[WIP] CxAerospace: Stations Parts Pack v1.0 - Head Over to Add-On Release

[cxg2827]

[quote name='FlyMeToTheMinmus']Are you sure that back hatch isn't just the airlock hatch retracted inside the crew lock? The astronaut appears to be halfway out in the picture, meaning the hatch is open, and in EVA footage the only part that appears to swing out is the thermal cover, which is more or less fabric.[/QUOTE]

I didnt even think of checking video for that, i think that might be it.

[FlyMeToTheMinmus]

[quote name='cxg2827']I didnt even think of checking video for that, i think that might be it.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, there's a vid from Terry Virt's EVA on his most recent flight showing ingress, and, while poor resolution, it looks like that hatch isn't there in the back of the crew lock while it's sealed.

[MrMeeb]

[quote name='cxg2827']I was thinking aesthetically. The passive port would only look ok at the end of the PMA, and not on any of the other modules attachment points (see album using Beale's port as a comparison).

Though looking at the Mk1-2 pod, if i also made the Active APAS unit, i can either have it fit inside the black lip, or do something similar as the stock docking port and be a smooth transition when mounted to the nose.

[url]http://imgur.com/a/skX7b[/url][/QUOTE]

Hmm...difficult. Is two different models possible? One with the smooth transition and one that's got a OD of 0.9375m? I can think of where both could be useful. What about FSMeshSwitch (I think that's a thing)?

I guess the more generally useful one would be the smooth transition to 1.25

[FlyMeToTheMinmus]

With regard to the APAS port; it's not really supposed to be used except on the shuttle adapters and the end of PMAs, and definitely not as a replacement for the CBMs. If you're concerned about the aesthetic quality of APAS on 1.25m ports, perhaps you could just make a 1.25 to 0.9125 adapter? Like the adapters in-game? Not realistic as far as USOS parts go, but neither's APAS on 1.25 anyway.

[cxg2827]

[quote name='davidy12']Have you thought about adding a parachute to the docking port?

Nope, and if I do, wouldn't happen until after the trusses.

[quote name='MrMeeb']Hmm...difficult. Is two different models possible? One with the smooth transition and one that's got a OD of 0.9375m? I can think of where both could be useful. What about FSMeshSwitch (I think that's a thing)?

I guess the more generally useful one would be the smooth transition to 1.25


[quote name='FlyMeToTheMinmus']With regard to the APAS port; it's not really supposed to be used except on the shuttle adapters and the end of PMAs, and definitely not as a replacement for the CBMs. If you're concerned about the aesthetic quality of APAS on 1.25m ports, perhaps you could just make a 1.25 to 0.9125 adapter? Like the adapters in-game? Not realistic as far as USOS parts go, but neither's APAS on 1.25 anyway.

After some thought, what I'll do is keep the passive one as is (though I noticed some detail i missed thanks to some different views so its getting a model update) and make the active APAS with the same base diameter as the stock docking port. This way it can be used on the MK1-2 and still look good, or it can be used for someone to build an orbiter docking system to mount inside a cargo bay.

I'll release the passive unit along with the updated PMA when that gets finished, though keep the node type the same as the clamp-o-tron. Then a later release will include the Active APAS, and then I'll transition both the APAS to have their own node type and make them gendered.


As this point I'm thinking of making the original PMA with built-in APAS obsolete. So unless there is some push-back on that, the next release with the PMA will keep the same part name, but just be the tunnel adapter only (craft-breaking).

Edited December 1, 2015 by cxg2827
typo

[FlyMeToTheMinmus]

Sounds good.

[MrMeeb]

[quote name='cxg2827']After some though, what I'll do is keep the passive one as is (though I noticed some detail i missed thanks to some different views so its getting a model update) and make the active APAS with the same base diameter as the stock docking port. This way it can be used on the MK1-2 and still look good, or it can be used for someone to build an orbiter docking system to mount inside a cargo bay.

I'll release the passive unit along with the updated PMA when that gets finished, though keep the node type the same as the clamp-o-tron. Then a later release will include the Active APAS, and then I'll transition both the APAS to have their own node type and make them gendered.


As this point I'm thinking of making the original PMA with built-in APAS obsolete. So unless there is some push-back on that, the next release with the PMA will keep the same part name, but just be the tunnel adapter only (craft-breaking).[/QUOTE]

Sweet. Can't wait :)

[cxg2827]

progress pic. doing final touches on the PMA and APAS, then its off to Normal mapping, though i feel like these almost don't even need it.

PMA is on its own 1024x1024 texture, and the APAS is on a 1024x1024 with plenty of room to spare for the active model.

Edited December 1, 2015 by cxg2827

[FlyMeToTheMinmus]

It's amazing how detailed your parts are, without crossing into photorealistic, whicb often comes out poorly. Great work!

[MrMeeb]

[quote name='FlyMeToTheMinmus']It's amazing how detailed your parts are, without crossing into photorealistic, whicb often comes out poorly. Great work![/QUOTE]

I couldn't agree more

[cxg2827]

[quote name='FlyMeToTheMinmus']It's amazing how detailed your parts are, without crossing into photorealistic, which often comes out poorly. Great work!

[quote name='MrMeeb']I couldn't agree more


Thanks :).

I've learned a few UV unwrapping techniques that have helped optimize the space usage, so I can enlarge a few map sections to get more detail. The biggest help has been getting rid of the giant UVs made by rings which usually have symmetrical radial patterns, and reducing it to a small arc segments. Aligning the UV with the texture so the circular patterns are actually round takes some time but it's definitely worth it.

I'm planning on also adding specular mapping to all the parts after I finish the IVAs, that way it will cut down on the overall shininess of everything and give a bit more detail as well.

Edited December 1, 2015 by cxg2827

[cxg2827]

New release on Kerbal Stuff

Changes:

v0.12
-SHIP BREAKING: PMA has been modified to no longer have the APAS, and is now just the tunnel section. Change made to allow proper docking targeting which points to the parts CoM.
-Updated texturing for PMA.
-Added Part:
-APAS (Passive): compatible with stock Clamp-O-Tron.

 

[VenomousRequiem]

Good lord... looking at it, don't you think there's any way to compress down your textures just... a smidge? It seems like this mod takes up a lot of texture space...

In other news no offense, Beale... I recently docked Kristall to my Mir replica, which has 2 APAS 89 ports on it. So what I'm going to do, is use KIS to literally rip the Tantares APAS ports off and install your new ones!

[cxg2827]

2 minutes ago, VenomousRequiem said:

Good lord... looking at it, don't you think there's any way to compress down your textures just... a smidge? It seems like this mod takes up a lot of texture space...

In other news no offense, Beale... I recently docked Kristall to my Mir replica, which has 2 APAS 89 ports on it. So what I'm going to do, is use KIS to literally rip the Tantares APAS ports off and install your new ones!

 

Yea, I am a bit heavy on the texture map sizes. But 683kb isnt too bad for the APAS (which has leftover space for the active one later) and about the same size for the PMA.

But, I did size the textures with the thought of compressing it by half down the road. Currently the external models seem to do very well with a quick and dirty 1/2 compression. I'd have to do some changes for the IVAs however if I were to compress them.

 

 

[VenomousRequiem]

21 minutes ago, cxg2827 said:

 

Yea, I am a bit heavy on the texture map sizes. But 683kb isnt too bad for the APAS (which has leftover space for the active one later) and about the same size for the PMA.

But, I did size the textures with the thought of compressing it by half down the road. Currently the external models seem to do very well with a quick and dirty 1/2 compression. I'd have to do some changes for the IVAs however if I were to compress them.

 

 

Sweet, because how could I play without this mod? I mean come on.

I remember when you first posted this thread, and a for a couple months before that I was hoping to god that someone made a mod exactly like this one. Long story short, you're a godsend.

 

Edit: I forgot to ask, are... are the APAS docking ports compatible with... you know... another APAS? I know you were talking about docking port genders.

 

Edit 2: Oh, what a silly little sausage I am. Androgynous  is in their name! That typically means they work together.

Edited December 1, 2015 by VenomousRequiem

[cxg2827]

9 minutes ago, VenomousRequiem said:

Long story short, you're a godsend.

Thanks for the kind words 

 

 

10 minutes ago, VenomousRequiem said:

Edit: I forgot to ask, are... are the APAS docking ports compatible with... you know... another APAS? I know you were talking about docking port genders.

 

Edit 2: Oh, what a silly little sausage I am. Androgynous  is in their name! That typically means they work together.

I originally mentioned the gendering for the APAS, but I guess it was a bit of a misnomer, as I was thinking in the sense of also making an "Active" APAS which has the active leafs that extend. But now writing this out reminded me that I basically copy/pasted the CBM descriptions for the APAS, so I'll have to fix that on the next release .

This release just used the Clamp-O-Tron docking node size, so it is also compatible with that as well as other APAS. When I release the "Active" APAS, I will then create a new node type so APAS only work with one another (Passive-Passive, Active-Active, Passive-Active).

 

 

[cxg2827]

Getting pretty far along with the Airlock IVA. Still more details and then some props 

 

[cxg2827]

A prop I've started working on yesterday and today

 

[MrMeeb]

Have you thought about using Curt's soft-docking technique for the active APAS? It would make the extendable leafs have a purpose (unless you already had plans) http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/index.php?/topic/123402-tutorial-soft-docking-docking-ports/

Edited December 5, 2015 by MrMeeb

[hieywiey]

Do you plan to do a truss with solar panels and possibly a custom cupola that fits a CBM?

[cxg2827]

5 hours ago, MrMeeb said:

Have you thought about using Curt's soft-docking technique for the active APAS? It would make the extendable leafs have a purpose (unless you already had plans) http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/index.php?/topic/123402-tutorial-soft-docking-docking-ports/

Yup, that will be the plan

 

22 minutes ago, hieywiey said:

Do you plan to do a truss with solar panels and possibly a custom cupola that fits a CBM?

After I finish the remaining IVAs, I'm going to focus mostly on the Truss components and possible some solar panels. IVAs are a timesink, so I might not get to the coupla until the trusses are mostly done.

 

Coupla will be 1.25M to fit the CBMs, and I'm thinking I can make it slim enough to have the same proportions as the ISS one while still having the space to fit a kerbal in the IVA.

 

[hieywiey]

Seeing how much this mod has grown since May, I don't it's unreasonable to ask if you could restart your Aeroshells and Landers mod after this mod is ~90% finished, using shared assets and the techniques that you have learned with this mod or possibly just making some kind of landing adapter-thingy (with engines) for the station modules along with Aeroshells. 

In the near future could you make a MPLM which could be made in a short amount of time because it could basically be made by stretching out the Node 1 part, covering up the port, starboard, zenith and nadir docking ports (assuming the inline node nearest to the radial attachment nodes is forward), and disabling the attachment nodes on the port, starboard, zenith, nadir, and aft areas.

[cxg2827]

2 hours ago, hieywiey said:

Seeing how much this mod has grown since May, I don't it's unreasonable to ask if you could restart your Aeroshells and Landers mod after this mod is ~90% finished, using shared assets and the techniques that you have learned with this mod or possibly just making some kind of landing adapter-thingy (with engines) for the station modules along with Aeroshells.

I've been thinking about it for the past few week since you mentioned it. I have different ideas for the Aeroshells that I think would be better. Rather than bi-triconic, it would be an ellipsled as well as some other changes. The lander frame I'm not sure if I'd do a design of my own, or still have it resemble the one from the DRA 5.0

 

3 hours ago, hieywiey said:

In the near future could you make a MPLM which could be made in a short amount of time because it could basically be made by stretching out the Node 1 part, covering up the port, starboard, zenith and nadir docking ports (assuming the inline node nearest to the radial attachment nodes is forward), and disabling the attachment nodes on the port, starboard, zenith, nadir, and aft areas.

The model changes would be easy, but I'd still need to do brand new textures for it. I'll give it a go after I get the trusses done since that seems to be in higher demand.

 

[SpacedInvader]

Have you thought about giving the current parts a functionality pass at all? I'm about to start building a career mode station with these and it occurred to me that a 6-berth sleeper should have the capacity for 6 Kerbals or that the larger science lab should be able to fit extra crew since its triple the size (not triple the crew capacity however). With all of this in mind, I'm putting together some MM configs that will make these changes, plus add a little extra functionality like TACLS air and water filters and probably also add the station science lab module into the large science lab. I'm also thinking about re-purposing a copy of the V4-2 sleep hab as an interim PMM to give some KIS inventory, increased life support resources, and maybe larger life support converters a place to live.

The only reason I bring this up is that some of this might have already been on your plate, so if I can offer my files to you, or share them here, and that would be helpful in any way, I'd be happy to do it. On the other hand, if you'd like me to keep them to myself because you don't want anyone stepping on your toes, I'm ok with that as well. 

[cxg2827]

1 hour ago, SpacedInvader said:

Have you thought about giving the current parts a functionality pass at all? I'm about to start building a career mode station with these and it occurred to me that a 6-berth sleeper should have the capacity for 6 Kerbals

The thought behind the crew capacities with these parts is that the sleep modules arent used for hot-bunking, so every personnel on the vessel has their own personal bunk and storage lockers. It kind of forces the effect of crew rotations by making it appear that the empty bunks are kerbals on duty or just off-duty and putzing around.

If you do plan on increasing the capacity, without me adding new transforms in the Unity project file, the extra crew wouldn't show in the IVAs or have portraits. If you type out the MM config, I'll make the changes, and include the hot-bunking config as a separate download link in the first post (and listing you as the author).  

 

1 hour ago, SpacedInvader said:

or that the larger science lab should be able to fit extra crew since its triple the size (not triple the crew capacity however).

The science module is only 50% longer than the Mobile processing lab, so I scaled the crew capacity to match (3 crew vs 2).

 

2 hours ago, SpacedInvader said:

With all of this in mind, I'm putting together some MM configs that will make these changes, plus add a little extra functionality like TACLS air and water filters

TAC-LS was next on my list to create MM configs, but if you want to share your files, I'd be more than happy to look at them and make some tweaks based on my thoughts on capacities for each module.

 

2 hours ago, SpacedInvader said:

and probably also add the station science lab module into the large science lab.

I added the ModuleScienceContainer and the ModuleScienceLab to both of the labs when released. Are they not functioning?

 

2 hours ago, SpacedInvader said:

I'm also thinking about re-purposing a copy of the V4-2 sleep hab as an interim PMM to give some KIS inventory, increased life support resources, and maybe larger life support converters a place to live.

Go for it.

I'm going to have an ECLSS modeled in the Kibo lab IVA, and then later when I make the MPLM that will have KIS inventory.