Mechanical Mouse Industries - Kethane & Payload Packs Released!!!

[CAPFlyer]

Is there a way to get the nosecone to separate first? Most rockets release their payload fairing under power as they get into the upper atmosphere to prevent additional orbiting debris. I like to do this as well just to get rid of them early and get rid of the weight. However, your fairings eject the bottom hardest and thus the nose sticks to the rocket, potentially causing damage. Is there an ejection sequence change I can make to get it to work, or is it an ejection force issue?

[Dani-Sang]

Check the video on the first page... specifically the one at the payload section.

This pack has the ability to dispatch payload fairings 2 ways. The one explained in the end is the one you are looking for.

[CAPFlyer]

Not a problem, was hoping to avoid the extra stages, but if it's the only way, then it it.

BTW, are there any plans on changing your satellite dish and command pod to support the Remote Control mod? I can edit the CFGs of course, but it'd be cool to have "official" support.

[zorzerother]

The payload and satellite packs are awesome, still got to try out kethane. Keep up the good work.

[Dani-Sang]

Not a problem, was hoping to avoid the extra stages, but if it's the only way, then it it.

BTW, are there any plans on changing your satellite dish and command pod to support the Remote Control mod? I can edit the CFGs of course, but it'd be cool to have "official" support.

That is something that will come along with the OpenSource Project where other plugins get to use to most out of the packs we will release. But it is up to the other Plugin Developers.

[zYnthethicz]

Regarding the kethane, will we ever be able to use more than one sensor on a vessel?

Because i tried to create a vessel that deploys several satelites in orbit, so there was like 6 sensors in total, which i then deployed. But still, each deployed vessel had "invalid configuration".

[olex]

I'm hooked, this is brilliant. All these packs are just really, really good - they fit wonderfully in with the stock parts, and have their purpose. I love the Kethane concept, too - started creating a Mun-based refilling station for interplanetary ships... well, so far it's only one sensor satellite, but it's a good one!

[ATTACH=CONFIG]31642[/ATTACH]

The payload fairings also make the rockets look so much better. There's the whole trans-munar stage and the above satellite in there, the only issue is MapSat antenna sticking out the side

[ATTACH=CONFIG]31641[/ATTACH]

[SamNxGn]

I believe I have found a fuel bug related to the payload pack. I built a craft consisting of the MMI pod, a 1-2 fuel tank, a 1-2 adapter, liquid engine 2, and a fairing covering the fuel tank and pod. This craft seems to burn fuel at a much slower rate than a duplicate craft which lacks the 1-2 adapter and fairing. I assume this must be a bug as the lighter craft burns fuel faster than the heavier craft which includes the fairing and adapter.

[jonny360]

Is there any kind of documentation on how to use this pack? Or any good tutorial videos anyone can point me to? I cannot for the life of me figure this out.

I can get a sensor in orbit and it will usually detect a kethane pocket pretty quickly. But once I switch to another ship and then come back to the sensor the last Lat Lon says 0. And it won't pickup any new pockets after that. I've also tried to land a rover on a pocket one I detect the first one. I am having trouble converting the decimal units into mechjeb for a landing area. Help!

[heikkik]

Sam, did you use only full and zero throttle during the whole flight? The fuel consuption is bugged in the current version of KSP, user-made fix available here on the forums.

[WoodenBiplane]

So I'm scanning the mun. Do you think there's a problem with my mod or am I just unlucky (see attached screenshot). If you can't quite see. I have a small cluster of deposits on the far left of the map... and nothing else.

[maxpanic]

(see attached screenshot).

You should use a site like www.imgur.com to host images. That screenshot is illegible.

Also, that's not a very thorough map.

[heikkik]

You should try to get a polar orbit to cover the whole Mun. Leave the satellite scanning for a few hours and go do something else while it reaveals the Mun's riches to you.

[Dani-Sang]

Update

I'm not continue-ing satellite pack anymore, don't worry it will stay up for download. But new elements such as the new batteries and solar panels is something I'm going to consider to donate to an energy plugin.

Many of you might consider this a sad thing. However I think this is for the better. We as a team want to develop upon new concepts that will increase gameplay pleasure and depth. We also only have limited free time that we can use, multiple packs don't contribute to the quality. Also its better when there are dedicated packs, I think solar panels & ion engines should go along with a Energy plugin. It will be better for stability along all the mods. And I will look at donating some models towards plugins that use radar/communication systems.

A lot of elements (such as landing legs & external fuel tanks) will be found back in the Kethane Plugin. Also the rover that I am creating has Kethane constantly flowing trough my mind, so that goes to the Kethane pack itself aswel.

In other words, we want to make Kethane even better with the elements we already have.

---

JhonnyD is now finished with the payload pack and he might continue in the future. But he started now on a project that he always wanted to work on, which is spaceplanes. He called it himself for the moment the "Orbiter" pack and it will maintain the same concept idea like we had in all our packs. Which is customization. Beauty of this pack is that it will be able to use Kethane as fuel.

---

I will come later on the day with some more detailed updates and upcoming features we have planned for the Kethane Pack. Kulesz is already back and is working hard for our second beta, maybe even full release of Kethane Pack.

[Earthpulse]

Do the kethane fields locations change when restarting the game? If not in which case do they change?

[kulesz]

They stay the same. To generate new ones you must delete Deposits.dat file in plugin data directory (plugin_data/mmi_kethane or something like this).

[SamNxGn]

Hey Heikkik, I actually use that fix already, and I was using full throttle for testing purposes anyway

[GabrielG.A.B.Fonseca]

Wy don't you bundle the SatPack with the Kethane plugin?

[Kreuzung]

Some parts will be put into Kethane, some will be given to... *someone*

[Dani-Sang]

Wy don't you bundle the SatPack with the Kethane plugin?

You will see a bunch of elements back into Kethane pack. The stuff that is related to energy & satellite specific won't be. But don't worry, the awesome landing legs will come along

[Earthpulse]

They stay the same. To generate new ones you must delete Deposits.dat file in plugin data directory (plugin_data/mmi_kethane or something like this).

Do you store an absolute path to the .dat file then somewhere?

Because if i copy the whole KSP directory to a different folder all my data is lost.

[AtomicRocketBooster]

Is there a way to get the Coordinates of a deposit from the image? I have a satellite out finding deposits, but now that I have a fairly complete map, I have no idea how to get specific locations from it. Is the center of the image just 0, 0, and I'm going to have to eyeball it from there?

[Earthpulse]

Is there a way to get the Coordinates of a deposit from the image? I have a satellite out finding deposits, but now that I have a fairly complete map, I have no idea how to get specific locations from it. Is the center of the image just 0, 0, and I'm going to have to eyeball it from there?

Yeah untill they update it you have 2 options:

1 .Check last known latitude and longitude in detection mode

2. Guestimate

Also the vertical axis is flipped and its a lot easier to guestimate when you also got isa mapsat with you.

[Dani-Sang]

As promised, an update regarding Kethane.

Next Release: Full Release Kethane 1.0

We are currently working hard on the Kethane Plugin and we are looking at making a full release version with all the elements we dreamed off.

Everything is a work in progress and it isn't 100% if we are able to manage it, but we will try.

• Rovers are going to be a part of Kethane expansion. (Manned ones are a possibility)
  
• Integration of parts from Satellite Pack such as Lights, Landing Gears & other misc.
  
• Migration to partresource/partmodule hierarchy. This will make Kethane ready for next generation parts & open more possibilities. This will also start off OpenSource project so that other people can use Kethane for their own creations.
  
• Changing the GUI for more userfriendly & solid use.
  
• Allowing multiple vessels to scan at the same time (if this isn't possible, we will make scanning easier)
  
• New parts (generators, engines, airfilters etc.) that will be easy to create due partresource system
  
• Pumps will be able to transport RCS, Liquidfuel & Kethane
  
• Some deposits will be at greater depth, so there will be a need for larger drills to reach them.
  
• Pump Relays (allowing to send kethane from station to station with several pumps inbetween)(not sure if 100% possible)
  
• And small bugfixing
  

[Dani-Sang]

Do you store an absolute path to the .dat file then somewhere?

Because if i copy the whole KSP directory to a different folder all my data is lost.

Plugin always looks to PluginData/mmi_kethane map for deposits. Go into that map and delete Deposits.dat file & images just in case.