Jump to content

[1.3] KerBalloons v0.4.2 - Balloons for KSP!

JoePatrick1

By JoePatrick1
in KSP1 Mod Development

 Share

Recommended Posts

ChainiaC

ChainiaC

Posted
Posted (edited)

I must say the inbuilt probe cores do feel a bit cheaty when running Remote Tech. They do not require a connection and get listed as 'local control' as if there was a Kerbal onboard. Is there a reason the inbuilt probe cores are necessary? I mean it's not like a probe core and a battery and solar panel are extremely heavy. Overall though, this is a tiny issue and I must say I love te balloons! I use them to lift up rockets to about 25 KM before lighting the first stage :wink:

Edited by ChainiaC
typo
Link to comment
Share on other sites
JoePatrick1

JoePatrick1

Posted
  • Author
Posted
22 hours ago, ChainiaC said:

I must say the inbuilt probe cores do feel a bit cheaty when running Remote Tech. They do not require a connection and get listed as 'local control' as if there was a Kerbal onboard. Is there a reason the inbuilt probe cores are necessary? I mean it's not like a probe core and a battery and solar panel are extremely heavy. Overall though, this is a tiny issue and I must say I love te balloons! I use them to lift up rockets to about 25 KM before lighting the first stage :wink:

They are there because in the original version of KerBalloons, the balloons had a very low lift rating (like up to 0.005t) so they couldn't carry a probe core and science experiment at the same time. I guess I just never removed it but I'll consider it for the next update

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Squeaky

Squeaky

Posted
Posted

Was the tweakables in the right click menus axed because of the ui changes in 1.1?

 

Just wondering as I kind of miss making sure my balloon wasn't going to shoot crazily into the sky and also not just bobbing around on the launchpad.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
JoePatrick1

JoePatrick1

Posted
  • Author
Posted
18 hours ago, Squeaky said:

Was the tweakables in the right click menus axed because of the ui changes in 1.1?

 

Just wondering as I kind of miss making sure my balloon wasn't going to shoot crazily into the sky and also not just bobbing around on the launchpad.

It was replaced with an automatic system so you're balloons won't shoot off

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 2 weeks later...
Delta_8930

Delta_8930

Posted
Posted

I just tried to launch a balloon with a Mk 1-2 underneath but the balloon won't deploy when I click on the deploy button. I'm using v3.1 in KSP 1.0.5.1024. Also I can't seem to control the vessel when the balloon is attached. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
123nick

123nick

Posted
Posted
On 5/6/2016 at 7:48 AM, ChainiaC said:

I must say the inbuilt probe cores do feel a bit cheaty when running Remote Tech. They do not require a connection and get listed as 'local control' as if there was a Kerbal onboard. Is there a reason the inbuilt probe cores are necessary? I mean it's not like a probe core and a battery and solar panel are extremely heavy. Overall though, this is a tiny issue and I must say I love te balloons! I use them to lift up rockets to about 25 KM before lighting the first stage :wink:

i have a module manager config i could give you that gives all unmanned probe cores the required RT part module. infact, i dont know why this MM config isnt packaged with RT. i can PM it too you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
JoePatrick1

JoePatrick1

Posted
  • Author
Posted
On 21/05/2016 at 5:28 PM, Delta_8930 said:

I just tried to launch a balloon with a Mk 1-2 underneath but the balloon won't deploy when I click on the deploy button. I'm using v3.1 in KSP 1.0.5.1024. Also I can't seem to control the vessel when the balloon is attached. 

Have you tried it on a clean install with no other mods? That version has over 5k downloads and this is the first time this issue has been reported

Thanks :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 3 weeks later...
RuBisCO

RuBisCO

Posted
Posted (edited)

So how well do these work on Eve? 

The answer is "not well, but fixable": If I don't change the max pressure in the .cfg to deal with Eve surface pressure the balloons behave very strangely (sink like lead) 

Edited by RuBisCO
Link to comment
Share on other sites
JoePatrick1

JoePatrick1

Posted
  • Author
Posted
On 11/06/2016 at 0:10 AM, hieywiey said:

Could you move the source code from Dropbox to a GitHub repository? GitHub (if you don't already know) puts everything in a nice little box.

I did try but I couldn't figure it out. Any good tutorials on how to use it anywhere?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 3 weeks later...
morganchane

morganchane

Posted
Posted

Hi, 

I have been using (and loving) Kerballoons recently (it became quite a mainstay of my atmospheric craft designs especially since the changes to wheels made takeoff and landing harder than ever) turning my fleet into STOL crafts. And cutting costs on LKO probe launches. 

I wanted to say I met a couple of small bugs. If I quickload a quicksave with a parked vessel on the ground with the balloon inflated (not enough lift to get it off), the balloon tether reloads as very short (or maybe 0 length) and the balloon physically collides with the craft impairing functionality apart from looks. (I was eventually stranded in the badlands because of this ;.;) 

Another issue I have met is that when using several balloons to lift off heavy craft (I use 2 to 4 high altitude 1.25M balloons on struts to lift orbital probes before conventional rockets put them into orbit), sometimes the lift of the balloons doesn't accumulate as expected and once opening a 4th balloon negated lift of the other 3 dropping everything back to the ground. But this has been infrequent and may have been a glitch. 

Do you need screenshots or logs? 

 

Also, apart from the much requested hover mode which would be fun. I'd love a parachute like repack feature, or inflate and deflate based on gas tanks/electricity. And lots of people could probably benefit from variable inflation setting at SPH or VAB (showing expected lift and burst height)

If you don't like the idea but think it can be made from the base parts you provided and the existing tutorials I'd be glad for a few pointers (I haven't worked on ksp mods yet but I am a C# dev).

Thanks in advance 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
JoePatrick1

JoePatrick1

Posted
  • Author
Posted
4 hours ago, morganchane said:

Hi, 

I have been using (and loving) Kerballoons recently (it became quite a mainstay of my atmospheric craft designs especially since the changes to wheels made takeoff and landing harder than ever) turning my fleet into STOL crafts. And cutting costs on LKO probe launches. 

I wanted to say I met a couple of small bugs. If I quickload a quicksave with a parked vessel on the ground with the balloon inflated (not enough lift to get it off), the balloon tether reloads as very short (or maybe 0 length) and the balloon physically collides with the craft impairing functionality apart from looks. (I was eventually stranded in the badlands because of this ;.;) 

Another issue I have met is that when using several balloons to lift off heavy craft (I use 2 to 4 high altitude 1.25M balloons on struts to lift orbital probes before conventional rockets put them into orbit), sometimes the lift of the balloons doesn't accumulate as expected and once opening a 4th balloon negated lift of the other 3 dropping everything back to the ground. But this has been infrequent and may have been a glitch. 

Do you need screenshots or logs? 

 

Also, apart from the much requested hover mode which would be fun. I'd love a parachute like repack feature, or inflate and deflate based on gas tanks/electricity. And lots of people could probably benefit from variable inflation setting at SPH or VAB (showing expected lift and burst height)

If you don't like the idea but think it can be made from the base parts you provided and the existing tutorials I'd be glad for a few pointers (I haven't worked on ksp mods yet but I am a C# dev).

Thanks in advance 

I would imagine some of the bugs you're having are due to the fact I haven't updated the mod to the latest version of KSP yet.

Development has been slow recently due to exams but I have finished now and am continuing to work on v0.4.0 which will be quite a significant update which should fix your bugs. For example loading a craft with a KerBalloon that has already been inflated can be a bit dodgy.

Better support for multiple balloons is already done. The issue your having may have been due to horizontal velocity which limits the balloons lift (this bug is fixed already in the v0.4.0 update)

Other features in v0.4.0 include
-KerBalloons Catagory in the VAB/SPH (no longer under the science tab)
-Balloons suitable for Eve/Duna/Laythe
-Balloons with built in parachutes
-Repack option (like parachutes)
-New and improved models and texures
-Bug fixes

Link to comment
Share on other sites
JoePatrick1

JoePatrick1

Posted
  • Author
Posted
9 hours ago, morganchane said:

Oh that's great news :) (Had to hold back from 1.1.3 for now as some B9 parts block during game load anyhow, currently running 1.1.2)

Really glad to hear this, is there an estimated date :) ? (Not rushing you by any means, just curious)

 

 

2-3 weeks hopefully

Link to comment
Share on other sites
TheHolm

TheHolm

Posted
Posted
On 06/07/2016 at 11:19 PM, JoePatrick1 said:

I would imagine some of the bugs you're having are due to the fact I haven't updated the mod to the latest version of KSP yet.

Development has been slow recently due to exams but I have finished now and am continuing to work on v0.4.0 which will be quite a significant update which should fix your bugs. For example loading a craft with a KerBalloon that has already been inflated can be a bit dodgy.

Better support for multiple balloons is already done. The issue your having may have been due to horizontal velocity which limits the balloons lift (this bug is fixed already in the v0.4.0 update)

Other features in v0.4.0 include
-KerBalloons Catagory in the VAB/SPH (no longer under the science tab)
-Balloons suitable for Eve/Duna/Laythe
-Balloons with built in parachutes
-Repack option (like parachutes)
-New and improved models and texures
-Bug fixes

"-Balloons suitable for Eve/Duna/Laythe"  - Jool?? I would love to build floating landing platform on Jool

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 2 weeks later...
JoePatrick1

JoePatrick1

Posted
  • Author
Posted (edited)

In order to get the update out this Friday before I go away, the parachute balloons are going to have to wait until v0.4.1 (or v0.4.2 if v0.4.1 is a hotfix)

All the new balloons for Duna, Eve and Laythe are now added. Including Kerbin balloons there are now 48 different balloons. (4 planets, 4 sizes per planet, 3 variations per size. 4x4x3 = 48)
I will be spending the next few days testing and balancing each and everyone of them and then the update should be out.

Here is a screenshot of some of the balloons (with the new models and textures) and below is a video demonstrating the repack option for deflated (but not burst) balloons.

 

xhQ9zXk.png

 

Edited by JoePatrick1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
This thread is quite old. Please consider starting a new thread rather than reviving this one.

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...