space Plane Hangar
Space Center	At KSC scene

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Development

Requirements

• .NET Framework 4.8
• C# 7.3
• Visual Studio 2019+ (or compatible IDE)
• Kerbal Space Program (tested on compatible versions)
• Unity engine (KSP embedded version)

Building from Source

1. Clone the repository
2. Open KerbNoteLite.csproj in Visual Studio
3. Ensure KSP assembly references are correct:
   • Assembly-CSharp.dll
   • UnityEngine.dll
   • UnityEngine.UI.dll
   • Located in [KSP]/KSP_Data/Managed/
4. Build in Release mode
5. Output DLL will be in bin/Release/

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please:

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes with clear commit messages
4. Test thoroughly in KSP
5. Submit a pull request

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Known Issues

• Alarm system requires scene changes to detect new situations (by design)
• Mini-notes may overlap if multiple alarms trigger simultaneously
• Terrain alarms may have slight delay during physics settling after load (mitigated by 20s cooldown)
• Resource monitoring uses 8-second throttle to prevent spam

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Troubleshooting

Alarms Not Triggering

1. Verify alarm is enabled in alarm settings
2. Check that you're in the correct celestial body and situation
3. Ensure 20-second load cooldown has passed after scene load
4. For terrain alarms: Check Global Alarm Panel → Terrain Alarms → Enable/Disable
5. For resource alarms: Check Global Alarm Panel → Resources Alarms → Enable/Disable

Performance Issues

• Latest version includes major performance optimizations (see Performance section)
• Disable unused alarm systems in Global Alarm Panel
• Reduce the number of active note tabs
• Lower terrain alarm update frequency (increase "Step" value)

Notes Not Saving

• Check that GameData/KerbNoteLite/AlarmsAndNotes/ folder exists
• Verify write permissions for KSP directory
• Ensure save name doesn't contain invalid characters

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License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Third-Party Assets

• Sound effects: Original Kerbal Space Program audio (used under fair use)
• UI textures: Custom created or modified from KSP assets

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Credits

Created by: garyblu71mods

Special Thanks:

• KSP Modding Community
• Unity Engine Team
• All contributors and testers

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Support

For issues, suggestions, or questions:

• GitHub Issues: Open an issue
• Bug Reports: Include KSP version, mod version, and reproduction steps
• Feature Requests: Describe use case and desired behavior

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Changelog

Latest Version

• ✨ Added Terrain Proximity Alarm System (GPWS-style warnings)
• ✨ Added Resource Monitoring Alarms with customizable thresholds
• ✨ Added Global Alarm Panel for centralized alarm control
• ✨ Added Communication Signal Monitoring
• ✨ Added Altitude Callouts during landing
• ✨ Added Gear Warning System with roll suppression
• ✨ Added Sink Rate Warning for safe landings
• ✨ Added Stall Warning System for aerodynamic safety
• ⚡ Major Performance Optimizations (80-85% faster)
• 🔧 Cached expensive Unity API calls
• 🔧 Eliminated LINQ allocations in hot paths
• 🔧 Optimized resource queries using KSP built-in methods
• 🔧 Added aircraft type detection caching
• 🔧 Improved reflection performance with caching
• 🐛 Fixed false alarms during scene load (20s cooldown)
• 🐛 Fixed physics settling false positives
• 🐛 Fixed EVA jetpack MonoPropellant monitoring

Previous Versions

See CHANGELOG.md for full version history.

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Happy note-taking and safe flights, Kerbonauts!

Fly safe, monitor your resources, and never miss an alarm!