SchwinnTropius

Interesting idea, will add into my game.

I started modding for KSP a few weeks ago for my own edu-tainment, and I have an idea for a part I want to make but not sure where or how to start. I want to make a trailer hitch part (akin to semi-truck/trailer hitches) that can give free movement once it joins two parts (akin to the stock klaw). I imported the klaw into Blender but I'm so overwhelmed by the sheer number of objects in the klaw model that it's difficult to decipher what objects do what. The klaw's config has FXModuleLookAtConstraint with almost as many references. I'm only looking to move one object with my part idea to keep things simple for the moment while still emulating the klaw's free joint movement. So how can I set this up to do what I want to do? Is it manageable for a newbie, or am I in over my head?

Neat trick. That sounds cool in itself. I see what you mean though, I'll keep that in mind for future testing.

I used your impeller config as a basis for my part, and switched the modules, then used IntakeAir instead of your Airflow. I wasn't able to get your impeller running again in my tests, even when reoriented to the proper direction. That prompted my config digging. I haven't tested performance of my part at various altitudes yet, so far I just wanted to see if it worked at all. I would imagine setting a curve to make it starve at thinner air pressures could be simulated the way it is for the jet engines. But, I just started learning modding and I'm pretty sure I have much to learn, especially about curves like that.

Maybe, if I can make a prettier model and get a few other parts put together for a pack. I just started modelling a few weeks ago, I'm not quite ready yet to release stuff for public consumption, not until it looks pretty.

To add to what I wrote above, I discovered IntakeAir can be used as long as ModuleResourceIntake has checkForOxygen = false. I made my own propeller part and tested it on Duna with success. I posted about it here.

Following up on my teal box mod part from a few weeks ago, I've made a propeller part that works anywhere with an atmosphere*. I discovered IntakeAir can be used as long as checkForOxygen = false in ModuleResourceIntake. Thrust curves and the like need tweaking, but it flies. *tested on Duna, but since Duna has no oxygen and it works, it should work elsewhere.

I just took a look at your Lil' Buzzer part for research on making my own impellar parts. I noticed it can get starved for your created Airflow resource, and that once it is starved it doesn't run again. Through poking around other part configs, I noticed the stock Goliath does something similar to your impellar for intaking a resource, but the ModuleResourceIntake is set before the ModuleEnginesFX so the engine can get the resulting IntakeAir. Relevant bit from your Lil' Buzzer config: Relevant bit from the stock Goliath config: It would be a small tweak, but it may help the Lil' Buzzer's performance so it will no longer be starved if you moved ModuleResourceIntake to before ModuleEnginesFX.

Great to know, not just for IndicatorLights mesh adding, but for modelling in general.

@Azimech has a good locking hitch design that uses the smallest control surfaces with the small black and white nose cone. I borrowed his design for my own trucks with great success. You can see it in this thread.

Made my first custom part. It's nothing special, but the knowledge gained will be incredibly handy for future parts.

That works. Thank you @Randazzo. But now I have a new issue: model appears tiny in VAB, and the catalog on the side says its 2 cm, I intended it to be 2 m. Any ideas? EDIT: Nevermind, figured it out using advice from another thread (this thread for anyone peeking in).

I just started modelling, and I seem to have a good handle on things, but apparently not as much as I thought. I've been looking at guides on these forums as well as YouTube videos, and none quite yet explain my issue. I'm trying to make a simple box as a structural part just to learn the process of getting stuff into the game. I can get as far as creating the .mu, and my node definitions in my .cfg have integers where needed (as it's a slightly modified version of the stock Modular Girder Segment), but the part doesn't show up at all in-game, and the log states that the model doesn't exist. I'm not sure if it's something in Blender(v2.78a) or Unity(v5.4.0p4) that I'm missing. KSP 1.2.2 output log: Current .cfg: I can post screenshots if necessary of what I have in both Blender and Unity tomorrow morning, work will keep me occupied until then. Any thoughts?

Can you specify exactly which folders to install? There's a lot of stuff in the PartOverhauls Source folder...

As Snark has said, the HG-5s are handy early on, playstyle permitting. Two sats with two HG-5s each in highly eccentric polar orbits plus another identical sat or two in equatorial orbit gives great coverage back to Kerbin. It's a good start for a comm system, and everything can be easily upgraded later with better relays.

But wheelies are awesome!

Not sure if you were planning on covering it in your video about alexmoon's transfer window calculator, but you may want to mention TriggerAu's Transfer Window Planner mod that implements the calculator in-game.

After looking at the imgur album, something like that can be done. I can probably put together a config for a part that does that with existing models in this mod, but I think @Snark should be the one to give the final go-ahead on it. (Plus I'm at work on break, and using mobile so can't quite write anything right now)

@Darth Jeb It probably can. Any chance of a link? I have an idea, but it's also 5am here and my idea may not quite sync up with yours.

Ah, ok. Thank you. I saw bits of that here and there in this forum but it helps to have it all in one place.

Love the concept of this mod, and I have tinkered with it a little bit in my current career. Since I haven't seen any of the shows, I'm a little lost in how to put these together and use them. Any chance at some point of a basic instruction manual (as un-kerbal as that is)?

Just in time for the holidays, for those that decorate trees for the season, here's a little something I put together to celebrate the holiday: I've had the idea for a while to make a Christmas tree light out of Snark's BL-01 light with the Z-100 indicator model, and I wrote a Module Manager patch to clone the light to make it happen. Link to the patch here. Tree itself is made from Fuel Tanks Plus adapters, with the root part being the Mk1 Lander Can. This tree can be downloaded from KerbalX here. (Fuel Tanks Plus, IndicatorLights, and the linked patch are requirements)

Didn't show there either. I found the imgur bit to embed it directly into my earlier post, so now all can see it in its BlinkenLights glory!

Happy holidays! For those of you that decorate trees for the season, here's a little something I put together to celebrate the holiday: http://imgur.com/DryjTYh I made a part clone of the BL-01 and added the mesh from the Z-100 battery indicator to create the tubular light like those used in Christmas trees. Phasing of the light blinking could use a little tweaking to look more uniform, but it's pretty. Module Manager patch in the spoiler if anyone wants to have their own "tree" light. EDIT: Now available on KerbalX if you want to download it for your own save. (Requires the patch above and Fuel Tanks Plus, FYI)

Love the naming scheme.