Discreet (not just aircraft anymore) Parts. (Updated 21-06-15)

[electronicfox]

How big is that (i.e. what sort of lifting capacity)? It looks amazing!

I havent balanced the values on it yet, so I cant say what it can lift. It deploys from a 1 meter part (4 meters long), and its final size is about 6 meters in diameter (at the widest part) and about 21 meters long.

[lo-fi]

Love your work, as ever. Glad you're still at it!

[electronicfox]

Love your work, as ever. Glad you're still at it!

I'm always hovering around, and bouncing in with something new every few months when time allows

[electronicfox]

Is anyone aware of whether there is a material limit for parts in KSP? Like can an object have a maximum amount of materials? I seem to be hitting an issue where only 2 materials will ever load, and anything else turns up invisible.

[cy-one]

1) Oh god yes, in general, love those ideas

2) That blimp looks amazing! I guess it will generate a little electricity?

3) Please consider doing some Mk2-parts once you're done with the Mk1s

[electronicfox]

1) Oh god yes, in general, love those ideas

2) That blimp looks amazing! I guess it will generate a little electricity?

3) Please consider doing some Mk2-parts once you're done with the Mk1s

I've already thought of MK2 parts, so dont worry about that I have a few other ideas for engines and deployable floats. Just a bunch of stuff that would make sleek rockets filled with goodies possible.

[cy-one]

Yay @ MK2

I'm a sucker for esthetics, so I prefer MK2 above MK1-planes

[sumghai]

Is anyone aware of whether there is a material limit for parts in KSP? Like can an object have a maximum amount of materials? I seem to be hitting an issue where only 2 materials will ever load, and anything else turns up invisible.

- A model can be split up into multiple submeshes

- Each submesh must use only one material to texture the entire submesh

- Textures can, however, be shared between submeshes

[electronicfox]

Ah so ksp doesn't like multiple materials on a single mesh then. at least it's an easy fix.

[Dazpoet]

I never knew I wanted this until I saw this thread, now I can't wait!

I've generally solved these things in the horrible way of packing very small craft into very large fairings on way to big rockets when I've wanted e.g. planes on Eve.

[electronicfox]

I never knew I wanted this until I saw this thread, now I can't wait!

I've generally solved these things in the horrible way of packing very small craft into very large fairings on way to big rockets when I've wanted e.g. planes on Eve.

So far I've always tried to make extemely compact aircraft that have barely enough lift to keep airborne, or made complex folding craft with Infernal Robotics.

I love the robotic parts, but when it takes me 5 parts to make a good folding wing, and then including robotic struts to hold it all in place so it doesnt flap like a paper plane, I'm gonna find alternatives.

[Tyren]

Is it even possible to build foldable wings whom not behave like chewing gum? If so, i DO WANT that

[FreeThinker]

Well I've got the animation bit down. I know how to make engines work with FireSpitter already so thats no problem. I need to figure out wings though, and I need to ask Hooligan how the blimp setup works.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5R-jAIWAtRY/VWYktvdrEsI/AAAAAAAAD0M/blR3fyreN3I/s1600/pack.gif

I would be realy cool if you could team up with the Producural airship mod. Combined it would be the best Airship mod ever. It would finally make realsitic Nasa Style exploration of Eve possible

[Bacon_commando]

This looks like it is going to be a very good mod, I love the Fold-out wings and the Blimp gas bag with the solar panels on top. +Rep

[electronicfox]

Having defeated all technical issues now, the blimp part had a redesign which allowed me to create it as a slightly smaller part. It is now fully functional (aside from the solar panels), and the balloon part at least has been textured.

This is the hardest part to make due to the inflation animation, and the lack of documentation on the airships plugin. It was kinda trial-and-error to get this working. From here on in, its all good.

[JewelShisen]

Looking quite impressive.

[BigFatStupidHead]

Since people have already covered Hooligan's airships and procedural airships, there's one other very interesting looking lighter-than-air mod out there: KerBalloons.

[electronicfox]

I am so horrendously close to finishing the first part. I'm just having issues with the solar panels.

The game always seems to use the negative Z axis to look for the sun, but no matter how I rotate my GameObject it just seems to revert to another position. As it stands, its always the rear end of the blimp that catches the sun, not the top.

If anyone can offer some pointers or useful links I'd be very grateful.

In the meantime, have some eye candy.

Edited May 29, 2015 by electronicfox

[curiousepic]

You know people are going to hound you for larger airships, or at least TweakScale integration.

People like me >.>

[electronicfox]

You know people are going to hound you for larger airships, or at least TweakScale integration.

People like me >.>

Don't think I haven't thought of larger parts. I'm way ahead of ya.

1 meter parts are best for quick prototyping of new ideas though. Once I have a few of those, I can redesign in larger scale.

[KillAshley]

latest screenshot is simply stunning, keep up the good work bro!

[cy-one]

Want!

*fetchers herself an old car battery and some clamps*

Saaay... are you up for electro... stimulation, electronicfox?

Keep up the good work!

[electronicfox]

Want!

*fetchers herself an old car battery and some clamps*

Saaay... are you up for electro... stimulation, electronicfox?

Keep up the good work!

I have no idea how to respond to that, but maybe a little electro stimulation will jog my brain into seeing what I'm missing with these damn solar panels

[Grumman]

This is looking good. I don't know whether you've considered the idea, but would the airship envelope consume a certain quantity of liquid fuel to inflate? Or would it be a self-contained unit that deflates by pumping the lifting gas back into whatever pressurised container it started in?

[electronicfox]

This is looking good. I don't know whether you've considered the idea, but would the airship envelope consume a certain quantity of liquid fuel to inflate? Or would it be a self-contained unit that deflates by pumping the lifting gas back into whatever pressurised container it started in?

I want it to be a self-contained unit, but uses some electricity to inflate/deflate. Unfortunately, I think that requires a little rewriting of the airships plugin, and that is a bit beyond my skills as a 3D modeller.