[WIP][1.8.x] SSTULabs - Low Part Count Solutions (Orbiters, Landers, Lifters) - Dev Thread [11-18-18]

[MatttheCzar]

6 minutes ago, Jimbodiah said:

LM?

My mistake, Service Module.  If you could make its lenth extendable, users could have it short for in low kerbin orbit, or even longer for long range missions.

EDIT: 100th page maker!

Edited March 15, 2016 by MatttheCzar

[blowfish]

1 minute ago, MatttheCzar said:

My mistake, Service Module.  If you could make its lenth extendable, users could have it short for in orbit, or even longer for long range missions.

EDIT: 100th page maker!

I think Shadowmage is planning a modular service module series ... hard to say what exactly it will look like but chances are it will serve your use case

[Jimbodiah]

I don't see why the apollo one would need to be made shorter for one occasion? Most things are OP for the Kerbal system anyway.

 

 

[RedParadize]

Hello!

Great stuff on the last patch. Here is some error I noticed:

#1 H-1 bottom node is upside down.

#2 Need to add this to every engines listed in LH2-Engines-New configs in order to ajust mass to LH2:

 @MODULE[SSTUModularEngineCluster]
    {
    engineMass = xxxx //insert new mass here
    }

#3 SC-E-FSX doesn't have its heatConductivity ajusted.

 

Outside of that, its great. Thanks allot.

[Shadowmage]

15 hours ago, RedParadize said:

Hello!

Great stuff on the last patch. Here is some error I noticed:

#1 H-1 bottom node is upside down.

#2 Need to add this to every engines listed in LH2-Engines-New configs in order to ajust mass to LH2:

 @MODULE[SSTUModularEngineCluster]
    {
    engineMass = xxxx //insert new mass here
    }

#3 SC-E-FSX doesn't have its heatConductivity ajusted.

 

Outside of that, its great. Thanks allot.

Node - noted and fixed

Engine Masses -- plugin fixed so that line is no longer needed in the configs (so..fixed)

SC-E - managed to find/fix that one last night while merging the LH2 patch into the base part configs (was overriding the heat output in the patch..).  So.. fixed

 

Thanks for the reports, keep them coming.  Pretty much right in the middle of cleanup period, so now is definitely the time to report anything...odd or troublesome.

[RedParadize]

Ok then! I will see what I can break tonight!

Oh, The engine spacing bar still jump form -0.2 to -0.6 in your last version.

[Shadowmage]

13 minutes ago, RedParadize said:

Ok then! I will see what I can break tonight!

Oh, The engine spacing bar still jump form -0.2 to -0.6 in your last version.

Yep, known issue; have a ticket open on it... which pretty much means I know about the problem and will attempt to get it fixed for the next scheduled release (weekend releases).  https://github.com/shadowmage45/SSTULabs/issues/259

Let me know if you run across anything else though

[ComatoseJedi]

This might be a tiny thing or I'm not sure if it was intentional, but the update reverted the control surfaces on the shuttle to move in space.  But, I guess that's what action groups are for is to turn off all the control surface activity. Other than that, everything works smoothly with this series. 

[Shadowmage]

29 minutes ago, ComatoseJedi said:

This might be a tiny thing or I'm not sure if it was intentional, but the update reverted the control surfaces on the shuttle to move in space.  But, I guess that's what action groups are for is to turn off all the control surface activity. Other than that, everything works smoothly with this series. 

I'm not sure what you are getting at there?

Meaning the controls move in space, don't move in space, don't move properly, responding to wrong inputs, responding to inputs inverted?

[ComatoseJedi]

Correct, the elevons and tail rudder (control surfaces) move in space. The last SSTU update, they didn't move until it hit atmosphere. I think one of the things that were fixed in 1.0.5 was this issue. But as I said, it's not a big deal, just something I noticed. I loaded my test game to make sure I wasn't remembering wrong. I will try the prior update of SSTU to see if it duplicates. I try to not waste your time, but you said to report things, so I did. 

Edited March 16, 2016 by ComatoseJedi
edit

[Shadowmage]

1 minute ago, ComatoseJedi said:

Correct, the elevons and tail rudder move in space. The last SSTU update, they didn't move until it hit atmosphere. I think one of the things that were fixed in 1.0.5 was this issue. But as I said, it's not a big deal, just something I noticed. I loaded my test game to make sure I wasn't remembering wrong. I will try the prior update of SSTU to see if it duplicates. I try to not waste your time, but you said to report things, so I did. 

Ahh, that makes a bit more sense

Hmm... I'm not aware of anything I changed on those parts (and I don't do anything to the stock aero-control-surface module).  As far as I know they have always moved in space, or at least they always have in my testing.  In any event, I don't think it is something that I can fix... the module that controls those is the stock module, not one of mine, and I have no control over how it functions / what it does / doesn't do.

But yah, if you notice strange stuff, never hurts to at least ask

[davidy12]

17 hours ago, blowfish said:

I think Shadowmage is planning a modular service module series

What I want is a variant for the constellation SM. IE: Solar Panels, RCS set up

[tater]

I had limited time to test last night, but I was working on a staged lander for Duna using the SC-A capsule as the crew compartment. I've managed to get the LC2/3 parts to work as ascent stages pretty easily, but attaching a decoupler to a tank, leaving an engine also attached to the tank is non-trivial. This is presumably part of the point of the LC*-FL hollow variants, right? I've tried interstage nodes on and off, but I can only seem to get it to work randomly.

It's easy with the LC2/3 if you attach the engine to the lander pod, then place a decoupler and that attaches to the pod, not the engine, allowing a single engine, but staged tanks. I've been trying to use the MUS-CB (shortened, and widened, with a fairing to connect), attached to a SC-A-CM as the ascent portion. I was trying for a RD-107X engine cluster attached to that, then a hollow FL part with legs for the descent and landing (alternately also a first ascent stage).

What's odd is that I got it to work---once. And cannot replicate it  

 

[ComatoseJedi]

@Shadowmage You're right, it is a stock issue with control surfaces. But, Claw made a bug fix for it. 

+ ModuleControlSurfacePlus (Plus) (25 Jan 16) - (STATUS: Updated for KSP v1.0.5.1028) - Description: Currently contains the following Plus options (no StockFixes required)
     - (Plus) Adds tweakable authority range
     - (Plus) Disables flight controls in space, so they aren't moving around when maneuvering

I do have Claw's stock fix in my main game, but not in my test build. So, just ignore it. Sorry

[Jimbodiah]

@tater I once built a similiar ship with the Orion capsule and an H1 engine where 6 stacks of tanks were decoupled from the bottom up when they got depleted. You need to add fuel lines between sections though as there is no crossfeed.

@davidy12 There are already panels and RCS on the Orion SM, and it is the latest version. I think you are just referring to the old concept with round solar panel version before it was replaced for the current one.

[tater]

Yeah, the problem is the decoupler, though. On the LC2 and 3, you can mount an engine to the crew compartment, then still attach the decoupler to the pod, instead of the engine. That doesn't work reliably otherwise.

The one I got to work (was worried about the buried RCS at the decoupler, and forgot that on rendezvous, that part of the craft would be gone, so later dumped the stock RCS):

Ascent:

Edited March 16, 2016 by tater

[davidy12]

10 minutes ago, Jimbodiah said:

 

@davidy12 There are already panels and RCS on the Orion SM, and it is the latest version. I think you are just referring to the old concept with round solar panel version before it was replaced for the current one.

Yes, it would be nice to see different panels

[Shadowmage]

56 minutes ago, davidy12 said:

What I want is a variant for the constellation SM. IE: Solar Panels, RCS set up

No thanks.  Feel free to model it yourself if you want it so badly

(Basically, what purpose would it serve that would differentiate it from the existing part?  I cannot think of any)

[tater]

The odd thing about the above DDAV vehicle I made was that I could not replicate the decoupler attachment.

One UI issue is some of the toggles, IMO. On the engines, you toggle the interstage node, and there it is when you grab a part to attach. The tanks also have this option... and I cannot see if it does anything. In addition, some of the "enable" buttons are confusing. If I see an "enable" button as active/clickable, I assume that whatever it is is disabled right now, and I would hit the button to enable it. If I see the disable button, I assume it is activated, and might need to be disabled. If things are in fact the opposite, then I think the button should not say "enable," but "enabled," and if you click it it then says "disabled."

BTW, it might be nice to have a flat-bottomed version of the MUS tank (or at least a non-green texture option for the minimal mount).

Edited March 16, 2016 by tater

[Shadowmage]

Render of the RD-0110 turbopump; probably one of the most detailed turbos I've done yet... and still a bit left to do on it (GG output to verniers):

(yes, it is one massive manifold mesh...)

Edit:

Link to resources:

http://www.rocket-propulsion.info/resources/articles/AIAA-2005-3946.pdf  (page 5)

 

Edited March 16, 2016 by Shadowmage

[Jimbodiah]

And it will all be hidden behind a shroud?

 

[Shadowmage]

With a bit of... persistence... I managed to get a few of the oddities with the fairing textures sorted out, added a checkered fairing texture set, and added a few plain-color decoupler textures.  Also lined up the stripe textures to the tank texture stripes, so it is as seamless as it can be given the differences in texture density/size.

I split the quads of each cylinder face lengthwise, so the vertex count is roughly doubled... but double of 200 is still nothing to worry about.  This allowed for there to be an edge running along the center of each face, which fixed up the odd bending lines that would previously be seen on tapered sections using the striped textures.

[Sudragon]

Persistence. That makes it sound like there was a sledgehammer involved. And possibly swearing.

[blowfish]

19 minutes ago, Sudragon said:

Persistence. That makes it sound like there was a sledgehammer involved. And possibly swearing.

With KSP modding, it's a safe bet

[Agathorn]

Hi @Shadowmage

I really like SSTU and was wondering if you might welcome some help?  I am very keen on getting the probe/satellite parts working and instead of just bugging you on it thought it would be more beneficial to offer to help

I can do pretty much everything, modeling, texturing, and coding, I would just need some help understanding how you have things set up for this amazing modular/procedural stuff