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[1.0.x] [V1.9f] Kerbal Foundries wheels, anti-grav repulsors and tracks


lo-fi

What to work on next?  

1,282 members have voted

  1. 1. What to work on next?

    • More wheels
      123
    • More tracks
      453
    • Rover bodies
      241
    • Landing gear
      137
    • Landing legs
      108
    • Something completely different
      193


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Don't forget some of my code alterations too... though, I didn't exactly, rigorously, test all of those.

I'm curious... so I have this little tweaking mod that expanded the "free" scale type to allow anything from 5% to 400%. I can take one of your small tracks and make them larger than 6x6 mole tracks back to back AND on top of each other. I haven't tested it yet, but I'd love to know how you think it will perform at that scale?

I think, however, we could make things a bit more modular if we separate your exponent controls from the part files themselves and create a custom scale type to handle your parts. I'll get to work converting that if you'd like. I'm also not too sure about the "free" scale type as a base, since that technically allows the user to circumvent any specified scale levels and can sometimes make it hard to keep different parts scaled by the same factor. Instead, I would provide a custom scale type with tested scaling values specified directly. Also, I noticed in your code that you've added the scaled variable to your calculations in some places. I also wonder if there are other parameters that could be scaled as well, which don't actually require making code changes, or at least not too many of them. I'm thinking things like the default repulsor strength/damping and stuff. I intend to do some testing personally and see what I can come up with. I've becomes rather familiar with your code lately.

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Yes, I need to dig them out too :)

Ummm, yeah it should be fine at silly scales, provided I've not missed something. I take it you mean make one of those Module Manager patch things that TS spams the loader with that I keep having to delete? I think most stuff in the plugin is driven off the tweakScaleCorrector config node - I've not really got round to updating the replusor TS yet, just the wheels for the moment. The variable is necessary to deal with a load of stuff that just doesn't scale when wheel colliders are scaled. It's a crazy world in there, took me a while to realise what's going on! I still need to do a lot of testing with the wheels, as I may well have broken the deploy/retract stuff, along with lots of other things, so don't be surprised if there are major gremlins.

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Well, I won't clutter your already cluttered workload with a ton of new stuff, but I do intend to do a little experimenting. Who knows, I might stumble on something. What I lack in C# knowledge I make up for in configuration knowledge. We'll see if that helps me at all.

As for the spamming stuff, no that's definitely not what I'm talking about. What I am referring to is that you can define a scale type, or the plugin variable exponents, in a separate configuration file and then simply reference them from within the tweakscale module in the part instead of having to redefine them for every part. Module Manager can also patch those definitions, but it's not actually necessary for these kinds of definitions to work. At this time, there isn't much need to modularize your implementation, but if/when you get this mod stable enough to warrant some massive content updates, it would save a lot of time and frustration to export the data into separate configs much like the official TS distribution does it.

But that can all wait. I'll fiddle around and get back to you when I have something to show. In the meantime... get back to work you slacker!

EDIT: As a good example, here's what I put together for a custom KF scaletype:

SCALETYPE
{
name = KFScale
freeScale = false
scaleFactors = 0.75, 1.0, 1.25
scaleNames = Small, Medium, Large
defaultScale = 1.0
}

We then remove those parameters from from the module in the part and redefine the scale type from "free" to "KFScale" and we're good to go. I'm still researching whether or not we can define the module modifiers in the scale type definition as well, so I'll get back to you.

Edited by Gaalidas
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Ah, wicked. You've clearly got a better handle on the TS stuff than I do!

Hey, I won't claim to have a "better" handle on it, but I know enough to be dangerous. (Yes, dangerous... I've broken it all many times and I'm very good at it.)

Now I just need to go look at your code and see if I can add a debug display of that new parameter you added for tweakscale support to the part's context menu so I can see if things are working as intended. Sometimes I wish there was an easy way to view all of KSP's variables and their current values. In other platforms there's always been a console window where you could call up the current cvars and whatnot, modify or monitor them at will and whatnot.

Edited by Gaalidas
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Loving the antigrav repulsors! :)

Been six months and it's still inspiring when someone drops by with feedback. Cheers :)

I've really broken KSP many, many times, Gaalidas! Most notably when I first started using coroutines and forgot to add the yield return; statements. KSP merrily entered the while(true) loop I'd asked it to, and stayed there with no way out. Broken load, three finger salute coming right up... Errr...

By the way, there's a skunkworks project on the go with nli2work. Gonna be seriously cool!

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jx83HbP.jpg?1

I'm trying to use RBI tracks in career, it's great fun! I could tow stuff with this tractor around near my Mun base, it handles perfect. So far no detectable bugs for me.

The only thing I would wish for is more actual traction. I can live without speed, but it would be really nice to have a decent grip on the surface - I reckon tracks should be much better at this in low gravity, compared to wheels. This machine is quite heavy, but it still can only climb something like 15 degree slope, otherwise it just slides back. (BTW I think I'm stuck in this crater. :P )

I would be ok with even a fake friction module, like in the days of cart.dll :) Still would be more realistic and fun.

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Really nice looking craft! Where are the rails from? Do they do anything? Look like they should hold tanks.

Rails are helicopter landing things from firespitter :) . It's basically a rollcage for the whole thing, so I won't smash reactor or some other valuable equipment if I tip to the side :P.

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@corovaneer, that's seriously cool! Cunning use of rails, I like that. I've done a lot of tweaking of the grip and torque values since the last release, so I don't think you'll be disappointed with 1.8 :)

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Ok, this was a secret project i was working on, but i have hit a snag. Almost literally.

I built a huge "railgun" track 100km from the sun. I have a ship that runs down the center, hopefully without bouncing around. Wheels would clip through the track, so i went with eight repulsors. Now, at two "segments" long the system works alright, i get some drag but its not so bad. At three of these segments long, the overpowered engines can barely squeak along at .7m/s down the tube. Even turning the repulsors off and on again does nothing.

I have no idea how the repulsors work, so any advice would be awesome!

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when is 1.8 coming oooout

Might be a Christmas present, but depends on a few things getting finished in time and a few issues getting wrangled out of the TS support.

Ok, this was a secret project i was working on, but i have hit a snag. Almost literally.

I built a huge "railgun" track 100km from the sun. I have a ship that runs down the center, hopefully without bouncing around. Wheels would clip through the track, so i went with eight repulsors. Now, at two "segments" long the system works alright, i get some drag but its not so bad. At three of these segments long, the overpowered engines can barely squeak along at .7m/s down the tube. Even turning the repulsors off and on again does nothing.

I have no idea how the repulsors work, so any advice would be awesome!

http://imgur.com/a/s26gm

wow, that's cool! The repulsors are just heavily abused wheel colliders which get disabled when the repulsor is disabled, so I'd imagine there's some other issue at play here, though I can't think what... So the longer you make the track the more drag you get going down it? A bit baffled and rather intrigued by this one!

Loved your rescue kit vid, btw!

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@corovaneer, that's seriously cool! Cunning use of rails, I like that. I've done a lot of tweaking of the grip and torque values since the last release, so I don't think you'll be disappointed with 1.8 :)

I can't wait! Crater-bottom expedition likewise!

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Need a few small engines on the back of that little rover to give you that extra push out of the crater. I've heard KAS grapplers can help to pull somethign up a hill if you launch the grappler high enough that it can fall hard enough to grab the surface.

None of that helps your currently stuck craft, however.

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Use KAS Pull out wrench out as far as possible place down ground pylon drive and retract the wrench. Stop and ancor the vehicle and repeate till you get out It is the same that offroader do if they get stuck in mud, or climb up a steep hill.

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