[1.9.x] Launch Towers Pack

[sciencepanda]

Version 1.7

Now on Spacedock with Pad 39A

Note: this mod now requires B9PartSwtich

Spoiler

Que Demo Misison 2 hype!

 

[Kartoffelkuchen]

Oh wow that's awesome! Thank You for the update

[Virtualgenius]

@sciencepanda I am getting a B9 part switching error on loading when this mod is installed,  and also when i have the tower installed everything floats above the pad I am using  AVP and kerbal Konstructs 

[sciencepanda]

9 hours ago, Virtualgenius said:

@sciencepanda I am getting a B9 part switching error on loading when this mod is installed,  and also when i have the tower installed everything floats above the pad I am using  AVP and kerbal Konstructs 

Yep, those are to be expected.  I was rushing to get the crew dragon related updates releassed before DM-2, so a few minor bugs/glitches are to be expected.The B9 error is because I left something out of the config. Wasn't required to get it working, but I should probably fix it to get rid of the error warning.

The floating is caused by the collider of the FSS. When you send a craft to the launch pad, KSP makes sure that any collider is above or at least flush with the surface of the launch pad. If it doesn't have a collider KSP is okay with it being below. In the real world the lower end of the FSS is significantly below the Transporter Erector (white tower) and Reaction Frame (grey base platform), so that's how I modeled it. If you use the model of 39A from KSC extended, thing's will look a bit more normal. The FSS won't appear to be floating anymore, and the floating TE/RF won't be as obvios. I'll add KSC Extended as a recomended mod on the front page to address this.

Spoiler

I'm planning to model the rest of SpaceX's infestructure at 39A, which should bridge the bap between the RF and pad surface. However good pictures of that infestructure are hard to find to that may take some time.

Like I said earlier, my goal was to get the modfied TE/RF and addition of the FSS and CAA released before DM-2, so some other planned features were sidelined to save time. I should be able to get started on them soon.

Edited May 26, 2020 by sciencepanda

[sciencepanda]

11 hours ago, sciencepanda said:

I'm planning to model the rest of SpaceX's infestructure at 39A, which should bridge the bap between the RF and pad surface. However good pictures of that infestructure are hard to find to that may take some time.

Like I said earlier, my goal was to get the modfied TE/RF and addition of the FSS and CAA released before DM-2, so some other planned features were sidelined to save time. I should be able to get started on them soon.

Welp, that didn't take long:

For those using the stock launch pad, I added a variant (accessible with B9 part switch) that will fill in the gaps.

Just gonna kick one or two bugs and fix a mistake on the TE model, and I should be able to push the update tonight or tomorrow.

All done. Version 1.7.1 is now live on SpaceDock

Edited May 27, 2020 by sciencepanda

[Virtualgenius]

Thanks for your awesome reply and work really appreciate it

[sciencepanda]

 Another update:

It was bugging me to have rainbirds without any water effects, so I added some.

I'm very much a novice with particle effects, so if anyone has more experience and wants to lend a hand, I'd appreciate it.

In the meantime, 1.7.3 is now on SpaceDock

 

[who cares]

I'm not sure if I just need to update the mod or what but I downloaded it late on Friday night, and the Strongbacks are not the correct size, height and diameter wise, and the 39A Strongback doesn't have a Falcon Heavy configuration.

[sciencepanda]

4 hours ago, who cares said:

I'm not sure if I just need to update the mod or what but I downloaded it late on Friday night, and the Strongbacks are not the correct size, height and diameter wise, and the 39A Strongback doesn't have a Falcon Heavy configuration.

If you're using the rescaled version of KK's mod, make sure you have the rescale patch for this mod in your gamedata folder. If you're not using the rescaled version, then make sure you don't. 

The Falcon Heavy config on 39A requires B9PartSwitch in order for it to work. If you're using pre-1.7 then the Falcon heavy config is a separate part and B9PartSwitch is not required.

[corey1000]

How do you install? There are two folders, a "Gamedata" and "Rescale" folder.

Edited June 1, 2020 by corey1000

[sciencepanda]

18 hours ago, corey1000 said:

How do you install? There are two folders, a "Gamedata" and "Rescale" folder.

Add the contents of the Gamedata to Gamedata. If you're using the rescaled version of KK's spacex pack, then also add the patch in the Rescale folder. Note: the 39A parts only fit the KSC Extended 39A pad when using the rescale.

[corey1000]

On 6/2/2020 at 10:58 AM, sciencepanda said:

Add the contents of the Gamedata to Gamedata. If you're using the rescaled version of KK's spacex pack, then also add the patch in the Rescale folder. Note: the 39A parts only fit the KSC Extended 39A pad when using the rescale.

thx

[autistic and ashamed]

Everything disappears after liftoff. Is there anything I can do to prevent that so that I can recover the tower and not waste any money?

[DeadJohn]

On 6/17/2020 at 2:44 PM, autistic and ashamed said:

Everything disappears after liftoff. Is there anything I can do to prevent that so that I can recover the tower and not waste any money?

Do the clamps vanish instantly as soon as you stage them, or after your rocket gets out of range? Clamps are usually left behind as debris and get recovered when the game detects they are interfering with your *next* launch. Some things might possibly change that default recovery process, such as setting max debris to 0, or mods like Stage Recovery or FMRS.

The spoiler below is a Module Manager patch to change the costs of the towers in this mod. They will be so inexpensive that it doesn't matter whether they get recovered or not. Save the spoiler text to a new ".cfg" file in gamedata.

Or, if you don't have Module Manager and don't want it, edit all 9 part.cfg files that are in this mod. Look for something like "cost=15000".

Spoiler

@PART[39A_pad]
{
    cost = 10
}

@PART[39Base]
{
    cost = 10
}

@PART[FSS]
{
    cost = 10
}

@PART[1.0_pad]
{
    cost = 10
}

@PART[1.1_pad]
{
    cost = 10
}

@PART[FT_pad]
{
    cost = 10
}

@PART[LC40R]
{
    cost = 10
}

@PART[F1_pad]
{
    cost = 10
}

@PART[Vandy_F9]
{
    cost = 10
}

 

 

[autistic and ashamed]

5 hours ago, DeadJohn said:

Do the clamps vanish instantly as soon as you stage them, or after your rocket gets out of range? Clamps are usually left behind as debris and get recovered when the game detects they are interfering with your *next* launch. Some things might possibly change that default recovery process, such as setting max debris to 0, or mods like Stage Recovery or FMRS.

It happens after I clear the tower, but before it's out of range. I think it was at around  500-1000m

[JacobPF9]

@sciencepanda Any update on the Old Dragon 1 mockup you showed a little while ago?

[sciencepanda]

On 6/24/2020 at 8:43 PM, JacobPF9 said:

@sciencepanda Any update on the Old Dragon 1 mockup you showed a little while ago?

More or less dead. I couldn't do the textures any justice, and couldn't find anyone to do the textures for me. I saw no point in releasing it if it looked like complete trash.

If anyone wants to help with the textures, I can probably dig up the old files and get it working in-game again.

[ryan kerman]

umm when i click the space dock link it gives me a error 

i really want  this mod

Edited June 30, 2020 by ryan kerman

[James Kerman]

Welcome to the forum @ryan kerman, spacedock is undergoing maintenance at the moment. It should be available tomorrow.

[Furiousgaming34]

Why isn't the water effects for the tower working? Every time I launch the effects don't show up 

[realjuliusPGKC]

ive downloaded it but when i unzip it gives a corrupted file error pls help 

[corey1000]

Is it compatible with 1.10.1?

[Sputnik Planitia]

On 7/2/2021 at 8:55 PM, corey1000 said:

Is it compatible with 1.10.1?

its a part mod so it should work with any version

 

[EndAllFilms]

The launch tower is not perfect a lined

[sciencepanda]

*Crawls out of the grave*

Huh, I guess it's been a while. Quick personal life update to explain the absence. Last time I posted here (June 2020) I had just graduated from college, and quickly jumped straight into grad school. 2 years later (May 2022) I graduated from said endeavour, and a month later (June 2022) started working full time for REDACTED, so I've been busy.

So am I back? Yes and no. I'll be back to more or less the same updates/modding frequency as before.... so modding when I feel like it, and posteding here when the time feels right. Although maybe this time without the nearly 3 year disapearing act.

 

Aaaaanyway... Moving on to what y'all are probably more interested in than boring real life updates....  I don't see any reason why this mod wouldn't still work with 1.12.x, it's a pretty simple parts mod so it should have a good shelf life. However, if it happens to burst into flames one day, I'll do by best to find a fire extingusher. Once the appropriate rocket mods find there way into KSP2, I'll probably figure out how to push this over to that. In the meantime, I'm sticking with ol' reliable (KSP1), and I may have gone down the rabbit hole of something new: