It would seem to me that a tutorial utilizing the DGMk4 and existing stock scenarios would be more in the spirit of a standard tutorial, such as those created by flytandem.
I tend to agree with that. One of the reasons the XR-2 was used is because the "Moon to Earth Direct Re-Entry" tutorial was created first, as a separate tutorial focused on the inverted re-entry technique in the XR-2. I made the recording, and Mark later added the PDF (This is still available at OH as "Home Direct"). A bit later, Mark decided to to IMFD Full manual, and we included "Home Direct" because it included instructions on how to plan the flight from Brighton Beach to a re-entry point suitable for a direct (unpowered) capture, re-entry, and landing at KSC.
Mark used the XR-2 on some other flights, in part because it was already required, and because it's more fun to fly.
The PDF manual conatins most of what you need to know. The chart showing all the source, reference, and target settings for any flight is handy, but nothing you can't figure out for yourself. The most important thing is the "process" used to find a window and set up the course.
I find that MJD is better than GET for long flights, this can be changed in IMFD's main configuration page (mission timer).
In Target Intercept the Source and Target MUST both orbit the Reference, so you would set Src = Earth, Ref = Sun, and Target = Mars. Keep in mind that the course we are stting up here isn't to get your vessel to Mars, it's to get the Earth to Mars. Delta-V values shown in Target Intercept don't directly translate into what you will need for the transfer burn (Target Intercept isn't considering the vessel's velocity or orbit at this point).
Once the Src, Ref, and Target are selected, you will select the type of transfer (Off-Plane, Source Plane, etc). IMFD will generate a trajectory in th near future - but it will probably not be a very good one unless you've lucked into a good window. However, it will provide a reasonable estimation of the Time of Flight.
So, highlight "TOF-Unlocked" and hit the + button to change that to TOF-Locked. Now adjust the TEj. This is best done by adjusting the MJD value below the TEj value, and at 10x adj mode one click will equal one day. Move the TEj upwards until the Tot dV value gets to it's lowest. It may get kind of low, then increase, then decrease and get lower yet, so it helps if you have an idea of what the transfer should "cost" (but remember that this value will be different (almost always higher) than the dV you would set up in TransX - it's not the actual ejection burn dV being shown.
Once you've minimised Tot dV, change "TOF - Locked" back to "TOF - Unlocked", then adjust TIn to further reduce Tot dV. Then you'll make small (adjustment at 1x) changes to TEj and TIn alternately to fine tune the course and get the lowest Tot dV. Once that's done the course is planned.
Surface Launch can be used to launch directly into the ejection plane, and Orbit Eject will show you the RInc between your current "parking orbit" and the ejection plane (it will be called EIn, or "Error of Inclination". The nodes will be shown (dotted line), as well as a PlC dV value (positive for Normal, negative for Anti-Normal) for the plane change. Orbit Eject only provides a "countdown" to the last node before ejection, and only for the last couple minutes. Most of the time TN will be a negative number showing time since the last node. When that is the case, you will need to "reverse" the direction shown by the PlC dV (positive number means Anti-Normal, etc).
If EIn is low, less than a couple degrees, you can skip the plane alignment - Orbit Eject will make up for it during the ejection. The dV shown at the bottom of Orbit Eject is the actual dV for the transfer (not counting MCC's or Plane Changes), and would equate to the dV shown in TransX stage 1.
The transfer burn is performed with Orbit Eject - NOT with Target Intecept (exception would be for a lunar transfer). Once you leave the Source bodie's SOI Orbit Eject will tell you to have a nice voyage. At this time, in Target Intercept, change the Source by pressing the "Src" button and then typing a lower case "x" into the box, and pressing enter. This set's the Source to your vessel, and Target Intercept's AB can now be used to perform MCC's.
If you aren't using an off-plane transfer, as soon as you leave the source bodie's SOI and change the source to yourself, highlight the "Prep PlC" line and press the + button once. Target Intercept is now ready to make the plane change, you can press the AB button and set time acc up. IMFD will reduce the time acc, orient the vessel, and make the plane change automatically.
Once you get near a target (around 3 times it's SOI), you can use either Planet Approach or Base Approach to make correction burns and establish the Pe. Orbit Insert will atomatically put you into a circular orbit whose altitude is determined by the PeA you created during your approach.
I'll be happy to answer any questions that you come up with as you try to learn this tool. Start simple, and master the basics before trying to tackle Target Offsetting, etc.
