Spawning a Vessel

[AlphaAsh]

Consider, if you would, the lovely bit of code I finally got to do what I wanted:

        public static void UnhangarCraft(Vessel vVesselStored)
        {
            // Convert the stored protovessel to a new protovessel.
            // Use BackupVessel because that seems to work and protovessel does not. `\o/`
            ProtoVessel pVessel = vVesselStored.BackupVessel();

            // Get rid of the original hidden vessel - even though it was unloaded KSP still 'sees' the original craft.
            // I do not care why. :|
            vVesselStored.state = Vessel.State.DEAD;

            foreach (Part p in vVesselStored.Parts)
            {
                if (p != null && p.gameObject != null)
                    p.gameObject.DestroyGameObject();
            }

            // Load the new protovessel we made. KSP won't reload (or rather render) a vessel that was unloaded - it will only load a protovessel. :$
            pVessel.Load(FlightDriver.FlightStateCache.flightState);
            // I suspect this is actually a KSP bug since the same crap happens with newly spawned static objects. If you query the active state
            // of the invisible craft, it claims it is active. And no, forcing the renderers doesn't work either.

            // Convert protovessel to vessel
            Vessel vNewVessel = pVessel.vesselRef;

            // Unload then reload the vessel - this seems to be the way to properly re-initialise flightstate etc.
            // Don't do this and you get a craft with a stuck surface velocity reading. It looks like KSP transposes orbital
            // and surface velocity or some other stupid s**t. I don't care.
            // And yes, this time KSP does load an unloaded vessel with no need for protovessel b******t. I don't care why.
            vNewVessel.Unload();
            vNewVessel.Load();
        }

Here's the spec: A craft rolls up to a hangar. The crew get out. You use a simple GUI to 'hangar' the craft. The craft's id is saved to a text database/persistence file/whatever and is then set inactive and unloaded.

Doesn't matter that the vessel still 'exists'. There's a check every frame once you come back to a flight scene that makes any hangared craft inactive/invisible. This allows you to take control of a hangared craft from the tracking station or space center scene, which is intentional (and also handled).

When you unhangar a craft, the id is matched to the vessel in FlightGlobals, the hangar cleared and then the above code does its thing.

I wanted to pick the brains of fellow KSP modders on what exactly I am missing here, seeing if there is a less clunky solution. Because what I thought were obvious solutions just didn't work.

Any thoughts, advice, chastisement or hurling of rotten vegetables welcome.

Edited September 6, 2015 by AlphaAsh
Spolling and grimmar fixes

[nightingale]

I have about 300 lines of code to make spawning vessels work in Contract Configurator. There's about a dozen hacks in there where I just couldn't get something to work right in all situations and ended up just doing something weird "because it worked". So when it comes to spawning/loading/unloading vessels... I'd say you're doing pretty good with what you've got there.

[AlphaAsh]

I think my favourite discovery was when I used Load and LoadObjects after each other. My twin engined aircraft with two braking parachutes became a monstrous four-engined, four parachute hybrid. Basically two craft treated as one. It cloned the pilot when he got in. It actually flew but I think I heard the craft's soul screaming "kiiiiilllll meeeee pllleeeassee" all the way. The Z tearing was intense.

Edited September 6, 2015 by AlphaAsh