2.2 Weapon Manager
The Weapon Manager is the most important part on a BDA craft. Without on, no weapons can be used, and an AI pilot, if present, won't function. As its name implies, the Weapon Manager manages the weapons on the craft, both under manual use and AI control, but it does more than this, as well. The Weapon Manager selects the active weapon, controls engagement ranges and conditions, identifies targets, and controls onboard subsystems like Radar or ECM Jammers.
The Weapon Manager can be accessed in one of three ways: by right-clicking on the Weapon Manager part and opening its Part Action Window, Clicking the BDA toolbar button, or by hitting the Weapon Manager hotkey [by default, Numpad *]. Like the AI, the Weapon Manager comes with an integrated help option, which can be accessed by clicking the [i] button, which opens up an attached info codex with brief explanations of what each setting does (as can be seen below).
The Weapon Manager, with Numeric Fields and the infolink enabled
The Weapon Manager can be split up into 4 main subsections:
By default, the Weapon Manager will display a [Trigger is disarmed] button, a [Team: ] button, and indicate what the currently selected weapon is. Clicking the [Trigger is disarmed] button will arm missiles, and allow them to be manually fired via clicking the mouse. The buttons along the top of the GUI - [-], [#], [i], [Sp], [VS], [ * ] provide access to several other GUI windows. The [-] will minimize the Weapon Manager GUI. The [#] button will change all sliders to numeric fields that you can enter values via keyboard. As mentioned above, the [i] button will enable the integrated help info. The [Sp], [VS], and [ * ] buttons will open up the Spawn Menu, the VesselSwitch GUI, and the Settings Menu, respectively.
Opening the Weapons tab will list all weapons on the craft, with the selected weapon indicated with red text. Weapons can be selected from this list via the mouse. To the right of each weapon is an ammo count, showing rounds remaining, if a gun/rocket launcher/laser, or missiles remaining, and guidance type, if a missile. If the selected weapon is a missile, or a gun/rocket/laser with a fire rate less than 1500 rounds per minute, a [Barrage: n RPM] button will appear, listing the current barrage fire RPM of the weapon(s). Clicking this button will cause the weapon to switch to Salvo Firing. Barrage will fire each weapon(if more than one) sequentially; Salvo will fire then all simultaneously.
Guard mode is where the AI can be instructed when and where to fire the selected weapon, via a number of settings.
You can ignore the [None] button at the top, that just toggles Guard Mode - The AI, if equipped, will do that automatically when a competition starts, and enabling it manually will prevent manual use of weapons until it is toggled off again.
Firing Interval sets the frequency, in seconds, of target acquisition. Every interval, the Weapon Manager will search for the best target to shoot at and the AI to fly towards.
Burst Length sets how long the AI should fire the guns each Target Interval. A value of 0 will have the Weapon Manager use 1/2 of the Firing Interval instead.
Firing Angle sets how conservative the AI should be when firing. 
This value is a measure of target radii. Target Radius is determined from the target vessel's longest dimension, plus the offset from weapon inaccuracy; the more inaccurate the weapon, the wider the radius. If the target is less than (Firing Angle * Target radius) from the weapon's aim point. In other words, the firing Angle projects a target cone that is Firing Angle * Target Radius wide. if a target is within this cone, the weapon will fire.
Field of View limits the Weapon Manager's field of view for the purpose of finding targets, if less than 360.
Visual Range clamps the detection range of the Weapon Manager, and the WM will not detect targets outside this range.
Guns Range is the max engagement range of the longest-ranged weapon on the craft, and is used to calculate engagement parameters, but mainly, the AI will not attempt to shoot at targets outside this range.
Max Turret Tgts sets how many additional targets turrets will attempt to engage if set to more than 1.
Missiles/Tgt sets how many missiles the AI will fire at a target, and will not fire additional missiles until the ones already fired either hit or otherwise detonate.
The Advanced Targeting button allows configuring weapons' aimpoint. By default, the AI will target the center of mass of a target vessel. Advanced Targeting can instead have weapons target cockpits, engines, weapons, or the heaviest part.
Engage Options allows universally setting the [Engage (Air/Missile/Surface/SLW)] toggles of all weapons on a craft.
The Target Priority Tab allows the user to configure what the AI's targeting preferences are, via a weighting system to allow the AI to evaluate which of all available targets best fit's its criteria. This is recalculated every Targeting Interval. Most of these are fairly self-explanatory.
Target Bias sets how willing or how reluctant the AI is to change away from its current target. You don't want this too low, however, or the AI will be paralyzed with indecision and not attack anything, because it will try to attack everything at once, but can only target one thing at a time.
Target Distance weights the AI's preference for closer or further targets. The larger the value, the more a closer target is preferred.
Angle To Target If above 0, the AI will prefer targets that are in front of it, or are the closest to the crafts prograde vector, if below 0, the AI will prefer targets behind it.
Angle / Dist If above 0, the AI will prefer targets with the largest Angle/Distance value, if less than 0, the smallest.
Target Accel. If above 0, the AI will seek targets with the greatest acceleration, if less than 0, the lowest acceleration.
Closing Time If above 0, the AI will prefer the target it can reach soonest based on relative orientations and positions; less than 0, further, more distant targets are preferred.
Weapon Num If above 0, the AI will want a target with the greatest number of weapons on it, less than 0, the fewest.
Target Mass Above 0 the AI will prefer heavier targets, if below 0, lighter ones.
Less Allies Engaging If above 0, the AI will seek out an unengaged target, below 0 it will prefer to gang up with an ally against a mutual target.
Target Threat If above 0, the AI will want to target anything currently shooting at it. less than 0 will have if avoid the shooter as a target.
Defend VIP If above 0, the AI will prioritize attacking targets that are targeting any allied craft with isVIP toggle on. less than 0 and the AI will prefer to let the VIP get mugged to go after other targets.
Attack VIP If above 0, the AI will want to attack any enemy craft that has isVIP toggled, and if below 0, will seek any other target.
The modules Tab functions similarly to the Weapons tab, except is lists and allows activation/deactivation of any special modules present on the craft - Radars, Targeting Cameras, ECM Jammers - as well as the GPS Coordinator, for setting and using GP coordinates for any GPS targeted ordinance, and the Wind Command, for issuing commands to AI piloted wingmates.