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Vivicorp's Orbital Drop Script

Just a stupid simple scipt I created fairly quickly to aid in orbital dumb drops. Its probably not perfect at the moment but gets the job done well enough to start.

There's very little in way of config or requirements:

1. You must have a remote block. Its advised for more precise drops that it be in percision mode (Go figure).
2. You can optionally have a timer block that will be executed when it reaches the drop point. This timer block is configured by entering the text "TimerName=MyTimerBlock" without quotes into the custom data of the programmable block the scipt is run on. The script will trigger the "start timer" action when it detects its no longer navigating


As far as using the script goes:

1. The program takes an argument in the form of GPS:WaypointName:coordx:coordy:coordz. This is idential to what you will get if you copy a waypoint to clipboard without modification

What it will do:

1. Move along an arc of four points at its current altitude so that the fourth and final point is positioned exactly above the argument coordinates and something dropped with no thrusters on it will land or pass through the provided GPS point

Restrictions:

1. The ship must be in the gravity well of the planet the coordinates relate to (Not currently enforced by code - make sure you enter what you really want here)
2. The remote block will be directly above the argument coordinates, so any merge blocks or other means of dropping something should be centered under the remote block
3. Currently, the arc only creates three extra points between its current location and the final drop location. Its advisable to at least be in the general vicinity of the drop point (No guidelines on this yet and future enhancements might help) - basically, don't try to get it to drop something on the literal opposite side of the planet.

Why you might want this:

Well, it can drop something from orbit onto a GPS coordinate on the planet, You can use it to drop drop bases, supply creates, or even rods of heavy armor. Personally I'm working on an orbital weapon that will weld up a rod and drop it on a target as well as one that will make basic bases and drop them with parachutes. If you use this to make something, I'd love to see it!

Possible enhancements (Open to suggestions):

1. Better capability to form an arc of waypoints only as needed based on distance/angle between current and destination point
2. Enforcement of the ship being in the gravity well of the plent the coordinates relate to.
3. Some way to ID individual drop ships so a call can be done via antenna with coordinates provided then