KSP Loading... A closer look into Update 1.6

[basic.syntax]

Kerbal characters are cartoon-style fantasy characters, but they live in a semi-realistic world.  But players are very particular that engine sizes should look "believable."  Its just too late to have this discussion; the new design is completed. 

[Shadowmage]

23 hours ago, SQUAD said:

Dynamic Cube Maps

With Update 1.5 we introduced a new shader that made some parts’ metallic bits interact with light. However, the way this shader looked inside the VAB/SPH and outside in the environment differed significantly. With the upcoming 1.6 update we are adding Dynamic Cube Maps to flight mode. These cube map textures are consistently updated to represent a dynamically changing environment, so metallic parts, such as the Probodobodyne Stayputnik will now also reflect the surrounding environment on their surface.

Are these cubemaps properly convoluted -- or will they be using the same convolution techniques as the cubemaps in the VAB/SPH?  (Which were -not- done properly for use as reflections sources for Standard shader use;  might work fine for KSP specific shaders, but does not work fine for Unity Standard shaders or variants).

[Poodmund]

14 hours ago, TriggerAu said:

The teams gone to town in polishing off the Δv bits for the simulation and display so that's all possible - is why there was the indication last time of giving it some time before modders should hook into that feature.

In short you can "adjust" (all right disable) the Simulation and App, there are more hooks to control the simulation and performance, and the UI components all (we think) have overrides in the right spots so the components of the display can be reused by mods as well

The new dV simulation seems to be nicely implemented on the UI side in a non-egregious way that fits within the style of the existing UI, so its nice work in this regards. You say that components of it can be disabled and 'all right disabled' if needs be, but, does this just disable the UI or does it stop the dV calculation from being run for the UI display on quick tick updates. It would seem better if when 'disabled', it was actually disabled properly from updating as often on the backend to allow for better performance... especially seeing as a fair share of users will probably still opt for a more 'in-depth' system like KER or MechJeb which run their own system set which would mean that you'd have 2 of them running simulataneously.

[GrandProtectorDark]

38 minutes ago, RoverDude said:

A single nozzle poodle with a realistic vac nozzle is called a Bobcat or Wolfhound and ends up being way longer than the old form factor.  A single nozzle poodle with a realistic vac nozzle that maintains the height of the old Poodle (which is important for a lot of builds) is called a Terrier - aka a 1.25m engine

 

Except Vens stock revamp did do it with just 1 nozzle but still only using the same amount of space as stock.

[DMagic]

6 minutes ago, Poodmund said:

It would seem better if when 'disabled', it was actually disabled properly from updating as often on the backend to allow for better performance... especially seeing as a fair share of users will probably still opt for a more 'in-depth' system like KER or MechJeb which run their own system set which would mean that you'd have 2 of them running simulataneously.

Unless it's drastically changed from the version running in 1.5 it should be easy to disable it completely (and even if it is different I can't see them making this harder to do, given what they have said about it). The 1.5 version is running in its own MonoBehaviour that you can just disable to basically turn off all stock dV functions. I think the idea then is to insert values from other mods into the stock system, that way you wouldn't lose things like the 1.5 maneuver node dV and burn time indicators.

[Psycho_zs]

Can dynamic cube maps be used for lighting on non-reflective surfaces? (Planetshine replacement)

[klgraham1013]

1 hour ago, Gapone said:

KSP is not about realism.

Really now.

[DoesDoodles]

@RoverDude I just have to ask, will there still be an all-white version of the Protective Rocket Nosecone mk7? The black stripe would really break up the otherwise sleek, all white design of a few of my rockets D:

[RoverDude]

15 minutes ago, DoesDoodles said:

@RoverDude I just have to ask, will there still be an all-white version of the Protective Rocket Nosecone mk7? The black stripe would really break up the otherwise sleek, all white design of a few of my rockets D:

pinging @StylusHead 

 

[Bloody_looser]

3 hours ago, StylusHead said:

kept the paneling based on the parts that usually go attached to those nosecones

Usually go attached, huh?That's not a thing in KSP.

That baby would look bad with any of the new nosecones.

Not that I'm firmly opposed to the revamped cones, just keep the old ones as well. They are even decently made (it's Porkjet after all)  - unlike the majority of the parts undergoing revamp.

[JPLRepo]

1 hour ago, Poodmund said:

The new dV simulation seems to be nicely implemented on the UI side in a non-egregious way that fits within the style of the existing UI, so its nice work in this regards. You say that components of it can be disabled and 'all right disabled' if needs be, but, does this just disable the UI or does it stop the dV calculation from being run for the UI display on quick tick updates. It would seem better if when 'disabled', it was actually disabled properly from updating as often on the backend to allow for better performance... especially seeing as a fair share of users will probably still opt for a more 'in-depth' system like KER or MechJeb which run their own system set which would mean that you'd have 2 of them running simulataneously.

There are several settings a player can change as well as ways mods can disable all aspects of the DV feature 

1 hour ago, DMagic said:

Unless it's drastically changed from the version running in 1.5 it should be easy to disable it completely (and even if it is different I can't see them making this harder to do, given what they have said about it). The 1.5 version is running in its own MonoBehaviour that you can just disable to basically turn off all stock dV functions. I think the idea then is to insert values from other mods into the stock system, that way you wouldn't lose things like the 1.5 maneuver node dV and burn time indicators.

There are several changes and additions to the API over what you may have found in 1.5 API.

[T1mo98]

Any chance we could get a Poodle varient with nozzles like the Terrier's? It seems much more fitting than the ablative one it has now.

[Majorjim!]

The ability o remove helmets and collars is the single greatest thing in this patch. Now @SQUAD PLEASE work on the horrific memory leak...

[basic.syntax]

2 hours ago, RoverDude said:

2 hours ago, DoesDoodles said:

@RoverDude I just have to ask, will there still be an all-white version of the Protective Rocket Nosecone mk7? The black stripe would really break up the otherwise sleek, all white design of a few of my rockets D:

pinging @StylusHead 

The tapered black stripe on the small nose cones say... "look at meee!"  - I feel that's the most distracting element. Overall they are really "busy" looking with the extra paneling lines.

Another vote for a solid orange 2.5m nose cone - the "orange" 2.5m tank was put in to echo the Space Shuttle external tank, but we don't yet have a proper orange nose cone for it.

[XLjedi]

2 hours ago, DoesDoodles said:

@RoverDude I just have to ask, will there still be an all-white version of the Protective Rocket Nosecone mk7? The black stripe would really break up the otherwise sleek, all white design of a few of my rockets D:

I may stow all the old skins for these and just add a "classic" variant with a little Mod Manager script that I've used for skinning aircraft liveries. 

That is, if @SQUAD doesn't allow for classic variants...

[sh1pman]

4 minutes ago, basic.syntax said:

The tapered black stripe on the small nose cones say... "look at meee!"  - I feel that's the most distracting element. Overall they are really "busy" looking with the extra paneling lines.

Another vote for a solid orange 2.5m nose cone - the "orange" 2.5m tank was put in to echo the Space Shuttle external tank, but we don't yet have a proper orange nose cone for it.

I agree, nose cones (both 1.25m and 2.5m) could use a variant with no stripes, all white, porkjet-style. 

[SchwinnTropius]

ALL aerodynamic parts slated to be revamped should have all-white variants in PorkJet style.

[SudAntares]

Is there a chance to move KSP from a "one core" to a "multi core" game, so all multi core pc's would less pain to run stock/modded game?

[StylusHead]

2 hours ago, RoverDude said:

pinging @StylusHead 

 

Well, that may be the right call, will do something about it!

[PotatoPCuser1]

PLEASE FIX THE WHEELS!

please.

[FleshJeb]

First off, fantastic developments all around. My long-standing complaint is that I find all the textures to be boringly homogeneous. Whatever, I'll live (and mod in my own variants). If anyone ever comes up with shaders to cell-shade this whole game, I will kiss them (mind the beard).

Any chance to get a drag visualizer in the editors or flight scene? I'm envisioning a button that toggles a highlight on the parts, with the color a gradient from blue-red.

All parts would have drag/cross-section calculated (I don't think that absolute drag would be very useful), with the minimum value showing as pure blue, and the maximum value showing as pure red.

[mattinoz]

9 hours ago, T1mo98 said:

Any chance we could get a Poodle varient with nozzles like the Terrier's? It seems much more fitting than the ablative one it has now.

Couldn't you use Bare Terriers and an engine plate to get a Poodle variant with as many nozzles as you want?

[Gapone]

8 hours ago, sh1pman said:

The tapered black stripe on the small nose cones say... "look at meee!"

They are for Mk2 to 1.25m adapter nose cones.

[sh1pman]

20 minutes ago, Gapone said:

They are for Mk2 to 1.25m adapter nose cones.

Huh, that's not my quote. Weird...

Anyway, that's just one use case. All-white nose cone would fit much better in a hundred other use cases.

[basic.syntax]

Making an orange texture for the 2.5m nose cone would be a welcome and fairly easy step.... but... to take it to an extreme, I would like to see new geometry as well. Check out this profile comparison: