[WIP][1.8.x] SSTULabs - Low Part Count Solutions (Orbiters, Landers, Lifters) - Dev Thread [11-18-18]

[Akira_R]

I would like to echo what has already been said here. SSTU has totally broken KSP for me, ever since first trying it out I cannot bring myself to play with out it. I agree with other peoples statements that SSTU in it's current form is plenty stable and more than feature rich enough to deserve a 1.0 release, I know with personal projects there is always something you think you could do better or differently, but this is already far and away better than the majority of mods out there, and the tools that you have created for the community in the process is amazing. So if you do decide that Squad and T2's new tack is anathema to you I hope you will consider placing SSTU into release and sticking around for a bit to at least maintain it. I realize this request is purely selfish in nature but SSTU really has profoundly changed my KSP experience.

[Jimbodiah]

I'm playing 1.4 stock a bit, but I keep looking for the length and diameter setting for the tanks to no avail. And the engines don't cluster either. I mean, come on, this is just torture.

 

(This is me poking fun at ksp, not wanting an update as I am content with 1.3.1, but hopefully Mage knows me a little by now)

Edited March 12, 2018 by Jimbodiah

[MacLuky]

On 3/8/2018 at 7:07 PM, Smart Parts Wanter said:

Hello one of my very important ships is not loading, when I look at the log files it constantly says

[EXC 21:01:55.787] NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object
    FlightCamera.UpdateCameraTransform ()
    FlightCamera.LateUpdate ()

 

your post is the only reference on the internet that come up with "FlightCamera", can anyone please tell me what is happening?

 

 

Sorry I can't be more helpful, I believe I ended up uninstalling KJR and I may have ran grep to find a dll (kursk monitor docking thingy) that I deleted

[Shadowmage]

After spending quite a bit of time deliberating on how to best move forward with SSTU, I've settled on the following:

• Finish off the updated modular-part plugin code.  It is very close to functional now, only has a few issues with GUI/model validation that need to be cleaned up (UI works but is wonky).
• Use the existing fuel tank models and variants setup.  I wanted to make a new line of fuel tank models/textures and have them built slightly differently in the editor, but I really don't have time to figure out the technical bits that I'll need to solve regarding UV mapping and the 'seamless' textures (orange foam/gold foil).
• So basically new plugin + old models and textures.  The new plugin will still have many new features that the old one lacked, and can still use them even with the old models.
• For now my main focus will be on getting a 'stable' version available for KSP 1.4.  Any new parts or additional features beyond the new modular part plugin will have to be re-examined and rescheduled after I know more about what my time will look like over the spring/summer months.
• Might have preliminary dev versions available as soon as this weekend, but the stable versions will be at least another week out pending testing and final cleanup.  Even without the model reworking, there is still a lot of config-side cleanup that will need to be done in order to make use of the updated plugin code.
• After the initial 1.4 release I'll examine what models/etc will be needed to make a functional 'Modular Service Module' part/series.  It won't be available in the initial KSP 1.4 releases, but with the plugin functionality in place it shouldn't take too long before I can start working on the part.
• This upcoming release will be craft/vessel/save breaking -- do not expect your KSP 1.3.1 saves to be compatible with the new version.  Many parts will have their names changed, some will be removed, and a few new ones added.  Overall the mod shouldn't be losing any functionality from the parts, but some functions may be moved around a bit.

 

[RedParadize]

@ShadowmageThank you. It is a good way to proceed I think. And who knows what the future will bring, after the dust settle you might have a revitalised interest.

[tater]

21 hours ago, Jimbodiah said:

I'm playing 1.4 stock a bit, but I keep looking for the length and diameter setting for the tanks to no avail. And the engines don't cluster either. I mean, come on, this is just torture.

 

(This is me poking fun at ksp, not wanting an update as I am content with 1.3.1, but hopefully Mage knows me a little by now)

Glad I wasn't sipping my coffee (it hurts coming out of my nose).

Preach it, brotha!

I DLed 1.4, messed around a little, and found myself singularly disinterested, then annoyed.

[RaiderMan]

19 minutes ago, Shadowmage said:

After spending quite a bit of time deliberating on how to best move forward with SSTU, I've settled on the following:

• Finish off the updated modular-part plugin code.  It is very close to functional now, only has a few issues with GUI/model validation that need to be cleaned up (UI works but is wonky).
• Use the existing fuel tank models and variants setup.  I wanted to make a new line of fuel tank models/textures and have them built slightly differently in the editor, but I really don't have time to figure out the technical bits that I'll need to solve regarding UV mapping and the 'seamless' textures (orange foam/gold foil).
• So basically new plugin + old models and textures.  The new plugin will still have many new features that the old one lacked, and can still use them even with the old models.
• For now my main focus will be on getting a 'stable' version available for KSP 1.4.  Any new parts or additional features beyond the new modular part plugin will have to be re-examined and rescheduled after I know more about what my time will look like over the spring/summer months.
• Might have preliminary dev versions available as soon as this weekend, but the stable versions will be at least another week out pending testing and final cleanup.  Even without the model reworking, there is still a lot of config-side cleanup that will need to be done in order to make use of the updated plugin code.
• After the initial 1.4 release I'll examine what models/etc will be needed to make a functional 'Modular Service Module' part/series.  It won't be available in the initial KSP 1.4 releases, but with the plugin functionality in place it shouldn't take too long before I can start working on the part.
• This upcoming release will be craft/vessel/save breaking -- do not expect your KSP 1.3.1 saves to be compatible with the new version.  Many parts will have their names changed, some will be removed, and a few new ones added.  Overall the mod shouldn't be losing any functionality from the parts, but some functions may be moved around a bit.

 

does this mean you're no longer considering walking off into that good night?

I mean..look how many people actually USE your mod, favoring it over the likes of even bdb and tantares?

 

I myself find your dual axis tracking solar wings, and custom probe core and decouplers invaluable.

also...a suggestion? might I suggest waiting not for version 1.4, but rather 1.4.1? better to wait for that rather than code for 1.4 only to find the next day 1.4.1 has dropped and go 'aw snap..I JUST finished the last update!'

[Kaa253]

I have only recently (2 months?) started using SSTU but I have immediately found it to be one of the top 5 most useful mods. Before I used 3 or 4 mods to do the same job as SSTU and suffered from poor performance due to the large number of parts installed in the game and also the large number of parts included in every vessel. 

6 hours ago, Shadowmage said:

After spending quite a bit of time deliberating on how to best move forward with SSTU,

All this is more than anyone could have hoped for and the best news I have heard all day!

[Jimbodiah]

Beware the latest 1.4.1 release, it crashes when I revert to VAB and locks my entire PC until I force KSP to shutdown. Guess I'm not paying until 1.4.2 at least.

 

[yep, this has no relation to SSTU, just moaning   ]

Edited March 13, 2018 by Jimbodiah

[Shadowmage]

30 minutes ago, Jimbodiah said:

Beware the latest 1.4.1 release, it crashes when I revert to VAB and locks my entire PC until I force KSP to shutdown. Guess I'm not paying until 1.4.2 at least.

Interesting.... wonder how my tests will be going this evening...  (was planning on trying to update/recompile TU for 1.4.1, along with KSPWheel/KF/RescuePodFix).

At least I was able to download the new Unity editor version and recompile the shaders.  So that is something like progress....

Now I just have to hope that the reports of the game breaking when running under DX11 mode are false, or this whole thing might fail to get off the ground (no DX11 = no TU = no PBR shaders/textures = really bad news).

 

Could anyone with access to KSP 1.4 / 1.4.1 test to see if the -force-d3d11 flag still works properly at least in the stock game?

 

[Theysen]

27 minutes ago, Shadowmage said:

Interesting.... wonder how my tests will be going this evening...  (was planning on trying to update/recompile TU for 1.4.1, along with KSPWheel/KF/RescuePodFix).

At least I was able to download the new Unity editor version and recompile the shaders.  So that is something like progress....

Now I just have to hope that the reports of the game breaking when running under DX11 mode are false, or this whole thing might fail to get off the ground (no DX11 = no TU = no PBR shaders/textures = really bad news).

 

Could anyone with access to KSP 1.4 / 1.4.1 test to see if the -force-d3d11 flag still works properly at least in the stock game?

 

Editor icons are all blue/white, part itself is painted. I hope they hotfix that.

[Shadowmage]

16 minutes ago, Theysen said:

Editor icons are all blue/white, part itself is painted. I hope they hotfix that.

Interesting.... (and something that I might be able to fix... I know a thing or three about editor-part-icon rendering/shaders).

Well, hopefully that is the worst of it.  And hopefully SQUAD will also get that fixed up

[Theysen]

21 minutes ago, Shadowmage said:

Interesting.... (and something that I might be able to fix... I know a thing or three about editor-part-icon rendering/shaders).

Well, hopefully that is the worst of it.  And hopefully SQUAD will also get that fixed up

At this point I’m pretty sure if you had access alone to the games code directly wonderful things would happen  

 

in in all seriousness though from the past we learned that it takes 3 iterations usually until the major version of KSP is „stable“  

[Jimbodiah]

I can confirm the white/blue icons for the parts under DX11.

[T-10a]

Has anyone tried forcing OpenGL in KSP 1.4.1?

Maybe that might work instead of using DirectX 11.

Edited March 14, 2018 by T-10a

[Jimbodiah]

I think TU really needs DX11, but the icon part is for Squad to fix.

[Shadowmage]

3 hours ago, T-10a said:

Has anyone tried forcing OpenGL in KSP 1.4.1?

Maybe that might work instead of using DirectX 11.

 

2 minutes ago, Jimbodiah said:

I think TU really needs DX11, but the icon part is for Squad to fix.

 

DX11 or OpenGL -- either should work fine as far as reflections go.  OpenGL is the only option for Mac and Linux, but is certainly an alternative for Windows as well.

Sadly it sounds like OpenGL currently has other issues with part-icons -- namely that the top row of icons only renders the bottom half of the part.

[tater]

51 minutes ago, Shadowmage said:

 

 

DX11 or OpenGL -- either should work fine as far as reflections go.  OpenGL is the only option for Mac and Linux, but is certainly an alternative for Windows as well.

Sadly it sounds like OpenGL currently has other issues with part-icons -- namely that the top row of icons only renders the bottom half of the part.

I have seen that in 1.4, but have yet to update my 1.4 (there was a patch, right).

[Shadowmage]

18 minutes ago, tater said:

I have seen that in 1.4, but have yet to update my 1.4 (there was a patch, right).

It is apparently somewhat related to the AA settings in use (mind-boggles... AA has NOTHING TO DO with icon rendering...)...

 

[OverlordMorgoth]

I have a weird bug: textures don't load for some parts for example: ST-DOS-TKS, -PWR, -LAB, -HAB, -FEM, PC-HECS2, the whole SC-ENG family, SC-BAY, SC-GEN, the ST family etc.
The other parts work to variable degree: shape is ok (not whole screen), textures etc.
this happens for both 1.3.1 and 1.4 on Linux.

Maybe just a stupid question but if not I'll add logs and the rest. Thanks.

[Shadowmage]

22 minutes ago, OverlordMorgoth said:

this happens for both 1.3.1 and 1.4 on Linux.

The mod (and its dependencies) haven't been updated for KSP 1.4 yet, so no surprise that it doesn't work there.

On Linux KSP 1.3.1 -- you might need to use the -force-glcore option (sp?).  ( https://docs.unity3d.com/Manual/CommandLineArguments.html )

If that doesn't work, please provide logs so that I can see what/where it is failing.

[tater]

1.4.1 fixed the (stock) part menu issue, I just tried it for you.

Edited March 14, 2018 by tater

[leatherneck6017]

Thank you @Shadowmage for your contributions throughout the years to this community. I have only been playing since last year, but have really come to love the SSTU parts. I'm currently running 1.4.1 and find myself constantly missing your parts. Thank you for deciding to update for us, it truly is appreciated.

[Electrocutor]

Unity 2017.1 was the first version where they added initial full support for the dx12 API. It may be worth trying it. Granted more recent versions such as 2017.2, 2017.2.1, 2017.2.2, 2017.3, and 2017.3.1 have a great many dx12 fixes included in them that are not present.

Edited March 14, 2018 by Electrocutor

[mechanicH]

@Shadowmage I haven't been on or playing in quit some time, i decided to start building again...i had to play 1.3.1...and just launched a simple orbiter...and OHH MY GOODNESS  how i missed playing with this mod...just the sheer beauty of it... is amazing. The amount of detail is mind boggling. Everything from the gorgeous solar panels glistening from the solar rays to the the fine crafted polished metal on the docking hatch.  JUST BEAUTIFUL. And im not even mentioning the functionality and easy of use, thats a whole other wonder in itself,  Mage i just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for making me feel like a kid again and falling in love with space and rockets all over again.