[WIP] KA-330 Inflatable Space Habitat

[bcink]

This thread has moved! KA-330 has merged with KEAM to become "Kerbalow Aerospace."

Please visit the new thread:

 

 

 

 

Welcome to the release thread for Kerbalow Aerospace's KA-330 inflatable space hotel!

Release 1.0 is now available for download!

 

This is a re-creation of Bigelow Aerospace's model BA-330 inflatable "space hotel."

It will fit nicely into any 3.75m expanded fairing.

 

 

Features:

Inflatable / Expandable module
Sun-tracking solar panels
Functioning expanding radiators
Functioning lights
IVA interior cut-out view
Fully furnished interior when using Near-Future Prop
Flat ends for attaching any 1.25 meter docking ports

Compatibility patches:

Tweakscale

Connected Living Space

Kerbal Inventory / Attachment System

PBR texture (reflections) patch - This is a test / demonstration / incomplete

Life support compatibility:

With USI Life Support: Acts as a functioning habitat
With Snacks: Stores snacks / soil
With Keep-Fit: Is a "COMFY" room
With TACLS: Contains standard life support resources

 

KA-330 is 100% dependent upon Textures Unlimited by @Shadowmage - Please download and install before attempting to load.

For a fully furnished interior, please install @Nertea's Near Future IVA Props pack

 

Installation:

Extract the contents of the GameData folder to your GameData folder. Structure should then read GameData\Kerbalow

Optional compatibility patches:

Extract the desired patch from the "Optional Patches" folder and place inside GameData\Kerbalow directory.

Note: when using the reflective patches, be sure to include the Reflections-Enabler.cfg or the reflections will not be enabled.

 

Download     

 

 

 

A VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU TO:
@CobaltWolf, @Shadowmage, @Beale, @steedcrugeon, @Nertea, @Pakand all of the other awesome mod devs!!!

 

 

 

 

Kerbalow Aerospace KA-330 is License CC-BY-4.0
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

 

 

Edited March 18, 2018 by bcink
KA-330/KEAM Merge to Kerbalow Aerospace

[bcink]

Revised the expansion animation to look more appealing and completed modelling the interior. The solar panels and radiators will be separate parts. All UV unwrapping has been completed for all sections.

[Mecripp]

Can't wait to see this in game your parts are really good 

[bcink]

Just now, Mecripp said:

Can't wait to see this in game your parts are really good 

Thank you! This may be the first one I actually get to "enjoy" making versus struggling through a plethora of endless challenges to reach the goal - hehehe

[Mecripp]

[bcink]

I think I've got the solar panels covered.

[bcink]

Some radiators....... and now a break for a couple days <3

Edited December 31, 2017 by bcink

[donalddahlen]

Cool !!1

[hieywiey]

Love those panels! Are they standalone parts, or built-in? Because I'd really love to use them on probes and stuff.

[bcink]

5 hours ago, hieywiey said:

Love those panels! Are they standalone parts, or built-in? Because I'd really love to use them on probes and stuff.

Thank you! They will in fact be separate parts

[GrandProtectorDark]

I really can't wait too add this to my ever growing mod collection.

[bcink]

10 hours ago, GrandProtectorDark said:

I really can't wait too add this to my ever growing mod collection.

Thanks - it will happen eventually!

When trying to apply the first round of textures I discovered my mesh had all kinds of problems from when I added the windows and used proportion editing (Blender ruined the alignment of many faces). 

I had to recreate the entire shell from near scratch. Blehhh. I did not remake the animation yet but I did do some texturing. I don't expect the foil piece will remain as is on release however.

Edited January 3, 2018 by bcink
attach node pic

[bcink]

Expansion animation has been re-done. Blender sucks at exporting properly though so I have to animate each window individually instead of parenting it to a vertex of the expanding shell. Tomorrow perhaps! - Update - Figured out a way to get the windows animated perfectly with the rest of the expansion and remain separate meshes, so things like Windowshine / PBR textures will be do-able on them.

Edited January 4, 2018 by bcink
windows working

[bcink]

All-in-all it's a pretty simplistic exterior texture. I think I have it looking the way it should look at this point.

And now I can begin on the interior

Edited January 5, 2018 by bcink
interior in unity

[bcink]

I have created my first successful IVA. Now I can begin dabbling with props and tidying up the remainder of texturing.

[Mecripp]

You using TU in that picture ?

[bcink]

5 hours ago, Mecripp said:

You using TU in that picture ?

Yep, for the animation purposes.

Finished the radiators.

Finished the solar panels, complete with sun tracking.

[Mecripp]

Looking Great 

[bcink]

Creeping closer towards the finish line with a nearly complete IVA. Here's a video flying around the interior:

I've also got the cut-out view successfully working:

Also - the "lights" button will now turn on the lights!

Also got a black border working around the cut-out view:

Compatibility configs for:

Tweakscale

ConnectedLivingSpace

Kerbal Inventory System / Attachment System (storage)

USI Life Support (habitat)

TAC Life Support (standard resources)

Snacks (soil / snacks)

(Built-in) KeepFit (if installed) (Sets unit as COMFY)

Optional reflective windows using @Shadowmage's PBR texture options in Texture's Unlimited (required mod for this mod)

 

It has one science experiment since this is a space hotel and not a science vessel. The Kerbin Institute of Technology has been provided space to store one mysterious goo module inside the module. They ask if you would squish the goo for them while the unit is in orbit.... O_o

Release will probably be evening of 1/8/18   whoops. The interior needs lights or something because it's pretty dark in space. Expect 1/9/18

Edited January 9, 2018 by bcink
IVA flythrough video / cut-out view / lights video / compatibility patches / release update

[bcink]

The product has been completed and will be released this evening.

[Mecripp]

10 hours ago, bcink said:

The product has been completed and will be released this evening.

  

[bcink]

24 minutes ago, Mecripp said:

  

It lives! 

 

[Mecripp]

Warm up the engines kerbals we have space travel in mind and we will be test a new inflatable hotel duna here we come

[KotyJ]

Great addition to the community! Any plans to utilize the chairs around the table for crew seating?

[bcink]

1 hour ago, KotyJ said:

Great addition to the community! Any plans to utilize the chairs around the table for crew seating?

I had not thought about that.... I was only concerned with limiting crew capacity to 3, but it wouldn't be any trouble to do that