Modeling is so frustrating

[Xyphos]

all of the guides and help links here are outdated, broken or written in riddles.

I've made a new engine in Blender, did the UV unwrapping, textured in GIMP, imported to unity, exported the model, wrote the cfg, put everything in my GameData folder and KSP doesn't even load it.

I've searched for common problems and can't find any help.

[Fisk02]

I think Beale have a good tutorial on that.

[CaptainKipard]

What's outdated?

[artwhaley]

Almost all of the old info still works. Sometimes there are better ways to do things that are developed or discovered... but the old .18 tutorials willllll still get a part into the game, if you choose to follow those instead of one of the newer ones in the list. Seeing that they're maintained by volunteers whose interest in the game comes and goes the same as any other players... NO... they're not going to get a total rework every time squad updates the game... but I don't think the basics have changed since, well, part tools was released? Any tutorial that uses the current version of part tools will definitely still be valid. Now... engine related part modules have changed a little... but I think they're backwards compatible? I highly recommend you do what the rest of us do every new version of KSP... and that's crack open Squad's config files to see what they've fiddled with. With the number of modules involved in engines... i almost always start with grabbing the .cfg from the most similar squad engine, putting it in my directory, changing the model and node lines and then tweaking the performance differences.

It IS frustrating when you know you're close but it's not working. There are 100 steps to getting a part made, converted and imported and you've probably got 99 of them right... and I've spent entire DAYS trying to find the last one that I was missing. That said... the people who CAN and WILL help you are the same people who write and maintain those guides that are 'outdated, broken and written in riddles' so you'll find more cheerful assistance if you don't approach us with a tone that seems critical of all the work we do for free... Now feel free to criticize SQUAD for not properly documenting all the modules and such! :P

That out of the way...

First things first. There are a lot of modules and transforms and fairings and such that go into engines. Have you made a fuel tank yet? Or just imported the default blender cube? It can be helpful to find the breakdown in your process to strip it down to the bare minimum.

Secondly, if you would like more detailed help, we'll need more detailed info to go on - the best place to start is a couple of unity screenshots that show 1- the materials setup on your part and 2- the parttools setup on the game-object that is your part's parent? From those two screenshots and your .cfg file, we'll be able to check the most basic things and ask you some more relevant questions.

[satnet]

It is often a good idea to check the KSP.log file (created in the same dir as your KSP executable) when a part won't load. There will usually be some hint why it isn't loaded.

[Stone Blue]

Hehe...How timely this thread should show up... I JUST NOW, had had enough of about 8hrs of fiddling with Blender on a simple 72face frisbee shaped part, and figured I'd come surf the forums...

Every time I would screw something up, I'd have to close the project without saving, and start over...And each time I got back to where I was, some OTHER setting, function, or whatever would seem to be different and I'd screw something ELSE up, and have to start all over again...

Anyway, my post is not helpful, but I know your pain....

I wish there was a nice Blender/KSP tute like Beale's Wings 3D one...

Edited December 6, 2015 by Stone Blue

[NecroBones]

Hmmm. A "Blender for KSP" tutorial would be pretty cool.

I could probably write one (if I find some time for it). The thing is, there's a lot I still don't know. I've found a variety of tricks and have a pretty good work flow, but I also have a specific way of doing things, and it's not the only way. For instance, Ambient Occlusion is something I do by hand in the texture, but others here prefer to bake it in Blender. I never even looked into how to do that. So I could cover the aspects that work for me, but it wouldn't be coming from a "Blender expert".

[Stone Blue]

^^
That would be kewl... Even if you just jotted down anything quick, or links you've found useful... Hehehe...I wouldt worry too much about your way not being the only way and not working for everyone...
Microsoft Windows has been like that for HOW long now?...

And as far as not coming from an "expert", thats fine for me... After hours upon hours of Googling and reading, I can find tutes and examples for beginner's JUST beginning Blender for the first time...Then I can find all these tutes for making HUGELY complex models for CGI and video games with graphics that are WAYYYY beyond KSP's.... Now that I have a few basic models and a few days of Blender under my belt, I'm having a hard time finding stuff for beginner-to-intermediate users.... Basically something between simple and complex...

I guess it would be nice if Beale's tute continued on past what he has so far...

Right now, I'm at the stage of having a 6 "piece" model that I need to now learn how to animate... SO anything having to do with how animation works from modelling to implementation in KSP would be awesome...
And, yes, I have read as many KSP wikis on modding that I can find...Several times thru...And most seem lacking or outdated...

Edited December 6, 2015 by Stone Blue

[RaendyLeBeau]

Hello Xyphos,

I have compiled a little tutorial.

it should show through images the most important steps and relationships build short

it is short I still hope that it provides you insights. I myself had at the beginning of some links and tutorial search together until it has worked reasonably.

(please correct me if I should or supplemented forgot what)

hope you could help

 

yes .. hmm I'm sorry about my crappy handwriting on the pictures , but who can write with a mouse 

 

Edited December 6, 2015 by RaendyLeBeau