Centrifuge Habitats, Concepts/WIP

[Sin_Phi]

I have finally started to mod my KSP and decided I I like the enhancements so much I should try my own. A picture is worth a 1000 words, so you can see where I am going from the attached. I tried out DarkSideTechnology mod and was generally pleased with it, but wanted to get a complete ring. The inflatable ones just don't look impressive to my taste.

What you see in the image is: a folded/deployed 10m ring w/ 2.5m core (will fit in a 3.75m fairing), a folded/deployed 15m ring w/ 3.75m core, a folded/deployed 50m ring w/ 5m core (should fit in 5m fairing). The 4 sectional ones would deploy in a single rotation with the bottom section fully deployed in a half turn and then the top section hinging down to form a complete ring. I am going to rework the 15m ring to not just be a scale up of the 10m. The 50m ring would deploy by rotating counter clock wise while the segments push out and joint the ring from outer to inner most. There is a large counter weight (probably too large) opposite the transfer arm, this has a 5m attachment for launch integration.

Could use some feedback on in game function. It would be nice to have them do more than hold kerbals. Could do something like what is done with the USI stuff where you can select the different functions for different sections. Not sure if switching textures by segment is possible, but would be cool to change appearance a bit based on function (I know it is for full model). Some module options I am thinking of are mobile lab, crew quarters, green house, inventory/container and maybe command bridge and cryo. Still thinking through the balance on stats. I would like the 10m one to be fairly reasonable to lift in a mostly stock game, maybe something like a 4x mobile science lab. Thinking about 12 kerbals for the 10m and something like 72 for the 50m (that is an insane number!). May go for fewer as conceptually these are long term habitats that would require more living space like 8 and 48.

I am still gathering all the information that you need for modding in Kerbal. I have Unity and have made little games in it in the past, so no issues there. I am pretty set on modeling and texturing, you can see my previous work on Star Sonata 2. Need to learn all the mod integration with things like Connected Living Space and USI-LS. Animation is my weak spot, but if I can figure out how to export Blender to Kerbal that will probably be easier for me than Unity animation.

 

[theJesuit]

1 hour ago, Sin_Phi said:

I have finally started to mod my KSP and decided I I like the enhancements so much I should try my own. A picture is worth a 1000 words, so you can see where I am going from the attached. I tried out DarkSideTechnology mod and was generally pleased with it, but wanted to get a complete ring. The inflatable ones just don't look impressive to my taste.

What you see in the image is: a folded/deployed 10m ring w/ 2.5m core (will fit in a 3.75m fairing), a folded/deployed 15m ring w/ 3.75m core, a folded/deployed 50m ring w/ 5m core (should fit in 5m fairing). The 4 sectional ones would deploy in a single rotation with the bottom section fully deployed in a half turn and then the top section hinging down to form a complete ring. I am going to rework the 15m ring to not just be a scale up of the 10m. The 50m ring would deploy by rotating counter clock wise while the segments push out and joint the ring from outer to inner most. There is a large counter weight (probably too large) opposite the transfer arm, this has a 5m attachment for launch integration.

Could use some feedback on in game function. It would be nice to have them do more than hold kerbals. Could do something like what is done with the USI stuff where you can select the different functions for different sections. Not sure if switching textures by segment is possible, but would be cool to change appearance a bit based on function (I know it is for full model). Some module options I am thinking of are mobile lab, crew quarters, green house, inventory/container and maybe command bridge and cryo. Still thinking through the balance on stats. I would like the 10m one to be fairly reasonable to lift in a mostly stock game, maybe something like a 4x mobile science lab. Thinking about 12 kerbals for the 10m and something like 72 for the 50m (that is an insane number!). May go for fewer as conceptually these are long term habitats that would require more living space like 8 and 48.

I am still gathering all the information that you need for modding in Kerbal. I have Unity and have made little games in it in the past, so no issues there. I am pretty set on modeling and texturing, you can see my previous work on Star Sonata 2. Need to learn all the mod integration with things like Connected Living Space and USI-LS. Animation is my weak spot, but if I can figure out how to export Blender to Kerbal that will probably be easier for me than Unity animation.

 

Looks awesome! 

If you could do Kerbalism support too please?

How will you animate... I'm not sure about blender, but various modders could give you a  heads up between infernal robotics to USI, Firespitter (does textures too?) Or using your own code? MOTHER developer might pass on code for his rotation animation which would allow for rotating IVA as well.  

Will you provide an IVA? Perhaps not for the 72 seat model

Looking forward to this!

[theJesuit]

Oh and welcome to the Forums!

Peace.

[PocketBrotector]

Looks nice. We could always use more centrifuge options, and the deployable/rigid centrifuges aren't as common as inflatables. You may want to take a look at SSTU for some ideas for functionality and balance - it's the only other mod I know of that offers multiple very large sizes of ring habitats.

Life support functionality usually takes the form of a set of modulemanager patches that load automatically based on the presence of other life support mods. (At the larger sizes you could include greenhouse functionality in addition to just living space.) So you could have a configuration with USI-LS setups, one for KerbalHealth, one for Kerbalism, etc. If you manage your mod via GitHub I'm sure you can get volunteers to assist with various compatibility patches - I'd be happy to help for KerbalHealth and Snacks.

If you wanted to keep the balance very simple, you could just treat the whole thing as a giant Hitchhiker Storage Can: give it 0.625t and 1000 cost per crew capacity. Or modify those values to represent the enhanced complexity and functionality of a rotating centrifuge - perhaps 1 ton per kerbal.

One suggestion: consider placing windows more along the side edges of the rings, and less along the inside of the ring. Especially on the largest ring, the window placement is going to compromise crew privacy - each kerbal can look "up" and see directly into their neighbors' bedrooms!

Edited June 4, 2017 by PocketBrotector

[Sin_Phi]

Thanks for the suggestions! Still digging through all the SSTU and Mother information on their implementations. I will probably make USI-LS my focus (I am learning it in my own career mode) and then translate from that.

Also made a quick video of my test animation for the 50m habitat. It will actually be spinning a bit faster to generate 1g, noticed after I filmed at 24 fps. Does look pretty fast and maybe a slower speed for the sake of aesthetics would work. In the video you can see the launch adapter at the back is jettisoned; I was going to leave it on as a counter weight, but then both of the access ducts would be on the same side. Going to Probably up the size of the intermediate one to be 20 or 25m as well as give it a unique opening sequence.

Should I be moving this thing into the WIP forum?

 

[hypervelocity]

this looks great!!! I have been using the following resource to create my spinning habitats: http://www.artificial-gravity.com/sw/SpinCalc/

[Titan 3000]

hey @Sin_Phi, how would you launch the large one? it is kind of an odd shape when it is retracted and there is a part on the bottom that looks like it is an attachment point or will it be one of the center of the part points?

Good luck with the mod, it looks great already. though I would put this in the add-on development section instead of here.

[Sin_Phi]

I have refined my animation and it is time to throw a quick texture on this and test it in game. I am going to go with a habitat and green house version to start. The habitat module will have the center windows a solid panels, but the green house will use them for growing. Once I get the three sizes done, which I am thinking now will be 50, 30 and 20m, I will try my hand at some IVAs. Life support capability will be added as I play with them. @Titan 3000 it should be apparent from here where the mounting shroud is attached. That will remain as a part of the lifter like engine shrouds assuming I figure that out.

 

[Sin_Phi]

Made a 30m version with a 3.75m core and updated my 50m to be in the same style. Next is a 20m version with a 2.5m core. I don't think I am going to do one for 1.25m parts as it will get really cramped and I don't think many people are making 12.5m based larges stations. Still figuring out how to get the animation going in game, all looking good in unity.

 

[Sin_Phi]

All textured up, just need to figure out how to get my animations in the game. They are not going in unfortunately, might need some help there. Will give another try tomorrow.

[steedcrugeon]

This is most impressive work. I had a great deal of difficulty trying to get the part shown below to export from Blender to Unity but I figured out the multiple things I did wrong.

This was supposed to be at it's 'retracted state' but because of how various parts were parented it ended up looking like the above (not correct). I used no constraints on this model, everything was done through 'rotation' , 'XYZ euler' location and 'Scale' animation.

It eventually became the parts shown in this post:

Unfortunately I don't have the complete back and forth I had with fendrin as this part was developed as it's pretty much the cornerstone of my Blender animating knowledge learning.

As a general rule of them whilst Blender is more than happy to scale things to the n^th decimal place Unity does not like it, so for started if you have any objects that scale down past 1, redo that part of the animation so that is scales down to 1 , resize the object mesh etc. (that's how the stretching of the reflective hexes works in the animation below, which does use contraints).

Spoiler

Also for blender to unity animating stuff I find that 'setting' as few fixed points as possible is best. For if you move a part along it's local x-axis only then only 'set' the x-axis positions at the required time frame. You aren't moving it in the z or y axis so don't bother setting them it can cause weird things to happen in game.

A quick question; your deployment animation is all in one animation yes?

I would be happy to answer any question I can, I know only the stuff I have learned though as a rank amateur in the 3d modelling/animating world.

Edited June 27, 2017 by steedcrugeon

[Sin_Phi]

Ok I got it working with USITools just the way I wanted. Right now it is set to hold 24 kerbals when deployed, none when stowed. It has 4k elec, takes 1/s and 30kN*m reaction wheels. I have it weighting 20,000 kg, this is basically the same as 6 hitchhikers plus 5 tons. I thought that was a good place to set it based on the crew capacity and the added complexity. Feel free to try it out.

Still to do: Add in the launch mount (will use engine shroud style staging). Add a collider to the gangway tubes. Add support for various life support mods, could use some help here. Figure out if there is a way to do shifting center of mass, right now it just stays between the two nodes. Probably some various in game stuff like description and manufacturer.

I will start work on the IVA when I am back from vacation in a few weeks.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/sbm7vf8z9r77fwg/SinPhiHeavyIndustries.zip?dl=0

 

Edited June 28, 2017 by Sin_Phi
misspelling

[theJesuit]

Congratulations on an initial release!  I'm looking forward to giving it a go this evening!

Peace.

EDIT - Looks great.  Funny loading it when launched deployed, the camera seems to have to refocus from the COM that the part would have had before deployment.

Quite excited about IVAs now!   But this will be an easy addition, even as is, to any space program.

Edited June 28, 2017 by theJesuit
Tested

[Ironcladsix]

Is there any way to get this to spin? I love the design but can't get to rotate.

[Speadge]

On 3/30/2018 at 11:08 PM, Ironcladsix said:

Is there any way to get this to spin? I love the design but can't get to rotate.

    MODULE
    {
        name = USIAnimation
        deployAnimationName = Deploy
        secondaryAnimationName = Rotate
        inflatable = true
        CrewCapacity = 24
        inflatable = true
    }

 

[Tyko]

These are really cool. Have you figured out how we would launch these?