What have you made with the SP series of Structural Panels?

[klesh]

Hi, 

I've tried a few times to make use of the new SP series of structural panels from Making History, but have only really succeeded in one design.  I'd like to see what cool uses for these panels you all have come up with.  Please post your designs!

 

About all I have made that is useful is a rover platform from 8 of the smallest size panels.  Trapezoidal front and back helps to reduce wheelbase width, super thin when compared to the RoveMate for excellent ground clearance, has a mass of only 0.1t, plenty of surface area for multiple command seats or science gear.

 

 

 

I've tried making a skirt around a 1.875m tank for an Apollo style lander, but I found the panels wouldn't fit well.  The panels get to be pretty fiddly, and I just haven't found a sweet use for them yet other than that rover platform.  What have you guys used them for?

[klesh]

Don't everyone answer all at once.

[Mikki]

Hi @klesh

I made a nice Duna truck that can be flipped back on the wheels by a single Kerbal, basically failsafe if not crashed at way to high velocity... handy and stressreducing... The panels are mounted somewhat like a tube shape around the longaxis of the rover.

And now the salvage task, even with higher weight depending on the load, the feature works allways...

Makes me wonder too what people create with the new parts... having an eye on this thread sure  cheerz!

Edited May 9, 2018 by Mikki

[klesh]

On 5/9/2018 at 6:06 AM, Mikki said:

Makes me wonder too what people create with the new parts... having an eye on this thread sure  cheerz!

 

Apparently only you and I use them.  Such great community engagement in this subforum.

[GluttonyReaper]

8 hours ago, klesh said:

Apparently only you and I use them.

Not quite  Haven't played KSP in a while, but had fun with these parts when MH was first released:

Cute little rover.

Slightly larger rover.

Never-finished homemade VAB.

And my personal favourite, the Totally Necessary Beach-house

9 hours ago, klesh said:

Such great community engagement in this subforum.

Yeah, it's been pretty dead... to say the least.

[klesh]

Thats some excellent and clever uses of the panels, my man.

[GluttonyReaper]

On 5/14/2018 at 3:33 PM, klesh said:

Thats some excellent and clever uses of the panels, my man.

Thanks

I saw the big, flat panels and thought "Yup... some houses be getting built."

[klesh]

I've found that the more complicated a design is with these panels, the more unwieldy the construction becomes.  There are so many nodes on each panel, some get doubled over others as the panels fit together, and if you do this enough your ram usage has the potential to double in size.  They almost need a button to remove the unused nodes ala the fairing nodes and truss structure.

I want to like these panels and make cool stuff with them.  But so far they frustrate more than anything.

 

 

 

 

[Dark Lion]

On 5/19/2018 at 11:53 AM, klesh said:

But so far they frustrate more than anything.

I have to say it: Truth
I was looking forward to these parts the most, as I tend to architect quite often, or get outright artsy-fartsy... I've been trying, honest, but when I have to turn every piece in order to attach it correctly, then turn it back the way I really want it after the snap... Well, it makes it really tough to keep focused on the task at hand and complete it.

-I think the most complex build I've put together so far was a mobile refinery on Minmus, complete with launcher. It was somewhere around 350 parts in total and took me about 2 days to get balanced and running consistent, successful tests. I gave it a lot of extra thought before calling "GO" for mission.
-I had a really tough time getting competitive in a certain air superiority competition (not hosted here) and spent almost 2 weeks stressing my designs before I finally met the mark.

Point is, I've been trying to make something meaningful -anything- and I'm coming up short thanks to the frustration of all those attachment nodes... and since the day MH went live. If I have an easier time using wing parts... and they don't even have any attachment nodes... hmmm...

[klesh]

18 hours ago, Dark Lion said:

Point is, I've been trying to make something meaningful -anything- and I'm coming up short thanks to the frustration of all those attachment nodes... and since the day MH went live. If I have an easier time using wing parts... and they don't even have any attachment nodes... hmmm...

 

I wonder if a MM patch to remove all the nodes and make them surface attachable like the wing parts would make them more user friendly?

[klesh]

On 5/24/2018 at 3:31 PM, Dark Lion said:

when I have to turn every piece in order to attach it correctly, then turn it back the way I really want it after the snap... Well, it makes it really tough to keep focused on the task at hand and complete it.

 

Their placement is still quite challenging.  There is also a symmetry bug going on with them that doesn't help.  If you're reading this and want it fixed too, please consider upvoting:

 

https://bugs.kerbalspaceprogram.com/issues/20762

[Tyko]

I'm with @Dark Lion every time I've tried to use them I've gotten so frustrated with the attachment behavior I've given up and found a different option    

[Tonka Crash]

I don't use them often. There just another tool in the toolbox.

Front porch on a cupola on drilling rig on Minmus.

Skirting to fill in some gaps around a cluster of Wolfhounds on a tanker. They also provided a surface for mounting other parts.