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Open Source Construction Techniques for Craft Aesthetics


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well, here's some new simple things i now use which looks good / are useful :P

first, something simple, but which looks nice (and can surround other engines) : external podding of 24-77 and 48-7s with the small hardpoint - (also, no need of fuel lines with those :P)

'podded' 24-77 use only 2 parts, the podded 48-7s use 5.

rTUUbuzl.png

the 'build' sequence for the podded 48-7s goes from left to right - add a first cubic strut on the small hardpoint, and the 48-7s on the cubic strut. prepare the second cubic strut with a standard NC attached to it, then pick this second cubic strut and clip it to the first cubic strut.

second element, i've been trying to create some concealed emergency orbital system for kerbals (can be used for 1-man escape pods, or as a safety system on 1-man space planes, if they endure an unplanned disassembly in orbit)

here's the result, which can be used for MK1 cockpit or Command pod MK1:

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as you can see, the whole system basically fits inside a TR-18A stack decoupler - so it's completely concealed on a spaceship.

the build order is very simple : 1 TR-18A, a Z-200 battery under it (i put two LV-1R engines around it, in a way that only nozzles will point under the stack decoupler) and i add 2 Round-8 fuel tanks (clipped one directly on another). i then attach a TR-2V stack decoupler onto the last round-8, pointing down.

in the end, this system weights 0.407 tons, and gives respectively : 529 m/s of delta-v and a TWR of 0.23 for a command pod MK1 fitted with a mk16 parachute, or 342 m/s of delta-v and a TWR of 0.16 for a MK1 cockpit with two MK2-r parachutes.

which is plenty enough for deorbiting the pod or reaching an orbital station. (also, the z-200 battery gives you a good amount of electricity to power the pod's torque wheels for the various rotations)

don't leave your kerbals stranded in space ! :)

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A thing I have noticed. Everything shown here is made easier by using EditorExtensions, which have made none of these live up to their advertised part count. I don't need those evil cubes. With the ed extensions, you can toggle surface attatch and part clipping for any part without the debug.

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Does EditorExtensions allow sharing of .craft files with people who aren't using the plugin? My main concern is for my craft to remain "stock" in that they can be used by anyone. Note: I'm not totally averse to mods, since I use Subassembly Manager.

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EditorExtensions simply allows more things to be done to the .craft file in editor. ANY KSP install can still read that .craft file and the craft will work perfectly. IT has really become a mod that I am genuinely dependent on now. That is how I get my asparagus booster perfectly lined up height wise, vertical snap function.

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@Gusturbo

no, the 48-7S does not require a fuel line - the structural hardpoint is a structural part with fuel crossfeed on, so the fuel will flow from the fuel tank it's attached to, to the cubic strut radially attached onto the structural hardpoint, then to the 48-7s.

(basically, fuel can flow from a tank / something clipped inline to a tank with fuel crossfeed on to a structural part radially attached to it (that's the same fuel flow as the Nerva clipped inside a structural fuselage) - the fuel can continue to 'hop' onto successive radially attached structural parts - as long as they have 'fuel crossfeed' on.

for the emergency orbital manoeuver ring,

you will attach the first part of the rest of your craft to the TR-2V (whatever you want, fuel tank, structural fuselage, ect)

the TR-2V will act as the abort point : it's it which will decouple from the rest of the craft - the TR-18A, the tanks and the engines will stay with the command pod until you eject the TR-18A for reentry.

it might be useful to have some struts between the craft and the TR-18A, as the TR-2V is a little wobbly. (the TR-2V will also act as a 'weak' point, so in case of catastrophic damage on the craft , the command pod is likely to separate from the rest of the craft at the TR-2V level, so you'll still have your emergency ring :))

the system can also be build in reverse : 1st the TR-2V, then the two round-8 clipped on each other, you prepare the battery apart with the two engines radially attached to it, and finally the TR-18A. (so you can make ejection pods :P)

Edited by sgt_flyer
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I have something similar to provide, just my two cents. A LANTR-equivalent that works with the shroud. Part clipping is required, though (at least to make it without struts) The process is as follows:

First, place the tank, a X16:

hS1OoI5.png

Then, turn part clipping on and place the nuclear engine that will serve as in-space powerplant. Good time to action-group it for later:

Ew7fcCP.png

Then just place a poodle engine on top, for x5 the thrust at twice the weight. A true Lox-Augmented Nuclear Thermal Rocket equivalent in my book, and it ensures that when you place the decoupler under it, the shroud works perfectly.

ee41IPn.png

And that's it, no fuel lines or struts required. Both engines will feed correctly, and with action groups you can turn the nuke on and off, or just go with it since you can select the poodle at any time. Happy flights!

Ixvihi7.png

Rune. Wants to contribute to a brilliant repertoire! :)

Edited by Rune
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The shrouded docking port is cool. Would be interested in seeing two of them docked together.

I remember posting a thread about hiding dual LV-Ns like that back in April. It was destroyed by the forum crash.

Whats fun is to turn on surface attatch on non surface attaching engines. THey automatically mount at the model origin so about half of it is hidden. You can do that with EditorExtensions and it makes some sick upper stages.

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GUYS. I just discovered something!

I was working my my Mini Proton rocket and had a lot of trouble finding a suitable shroud to cover the third stage engine. It had to be light weight, low part count and look good.

The solution... Ladders!

3dBliFf.png

This can be done by turning the long ladder until the the storage part is facing up and use it as a short shroud for rocket. It's physicless too, which is perfect for what I am building.

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GUYS. I just discovered something!

I was working my my Mini Proton rocket and had a lot of trouble finding a suitable shroud to cover the third stage engine. It had to be light weight, low part count and look good.

The solution... Ladders!

This can be done by turning the long ladder until the the storage part is facing up and use it as a short shroud for rocket. It's physicless too, which is perfect for what I am building.

Yes! That's what I'm talking about.

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GUYS. I just discovered something!

I was working my my Mini Proton rocket and had a lot of trouble finding a suitable shroud to cover the third stage engine. It had to be light weight, low part count and look good.

The solution... Ladders!

This can be done by turning the long ladder until the the storage part is facing up and use it as a short shroud for rocket. It's physicless too, which is perfect for what I am building.

Dude, that really works! I like that! Nice work Giggleplex! never woulda thought of that.

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Mabe it's old-ish now ,but there is 5 simple hacks I use myself :).

Tip no.0 : Hiding struts inside Jumbo 64 (orange) tanks

screenshot16.png

You can hide struts (in double symmetry) inside Grey boxes on the ends of fuel lines - no part clipping needed !

Tip no.1 : Using large docking port as Pod decoupler

CTV2.png

Docking port Sr. compared to 2.5m decoupler Is much lighter, thinner and can save you from accidental separation.

Tip no.2 : Using small structural panel between Mainsail and jumbo 64 fuel tank

PanelSandwich.png

This fix can let you use mainsail with orange tanks without exploding or need of putting smaller tanks in between... fuel line required.

Tip no.3 : Universal docking port (part clipping required)

DualPort_+small.png

You can stack 2 docking ports to same attachment node to get docking port being able to dock with both types... If you dock 2 universal ports together they stay connected permanently.

Tip no.4 : Twinsail !

TwinSail21.png

One of my favorite clusters (just 2 structural cubes placed vertically in 2x symmetry), powerful enough to push larger single core rockets, and looks cool :cool:. You can made it look better by adding nosecones (and put fuel lines under first fuel tank) ,but it will require part clipping.

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This thread reminds me of Lego. It's wonderful.

as you can see, the whole system basically fits inside a TR-18A stack decoupler - so it's completely concealed on a spaceship.

...

don't leave your kerbals stranded in space ! :)

I liked this idea so much that I'm trying to invent my own for the 3-man pod.

It's difficult since it seems that if I conceal parts inside the 2m decoupler, the game things the engines will fire inside its collision mesh rather than "through" the ring, making all thrust just push against the connection between the decoupler and command pod.

Edited by Blue
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You don't have to use "landing legs" as actual landing legs. The quad coupler structural piece makes for some nice "feet".

spg1XkA.png

No clipping needed. This was just structural fusealages + quad coupler. It also uses radial attachment points onto more structural fusealages, and then a nosecone plus avionics to round out the look.

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You do have to strut things. While the parts themselves have high impact tolerance, the joints between them don't. I found my first attempt landing and losing a single "shoe". Everything was in position and nothing broke, but it had a wobble since it wasn't connected at the foot. A pair of struts, a relaunch, and perfecto.

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@blue : here's an attempt for 2.5m escape ring (with only the nozzles protruding, like on my small escape ring):

(taken with engineer redux to show the delta-v / TWR)

the escape ring in this form weights 1.8 tons.

kFLJgrGl.png

hrgfPHbl.png

in this version, basically everything is attached to the TR-18A decoupler thanks to those cubic struts, so it's easy to build the ring from top down (for spacecraft escape ring) or from the ground up (escape pod)

basically, on each cubic strut (symmetry x4) i have : 1 round 8 at each end of the cubic strut, 1 Z-200 battery attached at the lower round-8, and 2 ant radial engines attached at the z-200 battery. (as all the parts are 'inline' with each other, the engines will be able pump fuel from both round 8 tanks.

axvXgDWl.png

the small octo strut is just there to 'space' the TR-18A so the connection with whatever below make it look like a regular rockomax decoupler :P

btjk6y0l.png

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