totm april 2021 [WIP][1.11.1+] KHSK - Kerbal Heavy Exoskeleton Kit

[Issac]

Introduction

KHSK is used for extend kerbal's capabilities. This mod will provide some parts that kerbal can equiped with stock inventory system.

Two parts are working in prograss, and almost finished. Maybe i will add more in the future, but i don't have any idea about them now. 

Overview

Parts:

1.Exoskeleton

When you put the part "Exoskeleton" in kerbal's inventory. This part will be equiped on kerbal automatically.

Exoskeleton will increase kerbal's "ConstructionWeightLimit" 15 times in Construction Mode.It means kerbal engineer can lift 0.9 tons part compare to the default 0.06 tons. (15 times seems too buggy, i'm considering to decrease it)

Assist Kerbal who wears exoskeleton will also influence the final results(Just like below, the maxium part weight reaches to 1.87 tons, because one assist kerbal equips exoskeleton)

2.Kerbal Inflatable backpack

Just like exoskeleton. Put it in kerbal's inventory it will be equiped automatically.

"Expand Inflatable Backpack" will appear in PAW when it is equiped. Press it to expand backpack. After expanding, you could put cargo in it now! Parts in Inflatable Backpack will not functionally, such as Jetpack, parachute, KHSK parts . 

"Pack Inflatable Backpack" will appear when backpack is expanded. It's used for packing it again( You can't pack the backpack if it's not empty) .

"Drop Inflatable Backpack Item" is used for drop all cargo in Inflatable backpack, the droped cargo will be destroyed by this action.

 

Others:

1.If you equiped exoskeleton, the original backpack and the small backpack will disappeared. Their MeshRenderer will be closed to avoid model overlapping.

2.Infatable Backpack will adjust its position according to kerbal's inventory statue. 

Required Mods:

 

Module Manager: https://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/index.php?/topic/50533-18x-110x-module-manager-414-july-7th-2020-locked-inside-edition/

Know Issues:

Important: cargo in inflatable backpack will be destroyed after kerbal boarded a ship. Make sure to remove them before boarding. I will try to solve this in the future.

Source Code and Download :

Github: https://github.com/IssacMun/KHSKProject

download:https://github.com/IssacMun/KHSKProject/releases

 

Bug report:

post here or https://github.com/IssacMun/KHSKProject/issues

License:

All artwork assets are distributed under an All Rights Reserved License.

All source code and compiled plugin binaries for this addon are distributed under the MIT License.

 

Edited March 24, 2021 by Issac
new release and add download link

[Angel-125]

This is a fantastic idea! Great job!

[Starhelperdude]

This mod is amazing! there should be more mods expanding EVA equipment like this!

[AmateurAstronaut1969]

This is Incredible! 

Edited March 1, 2021 by Ollz

[theonegalen]

this looks great!

[Zarbon44]

I love it

[Spaceman.Spiff]

This is very cool!

I didn't know it was possible!

[SpaceFace545]

Wow, someone is finally working with the stock inventory system and it looks amazing. Would it be possible to have the exoskeleton increase the kerbal's jump height or running speed for "experimental testing," cough cough fun cough cough

[Starhelperdude]

14 minutes ago, SpaceFace545 said:

Wow, someone is finally working with the stock inventory system and it looks amazing. Would it be possible to have the exoskeleton increase the kerbal's jump height or running speed for "experimental testing," cough cough fun cough cough

yeah, maybe a additional version in the future with an exoskelet extension for the feet?

[SpaceFace545]

19 minutes ago, Starhelperdude said:

yeah, maybe a additional version in the future with an exoskelet extension for the feet?

it would be fun

[ktosiu]

Hold up, how did you do this?

Which class handles the look of the cargo part on a Kerbal? Don't all parts other than the jetpack and the parachute end up looking like a science experiment?

[Angel-125]

On 2/28/2021 at 12:21 PM, Issac said:

All main feartures have been achived. But there are still some problems need to be fixed. Such as KHSK's parts follow kerbal's spine bone. This is not good, because kerbal's other backpacks follows something else(I'm not test yet, if you have any idea please tell me).Exoskeleton's texture need more details. And its bumps are too short.It needs three bump sticks for each arm not two.

 I wish i could finish this mod.If you have any questions,please tell me.

 

1 hour ago, ktosiu said:

Hold up, how did you do this?

Which class handles the look of the cargo part on a Kerbal? Don't all parts other than the jetpack and the parachute end up looking like a science experiment?

From the sound of it @Issac is doing something similar to KIS, which attaches the mesh to the bones in the kerbal. The backpack and parachute and new experiment/equipment pack are built into the kerbal mesh directly.

[Issac]

22 minutes ago, Angel-125 said:

 

From the sound of it @Issac is doing something similar to KIS, which attaches the mesh to the bones in the kerbal. The backpack and parachute and new experiment/equipment pack are built into the kerbal mesh directly.

 

2 hours ago, ktosiu said:

Hold up, how did you do this?

Which class handles the look of the cargo part on a Kerbal? Don't all parts other than the jetpack and the parachute end up looking like a science experiment?

@Angel-125is right. Using "PartLoader" to get to part's prefeb. And then use "Instantiate()" to create the prefeb as a child of Kerbal.  At last using code to find the "MeshRenderer" of kerbal's backpacks and turn them off.

The bad side of this method is that PartModule on KHSK's part won't work. So all of the features are controlled by a PartModule attached on the kerbal.

4 hours ago, SpaceFace545 said:

Wow, someone is finally working with the stock inventory system and it looks amazing. Would it be possible to have the exoskeleton increase the kerbal's jump height or running speed for "experimental testing," cough cough fun cough cough

I planed to do this at beginning. But i'm afraid changing the run/walk speed and jump strength will cause some physical problems, it needs a lot of test. So  i canceled this feature at last.

[woeller]

Oh! A release! It‘s such a great idea and nice modeling/texturing work that i have to test this soon. 

[Issac]

2 hours ago, woeller said:

Oh! A release! It‘s such a great idea and nice modeling/texturing work that i have to test this soon. 

Thanks!There will be more feartures in the future.

[Rocketology]

This is something I didn't even know I needed! Well done!

[Raptor22]

I'll have to keep an eye on this mod! I hope to see more content like this to use the new stock inventory system.

 

Is there a way that you could incorporate KIS with this? More specifically, have it so that it also increases the Kerbal's KIS lift weight. I find myself using both the stock building system and KIS (using the latter more frequently for now, as I've had more experience with it).

Edited April 25, 2021 by Raptor22

[Captain Tak]

I think an addition that would be cool is some sort of "Battery Pack" wearable, so you can wear that with the exoskeleton and it will increase maximum construction weight even more.

[theJesuit]

I've release my new mod Simplex Assembly that allows all parts to be manipulated for Construction purposes. 

This is a must have to go alongside it.

Thanks again for providinv this.

[flart]

On 2/28/2021 at 11:21 PM, Issac said:

Two parts are working in progress, and almost finished

I don't know that they are, but EVA Flag as separate inventory part, and an option to disable the stock magical unlimited flag would be cool.

Also, is it stable enough to be added to CKAN ? 

Edited August 18, 2021 by flart

[pbristow]

Excellent idea! When I'm nearer the end of the tech tree in my current game, I'm thinking of some large construction projects to try, so this mod will probably be on my shopping list at that point. =:o}  Ithink you're right that 15x lifting ability is probably a bit too high: I was thinking of 4 times, which is may be too low. Maybe 8x is about right?

Another idea you might like to consider including: A simple "MLED" (Mechanical Lift Enhancement Device" - i.e. a car jack!) that a Kerbal can carry as an inventory item, and which doubles their personal lifting ability. This would be lighter and cheaper than exoskeleton, but still almost as useful has having an extra crew member around. Perhaps the jack should add more lifting ability if the Kerbal is an engineer (who knows how to use it best). Thus a typical team of three Kerbals - an engineer, a scientist and a pilot - could lift 7 Kerbals' worth of weight; Or the pilot could use the exoskeleton while the other two use their jacks... Lots of possibilities for optimising your crew's lifting ability. =:o}

[theJesuit]

As for lifting ability, if think the right balance could be found by enabling 4 crew to lift the 2.5 ton of the hitchhiker (when the hitchhiker was the cargoPartModule added with SIMPLEX Assembly or Part Volume mods.  Currently on Kerbin the original 4 with exoskeletons have a lifting capacity of 3.72 tons.  So reducing this to 2.5 would be okay. 

TBH I'm not sure how that translates to space or say Minmus construction.  But i dint want to have to deal with more than 4 EVA kerbals as that is just grind.

[Daniel Prates]

What a great idea! I hope this is progressing well. Many kudos!

[JadeOfMaar]

On 8/20/2021 at 1:46 PM, theJesuit said:

As for lifting ability, if think the right balance could be found by enabling 4 crew to lift the 2.5 ton of the hitchhiker (when the hitchhiker was the cargoPartModule added with SIMPLEX Assembly or Part Volume mods.  Currently on Kerbin the original 4 with exoskeletons have a lifting capacity of 3.72 tons.  So reducing this to 2.5 would be okay. 

TBH I'm not sure how that translates to space or say Minmus construction.  But i dint want to have to deal with more than 4 EVA kerbals as that is just grind.

A kerbal's stock lifting capacity is given in a unit of force, I think, and not mass (as with KIS). It's more realistic™ as it respects gravity. This lift force is more effective in lower gravity (less opposing force from less gravity), so while you make it take 4 kerbals to lift a Hitchhiker on Kerbin, you'll need just 1 kerbal to lift it when on Mun or Minmus, or the 4 kerbals can lift much more than one Hitchhiker.

[theJesuit]

 

27 minutes ago, JadeOfMaar said:

A kerbal's stock lifting capacity is given in a unit of force, I think, and not mass (as with KIS). It's more realistic™ as it respects gravity. This lift force is more effective in lower gravity (less opposing force from less gravity), so while you make it take 4 kerbals to lift a Hitchhiker on Kerbin, you'll need just 1 kerbal to lift it when on Mun or Minmus, or the 4 kerbals can lift much more than one Hitchhiker.

What about a 350ton arcology?  Jks

Thanks for the insight.

Peace.