Hollow asteroids

[RoverDude]

So I am helping WaRi out with this - just got a model working that incorporates the same functionality as the claw from the ARM pack Will provide some updates shortly once I get some coding done, WaRi gets updated models done, and we finish hashing out details on functionality.

Some very rough initial thoughts: Extensible resource storage, with a longer range option to include habitable caverns with IVA, and a scanner probe to let you scan asteroids for resources and harvest these as part of the hollowing out process.

Stay tuned

[Space_Kraken]

Ooo, I'll be watching this.... Watching this...Watching....

[Captain Sierra]

Good luck to yall! This will be really interesting to see.

An idea I heard a long time ago was that steam can be used as propellant in nuclear engines. Perhaps yall could do a steam powered NTR that is powered by sucking the core out of an asteroid. Perfect way to move it!

As for making actual hollow asteroids, it won't happen. You'd have to beyond overwrite the stock system to spawn hollow asteroids that could be cracked open, the latter being one of the hardest parts because I'm pretty sure KSP won't like procedural mesh splitting.

[RoverDude]

Good luck to yall! This will be really interesting to see.

An idea I heard a long time ago was that steam can be used as propellant in nuclear engines. Perhaps yall could do a steam powered NTR that is powered by sucking the core out of an asteroid. Perfect way to move it!

As for making actual hollow asteroids, it won't happen. You'd have to beyond overwrite the stock system to spawn hollow asteroids that could be cracked open, the latter being one of the hardest parts because I'm pretty sure KSP won't like procedural mesh splitting.

Depends on how you define actually hollow. If it's asteroid shaped, has capacity, IVAs, etc... it's 'hollow' - you won't be able to fly a probe inside of it, but it's almost trivial to have 20 Kerbals board one and fill it with Kethane (or Kittens, assuming Kittens were a resource...). There will be no need to modify the mesh files

[Hyratel]

talk to Majiir about using OpenResource (or whoever is in charge of that) to handle the Asteroid Mass / Crushed Stone / Steam (etc)

[Captain Sierra]

Depends on how you define actually hollow. If it's asteroid shaped, has capacity, IVAs, etc... it's 'hollow' - you won't be able to fly a probe inside of it, but it's almost trivial to have 20 Kerbals board one and fill it with Kethane (or Kittens, assuming Kittens were a resource...). There will be no need to modify the mesh files

No, I was meaning in the sense of the probes flying around inside. it. That would probably require doing things that wouldn't just break KSP, but break Unity as a whole (It's a fragile engine, not as awesome as say Unreal 3).

[RoverDude]

No, I was meaning in the sense of the probes flying around inside. it. That would probably require doing things that wouldn't just break KSP, but break Unity as a whole (It's a fragile engine, not as awesome as say Unreal 3).

Not really, it's just a collision mesh, so something technically doable, just not sure as to the why And not what the mod had in mind.

[Captain Sierra]

Not really, it's just a collision mesh, so something technically doable, just not sure as to the why And not what the mod had in mind.

You'd have to start with a solid convex asteroid with a procedural exterior and interior cavern. You'd have to have something that cracks it open and that would procedurally split the mesh so as to open the rock up, like tapping a geode with a hammer and wedge. I'm pretty sure Unity would melt if you tried to do procedural mesh splitting like that (can you even do that on ANY game engine?). But I digress.

[RoverDude]

You'd have to start with a solid convex asteroid with a procedural exterior and interior cavern. You'd have to have something that cracks it open and that would procedurally split the mesh so as to open the rock up, like tapping a geode with a hammer and wedge. I'm pretty sure Unity would melt if you tried to do procedural mesh splitting like that (can you even do that on ANY game engine?). But I digress.

Not going to go into the details (has as much to do with the design at hand as ham does with hamsters), but something that gave the net effect of taking a solid asteroid model and from the player's standpoint transformed it into two halves, or pieces, or a torus or hollow egg , or made it sprout chia hair and glow green, would not really be a big deal. I think you're focusing on the 'how' vs. presenting to the player the net effect. PM me if you want to chat further on this topic, since it's OT from what's being developed.

[Boamere]

Dat concept art tho

[RoverDude]

Indeed, busy at work on this even as we speak WaRi is knocking out the models, I'm polishing off some of the code.

[RoverDude]

So we have it working

Basically the Jaw pulls mass out of the asteroid, leaving hollow space behind. Then you simply attach one or more resource hatches, expand or contract the space allocation, and insert stuff.

Obligatory screenshot (this is still WIP!)

[crimsonknight3]

This definately has my thumbs up!!!! :D :D

[WaRi]

The first post was updated.

This thread is now obsolete, I will ask to the moderators to close it.

To follow the development of this mod go to this thread

[WIP] Hollow Asteroids

[Rowsdower]

Closed upon request.