[WIP] DEV: Lithobrake Exploration Technologies 0.1 (2015-07-08)

[mrmcp1]

Thanks for the download link. All of the parts are great but the small rover bay is great, it is just the right size to fit a small science rover inside and looks good with the new command pod. I feel like the larger version is a bit too big but I suppose it would be useful for slightly larger rovers. I am looking forward to seeing what other parts you can come up with.

[NecroBones]

Thanks for the download link. All of the parts are great but the small rover bay is great, it is just the right size to fit a small science rover inside and looks good with the new command pod. I feel like the larger version is a bit too big but I suppose it would be useful for slightly larger rovers. I am looking forward to seeing what other parts you can come up with.

Cool. Yeah, my main concern with the smaller size of octagonal bay was whether anything useful would fit in there, so I built the larger one too. So far I think the smaller version looks better, but this is exactly the sort of feedback I need.

[AccidentalDisassembly]

Unfortunately I won't be able to make tweakable ramps. Not without a dependency on another pack's plugin or something (and I'm not sure which ones out there might enable that). I'm going to think on it a bit, but right now making it act like a landing leg seems to be the best bet, if at all.

I read over in the MK4 the Second thread that Nertea might be working on a plugin that allows extending a ramp to different angles/positions. Thought you might be interested - if I've understood what you mean, that is!

[tater]

Made a tiny rover and it worked. Tried the same rover in the large service bay and it blew up the lander in a pretty spectacular way (it wasn't impinging, either). I lowered the legs on the door side to "kneel" the lander.

[NecroBones]

Awesome! Yeah, I have no idea on the exploding thing. It seems that cargo/service bays in general have some goofiness in how KSP deals with them. The colliders inside the bay are very precisely positioned with the walls, etc.

Great idea on "kneeling" with the legs!

[tater]

Two 909s is plenty to land this from a circular orbit at 10k, BTW.

Regarding kneeling, is it possible to have a 2-stage leg? Maybe first "g" folds down, next "g" telescopes it. Then in reverse. Kneeling gear of a sort. Instead of a complex ramp, what about a SHORT ramp that sticks straight out just below the floor (or even) like a tongue? Then you kneel the lander until the "tongue" ends up supporting it (the whole lander inclines the plane, in other words).

In the image above, imagine the area on the floor of the cargo bay with the steps was to just slide straight outside the door.

[SmashingKirby148]

This looks like a very intriguing mod! Best of luck in the future with it!

[NecroBones]

This looks like a very intriguing mod! Best of luck in the future with it!

Thanks!

It'll probably be a couple of weeks before I get to work on it again. I may add one or two more things, and then set up a proper "alpha" release.

I'm trying to decide what's worth adding in the short-term. That is, what it needs before a first release, as opposed to on-going development later. I'm thinking maybe the 4-man 2.5m pod someone suggested (so all four of the orange-suits can ride at once), and maybe some large parachutes (assuming I can make those work. They look easy compared to legs and launch clamps though).

Two 909s is plenty to land this from a circular orbit at 10k, BTW.

Regarding kneeling, is it possible to have a 2-stage leg? Maybe first "g" folds down, next "g" telescopes it. Then in reverse. Kneeling gear of a sort. Instead of a complex ramp, what about a SHORT ramp that sticks straight out just below the floor (or even) like a tongue? Then you kneel the lander until the "tongue" ends up supporting it (the whole lander inclines the plane, in other words).

In the image above, imagine the area on the floor of the cargo bay with the steps was to just slide straight outside the door.

Unfortunately, legs are very specific in how they work, so multiple animations probably won't work. A telescoping shortish ramp is an interesting idea. I may have to look into it.

[SmashingKirby148]

Thanks!

It'll probably be a couple of weeks before I get to work on it again. I may add one or two more things, and then set up a proper "alpha" release.

I'm trying to decide what's worth adding in the short-term. That is, what it needs before a first release, as opposed to on-going development later. I'm thinking maybe the 4-man 2.5m pod someone suggested (so all four of the orange-suits can ride at once), and maybe some large parachutes (assuming I can make those work. They look easy compared to legs and launch clamps though).

-snip-

Oh, ok. I can't even tell ya how many times I went "ooooo!" when I was looking at the separate mods in the VAB. XD

That sounds good! Really, any thing besides engines and fuel tanks are too complicated for me. Every time I make a thread asking for help I just feel like I'm such a bother. XD

[NecroBones]

That sounds good! Really, any thing besides engines and fuel tanks are too complicated for me. Every time I make a thread asking for help I just feel like I'm such a bother. XD

Heh, I totally understand. I had to do a lot of googling and experimenting to try to get around just bugging everyone over every little detail. Heh. The one where I just needed the help though, was the landing legs. I worked on my first set of legs off and on for a few months before it all "clicked" and it finally worked. Even the launch clamps were a lot easier, and I thought those were irritating at the time (though really, clamps aren't too bad, once you understand everything about them).

[SmashingKirby148]

Heh, I totally understand. I had to do a lot of googling and experimenting to try to get around just bugging everyone over every little detail. Heh. The one where I just needed the help though, was the landing legs. I worked on my first set of legs off and on for a few months before it all "clicked" and it finally worked. Even the launch clamps were a lot easier, and I thought those were irritating at the time (though really, clamps aren't too bad, once you understand everything about them).

Honestly, it's the animation part of everything else that gets me. I tried to make an animated part (something simple, like a rotating cylinder (which was an RTG) in between two 4k battery tanks) and although it work, It would only rotate when I right clicked on it and pressed "toggle", and then again, it would only rotate once then. Although, I made the animation in Blender, so maybe I should of done it in Unity.

[frizzank]

First off Larger Ladders, awesome idea! How did it take this long for someone to make some?

I think a 3.75m command pod with a 3.75m service module would be awesome. Maybe give it a service bay with room for a rover or other in mission lauchables, rovers, probes and landers.

[NecroBones]

Honestly, it's the animation part of everything else that gets me. I tried to make an animated part (something simple, like a rotating cylinder (which was an RTG) in between two 4k battery tanks) and although it work, It would only rotate when I right clicked on it and pressed "toggle", and then again, it would only rotate once then. Although, I made the animation in Blender, so maybe I should of done it in Unity.

Yeah, I haven't tried an "always on" animation yet. From other threads, it looks like it's pretty easy in Unity, but I make my animations in Blender too, unless it's heat-glow or something.

First off Larger Ladders, awesome idea! How did it take this long for someone to make some?

I think a 3.75m command pod with a 3.75m service module would be awesome. Maybe give it a service bay with room for a rover or other in mission lauchables, rovers, probes and landers.

Yep, I'm keeping some of the larger parts in mind too, especially since it'll further justify the longer ladders and larger legs. But yeah, when I was working on those ladders, I realized I hadn't really seen anyone else do that... and then, with people making Eve landers with Mammoths and Mainsails, and having to do all sorts of crazy stuff with wheeled landing gear, and girders to extend ladders... well, that all came together to help make this mod.

[Wolf Baginski]

Awesome! Yeah, I have no idea on the exploding thing. It seems that cargo/service bays in general have some goofiness in how KSP deals with them. The colliders inside the bay are very precisely positioned with the walls, etc.

There's a YouTube video with a big Duna-landing spaceship ("Stardust"?) which carried two small flying rovers, and it suffered a mysterious explosion after one returned to the ship.

[Comatorium420]

One of the mods I miss from 0.90 is the Landertek modular landers pack inside wich there was very thin octagonal fuel tanks, engines and decouplers. It enabled the design of ascent-descent stage landers without doubling the weight just in hardware.

I didn't even build a multi-stage manned lander in 1.0.x as it seems almost impossible to make it more efficient than single stages. In stock solar system it doesnt change much but in RSS every single Delta-V that can be boosted by staging is precious.

So my suggestion: thin fuel tanks that fits with a thin ascent and descent engine that is meant to go with the capsule your are designing but are tweakable to fit with other sizes.

Anyhow I'm pretty sure this mod will kickarses like all your other mods

Edited July 22, 2015 by Comatorium420

[NecroBones]

Cool, cool. That does give me some things to think about.

[NecroBones]

I have some parachutes working for the next release.

Two stackable/nose chutes, 1.25m and 2.5m (the 1.25m is roughly equivalent to 4 of the stock blue-nosed chute). Plus, a large radial chute.

Here's the 2.5m and large radial:

[Vahal]

Well... It seems I will dl another Necrobones mod

[NecroBones]

I have a 4-man, 2.5m pod working (with the idea being that you can fit all four of the orange-suits). This opens up some interesting use cases, since the pack also has a 3-man lander pod. With Val, Jeb, Bob, and Bill, you can send all three specializations down in a lander, with one of the pilots remaining in the capsule, Apollo style.

Anyway, I'm not 100% sold on the texture+details on the pod currently (and it's still a work in progress), so I'm probably going to revisit it at some point. But it has some interesting details in relief, such as protective paneling on the sides away from the windows and door. And of course, the window lights work. Plus, the ladder runs the full height of the conical portion.

One of the things I wanted to do is leave a lot of blank space, since I get frustrated with the stock Mk1-2 pod in that it's hard to find good places to attaching things with symmetry, and the hatch is at some diagonal angle. So the design here was meant to be somewhat of a blank canvas, so to speak.

EDIT: I'm already working on ideas for improving the appearance.

Edited July 31, 2015 by NecroBones

[SmallFatFetus]

That looks really nice!

[NecroBones]

That looks really nice!

Thanks! It'll get even better. I see lots of things I'm not happy with.

[More Boosters]

Hey, for your exploration theme, here are some ideas:

- 1.25m Hitchiker with storage for 2.

- A circular rail mounted very long range flashlight with limited up/down movement.

- 3.75m/5m Drogue Chute

- A particularly large and effective radial mounted vacuum engine, with low thrust but very high ISP. Used to land medium sized pods wherever you need it without too much expenditure

[NecroBones]

I made a variety of tweaks, which make it much, much better.

Hey, for your exploration theme, here are some ideas:

- 1.25m Hitchiker with storage for 2.

- A circular rail mounted very long range flashlight with limited up/down movement.

- 3.75m/5m Drogue Chute

- A particularly large and effective radial mounted vacuum engine, with low thrust but very high ISP. Used to land medium sized pods wherever you need it without too much expenditure

Cool, I'll keep some of those in mind.

[Vahal]

why not a wedding between a Sparkler vacuum engine and a downsized LL-4M landing leg? And its big brother.

[E.Nygma]

Hi Necrobones,

just had an idea: what about adding floats and airbags, maybe even built into the command pod? And will there be a service module?

Thanks for this ne awesomness and Cheers