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[1.8.1-1.12.x] Modular Launch Pads v2.6.1: Launch clamps evolved: Real-style launch bases and towers [03 July 2023]


AlphaMensae

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20 minutes ago, infinite_monkey said:

Thanks for the explanation! :) 

So the rail is purely cosmetic, and the way decoupling works is actually by a standard decoupler? So a longer rail just increases the chance of crashing into it, rather than providing stability?

 

Yep, these are simple launch rails. You need a real high TWR to use a short rocket on a long rail...like, model or sport rocket TWR...4 or 5 or even higher.  Otherwise keep the rail short relative to the rocket.  Solid engine rockets are best

More complex rails would use actual attachable/jettisonable launch lugs, but those will come some time in the future, if they even would work.

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Checking off the last things to do for v2.1:  The Titan III/IV Mast, that auxiliary structure mounted on the mobile launch platorm, and positioned directly in front of the fixed service tower:

OnzkDjk.png

The top section can be switched between the earlier solid style, the open-truss style shown here, and the truss with a small plate mounted on front used for some Titan IIIE launched and the Titan IV.

Mast has multiple height variants to accomodate the tallest Titan IV variants...or whatever. :) 

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Hey man,

Love the addon but one thing. The SpaceX nerd within me would really like to use the crew tower in the new dev build. However, when I download it the Shuttle tower and Saturn towers just dissapear. They just stop working after this. Probably a mistake on my end but I would like to hear about this. 

Keep up the good work man!

Edited by TheAvGeek
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7 hours ago, TheAvGeek said:

Hey man,

Love the addon but one thing. The SpaceX nerd within me would really like to use the crew tower in the new dev build. However, when I download it the Shuttle tower and Saturn towers just dissapear. They just stop working after this. Probably a mistake on my end but I would like to hear about this. 

Keep up the good work man!

Hi, and thanks!

Both the Saturn and Shuttle towers are now in separate sections, with the old part names retained by just the tower core section.

They have to be rebuilt with the new parts.

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One additional thing that got done now: the now-renamed Atlas V Service Mast parts got revised again.  There was a small visual refresh, and both the single-piece mast and the tall (Core) modular section got multiple height variants added.

The single-piece version goes from 25m to 45m in 4m increments, and the angled section can be turned off so additional sections can be added, or used as a straight-sided tower.

The Core section has 4 height variants of 6m, 12m, 18m and 24m.

qv6ZuFK.png

All the revised parts are now on the AlphaDev branch.

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Revised the Delta II tower parts again, though only the single-piece tower and the modular core section got .mu updates.  All are on the AlphaDev branch now.

Single-piece tower now has 5 height variants in 2.5m increments, though they really are just extensions, with the main part of the tower being moved upward (no additional platforms and such details). The top plate can also now be turned off to allow additional sections to be added.

The modular core section now has 4 height variants: 5m, 10m, 15m and 20m, all done with transform moving so the heights don't screw up the Engineer's Report.

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1 hour ago, Andabby360 said:

Not sure what makes this happens,however the launch pad seems to be oversize and even though I reinstall the mod and it still happened

1RZ0N5W.jpg

Assuming you are referring to the service arms penetrating the vessel, you should be able to right click on them and dial them back appropriately.

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6 hours ago, Andabby360 said:

Well problem solved,but I need to rebuild the entire pad to solve the oversized problem

It looks like you also installed the Extras folder, as it has a very basic RO patch that makes everything bigger.

Only the things inside the download's GameData folder are needed; the Extras are just completely optional things and only should be used if you really need them.

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Been busy with the splitting and rework of the small test stand, which will now be three different types. The now-named Cradle type turned into more of a partial revamp, as I decided to go furthur and make a set of different sized tank support rings, which reqired redoing the side supports....which ended up bascially rebuilding the whole thing in Unity. :D 

Anyways, the Cradle Stand is done!  It retains the original TestStandSmall part name, so that's what the old stand will look like in current saves.

DrtLrSo.png

zrQGADh.png

isH5xsW.png

BFq0ZMj.png

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1 hour ago, AlphaMensae said:

Been busy with the splitting and rework of the small test stand, which will now be three different types. The now-named Cradle type turned into more of a partial revamp, as I decided to go furthur and make a set of different sized tank support rings, which reqired redoing the side supports....which ended up bascially rebuilding the whole thing in Unity. :D 

Anyways, the Cradle Stand is done!  It retains the original TestStandSmall part name, so that's what the old stand will look like in current saves.

DrtLrSo.png

zrQGADh.png

isH5xsW.png

BFq0ZMj.png

Hurrah!!!  This is exactly what i was looking for.  SR motors looked just a tad ridiculous in that big honker. Had to light off three at a time to make it seem someone okay-ish.

(And, yes, image resize is my new catnip.)

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26 minutes ago, infinite_monkey said:

Is there a way to remove the modular launch pads from the "structural" category, since they already have their own category?

There is a Hide_Parts patch in the Extras folder to hide the parts from the Structural category.  Note that hiding them this way also hides them from searches. 

I might make them hidden as default, as now there is the CCK category which appears in the standard part picker's category list, as many people don't go beyond that into the Advanced mode or use searches.

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9 hours ago, TranceaddicT said:

Hurrah!!!  This is exactly what i was looking for.  SR motors looked just a tad ridiculous in that big honker. Had to light off three at a time to make it seem someone okay-ish.

The test stand was sort of a rush job, as it was made for RocketPCGaming (now Rocketology), who was then doing a full-blown BARIS career, and wanted something appropriate to do test fires with (a requirement with BARIS). I was never really happy with it, but it served the job. Now I took the opportunity to make a more proper cradle stand for SRBs and stages. i.e. things that contain fuel.

The Engine stand will have on-board fuel capacity as well as the fuel generators, so you'll be able to stick an engine directly onto the mount plate and fire it.

The tower stand won't change too much, it'll be more of a reworking of the .cfg to add the B9PS UI groups and stuff, but I'll add some vertical hold-down bolts.

Oh, the tower being made toggleable off was a request from Tundra dev damonvv, who wanted the stand to resemble the Falcon 9 stands at McGregor. That means it can also be used as a launch stand. :) 

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1 minute ago, RP1IsSuperior said:

Hey, sorry to bother you but for some of the hold down arms, they don't retract when you stage them, just release, and I have to bind the animation to an action group and push it just before I stage. Do you know how to fix this?

You need Animated Decouplers installed (included in the download) to be able to stage the animated parts like the hold-downs. :) 

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The reworked Tower Test Stand is done, and both it and the Cradle Test Stand are now on the AlphaDev branch.

Most of the changes were "under the hood" in Unity, but hold-down bolts were added as an option, more tower heights added, and some minor mesh revisions to the tower truss were done.

wXKsNWa.png

 

Working on the new Engine Test Stand now. :) 

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And now the Engine Test Stand is done! All three Test Stands are now on the AlphaDev branch.

NOTE:  As a test run, I moved the Hide_Parts.cfg patch into MLP's Category folder in GameData, so now all the parts are hidden from the Structural category (and searches too). Use the MLP CCK category tab or the MLP stock custom category (from the Advanced Mode) to see the parts. If you want the parts back in the Structural tab, just delete the Hide_Parts.cfg file (or just rename it a .txt file) in the ModularLaunchPads/Category folder.

I've also removed the RO stuff from the basic rescale .cfg, and renamed it (and its folder in Extras) the Basic_Rescale_Patch.cfg.

bAcH6ts.png

NzkCfG9.png

 

Another note, as v2.1 is still in the dev phase, I'm going to rework the General Service Towers to have a single-piece version, much like the Delta II and Atlas V ones. They will have a limited amount of height variants, and the top will be toggleable so additional modular sections can be added. Those will stay, but the tower base section will be removed. The two modular tower sections may be replaced with just a single part.  As I've fully embraced all the advanced features of B9PS which I had previously been reluctant to use (to keep things simpler), I'm going to do this re-re-revision. :) 

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2 hours ago, infinite_monkey said:

Is there a trick to get the elevator on larger towers working, or is it pointless? I made a launch tower for my Falcon 9 und drove there in a bus, but my Kerbals keep falling off the elevator or get hauled through the air. Poor Valentina was even killed :0.0:

Which crew elevator were you using and what was the max height setting? 

All the elevators reach the bottom at the same time for any given elevator tower, so the higher the max height, the faster it will go.  Also, going up works much better than going down with the taller towers, the ride down can be quite rough.  Making the cars move slow enough so the ride down is gentle would make the trip up extremely slow; these are after all high-speed elevators (especially the Saturn tower ones I can't make the elevator cars move too slow.

I haven't had trouble with Kerbals going up or down with the shorter heights for the General and Saturn/Shuttle elevators. They might bounce around on the downward trip, but end up ok, as the larger towers have full elevator shafts that have colliders all around.

I can fine-tune the elevator animation speeds, and add additional height settings.

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