[1.0.2] NovaPunch 2.09. - May 6th - 1.0 Compatibility Update

[Tiberion]

Not to be rude, but please check back in the last few pages, that has been asked and answered

[ashrutoraman]

Well its the same size as the current 2m novapunch parts, I guess its 2.5m ingame since the stock scale is 1.25.

Anyway it matches the stock parts like so:

sory i read it alrdy when i writing post i think i couldnt understand your post...

[Tiberion]

That was in reply to another post, but its saying that it matches up with the "bigger" stock parts now, like the stock 3man pod, so yes, its bigger than before.

Odin is mostly done now, I just need to re-align all of the parts and finalize its fuel usage.

The ladder is a little "rigged" and mimics the kerbal climbing up the leg and hull, but it works. When and if I finally get time to make Odin 2.0 with all the merged parts, I'll model proper ladder access, but this will be good enough

Left to do: Engine resize and finalized fuel consumption, add a hatch to the 1m pod and then a little work on Thor to make it work. At least 2 days or work left.

[jpkerman]

Good to see this pack being version upgraded.

On another note, and not to throw a wrench in your plans, but in the Nova Update 2 thread it was pointed out that if Kerbals are 1 meter tall then the 1 meter pod is not a believable carrier of Kerbalnauts. I would like to think a purpose for the 1m pod exists but I don't think it really needs a hatch unless it is for a purpose other than placing a Kerbal inside.

[Tiberion]

Well the default scale factor for all parts is 1.25x, so any part that doesnt have a different rescalefactor set defaults to that. So for all of the old 1m parts I didn't change, they're actually 1.25 in diameter, and exactly match the old stock parts. The NP 2m parts are actually 2.5m now, and the 3m parts are 3.75.

Unless I remodel them and set the scalefactor to 1.0, I still have to think about them in their original size when planning parts, so I will mistakenly use the old numbers.

In short the little mercury pod is 1.25m now and is roughly as big as the stock 1man pod.

I pondered making it fit on the 1.75m parts to be a Gemini-sized pod, but Tosh already has an excellent Gemini pod at that size. We can worry about that once everything else is done.

[jpkerman]

Good points, they (in the other thread) may have been accepting the pod at it's designated 1m name as total size, not the extra size scale factor. The pods see to be rounded down in naming. Almost as if the named size 1m, 2m, 3m refers to the interior size with the .25, .50, .75 being the exterior dimensions. Thus 1 Kerbal per meter (perhaps cubic meters?) in interior area/equipment per crew number. If not, perhaps an effective standard to adopt in capsule design scale. Except for tourist class capsule space, stack them like firewood.

I think Tosh mentioned in a post that he plans to resize and cut a hatch on his Gemini but is too busy with another project at the moment.

[Tiberion]

Finally got Odin "done" - since its been so long since I released anything, I am going to give you a preview/tester version of Odin for 0.16 to play with

http://www./?a5w0ku3w58inkp4 - NovaPunch - Odin Craft for KSP 0.16 (beta test release)

It is JUST the Odin Orbital Vehicle, not the entire NovaPunch release

Changes:

Resized to 2m+ part standard, pod holds 3 crew

Fuel, engines, and ship mass rebalanced for new size

EVA hatch and ladders added to pod and ship structure (climb up where the legs are)

Legs redone again, much less wobble now.

Barely had time for a quick test flight:

Bob, Bill and Jeb volunteered to make this mission.

Our intrepid trio enjoy Odin's new EVA function. Someone forgot to tell them to keep someone inside at all times, but they managed.

So, let me know how it works. The new numbers are a bit 'last minute' so they may be weird.

[ouion]

can you make 3m pod for interplanetary travel.

[ReNe]

finally it works! i was so waiting for this !

[Cooly568]

can't wait for this to be updated

[Zaran]

Odin 0.16 feedback:

Had a chance to play with the ship this afternoon, first look seems good overall. The fuel consumption of the engines seems a little high perhaps or it could just be that I am still not really used to the new fuel "balance" yet. The nose cone construction seems to wobble a little if my launch stages make a sudden turn or jolt and I managed to break the fuel tanks a few times.

Granted these times were when I had collisions with spent stages or that PowerSat I had orbiting the Mun that needed "taking care of" and when it must have gotten crushed in a decoupler while I was launching.

[Guest butt head]

iv played with the 2m odin in orbit only so far and it seems to have under powered rcs and engine and the rcs thruster blocks in the vab can be clicked on while your mouse in not over them so to big clicky box thingy you cant radially attach any thing to the pod as well and ye cant stick the engines or landing gear on the sides of stuff so it only work with the odin and you cant carry them over into another craft

[antiquark]

I tried it, it's pretty good! But it seems to have a fuel flow bug, if I make a small rocket with four Odin fuel tanks, it can go to the moon and back in a single stage.

[Shadowsun]

It'll be awesome whenever we can launch the Odin connected to the Thor lander and keep the Odin in use as an orbiter for the lander to rendezvous with and take the Kerbals home. Especially now that we don't need docking to do this and all that'd be needed is to EVA the crew between each craft.

[Tiberion]

As always, the Odin parts arent really made to be used "alone" outside of the ship construct; in theory the fuel is stored throughout the service module and not only in that tiny tank (its tiny to allow the engines to attach as they do. If I put all the mass on the tank, then the engines and other parts are lightweight and thus OP

So stacking 4 Odin tanks is no different that editing a config file to quadruple fuel.

When I redo Odin using partmodules, it shouldn't be a problem, not much I can do now though.

Shadowsun: Yeah, we need the ability to have multiple command pods, then it would be super easy. We'll probably get multiple command pods in the docking update though, heh.

I suppose I could cheat and make it a tank with internal space and use a mechjeb to control it. Maybe in a version or two.

Btw the clickable part outside the mesh on the RCS block is the fake ladder. Only way I could do it, currently.

[jpkerman]

Made two sub orbital test launches. Very strong capsule ASAS but I did not get much clearance when I jettisoned the service module. I believe that in the Apollo program the CM would translate 'down and away' on their thrusters when casting off the SM. Since we do not have working RCS built into the capsules I would suggest a bit of ejection force on the proper part to move the lander/engine section away.

[ouion]

when i deploymy odin parachute it got ripped off the top of the capluse. thats a problem can you Tiberion.

[Tiberion]

did you decouple the rest of the ship; the parachute will only carry the pod, so if the tanks and engines are attached that will indeed happen (unless you also fire the engines to slow you down; you can actually make a powered landing with Odin on Kerbin if you have the fuel left)

jpkerman: Yeah I imagine I forgot to mess with the deocupler force - the mass is roughly doubled from the old version, so the force would need a boost. On the list!

------------

Currently working on making the Thor lander legs have ladder grips on them when deployed, so you can climb them. It's done otherwise, so that mostly leaves th engine changes I was talking about earlier, which is all config editing, so it shouldn't be too hard. MAYBE be ready for a release late late tonight

Edited September 3, 2012 by Tiberion

[djnekkid]

are there a known weakness on the 3m faring panel? I.e. it does "easy" rip appart if there are some rather substantial weight on top of it? I did smack about 10 "spare parts" from the orbital construction addon (total 50 tons) plus some other minor things, totally probably about 55tons, and every time when i did get a quite high speed, i think its around 4-500m/s, then it rupts...

any suggestins where in the .cfg files i could add a 0 or two, so the strength would be higher?

[Tiberion]

How did you put weight "on top" of the fairing panel, they're designed to go "around" your payload to hide them, and not carry weight (their top nodes are used to attach another set of panels, or one of the nosecone pieces.

They have next to no colliders in them, so they can't support any weight...

Can you upload a screenshot of your ship so we can it?

[djnekkid]

oh ****, i ment bulkhead ... the one you attach the plates to

edit2:

try this file, at roughly 175-200m/s (when boosting at full throttle, and set mechjab to 90/90 surf) it rupts

here

mods needed:

Novapunch

mechjab

remote sattelite thingy

possibly KW rocket pack

ps.

its stored on my own server on my own home dsl line, scream if it dont show, i might have gotten something wrong

Edited September 3, 2012 by djnekkid

[ouion]

yes i did,but i think is high speed

[Tiberion]

Hmm, I see. Editing the config might help.. give it a try.

Open NP_Fairings_3m_plate in the parts folder, and then open the parts.cfg in there in notepad:

find

crashTolerance = 20

Make the number bigger, and then add the two breaking* lines right below it. Save it and reload KSP to test it out.

crashTolerance = 160

breakingForce = 15000

breakingTorque = 15000

Those numbers are super strong, so if they don't help you'll need to adjust your build in some way.

[ouion]

is the thor lander 2 or 3 crew

[Tiberion]

Alright, Thor is now fully functional too, though the climbable surface of the landing gear is a little tricky and will need refinement, but it 'works' as is.

So Thor is now set to a scale of 1.75. The LEM at 1.25 was just too small to believably hold 2 kerbals, so I bumped it up slightly. It fits nicely within the "3m" fairings in the standard configuration, and after adjusting the mass, fuel and Isp accordingly, a test mission to the Mun using the Grungnir launcher worked flawlessly, so I think its in a nice spot.

Pictures!

So that leaves me with the engine tweaks and final polish, which is more than I can get done before a reasonable time tonight, so it won't be until tomorrow some time before I release it. The first version will likely have some issues, so consider it a "beta" release and report back with any trouble you have. The finish line is in view

BTW, since I re-posted the downloads there has been 1000 downloads of 1.2b already, and 150 downloads of the demo version. 90 of you have tested out Odin. Crazy

Edited September 4, 2012 by Tiberion