[WIP] - Magic Smoke Industries Station Parts (Infernal Robotics required)

[sirkut]

Download

So, space station hubs that rotate. ZodiusInfuser designed it a while back using a very ingenious method and Devo skinned it a while back. It's not too outlandish and it looks somewhat stockish. It is composed of 2 parts. The hub and the outer ring which is actually the infernal robotic part. When you put the two together you got a rotating hub. TweakScaled the parts so you can change it into 3 different sizes. No extra stuff is added to the CFG at the time. I would like suggestions on what it should store. Charge? Monopropellant? Also, tie the rotation to an action group so you can toggle it on or off.

Here's how you put it together:

How's a quick sloppy video of me deploying a small observation module with the rotating piece (I used an action group to deploy solar panels and rotate the part).

Download Remember, you will NEED infernal robotics in order for this to work.

What's next? This space station part (I'll be making an attempt to texture it)

Edited June 30, 2014 by sirkut

[BigD145]

Electrical charge makes sense.

[philotical]

I love it..

but I still wait for a parts, that allow to move a 200 tonns flight hangar as seen with Galactica without wobbling lol

I'm megalomaniac you must know..

..and this looks like huge progress into this direction..

good work..

[Gryphorim]

I've made the request before, but this seems the best place to ask again, could you make a rotating washer-type part that aligns itself and all that it's attached to toward the sun?

[BigD145]

I've made the request before, but this seems the best place to ask again, could you make a rotating washer-type part that aligns itself and all that it's attached to toward the sun?

Huh. Like the hinge on the KOSMOS solar panels? If the washer is shaded it won't budge, assuming you make it like panels.

[ZodiusInfuser]

Download

So, space station hubs that rotate. ZodiusInfuser designed it a while back using a very ingenious method and Devo skinned it a while back. It's not too outlandish and it looks somewhat stockish. It is composed of 2 parts. The hub and the outer ring which is actually the infernal robotic part. When you put the two together you got a rotating hub. TweakScaled the parts so you can change it into 3 different sizes. No extra stuff is added to the CFG at the time. I would like suggestions on what it should store. Charge? Monopropellant? Also, tie the rotation to an action group so you can toggle it on or off.

Great to see this finally out for people to play around with .

I should mention that I made these parts pre-Model Rework. I do intend to re-do them at some point, but it won't be any time soon (got may other parts to do first).

Note (unless Sirkut fixed it), do not time accelerate when you've made the ring spin, otherwise your craft will explode when returning to x1.

[sirkut]

I've made the request before, but this seems the best place to ask again, could you make a rotating washer-type part that aligns itself and all that it's attached to toward the sun?

I'm not sure I want to add that functionality as it would start confusing people. "Track sun? What does that do?"

[loppnessmonsta]

i would think that would be self explanatory, but maybe you could do a little description in the part to explain? "This rotatron will, when toggled, automatically rotate so that the red mark will always face the sun." or something. If you do decide to do it, know what else would be cool? Tracking other stuff! Like Kerbin. That way you could always have a comm dish pointing home, etc. I think that'd be fun. Probably a lot of work, though.

anyway as i suggested/requested in the main thread i'd like to see connected living space compatibility. Also, from ZI's rework thread, I think this request/suggestion fits better here, with station parts:

Idk if anyone has suggested this yet, but would you consider making some Connected Living Space-compatible parts? By which I mean hinges/rotatrons with a 1.5m tube at their center through which kerbals could conceivably move. I'd love to make docking arms that fold up AND allow internal passage to the main hull of the ship.

I picture basically a flexible tube through which kerbals may move, with a robotic exoskeleton that lets you bend the tube to form 90 degree turns. And rotatrons/docking washers that are passable in CLS, with perhaps a hatch in the texture.

[R0d1n]

What I would really love to see converted to a spinny bit is the FusTek Karmony Compact Node Mk III

[Master Tao]

sirkut,

Not that it matters, but the folder names for the parts are swapped.

Update: ZodiusInfuser updated the full set of parts for IR 0.18+, so that config is no longer supported. Here's the snippet to get these parts working:

// Updates Station parts for IR 18 and adds them to the Tech Tree
@PART[ringstandard]
{
    // Had no tech tree entry
    %TechRequired = advMetalworks
    @MODULE[TweakScale]
    {
        !MODULE,0 { }
        TWEAKSCALEEXPONENTS
        {
            mass = 0.025, 0.05, 0.15
        }
    }
}
@PART[corestandard]
{
    // Was Start
    %TechRequired = advMetalworks
    @MODULE[TweakScale]
    {
        !MODULE,0 { }
        TWEAKSCALEEXPONENTS
        {
            mass = 0.15, 0.45, 0.75
        }
    }
}

Edited August 28, 2014 by Master Tao

[MaLuS]

hmmm, interesting and a thought pops out, i wonder if these can be used to make giant wheels

also a request that could you make an additional part that rotates like these but can be toggled rotation so it can be just activated and will rotate on its own with your tweak-able speed so we can make artificial gravity rings that don't need a button to be held down.

[sirkut]

hmmm, interesting and a thought pops out, i wonder if these can be used to make giant wheels

also a request that could you make an additional part that rotates like these but can be toggled rotation so it can be just activated and will rotate on its own with your tweak-able speed so we can make artificial gravity rings that don't need a button to be held down.

It's called action groups. Assign a key and boom. It will move until you toggle the until you toggle the action group again.

[crazyewok]

wrong thread

[Azimech]

I've tried to configure it as a free runner like the docking washer. Doesn't work (yet). It's got too much friction or something, while the free docking washer rotates totally without friction. Do you have any insights?

Also, it's very picky which is the root part, I get problems like Kerbin's rotation is frozen and gravity gone.

Forget it, now it works. Wish I had a way of measuring RPM but I think it's a few thousand. Thank you, Sirkut!!

Edited August 9, 2014 by Azimech

[Alewx]

Looks like tweakscale and the station rotation ring are giving me trouble with the newest version of IR 1.9a.

My tweakscale file of the stationring and the stationcore:

SCALETYPE
{
    name = IR_StationCore
    freeScale = false
    scaleFactors = 0.625, 1.25, 2.5, 3.75, 5
    scaleNames = Small, Medium, Large, Huge, Extreme
    defaultScale = 1.25
}

SCALETYPE
{
    name = IR_StationRing
    freeScale = false
    scaleFactors = 0.625, 1.25, 2.5, 3.75, 5
    scaleNames = Small, Medium, Large, Huge, Extreme
    defaultScale = 1.25
}

And the Ring part itself:

PART
{
// --- general parameters ---
name = ringstandard
module = Part
author = r4m0n (code) ||Sirkut (code) ZodiusInfuser (model) / Devo (texture)

// --- asset parameters ---
//texture = ringwide.png
mesh = model.mu
rescaleFactor = 0.416
//rescaleFactor = 0.75

// --- node definitions ---
node_stack_connect01 = 0.0, 0.0, 1.25, 0.0, 0.0, 1, 1
node_stack_connect02 = 0.884, 0.0, 0.884, 1, 0.0, 1, 1
node_stack_connect03 = 1.25, 0.0, 0.0, 1, 0.0, 0.0, 1
node_stack_connect04 = 0.884, 0.0, -0.884, 1, 0.0, -1, 1
node_stack_connect05 = 0.0, 0.0, -1.25, 0.0, 0.0, -1, 1
node_stack_connect06 = -0.884, 0.0, -0.884, -1, 0.0, -1, 1
node_stack_connect07 = -1.25, 0.0, 0.0, -1, 0.0, 0.0, 1
node_stack_connect08 = -0.884, 0.0, 0.884, -1, 0.0, 1, 1
node_attach = 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, -1.0, 0.0
node_stack_top = 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0, 0.0, 1

// --- editor parameters ---
cost = 500
category = Utility
subcategory = 0
title = Space Station Ring Standard Size
manufacturer = Magic Smoke Industries
description = Standard sized space station ring. Attach the standard sized space station core to complete the set!

// attachment rules: stack, srfAttach, allowStack, allowSrfAttach, allowCollision
attachRules = 1,0,1,1,0
stackSymmetry = 7

// --- standard part parameters ---
mass = 0.15
dragModelType = default
maximum_drag = 0.2
minimum_drag = 0.2
angularDrag = 2
crashTolerance = 999
maxTemp = 3000
breakingForce = 999
breakingTorque = 999

MODULE
{
	name = TweakScale
	type = IR_StationRing

	TWEAKSCALEEXPONENTS
	{
		//mass = 0.025,0.05,0.15,0.5,1.5
		mass = 0.1875,0.375,0.75,1.125,1.5
	}
	TWEAKSCALEEXPONENTS
	{
		name = MuMechToggle
		ElectricChargeRequired = 0.5,1.0,2.0,4.0,8.0
	}
}

// toggle parameters
MODULE
{
	name = MuMechToggle
	rotateJoint = True
	rotateAxis = 0, -1, 0
	keyRotateSpeed = 50.0
	rotateLimits = False
	limitTweakable = True
	jointSpring = 0
	jointDamping = 0
	stepIncrement = 1
	onActivate = False
	rotateKey = left
	revRotateKey = right
	fixedMesh = FixedMesh
	servoName = New Rotatron
	motorSndPath = MagicSmokeIndustries/Sounds/infernalRoboticMotor		// Motor loop sound path
	ElectricChargeRequired = 2.0
}
}

The part works fine as long as my tweakscaling is default or below, but as soon as I go above it, it messes up the rotation to only a minor shaking of the ring or no movement at all.

Running in:

x86 mode with Version 0.24.2.

[Master Tao]

I haven't had a chance to look into why people have had trouble with larger scales for IR parts. Partly that's because I rarely have use even for the default Large size.

That said, there are some changes in your configs that could break TweakScale. You have the defaultScale = 1.25; the parts are 2.5m by default, except you've also changed the rescaleFactor to 0.416, which makes no sense to me. What did that fix for you? I know I've also run into issues while trying to change the stack node size – anything larger than 1 broke IR, but it made very little difference to me, so I haven't brought it up before.

Any particular reason you're adding stack attach nodes to the ring?

I'll run some tests later today if those aren't the problem.

[sirkut]

thanks for the info. I'll have to check that out when i'm not busy. Anyone have any cool screenshots using these parts? I have one more variant that I need to skin and release.

[Alewx]

thanks for the info. I'll have to check that out when i'm not busy. Anyone have any cool screenshots using these parts? I have one more variant that I need to skin and release.

Yeah one glimps of what I'm planning to do with it

Oh and it is not a spacestation.

@MasterTao:

I need it just at 5m size, everything else would look strange.

I changed the scaling to make the parts more my taste for Fitting into the regular diameter sizes. with my scaling the parts are just slightly wider than regular parts of that size.

The Stock_Attach nodes are just for my comfort, to add the parts in "clean" shape, but afterwards I hope to delete them anyway.

Ok you got the point for it, I just changed the stack_top node size from 1 to 2, and instantly the part was no longer working correct with IR. That is all what causes my problems.

So Tweakscale is only the tool that helps to bring up this problem and no incompatibility itself.

[Azimech]

Example of the free running bearing. Old design, discarded.

[falken]

Sirkut, I have a suggestion/request.

Are you able, with infernal robotics code, able to make a truss section that rotates so that a certain side of it tries to track the sun? For instance...

    |
    |
    | <- solar panel
    |
___|____
|        |
|        |
| Truss | <--- side that attempts to face sun.
|______|
    |
    |
    | <- solar panel
    |
    |

Essentially, what I'm looking for is a way to recreate the ISS Solar panel truss system. There are many many really nice solar arrays out there (Near Future for instance) but none of them behave like how the ISS arrays do.

Only the KOSMOS Balka solar arrays are capable of doing this, but unfortunately they are very lag inducing and tend to glitch out.

[ZodiusInfuser]

Is there no way for that to be done with kOS, since it should now be able to control robotics parts?

[Azimech]

I've hit a small snag in the development of my engines. I wonder if you can help me. If I build a crankshaft with all the bearings in line (top & bottom nodes attached), everything is fine. When I add another shaft, where the ring is surface attached, the bearing won't run. I could construct a small craft and share it to demonstrate.

[Master Tao]

A craft would help, though it sounds like the ring may just be colliding with the second shaft.

Also, the ring's not surface attached. It's stack attached to a hidden node in the center of the station core. That's the cheat that allows it to work at all.

[Azimech]

I've solved it. From now on every new axle will originate from a free docking washer.

[Alewx]

Sirkut, I know you are uite busy but did you forget this little nice package?