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

[vossiewulf]

6 hours ago, Shadowmage said:

It is just as stunning and real looking when placed in other environments.

I think it's a given that you're going to get a special episode of KSP mods and there's going to be much discussion in ModLand about what everyone is going to do now that Mage raised the bar to keosynchronous orbit.

[Jimbodiah]

I spotted a mod using your PBR shader     And so it begins....

 

 

[Abpilot]

Yaknow USI kolanisasion systems plus SSTU labs make a great mod together; SSTU supplies the interplanetary mother ship wile USI supplies the ground ops

[vossiewulf]

8 hours ago, Jimbodiah said:

I spotted a mod using your PBR shader     And so it begins....

 

 

Yeah I had started giving the guy a little advice since he was brand new, then Mage got interested and showed up and has been walking him through with much more knowledge than I, and somewhere in there I assume they chatted about the new shader. I'm very impressed with the guy, go look at his release thread and you see a whole series of people making suggestions about modeling and texture methods and an hour later he's figured out some new animation feature he's never tried before and has it working perfectly. 

If @bcink sticks with KSP chances are good many more good things will come from him.

[Abpilot]

What does SSTU even stand for though?

Edited November 12, 2017 by Abpilot

[Theysen]

2 minutes ago, Abpilot said:

What does SSTU even stand for though?

Shadow Space Technologies Unlimited 

lol, do people even read the first post of a thread?

[blowfish]

2 minutes ago, Abpilot said:

What does SSTU even stand for though?

Shadow Space Technologies Unlimited or Single Stage to Uranus, depending on who you ask 

[Shadowmage]

27 minutes ago, Abpilot said:

Yaknow USI kolanisasion systems plus SSTU labs make a great mod together; SSTU supplies the interplanetary mother ship wile USI supplies the ground ops

Very much by design

13 minutes ago, vossiewulf said:

Yeah I had started giving the guy a little advice since he was brand new, then Mage got interested and showed up and has been walking him through with much more knowledge than I, and somewhere in there I assume they chatted about the new shader.

Yeah, I just happened to wander by the thread when he was trying to get BlendShape animation stuff working in KSP.  Since I have some knowledge of that (and plugins that can make it happen), I was more than happy to offer some assistance.

 

 

 

Still working towards a release today, but have a few (kind of big) things to get done first.  Will be later this evening at the earliest, but may get pushed back until tomorrow pending testing and last-minute bugfixes/cleanup.  A couple of the more notable features/changes:

Regular release:

• MCB-A/B can now be recolored
• MFT-LV - new Lander oriented fuel tanks - functional, textures and balance WIP
• Fairing Bases can now be recolored (untested on petal adapters/might not work there yet)
• Orientation marks on probe-cores
• Cleaned up/finished up SRB-US nozzles textures and masks

PBR-expansion release (in addition to the changes in the regular release):

• First official PBR release
• All recolorable parts support PBR shader; you can now specify metallic value in addition to specular.
  • Everything... all of them.  Pods, tanks, fairings, mounts, adapters, station parts, the entire line.
• DOS solar panels got a PBR texture set
• SC-B (Apollo) PBR textures for CM and SM, still a bit WIP, but very usable
• WIP PBR conversions of F-1 and J-2 textures

[Abpilot]

6 minutes ago, blowfish said:

Shadow Space Technologies Unlimited or Single Stage to Uranus, depending on who you ask 

HA  lol

Plus you have the Apollo parts, yet no lander, why do that

[tater]

13 minutes ago, Abpilot said:

HA  lol

Plus you have the Apollo parts, yet no lander, why do that

The LEM is a quite complex shape compared to the CSM. There are other LEM versions out there if you need one.

[vossiewulf]

33 minutes ago, tater said:

The LEM is a quite complex the most absurdly complex shape of an actual functional thing in existence.

Fixed that for you.

[Temeter]

1 hour ago, Shadowmage said:

• All recolorable parts support PBR shader; you can now specify metallic value in addition to specular.
  • Everything... all of them.  Pods, tanks, fairings, mounts, adapters, station parts, the entire line.

That was actually the most impressive thing to me. Really didn't expect we could make everything look pregressively more or less shiny/metally.

Question, will there be an easy way to change the reflections resolution? Eg because we might want to play with a lower resolution, screenshot with highres, or just set the thing up to our hardware. I saw that with bigger, more clearly reflective part there is a bit of pixelation going on. Nothing dealbreaking either way since it just affects near-mirrors, just curious.

Edited November 12, 2017 by Temeter

[Shadowmage]

44 minutes ago, Temeter said:

Question, will there be an easy way to change the reflections resolution?

Yes, it will exist in a config file that can be easily adjusted. 

128 is the default, and up to 2048 is supported (power of 2 textures only).  I would recommend 256 or 512 for common use on more modern hardware, and possibly 1024 if you have good hardware and/or need very sharp mirror reflections.

[Temeter]

Just now, Shadowmage said:

Yes, it will exist in a config file that can be easily adjusted. 

128 is the default, and up to 2048 is supported (power of 2 textures only).  I would recommend 256 or 512 for common use on more modern hardware, and possibly 1024 if you have good hardware and/or need very sharp mirror reflections.

That's wonderful!

[Jimbodiah]

53 minutes ago, Shadowmage said:

Yes, it will exist in a config file that can be easily adjusted. 

128 is the default, and up to 2048 is supported (power of 2 textures only).  I would recommend 256 or 512 for common use on more modern hardware, and possibly 1024 if you have good hardware and/or need very sharp mirror reflections.

2048 it is then !!! 

Noob question: Could this be applied to existing (non-sstu) parts without needing any texturing work etc? i.e. can a nub like me make stock parts shine?

[Temeter]

22 minutes ago, Jimbodiah said:

2048 it is then !!! 

Noob question: Could this be applied to existing (non-sstu) parts without needing any texturing work etc? i.e. can a nub like me make stock parts shine?

Apparently yes, Shadowmman ^{edit: not gonna change that one!} has even written some instructions in the plugin's thread how to easily convert stock stuff.

And this post here shows an example. That's how KSP's part would look in a more realistic world:

 

Edited November 13, 2017 by Temeter

[T-10a]

Hey, I'm trying to add the stock aerospike as a custom SSTU engine, however I cannot seem to make the engine oriented properly or get rid of the thermal overlay of the engine.

Here's a screenshot:

(that's not meant to be oriented like that, and the part was just placed as root when I took the picture.)

Here's my config:

Spoiler

@PART[toroidalAerospike]
{
	@attachRules = 1,1,1,1,0
	%node_stack_bottom = 0,0.5,0,0,1,0,2
	%node_stack_top = 0,-0.6217,0,0,-1,0,2
	%node_stack_interstage = 0, -1, 0, 0, -1, 0, 2
	%node_attach = 0, 1.2, 0, 0, 1, 0, 2
	@name = SSTU-SC-ENG-J-2T
	@TechRequired = veryHeavyRocketry
	@title = SSTU - SC- ENG - J-2T-200K
	@description = SSTU - SC - ENG- J-2T-200K. The Toroidal Aerospike is a huge breakthrough from SSTU. While heavier than previous models, with its heavy-duty exhaust nozzle, the J-2T-200K makes up for it with an efficient burning of Hydrolox at all altitudes.
	@mass = 2.23
	@MODEL
	{
		@model = SSTU/Assets/EmptyProxyModel
	}
	@MODULE[ModuleEngines]
	{
		@maxThrust = 365
		!atmosphereCurve:FINAL{}
		atmosphereCurve
		{
			@key,0 = 0 435
			@key,1 = 1 300
		}
		%showUpgradesInModuleInfo = true
		UPGRADES
		{
			UPGRADE
			{
				name__ = SSTU-SC-ENG-J-2T-250K
				description__ = Thrust(Vac) = 574 kN, ISP: 270 (ASL) - 441 (Vac.)
				techRequired__ = veryHeavyRocketry
				maxThrust = 574
				atmosphereCurve
				{
					key,0 = 0 441
					key,1 = 1 290
				}
			}
		}	
	}
	MODULE
	{
		name = SSTUModularEngineCluster
		engineModelName = Squad/Parts/Engine/liquidEngineAerospike/AeroSpike
		transformsToRemove = Fairing, thermal
		currentEngineLayoutName = Single
		engineSpacing = 1.5
		engineHeight = 1.03523
		engineYOffset = -1
		engineScale = 1
		partTopY = 0.5
		smokeTransformName = SmokeTransform
		smokeTransformOffset = -1
		diameterIncrement = 0.625
		engineMountDiameter = 1.25
		upperStageMounts = true
		lowerStageMounts = false
	}
	MODULE
	{
		name = SSTUNodeFairing
		diffuseTextureName = SSTU/Assets/SC-GEN-Fairing-DIFF
		nodeName = bottom
		canDisableInEditor = false
		snapToNode = true
		canManuallyJettison = true
		canAdjustSections = true
		canAdjustBottom = true
		FAIRING
		{
			canAdjustBottom = true
			canAdjustTop = true
		}
		currentTextureSet = Fairings-White
		TEXTURESET
		{
			name = Fairings-White
		}
	}
	MODULE
	{
		name = SSTUSelectableNodes
		nodeName = interstage
		startsEnabled = false
	}
}

PARTUPGRADE:NEEDS[CommunityTechTree]
{
	name = SSTU-SC-ENG-J-2T-250K
	partIcon = SSTU-SC-ENG-J-2T
	title = SSTU - SC - ENG - J-2T-250K
    description = While the J-2T was an exotic upgrade for the venerable J-2 series of motors, this upgrade is a tad more mundane.
	techRequired = experimentalRocketry
	entryCost = 10070
}

@PART[SSTU-SC-ENG-J-2T]:FOR[RealPlume]:NEEDS[SmokeScreen]
{
    PLUME
    {
        name = Hydrolox-Lower
        transformName = thrustTransform
        localRotation = 0,0,0
        flarePosition = 0,0,-1.5
        plumePosition = 0,0,0.5
        flareScale = 2
        plumeScale = 0.8
        energy = 0.8
        speed = 1.2
        emissionMult = 0.5
    }
    @MODULE[ModuleEngines*]
    {
        %powerEffectName =  Hydrolox-Lower
    }
	@EFFECTS
    {
        @Hydrolox-Lower
        {
            !MODEL_MULTI_SHURIKEN_PERSIST[flare] {}
        }
    }
}

 

 

[Shadowmage]

1 hour ago, Jimbodiah said:

2048 it is then !!! 

Noob question: Could this be applied to existing (non-sstu) parts without needing any texturing work etc? i.e. can a nub like me make stock parts shine?

 

40 minutes ago, Temeter said:

Apparently yes, Shadowmman ^{edit: not gonna change that one!} has even written some instructions in the plugin's thread how to easily convert stock stuff.

And this post here shows an example. That's how KSP's part would look in a more realistic world:

 

Well, its not really that easy/simple...

While I do have a shader specifically geared towards making the process easier... it still requires that you supply at least a metallic-mask texture for every material that you want to convert.  This texture tells the shaders which parts are metallic (white in the texture, reflect the color from the diffuse map), and which parts are non-metallic (black in the texture, reflect white light in game), as well as influences a few other properties about how the surface responds to light.

I really wish I could make the process easier, but I have not been able to find any good information on automated conversion processes.  There is simply no way to extract the metallic map information out of existing diffuse/specular texture setups.  The existing diffuse/specular (and nrm) textures should 'mostly' work... but even then some will need to be replaced to get the proper effects.  For example the stock 'silver' fuel tank texture would likely need to be entirely replaced; the diffuse is too dark (might work for steel?), and the specular/gloss is a bit too low.

The only reason I've been able to convert the SSTU recolorable part textures 'easily' is because they've mostly been authored as grayscale detail maps to begin with.  The recoloring shader takes the colors from the recoloring-gui selections directly, and applies the detail textures on top of them as minor highlights/shadows (or rough/gloss areas in the gloss map).  As the textures were already neutral, it was mostly just applying some metallic-masks to the existing specular textures (lots and lots of textures...), and adding in control of the metallic channel in the GUI (the easy part).

 

 

[Jimbodiah]

Gotcha!  Was worth a shot

[Temeter]

I see, so stil outside the range of my limited abilities^^

[Shadowmage]

In the vein of the cinematic shots...

Sunset over Duna:

 

Dark side of Duna (its subtle...):

Such strong planet-glow...

 

Certainly going to make some nice cinematic material for some ambitions video maker.

 

[Shadowmage]

Since I was 'testing' things...

(in retrospect, I could have made the fuel tanks of the ascent stage smaller, they had way too much fuel; the cloth texture is also questionable when made metallic)

>5k dV between the two stages.  Zero reaction wheels, so relies on ample RCS use for attitude control.

 

Most things seem to be working quite well considering how much has been changed.  Putting the finishing touches on a few more texture sets and configs, and looks like everything should be on track for a release tomorrow afternoon.

[CatastrophicFailure]

3 minutes ago, Shadowmage said:

Since I was 'testing' things...

 

Such shiny... much wow...  

[T-10a]

5 minutes ago, Shadowmage said:

Since I was 'testing' things...

(in retrospect, I could have made the fuel tanks of the ascent stage smaller, they had way too much fuel; the cloth texture is also questionable when made metallic)

>5k dV between the two stages.  Zero reaction wheels, so relies on ample RCS use for attitude control.

 

Most things seem to be working quite well considering how much has been changed.  Putting the finishing touches on a few more texture sets and configs, and looks like everything should be on track for a release tomorrow afternoon.

Well, there's an unorthodox use of a Soyuz OM.

Is that new modular RCS thruster structures I see there?

[Abpilot]

2 hours ago, Shadowmage said:

Since I was 'testing' things...

(in retrospect, I could have made the fuel tanks of the ascent stage smaller, they had way too much fuel; the cloth texture is also questionable when made metallic)

>5k dV between the two stages.  Zero reaction wheels, so relies on ample RCS use for attitude control.

 

Most things seem to be working quite well considering how much has been changed.  Putting the finishing touches on a few more texture sets and configs, and looks like everything should be on track for a release tomorrow afternoon.

Is there gonna be a craft download,cuz HOLY COW!!!! EPIC!!