[1.12.x] - Modular Kolonization System (MKS)

[Bit Fiddler]

@RoverDude there is a mod pack out there called SEP you are probably aware of this, but just in caes, it is a series of surface experiments that you setup on a moon, or whatever.  These all need to be connected together with power cables for the system to work, and you need to supply a power source as well, and connect it to the system.   so my question is this...  could you modify the Sunflower light box to have the port that the AKI Power transfer conduits plug in to?  This way we could use the sunflower's solar array and battery pack to power the SEP system.  Also there is another rover pack out there that has a SEP processor part that snaps on to it.  could you maybe incluse this SEP processor part for your rovers as well?  this way we can use the rover itself as the SEP base station as well as power.

Edited January 30, 2018 by Bit Fiddler

[canisin]

Just now, Bit Fiddler said:

@RoverDude there is a mod pack out there called SEP you are probably aware of this, but just in caes, it is a series of surface experiments that you setup on a moon, or whatever.  These all need to be connected together with power cables for the system to work, and you need to supply a power source as well, and connect it to the system.   so my question is this...  could you modify the Sunflower light box to have the port that the AKI Power transfer conduits plug in to?  This way we could use the sunflower's solar array and battery pack to power the SEP system.

I am often mounting sun flowers on top of my central stations, so yea, this would be an awesome change!

[RoverDude]

2 minutes ago, Bit Fiddler said:

@RoverDude there is a mod pack out there called SEP you are probably aware of this, but just in caes, it is a series of surface experiments that you setup on a moon, or whatever.  These all need to be connected together with power cables for the system to work, and you need to supply a power source as well, and connect it to the system.   so my question is this...  could you modify the Sunflower light box to have the port that the AKI Power transfer conduits plug in to?  This way we could use the sunflower's solar array and battery pack to power the SEP system.

Don't use that mod, nor am I sure what adding support entails.  Can't do it via KIS/KAS?

[Bit Fiddler]

well the plugs use KAS/KIS yes but the sunflower box would need the special node that the plugs attach to added to the sides.  i have not looked deeper yet, but i am assuming a simple MM patch can do it.    if i find a way ill post it here, assuming you have not done so already.

 

Edited January 30, 2018 by Bit Fiddler

[RoverDude]

1 minute ago, Bit Fiddler said:

well the plugs use KAS/KIS yes but the sunflower box would need the special node that the plugs attach to added to the sides.

 

there's not a stand-alone plug you could surface attach?  If not, that may be a better way of getting traction (having that author add a stand-alone plug) since on my end, it would be research, modeling, and testing for a mod I don't use.

[Bit Fiddler]

ah yes it looks like it would require a model change as the node does not seem to be defined in the CFG.   however the problem then is the sunflower needs to be set to allow surface attachment, as then the parts in the SEP mod will atach to it no problem.

[RoverDude]

Just now, Bit Fiddler said:

ah yes it looks like it would require a model change as the node does not seem to be defined in the CFG.   however the problem then is the sunflower needs to be set to allow surface attachment, as then the parts in the SEP mod will atach to it no problem.

Good thing that's a tiny config change   Feel free to send over the PR

Better yet - if those bits node attach, just add in a node on the base of the Sunflower.

[Bit Fiddler]

so is this the proper method then?

 

@PART[MKS_LightGlobe]:NEEDS[MKS]
{
	// attachment rules: stack, srfAttach, allowStack, allowSrfAttach, allowCollision
	@attachRules = 1,1,0,1,0
}

 

[DStaal]

26 minutes ago, RoverDude said:

Good thing that's a tiny config change   Feel free to send over the PR

Better yet - if those bits node attach, just add in a node on the base of the Sunflower.

They prefer to node attach, actually.  But yeah, it's just a rescaled/reskinned KAS pipe - just smaller than the normal size.

Ideally if you wanted to support the would be a small texture change: the 'plug' is two-pronged, so a couple of darker slits in a circle on one side would make it look like there was a place to plug it in.  But I think that's probably over-complicating it. 

 

And you should check out the mod, I think you'd like it.  It's a bunch of experiments based on the Apollo experiments, that you have to set out with an Engineer and calibrate with a Scientist, and then let run.  They take some time before they return science, and their return depends on the scientist you used to calibrate them.

[Tarheel1999]

Maintained by @CobaltWolf @DMagic and @AlbertKermin.  However I’m not sure any action is really required on your part.  OP hasn’t explained why you can’t just connect the sunflower to the SEP parts with KIS using either the KAS pipe or the plug connector used in SEP.

 

[CobaltWolf]

10 minutes ago, Tarheel1999 said:

Maintained by @CobaltWolf @DMagic and @AlbertKermin.  However I’m not sure any action is really required on your part.  OP hasn’t explained why you can’t just connect the sunflower to the SEP parts with KIS using either the KAS pipe or the plug connector used in SEP.

I'm not sure either. I just looked after I was tagged and I don't see anything that makes me think you wouldn't be able to connect them? (I haven't ever tested connecting them to anything other than the dedicated ports) In the cfg for the plugs there is the line "nodeType = kasplug" but it isn't mirrored in any way in the cfgs for the experiments themselves which the plugs connect to.

[Kerbal101]

On 1/26/2018 at 1:15 AM, WuphonsReach said:

UbioZur Welding still exists -- with the caveat that it only really saves on part count, not FPS these days.

It never saved FPS AFAIK.

From my own experiments as KSP player, FPS depends upon [amount of parts] multiplied by [part draw complexity] multiplied by [light sources], with addition of [texture mapping],  [shading] and [condition check logic(in contracts and mods)] - like open docking ports perform constant polling. Most weight lies typically on  "[amount of parts] multiplied by [part draw complexity] multiplied by [light sources]".

Each part has a separate model, that causes API draw call, draw calls at least in OpenGL - are limited by 1 CPU thread.
Its not that KSP is CPU hungry - there is a technological limitation and faster singlethread CPU just lifts this limitation borders higher.

Welding does cause reduction on nodes, but it does not cause reduction of amount of models, nor reduction of geometry.
Thus a mod, which replaces 10 parts with 1 part, provided the geometry complexity is same or less - will cause increase in fps.

[cyberKerb]

12 hours ago, Bit Fiddler said:

well the plugs use KAS/KIS yes but the sunflower box would need the special node that the plugs attach to added to the sides.  i have not looked deeper yet, but i am assuming a simple MM patch can do it.    if i find a way ill post it here, assuming you have not done so already.

 

If you added surface attachment, you could also grab the AKI Power strip (from Pathfinder) and attach that to the Sunflower. Then you'd have 6 ports on the thing. It's easy enough to just grab the models and part config and model if that's all you want from the pack, but you'll need to use WBI folder or edits the cfg file to the correct path.

[Bit Fiddler]

yes the whole problem is Sunflower does not allow thigs to attach to it.   i beleive the MM patch i posted will fix that, but i am no MM expert, so it is still a guess.   as i have not had a chance to try it.

Edited January 31, 2018 by Bit Fiddler

[Falkenherz]

Hi guys, can anyone help/explain that little problem with the graphics of the mini-truss? I attached them via EVA (KIS mod).

Basically I want to connect in situ separate tundra-hubs via mini-trusses and KIS, but this totally does not look they way as it does in VAB and pretty much kills immersion.

I tried to attach and reattach with every node which is offered by KIS during EVA.

 

Here is a similar problem: I attached a docking port via KIS, and it would not recognize the Tundra adapter, resulting in a docking port embedded into the adapter. Docking to this port really looks weird (highlighted green).

 

Edited January 31, 2018 by Falkenherz

[Wyzard]

2 hours ago, Falkenherz said:

Hi guys, can anyone help/explain that little problem with the graphics of the mini-truss? I attached them via EVA (KIS mod).

In your screenshot it looks like you used the attachment node that's directly on the end of the truss.  You'll want to use one of the other nodes that's farther from the end, which will make the truss display a donut or cone-shaped connector to fill the gap.

However, the donut or cone-shaped connector won't appear right away when you attach the truss — I believe it's a bug in the game.  You have to make it reload the craft first.  Either save and load, or just go back to the tracking station and double-click the vessel again.

[Onigato]

I've been having a problem with processing materials via the Regolith Sifter. I haven't yet unlocked any of the actual drills at the 550 tech level, and I've used the surface scanner on my base on the Mun, and I know dirt is in the immediate area. But nothing I've done thus far has gotten any dirt sifted. I've made sure I have storage for various output materials, storage for dirt itself and still no joy. I've also moved Resource Lodes within a meter of the component, and it doesn't seem to like anything I have done thus far. How do I get those to process? Do I * need * to have a drill attached, and if so, what's the point of having the Ranger industrial parts so early on the tech tree? Or am I doing something wrong? (Much more likely that)

 

As a corollary question, is it possible to craft new components locally on colonies, for expansion and using the colony as a new starting site? Or do I need to send a DIY kit from Ground Construction each time I want to make new components locally?

[Kaa253]

9 hours ago, Falkenherz said:

Hi guys, can anyone help/explain that little problem with the graphics of the mini-truss?

Just a suggestion, I might be wrong. Did you surface attach rather than node attach?

Before pressing "x" to attach you can repeatedly press "r" to cycle through surface and then all the different node attachment options available for the part. See page 9 of the in game "KIS for Dummies" manual. This is the same as make sure you are using the intended 

6 hours ago, Wyzard said:

attachment node

.

[Terwin]

11 hours ago, Onigato said:

I've been having a problem with processing materials via the Regolith Sifter. I haven't yet unlocked any of the actual drills at the 550 tech level, and I've used the surface scanner on my base on the Mun, and I know dirt is in the immediate area. But nothing I've done thus far has gotten any dirt sifted. I've made sure I have storage for various output materials, storage for dirt itself and still no joy. I've also moved Resource Lodes within a meter of the component, and it doesn't seem to like anything I have done thus far. How do I get those to process? Do I * need * to have a drill attached, and if so, what's the point of having the Ranger industrial parts so early on the tech tree? Or am I doing something wrong? (Much more likely that)

 

As a corollary question, is it possible to craft new components locally on colonies, for expansion and using the colony as a new starting site? Or do I need to send a DIY kit from Ground Construction each time I want to make new components locally?

The regolift sifter will take dirt on your vessel and turn some of it into materials, if you do not have dirt, it cannot do anything(drills can get dirt).

Resource Nodes need to be connected to your vessel to be harvested(the Klaw works well for this, I have sometimes used a rover with a klaw on each end so it can connect to both the node and the base)

There are some other mods that can be used to craft on-site new parts/craft.

Currently Ground construction requires a kit from Kerbin, but that is being worked on.

Extra planetary launch pads is the mod that was replaced by Ground Construction, but I prefer OSE Workshop.

 

[meashot7727]

I have downloaded the mod but the only added items are the special drills. No material kits or habitation modules. Please help.

[Onigato]

9 hours ago, Terwin said:

The regolift sifter will take dirt on your vessel and turn some of it into materials, if you do not have dirt, it cannot do anything(drills can get dirt).

Resource Nodes need to be connected to your vessel to be harvested(the Klaw works well for this, I have sometimes used a rover with a klaw on each end so it can connect to both the node and the base)

There are some other mods that can be used to craft on-site new parts/craft.

Currently Ground construction requires a kit from Kerbin, but that is being worked on.

Extra planetary launch pads is the mod that was replaced by Ground Construction, but I prefer OSE Workshop.

 

So I *AM* using the sifter correctly, I just have no way to actually get dirt onto my base yet. That does raise the question, how is one supposed to get dirt onto the base without a drill? I've not even gotten L3 R&D building yet on this play through, but I can access all the Ranger, Duna, and Tundra parts well before the drills become available. 

I'd been suspecting I needed a Klaw to get the nodes, but it is good to have confirmation, thank you.

I'll take a look at OSE Workshop, it's compatible with USI-suite, I assume?

Thanks muchly.

[RoverDude]

1 minute ago, Onigato said:

So I *AM* using the sifter correctly, I just have no way to actually get dirt onto my base yet. That does raise the question, how is one supposed to get dirt onto the base without a drill? I've not even gotten L3 R&D building yet on this play through, but I can access all the Ranger, Duna, and Tundra parts well before the drills become available. 

I'd been suspecting I needed a Klaw to get the nodes, but it is good to have confirmation, thank you.

I'll take a look at OSE Workshop, it's compatible with USI-suite, I assume?

Thanks muchly.

Yep, OSE is very compatible   

[dlrk]

Hey, @RoverDude

I'm a bit confused with how orbital construction is supposed to work now. Both the mobile launchpad and the orbital shipyard are marked as legacy, and it doesn't look like Ground Construction has anything for building spacecraft in orbit.

[Ranillon]

I am trying to do something that should be simple, yet I can find no source or option within or without KSP that works - namely, how do I change the drill heads on the drills?  Separators are listed as options, but when I got to set them up in the VAB there is no way for me to do so - right clicking just shows that there are separator drill heads without given ANY option for altering them.  Come on - this shouldn't be this hard.  I hope somehow my version is corrupted as otherwise this aspect of this otherwise excellent MOD is seriously lacking as there is NO reason it should be this difficult to do something supposedly easy and straightforward.

[RoverDude]

5 hours ago, dlrk said:

Hey, @RoverDude

I'm a bit confused with how orbital construction is supposed to work now. Both the mobile launchpad and the orbital shipyard are marked as legacy, and it doesn't look like Ground Construction has anything for building spacecraft in orbit.

The parts are legacy and will be deprecated .  As GC adds support for orbital construction, new parts will be created.  Feel free to use either EL out of the box, or the EL community patch.  

1 hour ago, Ranillon said:

I am trying to do something that should be simple, yet I can find no source or option within or without KSP that works - namely, how do I change the drill heads on the drills?  Separators are listed as options, but when I got to set them up in the VAB there is no way for me to do so - right clicking just shows that there are separator drill heads without given ANY option for altering them.  Come on - this shouldn't be this hard.  I hope somehow my version is corrupted as otherwise this aspect of this otherwise excellent MOD is seriously lacking as there is NO reason it should be this difficult to do something supposedly easy and straightforward.

First.  Check the attitude.   Second, yeah you probably have an install issue.   A screenshot would be a good start, along with KSP version, mod version, etc.