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

[Hunony]

3 hours ago, tenkendojo said:

Op has been working very hard on this, please read the thread before asking.

https://github.com/shadowmage45/SSTULabs/issues/701 

so the unmarked boxes are the parts that are imcopatible?

[Shadowmage]

10 minutes ago, Hunony said:

so the unmarked boxes are the parts that are imcopatible?

None of it is 'compatible' yet or ready for use.  The unmarked boxes are parts that are known to be not working in the dev branch.  Boxes that are checked are parts that appear to be working in the editor.

It is intended to give some measure of the progress towards the 1.4+ updates.  When you see that all of those boxes are checked, you know a release will be coming soon.

[Abpilot]

7 hours ago, Jimbodiah said:

Yeah. No!

[Kaa253]

On 4/29/2018 at 1:51 AM, Jimbodiah said:

Red, white and blue forms our flag and orange is the color of our royal family.

I am getting a Max Verstappen vibe here 

Edited May 1, 2018 by Kaa253

[Shadowmage]

So, last nights (and the last few days...) development was reworking the ModularRCS module (and configs), and consolidating all of the stand-alone RCS parts into a single mesh-switched part.  Yay for more part consolidation.  They still include 'structure' selection, texture switching, recoloring support, and fuel type switching.

One more part down, one more set of functions finished, and onto the next thing.  Slowly getting there... but still too far out to give any sort of real ETAs.

[Jimbodiah]

While you're on the RCS: Check the structure options when rescaling the rcs. Right now there is a gap between the support and rcs blocks. Want me to make it an issue on github?

[Shadowmage]

7 hours ago, Jimbodiah said:

While you're on the RCS: Check the structure options when rescaling the rcs. Right now there is a gap between the support and rcs blocks. Want me to make it an issue on github?

Entirely new code.  There will be no gap unless you define it as such in the configs. (so no, don't bother with the issue; it no longer exists)

Now both the RCS block and the structure models are controlled through plugin code, so it is much easier to control the positioning.  As long as the model-definitions are written correctly, everything should line up precisely.

Edit:

Edited May 2, 2018 by Shadowmage

[Shadowmage]

Another day, a few more parts on the 'working' list.  Today was the PDC, PPC, and stock-fairing based parts (FR/FR-W).

Stock fairings also had additional texture sets added to them for more stripe options (as the UV mapping is much improved in 1.4+ on stock fairings)

[Jimbodiah]

Is there any way you can make a sort of Procedural Fairing option but made-by-SSTU?   The stock fairing don't go with anything but stock parts; the simple angled contour is the reason I never use them on anything.

[Shadowmage]

6 minutes ago, Jimbodiah said:

Is there any way you can make a sort of Procedural Fairing option but made-by-SSTU?

Possible, yes.  Interested, not really.  Have time, certainly not.

7 minutes ago, Jimbodiah said:

The stock fairing don't go with anything but stock parts; the simple angled contour is the reason I never use them on anything.

There is actually an option in the fairing stock module config to enable 'smoothing' -- rounding of the edges.  With smoothing + a couple segments you can make very nice looking profiles.

(at least this option existed in the past, or I thought it did and just imagined the whole thing....)

[Jimbodiah]

Hence a nicer option Made by SSTU™     I needz recoloring on mah fairings  

[arrow01]

When this mod is going tilo be updated ti 1.4?

[Shadowmage]

4 minutes ago, arrow01 said:

When this mod is going tilo be updated ti 1.4?

Date = Today + (30 days * number of inquiries on release date in last month) + 5 * (number of features or parts left to fix)

I.E.  It'll be done faster when people quit asking.

Edited May 3, 2018 by Shadowmage

[Jimbodiah]

Well, the longer it takes, the better the code will be checked and the more functions will be implemented. So; when is the upgrade for 1.4 coming???    

On a lighter note:  ISS v4.0 plans almost final (running 1.3.1 with full enjoyment, no need for a 1.4.15 release just yet).
 

Spoiler

Yeah yeah: It looks like it was made by teletubbies. But the color coding saves me so many hassles trying to find the right module when I need to transfer something. My MFT resource list has about 50 resources in it thanks to MKS, EPL, LS, ART, NFP, FFT and ofcourse SSTU itself    

I think I have literally patched everything I ever need into a COS module by now. Only the reactor and greenhouses are from other mods because I like those better for their purpose (but I actually have COS modules with the same functionality left over). SSTU FTW!!!!
 

 

Edited May 3, 2018 by Jimbodiah

[Sudragon]

Quote

Yeah yeah: It looks like it was made by teletubbies. 

 

Can we get a Teletubbies IIINNN SPAAAAAAACE mod? Baby face on the sun, etc etc?

[tater]

15 hours ago, arrow01 said:

When this mod is going tilo be updated ti 1.4?

[CobaltWolf]

On 5/2/2018 at 9:50 PM, Shadowmage said:

There is actually an option in the fairing stock module config to enable 'smoothing' -- rounding of the edges.  With smoothing + a couple segments you can make very nice looking profiles.

(at least this option existed in the past, or I thought it did and just imagined the whole thing....)

The incredibly frustrating issue I always had was enabling that resulting in your fairings bowing out when you transitioned from vertical to sloping in towards the tip... not to mention not being able to have a rounded nose.

[Shadowmage]

18 minutes ago, CobaltWolf said:

The incredibly frustrating issue I always had was enabling that resulting in your fairings bowing out when you transitioned from vertical to sloping in towards the tip... not to mention not being able to have a rounded nose.

Interesting... wonder if they've solved any of those problems.  I just saw the config setting when looking through the API, don't know if I've ever personally tried it out.

[RedParadize]

I wonder why they didn't use a simple EP curve for that. It's so easy and instictive to use...

 

[Dave-Daring]

Keep up the good work, SSTU is one of my favourite mods/parts packs & I miss having it to use on 1.43.

[Shadowmage]

General development update:

Much work the past few days on cleaning up more parts/functions.  Currently in the middle of figuring out how to best handle attach nodes in the modular parts.  Complicated a bit by things like cargo bays needing internal nodes that scale with the model, but I think I've got a system implemented that should let it all work.  Requires quite a bit more information in the model-definitions, but in the end it will allow for the cargo bays to use the same part-module as everything else.

In the upcoming release, rather than there being a single part-module used for specific parts, nearly all 'modular parts' will use the same part-module ('SSTUModularPart').  MFT's, MUS, StationCore, MSRBs, Cargo Bays, ModularServiceModule, ModularSatteliteCore -- will all be using the same PartModule.  As such, this module needs to support the various setups and features used by all of those parts.

The list of 'broken' parts now consists of mainly those parts that would use the new module, needing one or more functions implemented.  Once the attach node (and fairing) support is working I should be able to cross-off the MFT and MCB parts as working again, with next up likely being the MUS or StationCore parts.

Still at least a few weeks out from a release, but certainly getting closer.

[Jimbodiah]

[Shadowmage]

Question regarding upcoming releases:

Does anyone still use the legacy shader setup with SSTU (i.e. without the SSTU-PBR pack installed)?

Would like to unify the configs, textures, and releases; with the aim of switching everything over to the PBR setup.  Would simplify the writing of configs, creation of textures, and could result in a reduction in release size from fewer duplicate textures being needed.  But if there is still widespread use of the legacy shaders, I'll consider leaving the setup as-is (for now at least...).

[Leandro Basi]

11 minutes ago, Shadowmage said:

Question regarding upcoming releases:

Does anyone still use the legacy shader setup with SSTU (i.e. without the SSTU-PBR pack installed)?

Would like to unify the configs, textures, and releases; with the aim of switching everything over to the PBR setup.  Would simplify the writing of configs, creation of textures, and could result in a reduction in release size from fewer duplicate textures being needed.  But if there is still widespread use of the legacy shaders, I'll consider leaving the setup as-is (for now at least...).

I use both.

[Kaa253]

5 hours ago, Shadowmage said:

use of the legacy shaders

I am not entirely sure I know the meaning of the question but I think my answer is the same as @Leandro Basi.
I use both.
On the other hand, I probably would not miss the legacy shaders if they were not there anymore. I think the lander pods may have only had the legacy shaders? Presumably that would be updated.