[WIP] The Martian Ares Rover

[-ctn-]

Why wait until it's on DVD? It's worth the ticket price. Absolutely gorgeous visuals.

Anyways, I tweaked the scale of the cabin and added simple boxes for the lights. I wasn't going to do the lights initially but the stock floodlights would be too big. I'll add the little handles later, I'm already late for work.

[Neutrinovore]

Why wait until it's on DVD? It's worth the ticket price. Absolutely gorgeous visuals.

Anyways, I tweaked the scale of the cabin and added simple boxes for the lights. I wasn't going to do the lights initially but the stock floodlights would be too big. I'll add the little handles later, I'm already late for work.

http://i.imgur.com/zPAdXqB.png

Oh, I have no doubt it would be great on a big screen. I just have this thing about large crowds of people, that's all.

[-ctn-]

Does anyone know if it's possible to make a hinge for it to pull a trailer in KSP?

It would be cool to make the small six wheeled trailer as well as have the flatbed in two sections like the movie but I'm not sure if it's possible.

[CommanderSpock]

I think you could just use KIS to put something together.

[sp1989]

Oh, I have no doubt it would be great on a big screen. I just have this thing about large crowds of people, that's all.

9am showing on sunday morning or even on a saturday morning. No one in the theater. Or if you can go to the movies during the week theaters are empty. Don't deprive yourself of seeing a movie beautifully on a big screen because of that. I am not diminishing your thing about large crowds. I am simply saying there are ways of getting around that.

[-ctn-]

9am showing on sunday morning or even on a saturday morning. No one in the theater. Or if you can go to the movies during the week theaters are empty. Don't deprive yourself of seeing a movie beautifully on a big screen because of that. I am not diminishing your thing about large crowds. I am simply saying there are ways of getting around that.

+1, I work in the independent film business on the side and for all the hard work that goes into making a film, definitely see it the way it was supposed to be seen - on a sixty foot screen with huge speakers. Nothing compares.

As for KIS, I could rig it up with KIS yeah, but would it "act" like a trailer? IE. follow the rover like a trailer?

[_Augustus_]

+1, I work in the independent film business on the side and for all the hard work that goes into making a film, definitely see it the way it was supposed to be seen - on a sixty foot screen with huge speakers. Nothing compares.

As for KIS, I could rig it up with KIS yeah, but would it "act" like a trailer? IE. follow the rover like a trailer?

Just have it linkable via struts or pipes. Should work fine.

[-ctn-]

Wouldn't that just create a rigid link between them? Or would it be able to sway back and forth / up and down like an actual hitched trailer without breaking?

[_Augustus_]

Wouldn't that just create a rigid link between them? Or would it be able to sway back and forth / up and down like an actual hitched trailer without breaking?

It would be able to sway.

[HerrGeneral]

Can I request that the cockpit of the rover be seperate from the wheels/trailer? I'd like to use it for an in-space SEV type of thing.

[-ctn-]

Yes, I planned to make the cockpit separate. So far here's the part list I have in mind:

Cockpit (lights included)

Flatbed with storage containers

Battery/solar panel/storage piece

Small flatbed

Wheels (maybe)

[Virtualgenius]

If you look at the ERS rover he has a tow coupling in there that allows you to join trailers

[-ctn-]

I'll take a look at that.

Here's where I'm at now. Tweaked the scale of the window portion and changed the angles on most of the cabin. Also added the windows on the top of the rover that I almost didn't realize were there. Ignore the nasty line down the middle, I haven't cleaned it up yet.

[Bev7787]

Now all I need is KIS and a Pathfinder mod...

[-ctn-]

A few more hours plugging away at it. Eventually I got really sick of looking at the cockpit so I roughed in the lights and the battery pack on the trailer. Right now I'm just using the stock TR-2L wheels and a 2x2 panel that I messed with.

Pretty happy with the shapes and angles, all that's left in my opinion is the back end/hatch on the rear of the cabin - and then the small details like better lights and the hand-rails all over the place.

What does everyone else think?

It's about 2:30AM so I'm calling it a night for now.

[Virtualgenius]

Its damn good seeing as I just got home from the cinema from watching this it looks awesome will you include the shocks and springs on the suspension also would you consider doing the MAV once you finish the current project

[-ctn-]

Thanks!

I've only glanced at how wheels are configured in Unity, and it scares the daylight out of me. I'll eventually try the wheels/suspension but I'm going to do the other things first.

Here's what I'm close to calling the completed Cockpit pod. Close to like ten hours or so of work. Finished the low-poly lights and handlebars and finally found some awesome reference of the side profile, so I consider this pretty dead-on. All that's left (I think) is the window on the back hatch and maybe the steps/running boards on the sides. Any suggestions on where to put the hatch for KSP? On the back or on the side?

[Angelo Kerman]

Loving the look of your rover. somebody mentioned trailers, not sure it helps but for the Buffalo, I created a custom docking port as a trailer hitch. It doesn't swing like a normal trailer hitch would but it does the job. Maybe something similar would work for you, perhaps combined with an Infernal Robotics washer. Great artwork too, I use your Phoenix cargo transport in my save.

[Starwaster]

What I want to know is, how many times are we going to have to rescue Matt Damon? First it was Private Ryan then it was Dr Mann and now it's Mark Watney.

We need to chain this guy up for his own protection

P.S. Nice work!

[-ctn-]

Haha, I saw that joke on Facebook earlier.

And thanks! It's always cool to see someone else use one of my mods. I use my own Pheonix CRS all the time for shuttling equipment or supplies. Glad someone else does too!

I haven't checked, but I think the ERS rovers use docking ports as hitches as well. I may end up doing something like that. It just wouldn't look right if it didn't have the hitched / trailer body like the movie!

[Virtualgenius]

Having the flatbed and the trailer system is going to make it very popular

[RoverDude]

Very nice work!

And FYI LoFi has a good video tutorial on wheels that is still current.

[-ctn-]

Very nice work!

And FYI LoFi has a good video tutorial on wheels that is still current.

Hey thanks! That feels pretty cool coming from someone whose work I respect (and has found its way into the stock game!)

I'll definitely check out the video tutorial. I've been doodling at work today trying to find a balance between screen-accurate suspension and a low-poly, stock-ish look.

[Donziboy2]

Last time I looked, Kerbal Foundries wheels still worked, they may fit the bill.

[-ctn-]

I definitely plan to do the wheels myself, just a bit daunting as I'm not well versed with Unity and general coding/configs.

As for the flatbed thing, at first I didn't really like the look of it but it has since REALLY grown on me. It's a very, very functional and modular design.