Snacks Life Support Parts by Whyren v5 (8/31/2014)

[Whyren]

Snacks Life Support Parts by Whyren v5

Now that you have been dazzled by pictures, here are the details:

FEATURES

Snack Containers - Inline and radially attached snack containers for hauling extra snacks across space. Mass and storage are balanced perfectly with the hitch hiker module so you don't have to feel you are cheating the system!

Greenhouses - Harness the power of the sun to grow healthy snacks! Automatic grow lights and HVAC kick in to save the day when sunlight is less than ideal. When you return to visit your colony/station/ship, the snacks you grew while away are harvested and added to you vessel! In theory, the small greenhouse can support 3 kerbals and the large 5 kerbals. In practice, kerbals have been known to over-indulge in snacks!

A small and large greenhouse that work like solar panels, growing snacks through the magical powers of the sun. These are effective as long as the sunlight is not too strong or too weak.

A small, artificially lit greenhouse. It uses electricity to power the grow lights to grow... something green. If your kerbals begin consuming more snacks than normal, don't talk to me about it!

Three radially mounted snack boxes of varying sizes. They hold snacks. These are no excuse to cram your kerbals into a tiny cockpit during a seven year mission! But let's be honest, you are going to do just that.

NOTE: The greenhouses don't work while the ship is not loaded. Since these are meant for permanent stations and bases, I added a "Gimme Snacks!" button to generate snacks very quickly if your base is getting low because you've been flying other missions.

MAJOR TIP OF THE HAT

I used models created by forum member zzz which he donated to the public domain. I didn't model any of this stuff, and you did, so thank you!

Apollo13 has been a big supporter and feedback provider from the start. Thank you!

LICENSE

I am providing these parts under the WTFPL.

KNOWN ISSUES

When snacks are harvested after you have been away, the name of your cockpit or root part is displayed instead of the name of your ship in the onscreen message.

Way more decimal points than necessary are displayed as well.

WHAT'S NEXT?

Snack Purpose Logistics Module - Currently in the game as a resized hitch hiker can, I hope to get a good looking part for those who wish to try resupplying their station via MPLM just like the IRL ISS.

DOWNLOAD

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/20886172/Snacks%20Parts%20By%20Whyren/SnacksPartsByWhyren.zip

SNACKS LIFE SUPPORT MOD

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/90841-0-24-2-Snacks!-Kerbal-simplified-life-support

FINE PRINT SNACKS CONTRACTS

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/20886172/Snacks%20Parts%20By%20Whyren/FinePrint.cfg

(If you have not customized your Fine Print configuration, just copy this into the Fine Print folder. Otherwise, just take a look at the changes I made under ISRU and edit your file accordingly.)

Edited September 1, 2014 by Whyren
New Version

[Woopert]

This looks pretty nice! Good work.

[Renegrade]

Oh, interesting! I'm taking a look. Thanks

[Apollo13]

Healthy snacks!?!? Bah!! My Kerbals want Doritos and Pork Rinds.

Regardless, I've downloaded the mod. My Kerbals will eat healthy until they get the junk food..

Link to Snacks Life Support mod. I just mentioned your mod in the original Snacks Life Support thread.

Also, if you use KAS, add this to the .CFG file(s) to allow the containers to be removed from one ship and placed on another. I did this with just the small container.

MODULE
{
        name = KASModuleGrab
        evaPartPos = (0.0, 0.0, -0.15)
        evaPartDir = (0,0,-1)
        storable = False
        storedSize = 5
        attachOnPart = True
        attachOnEva = True
        attachOnStatic = False
}

Sidebar: I just adjusted the mass of each of the containers in the CFG files to be much heavier.

Edited August 27, 2014 by Apollo13

[biohazard15]

Thanks for the mod!

Any plans for some linear "fridges"?

[Whyren]

Thanks for the input, Apollo13. I agree that KAS functionality on the small box would be awesome. I'll add the config in if I ever get my internet up an running again. (I was actually typing a reply to you a few hours ago when my son said "Daddy, look!" while holding a busted WiFi dongle in his hand. I did an epic double take as I looked from the computer to his hand and bellowed my sorrow to the sky.) I also added a link to the Snacks mod above, as well as a note about the workaround I put into the greenhouses since they don't work while on rails.

Edit: Also, how did you adjust the mass and what was your reasoning? I copied the KAS masses, but I felt they were on the light side for this purpose.

Edited August 27, 2014 by Whyren

[Whyren]

Thanks for the mod!

Any plans for some linear "fridges"?

By linear, do you mean non-radial, inline, kinda like regular old fuel tanks? I don't have a plan, though I wouldn't be opposed to adding something like that in. But I don't want to just make a copy of a stock part and slap Snacks into it instead of fuel. And I also don't know anything about modelling and texturing. If anyone knows of any nice tanks that someone has given to the public domain I'll add them in.

[passinglurker]

Thanks for the mod!

Any plans for some linear "fridges"?

They have those already they are called crew cans.

[Apollo13]

I'll add the config in if I ever get my internet up an running again. (I was actually typing a reply to you a few hours ago when my son said "Daddy, look!" while holding a busted WiFi dongle in his hand. I did an epic double take as I looked from the computer to his hand and bellowed my sorrow to the sky.).

Now THAT is a tale of woe.

Edit: Also, how did you adjust the mass and what was your reasoning? I copied the KAS masses, but I felt they were on the light side for this purpose.

I just changed the mass values in the .CFG files. Why? When loaded with goodies, they should weigh more than 0.02, 0.04, 0.08; but, that's just me. I see tgruetzm posted a link in his Snacks Life Support mod OP to your mod. Awesome!

Edited August 28, 2014 by Apollo13

[TronX33]

I like the idea of the electric one, the solar one seems a bit too OP since a kerbal only consumes 1/2 snack every kerbin day.

[Whyren]

They have those already they are called crew cans.

This is why I wasn't worried about it at first, but I would still be willing to add something. For instance, if I sent a kerbal on a ten year mission, I'd probably add one hitch hiker and then supplement that with snacktainers of some sort.

[Whyren]

I like the idea of the electric one, the solar one seems a bit too OP since a kerbal only consumes 1/2 snack every kerbin day.

They are balanced, atm, to produce the same number of snacks on the surface of kerbin and seem to support 2-3 kerbals. I think the solar one is weaker because it produces nothing without sunlight. Also, the efficiency is set to taper off far more quickly than solar panels do and tapers off getting closer to the sun as well. The effectiveness should be noticeably weaker on Duna and Eve and pretty worthless beyond that.

I thought about combining both into one but wasn't sure how to do it without adding an intermediary resource. Oh, wait! Something occurs to me as I type. I could set the greenhouse to always use electricity to generate snacks via artificial lighting but opening the shutters in ideal conditions would generate exactly the same amount of power to offset the drain. As the sun sets, the "lights get turned back on" and electricity starts draining again. How does that sound?

[Whyren]

I just changed the mass values in the .CFG files. Why? When loaded with goodies, they should weigh more than 0.02, 0.04, 0.08; but, that's just me. I see tgruetzm posted a link in his Snacks Life Support mod OP to your mod. Awesome!

I'm sorry, I meant to ask what you changed the mass to and why you thought it was a good number. I agree they should weigh more and want to update the masses.

[Apollo13]

I'm sorry, I meant to ask what you changed the mass to and why you thought it was a good number. I agree they should weigh more and want to update the masses.

0.2,0.4,0.6

I may change those as well.

Thought you might like to see your mod in action for my Station Science (mod) station orbiting Mun. That station has 12 Kerbals at all times. So, lots of snacks are needed.

In the first image, the orange container is for Kibble for the Zoology experiment used by Station Science mod. The little circle devices you see in front are a separator and an RCS jet. After docking, they're blown off. They can also be removed by a Kerbal on EVA.

The second image is just after launch. I use F.A.R., so fairings are required.

In the last shot, I sent a separate vehicle up with 3 large containers of Snacks, because the Snack House is so slow. When I docked the House originally, the imbalance snapped-off two of my Solar Panels. So, I sent up two Panels with the 3 Snack Containers. I EVA'd a Kerbal to remove the panels from the Snacks vessel and repair the Panels. (yep: using that KAS code in my previous post, you can make ANY part attachable via EVA, including Solar panels).

I have another station like this around Minmus and a base on Minmus. So that's the next stop for the Snack train.

Edited August 28, 2014 by Apollo13

[Vespene]

It would be awesome for a Multi-Purpose Logistics Module that is snack compatible.

[Whyren]

Apoolo13, that is awesome! Are you using the regular or large greenhouse? My tests with the solar/electric combined greenhouse went well last night and I was thinking about axing the large one and just having one greenhouse part. What do you think?

[Whyren]

It would be awesome for a Multi-Purpose Logistics Module that is snack compatible.

That may be the coolest link I clicked today. I'll look into it and see if I can do something. I'm thinking about a module that would fit into an SP+ docking bay with built-in probe core and mono prop since most people don't have robotic arms for docking.

[Apollo13]

Apoolo13, that is awesome! Are you using the regular or large greenhouse? My tests with the solar/electric combined greenhouse went well last night and I was thinking about axing the large one and just having one greenhouse part. What do you think?

I'm using the regular greenhouse. Snacks were just trickling in, like maybe 1 snack every 3 or 4 minutes. As for the large: you've got it now. Might as well keep it.

[jlcarneiro]

Whyren, don't get me wrong, I think this completes Snacks very well (and also looks very cool), but I liked one idea for Snacks about needing contact with soil to generate food...

What do you think?

[tgruetzm]

Whyren, don't get me wrong, I think this completes Snacks very well (and also looks very cool), but I liked one idea for Snacks about needing contact with soil to generate food...

What do you think?

This is coming in the next major version of snacks. Unfortunately I've been busy lately, so it will be a few weeks yet before I get to it.

[passinglurker]

It would be awesome for a Multi-Purpose Logistics Module that is snack compatible.

again isn't that basically what the hitch hiker can is? well aside from the pretty(forums censored the more fitting word I originally used) chrome exterior finish anyway... >.>

[Whyren]

Whyren, don't get me wrong, I think this completes Snacks very well (and also looks very cool), but I liked one idea for Snacks about needing contact with soil to generate food...

What do you think?

That kind of functionality goes beyond a part mod and would require a plugin I think. Besides, like tgruetzm said, he is still planning to add that functionality straight into the mod.

As far as what I think personally, I prefer to keep extra steps out of the process. I came to Snacks because I liked the total simplicity. I like the extra challenge of planning life support supplies for my kerbals, but not the repeated tediousness of supplying permanent bases and space stations. That's where the greenhouse comes in for me. For the extra one-time challenge of getting a really big module in space I can then stop worrying about it.

[Whyren]

again isn't that basically what the hitch hiker can is? well aside from the pretty(forums censored the more fitting word I originally used) chrome exterior finish anyway... >.>

It is, with the only exception that a hitch hiker won't fit into an SP+ cargo bay for reenacting this type of shuttle mission. If I add another part, it will probably be a scaled down hitch hiker just for this purpose. Besides, this is just an extra parts pack. Greenhouse fans can delete the snacktainers, and snacktainer fans can delete the greenhouses and everything still works just fine.

[Whyren]

I should have internet back again tomorrow and I'll upload v2. In v2, the lighted greenhouse will be gone and the small and large greenhouses will work as I explained above: supplementing electricity needed with sunlight gathered. The snacktainers will be heavier, using Apollo13's numbers. The small container will also be KAS-grabbable. Also, the Snack Purpose Logistics Module will be included. For now it is a half-size hitch hiker but I'll see about re-skinning it. Anyone who doesn't have a robotic arm can slap on a stock probe core and some RCS ports to move the module to the station. If anyone has any additional feedback or requests, let me know.

[Apollo13]

Meanwhile, at the Minmus Station Science orbiting lab (with 12 Kerbals), a Kerbal tends to the herbal garden greenhouse, while grabbing a snack during an EVA