[0.23.5] StretchySRB: A StretchyTanks Continuation v9 Final Pre-PP edition 3/21/14

[HoneyFox]

This plugin is very useful. Yesterday i used it to design a Minotaur Mun-Orbit-Capable Vehicle.

One small issue I found though, that the nozzle of SRB become a bit ugly when i increase the radius / decrease the height.

The rocket is basically a 1.5~1.75m diameter one and some upper stage are quite short, which makes the nozzle extremely flat.

Is there any possibility to scale the nozzle's y-axis (height) when adjusting the radius of the booster, that will make it look better.

Oh and in case any of you are interested in that design, here they are:

1st Stage: Thrust ~800kN, dV ~2400m/s, TWR 1.2~2.0 <- Lift-off stage, TWR is well controlled and reaches ~2.0G before burn-out.
2nd Stage: Thrust ~200kN, dV ~1800m/s <- Circularization stage, dV is still a bit lower than required but with good launch window, i can get to transfer point near Ap point.
3rd Stage: Thrust ~150kN, dV ~1000m/s <- Munar transfer stage, with decoupler+retro-booster+sideway-booster to forcibly cut-off for accuracy injection.
4th Stage: Thrust ~ 120kN, dV ~ 700m/s <- Munar capture and de-orbit stage.
Payload: Monopropellant engine, dV ~ 1100m/s <- Finally touch down with this.

[NathanKell]

Firov: Huh. I'll look into that when I get back.

HoneyFox: I do scale it, but I'll try to clean up when it happens so it does that more reliably. Basically, it was a hack because I didn't want to make my own model (so the math got a little funky).

This kind of Minotaur? Have you tried a Scout too?

[HoneyFox]

Firov: Huh. I'll look into that when I get back.

HoneyFox: I do scale it, but I'll try to clean up when it happens so it does that more reliably. Basically, it was a hack because I didn't want to make my own model (so the math got a little funky).

This kind of Minotaur? Have you tried a Scout too?

Yes, a scaled Minotaur IV I think, with 4th booster inside the fairings together with the payload, though that shape is different from Star-48V.

For the Scout, no, not tried yet. It looks so tall with its small diameter around 1.0m. it's probably suitable for sending light 0.625m probes to orbit. I'm a bit worried about its structure, hope that it won't wobble too much even when i have KJR installed already.

[Galane]

If you do Stretchy Spherical Tanks, someone will combine them with Stretchy Tanks to make a replica of

.

[astropapi1]

If you do Stretchy Spherical Tanks, someone will combine them with Stretchy Tanks to make a replica of

.

Ah, the good ol' Johnson rocket.

They're like Saturn Vs. Everybody makes one eventually.

[Chestburster]

Updated my texture pack as requested.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/4n0i5ujcnwwlvao/ST_TexturesV5.zip

V5 Changelog

*Added a plain white texture

*Added a Soyuz-Green like texture

*Added a grey texture that match KOSMOS fairings

[CactusLynx]

I've run into a bug myself. Stretching SRBs adds to their solid fuel capacity but when I stretch the regular fuel tanks the maximum capacity does not change and i'm clueless as to why.

[Chestburster]

I'm not encountering that bug.. Do you run the newest version of MFT? You need 3.1 to use ST an SSRB.

[CactusLynx]

Yes everything is the latest version, SRBs also have no thrust output at all.

[Guest]

Any chance of a Japanese-style red-on-white texture?

[Chestburster]

Like the Mu-Series?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mu_%28rocket_family%29

Can do that tomorrow.

[Dante80]

Sth like this? (mu-4s)

[bs1110101]

I love that idea, can you also add a red and white recolor of the black and white checker and stripey one?

[Guest]

I love it the new paint scheme. BTW, how do you do decouplers between those procedural SRBs?

[Dante80]

And here is a shot of m-v5, it uses gray for those tanks.

Here are both textures. Remember to include them in your cfg file, and not to set autorepeating.

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f9/Dante80/bellycancer/m-v_zpse4094cee.png

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f9/Dante80/bellycancer/m-v5_zps66058d1e.png

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

I've been using this mod for a couple of days, and I love it! Keep the goodness coming Nathan!

A couple of suggestions.

1. Is there a way to make procedural and re-texturable cones for the SRB parts? That would be awesome!

2. I wonder if we could also display width and height when making a tank. It would help with realistic projects.

3. Is there a way to make stretchy tanks that start with one diameter and end in another?

Cheers...C:

I love it the new paint scheme. BTW, how do you do decouplers between those procedural SRBs?

Not...yet..XD

Edited November 11, 2013 by Dante80

[iVG]

I think I found something odd with the stretchy SRB last night. Was trying to make a replica of Vega rocket, SRBs stacked on top of each other. First stage was OK but as soon as I fired the second, the thrust was not what was set but exactly the same a the first stage. Tried this at least 10 times with the same result. Just managed to fix it (dont know how) and same thing happened with 3rd stage (got the thrust of the second stage). Can you take a look at that? Could be something with the modular fuels as I set the SRBs to level 7 and then tampered with the burn times.

[15nelsoc]

Updated my texture pack as requested.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/4n0i5ujcnwwlvao/ST_TexturesV5.zip

V5 Changelog

*Added a plain white texture

*Added a Soyuz-Green like texture

*Added a grey texture that match KOSMOS fairings

Damn, those were just some suggestions I had, I can't thank you enough for putting time into it.

[amo28]

Someone start a NathanKell shrine thread for this man.

Thank you for fixing the Linux x86_64 issue -- this works like a dream!

[Dante80]

Someone start a NathanKell shrine thread for this man.

Indeed! Here is another...C:

Edited November 12, 2013 by Dante80

[bs1110101]

Nevermind me asking for a red stripey one, i made it myself.

Any ideas what else to make? I'm kinda bored.

[15nelsoc]

Any ideas what else to make? I'm kinda bored.

If you want ideas, I will give them, but i don't wan't to come across as begging:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ab/Atlas_EELV_family.png

(light brown/tan of upper stage)

http://www.astronautix.com/graphics/c/csm15lun.jpg

http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs16/f/2007/209/5/e/metal_texture_5_by_wojtar_stock.jpg

(a metal texture, but not as chrome-like as Dante's post one above yours)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2a/Apollo16LM.jpg

(I have no idea how this would look, but the gold foil texture of the lower stage of the LEM)

http://blogs-images.forbes.com/brucedorminey/files/2012/04/Copernicus_NTR_LEO.2k.jpg

(The yellow,foily tanks near the aft of Copernicus)

You wanted ideas.

-EDIT-

I just meant the tan color itself, honestly I think country specific markings not only limit their use but also will look strange when stretched.

Here's some more ideas too:

A plain matte red like on this Indian rocket:

http://indiawires.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/PSLV_-rocket11.jpg

The only other idea I can think of is artistic, non geometric patterns like on this proposed Liberty rocket's SRB:

http://static.ddmcdn.com/gif/blogs/6a00d8341bf67c53ef0148c8788e27970c-800wi.jpg

I have scoured the internet for rockets, and I honestly can't think of any more ideas. Does anyone else have any?

Also it might be useful to incorporate all of these new textures into the mod upon the next release.

Edited November 12, 2013 by 15nelsoc
Clarification

[HoneyFox]

Indeed! Here is another...C:

Oh my! that feeling of metal... mmmm, yummy!

[bs1110101]

1, Would totally work.

2, I like the idea, though i want something that looks atlas-ish.

3, I had that idea, and i think it would look lame.

4, Same problem, foil-y textures are hard.

Wait, do you just mean that tan-brown color or with the us markings and such?

I just tried making the metal texture, it turned out lame and grey. I think i good one would take shaders or somesuch.

Edited November 12, 2013 by bs1110101

[NathanKell]

CactusLynx: Delete your MFT and your StretchyTanks folders and reinstall MFSC v3.1 RealFuels (or RFRM), and SSRB v5, and try again.

Dante80:

I would suggest using the procedural interstage adapter (with the top radius set to the minimum) for your SRB nosecones. With the egg fairings you can alter the curvature of the nosecone, too, if you place something on the inner node of the adapter. And you can make textures for the fairings.

That said, I'd like to work with e-dog regarding using the procedural interstage as a way to make shaped stretchy tanks. When I'm home I'll post that effect on the PF thread. (that covers 1 and 3)

The width and height I can add easily. Thanks for the idea!

For decouplers: use procedural interstages.

iVG: That sounds really weird. I'll try to replicate it at home.

amo28: hey, cool! Not sure what I did to fix it though; I cleaned up some of the code and something there must have done it.

Dante (again) that brushed metal is amazing! Do want (for my Atlas clone).

[Dante80]

Shaped stretchy tanks would be splendid indeed. Speaking of fairing textures, what do I need to make those? For example, I want a matte black cone for a R-36 rocket, how do I proceed to make one (as in, what files should I add to the PF folder)?

Glad to hear about height and width stats, they will come handy in future builds...C:

And here is the metal texture, sadly its impossible to replicate light in a metal sheet due to way light sources work in KSP. This will do as a stopgap (as shown in the pics above). The effect looks better on big tanks if you autorepeat.