electronicfox

Yes, I started the first versions of the caterpillar tracks (with help from EndlessWaves) way back when. I have some ideas on getting the turboprops to pack up nice and small, but for the sake of not being overpowered, they'll sacrifice some thrust or efficiency.

Thats no problem. So long as people dont start demanding release dates Some guys might recall what I did with the tracks mod when that got out of hand. Turboprops are a good idea, but different from regular fuel-driven props, and the deployment will need some thought due to their larger size.

The first version will be electricity, to allow for Duna and Eve excursions, a later version will use fuel.

As I said before, when the 3 prototype parts are finished and fairly balanced, I'll do a prerelease. So now I just need to texture the wings (and fix the buggy aileron animation), and make the engine.

EUREKA! It works! I have now officially popped my plugin cherry. I can also apply similar code to other folding parts, including the troublesome solar panels on the blimp, I just need to swap some parts around but the base code works! For those interested, I replaced "anim(Anim)" with "anim[Anim]" (Credit to Sarbian for helping me with that)...that was the only thing wrong. The code works nicely now And I've included a lift multiplier variable in the CFG so the final lift value can be edited without more plugin messing. Thanks for the help guys Now a gif.

Thank you! I knew it would be something really simple. I already have another value editable in the cfg that will shrink down the animation time value to a reasonable amount for the final draft of this code.

Ok I got this far, but now my anim(Anim).normalizedTime throws up 'is a 'field' but is used like a 'method'.

Now then, I feel like this SHOULD work, I get the error that my anim(Anim).normalizedTime but is a 'field' but is used like a 'method' I have no idea what that means.

I'm slowly figuring things out, and started on a very basic plugin. It still doesnt do anything, and I'm not sure why. But it exists, so thats something. If anyone can point out why this wouldnt work, that'd be great I believe I'm calling the animation in the wrong way, but I cant be sure.

I have an animated wing that deploys itself, but I have come across the unfortunate issue where stock KSP will only register the wings lift values from its initial position, meaning that when the wings are folded and stowed away, they still behave as though they're fully deployed. I figure that one way around this is to link the lift values to the animation of the object (so in short, something like Lift = Frame * x). I had to borrow from other plugins to figure out what I need, and I think I am very close to getting this working, but right now its just not doing anything. This is what I have so far:

I use Photoshop. I believe CS2 is free these days.

I'm experimenting with IR at the moment. It seems to shift the parts and COL properly, I just need to see how it handles multiple moving parts in one object. Edit: IR really doesnt like multiple moving parts in one object.

It would be possible to have narrow wings also. Though another issue I've come up to is that the wings wont change their center of lift, or any of the lift stats in general when stowed in stock KSP, FAR will detect the change though. Another issue with adding animations to parts that dont usually use animations. A plugin that allows me to change the drag and lift of the part according to its place in the animation would work, same as the solar panels, but its getting that plugin (or learning to make it myself, it seems several parts will be needing this, but I really suck at programming so if someone could help out I'd be eternally grateful).

So the wings TECHNICALLY work now. I had to break them into 3 parts, but 3 parts for a pair of folding wings is better than 10-15 parts. The only problems lie with the animation bugging out a bit with the ailerons, and figuring out the best lift stats for this thing.

If it were a rigid envelope, it might be possible. But because this is animated it makes things a bit more complicated. In the long run I may be able to figure something out for this, but not right now.

Ah yes that lovely video. Unfortunately the deployment method used there doesnt lend itself to modular designs very well, so I went a somewhat different route.

I'm not sure if it's in all the airship cfg's, but it is in the Ray one. Near the bottom is a solar panel module that's been made inactive.

Geez all these troubles I'm finding, and other people have already gone through them I can get the two flaps...flapping. But they're basically working as one single flap. No inverted flapping for roll authority it seems. I know the big stock shuttle rudder pulls in another model for the control surface, theoretically that would work for multiple surfaces. Unfortunately since this has a deploy animation its a little more tricky. That said. Maybe using empty objects as fake control surfaces would at least give me roll control, even if the flaps dont animate in the same way. If it comes to it, I'll just seperate the wings into 3 parts that attach easilly (main body and wings), I'd prefer not to have to do that, but limitations are limitations.

As seems to be the norm in modding, another issue has reared its ugly head This problem is in getting two control surfaces to work properly within a single wing. Maybe the Firespitter stuff can get this one working.

Once the wings and engine are finished, then yes, I will do a prerelease of these three parts. From there I'll be developing them further and making more parts to go with the set.

I plan to do so Thanks for that little gem of help.

I thought Hooligan Labs may have had troubles. There is an unused solar panel module in the CFG's of his airship parts. I considered linking the power values to the current animation frames, but as it stands I have no idea how to do that.

Suntracking will deform parts of the model, and I'd prefer not to do that. I havent looked into making it shielded while stowed, but I get the feeling that it will conflict with the Hooligan Airships module. Its something to look into regardless.

I have now managed to fix the solar panels issue, so the blimp is fully operational. The only problem now is it still charges when the blimp is stowed away, and I have no idea how to fix that so I'm just rolling with it for a while. As for fuel in moving parts, thats seems pretty Kerbal to me.

I plan to fill these wings with about a third of the fuel as in the same sized fuel tanks. I'll make both an LFO and Jet fuel variant. I will also be making larger parts later.