[WIP] Dr. Jet's Chop Shop - dev thread

[Dr. Jet]

Here should be a thread for experimental and non-released parts. 

 

DOWNLOAD HERE

Contents:

• Manned Rugged Rover (-> included in v0.9 release)
• Small deploying rover wheels (PURE STOCK mechanics and no plugins)
• COMRADE modular rover system (cockpit, deployable wheels, crew cabin, laboratory, service bay, etc.)

P.S. Since UMBRA (Universal Mobile Base Rover Assembly) name is seized by Umbra Space Industries, I named my modular rover system "COMRADE" (Compact Omnipurpose Modular Rover Assembly, Disassembly, Etc.) It will stay so, until you suggest something better. 

Edited April 17, 2016 by Dr. Jet
new download file

[Nansuchao]

Talking about rovers, the only useful suggestion I can think is to have the CoM very low, to avoid the usual issue of flipping or rolling too easy.

[Dr. Jet]

COM is low. At the level of wheel axis to be exact. It's an old Rugged Rover after all, just a bit taller. Though, I won't recommend performing sharp maneuvers at 20+ m/s - even with MechJeb stabilisation.

 

BTW, did someone manage to open new stock props .mu files (like supply bags, hatches, etc.) in editor?

Edited January 2, 2016 by Dr. Jet

[Dr. Jet]

Returning to my old experiments with deployable rover wheels, I was finally able to produce something compact, accurate and with working suspension.

No textures yet. And suspension is limited to 5cm because it cannot be binded to animation state (yet). Though levers and pistons follow suspension movements correctly.

Hopefully Unity 5 engine will give us better instruments for such tasks.

Edited January 3, 2016 by Dr. Jet

[Dr. Jet]

Huh! My rover had so perfectly aligned IVA that it is fully compatible with JSI transparency module. No changes were needed!

Just add this to config:

MODULE
{
    name = JSITransparentPod
    transparentTransforms = glass
}

 

P.S. And now I can see that I messed with empty object for placing kerbal butt. It's way off the chair itself.

Edited February 27, 2016 by Dr. Jet

[Dr. Jet]

Continuous toying with IVAs...

Making them as one single module with outer part THEN splitting for Unity export is the best (and easiest) choice.

This baby is wannabe laboratory module for mobile base (huge rover still fitting inside 2.5m fairings).

Unfortunately, PartTools glitched and killed my old Unity... Reinstalling didn't help (possibly it's still something ineadible in Assets).

Thus I cannot test it in game and further development is stuck.  

Hoping for soon release of KSP 1.1 and new PartTools.

Edited March 1, 2016 by Dr. Jet

[Dr. Jet]

Still waiting for new PartTools... Cannot make new parts without them... 

Experimental rover head. Cockpit on top, payload at bottom. Plenty of sight for pilot and co-pilot/navigator.

This one should be crew module for 4 kerbals. With enough place to sleep, concidering it's a rover and that means gravity.

Also a small kitchenette and WC.

P.S. Those are not real kerbals - just dummy mockups. I mean they aren't even green!

Edited March 8, 2016 by Dr. Jet

[GDJ]

On March 1, 2016 at 11:35 AM, Dr. Jet said:

 

 

Open Reel tape decks....nice touch! About the right size for the old Vacuum Tube models, like the old AMPEX rigs. 
Me likes!

 

[Dr. Jet]

Draftly painted the lab module. Replaced 90th-style PCs with 70th-style terminals to complement that retro mainframe. Made new better looking doors. Removed fourth table. Three sciencists is more than enough for such a small module.

Open for suggestions on what to put in the empty space.  Remove windows there and put something big like second mainframe? Make windows a bit shorter and put a storage for experiments near the far wall?

[Rushligh]

I'd love to see something like your first rover/vehicle meant to dock/deploy out of another part.
imagine a mk2/MK3 hull where the lower half dropped out to become that vehicle. if it had built in KAS winch and doc to pull the vehicle back in and dock it with the craft again. this would work wonders for orbiters.

On a separate note that gives me an idea. if the MK2 inline cockpit could eject the cockpit portion as an escape pod and deploy a parachute...

Edited March 9, 2016 by Rushligh
IDEA

[Dr. Jet]

2 hours ago, Rushligh said:

I'd love to see something like your first rover/vehicle meant to dock/deploy out of another part.
imagine a mk2/MK3 hull where the lower half dropped out to become that vehicle. if it had built in KAS winch and doc to pull the vehicle back in and dock it with the craft again. this would work wonders for orbiters.

On a separate note that gives me an idea. if the MK2 inline cockpit could eject the cockpit portion as an escape pod and deploy a parachute...

My first rover? Hm-m-m... That would be re-configured stock Probodobodyne RoveMate from released ChopShop. Cannot think how it can be deployable. MRR (first in this thread) is also a solid brick in design.

Big modular rover will actually be deployable. Look at the cockpit - this will be the full size of assembly from the front. Most top parts will be habitable, lower parts will hold deployable wheels, utility tanks and such. When undeployed, it will look like a small sleek spaceship. Also it should fit in 2.5m fairings and thus in MK3 cargo bays.

Also waiting for 1.1 to experiment with new wheel modules. Wheels are the nastiest parts of rover, preventing sleek designs unless you can retract them somehow. What is shown on third picture is a working game engine abusing workaround, but new modules should make such things work properly in stock. Crossing fingers for multiwheel capability (1 part holding 2 or more working wheels).

P.S. As for Mk2 rovers, new wheel modules should make possible putting some working motors in landing gears, so using a spaceplane as rover will be viable in stock without new parts. 

Edited March 9, 2016 by Dr. Jet
P.S.

[StevieC]

I'd like to see a version of the "Mushroom-and-Bun" lander fuel-tanks in the 1.25m size. I use the ALCOR for my landers and the 2.5m tank on the Mushroom completely blocks the ALCOR's landing-camera and window's view downwards.

[Dr. Jet]

How to use that remaining empty space in lab module?
Maybe a sample storage (stockalike) inside and deployable dish antenna outside? Dish antenna seems convenient for lab module...

On the other hand it will sacrifice a pair of windows...

[Dr. Jet]

At the cost of Unity cache (and breakage of all previously made parts) I finally managed to revive old part tools for Unity 4.2.2.

Thus experiments continue.

Two-wheels-in-one-part modules are actually possible (thanks to SpannerMonkey) and even viable. But with FXModuleConstrainPosition any non-parallel deployment animation sucks. Also there are some collider issues which I haven't localize yet.

Edited March 19, 2016 by Dr. Jet

[Dr. Jet]

Unity/KSP animation is troublesome... 

Cloned subparts have the same hierarchy, same subpart names and animation clip is cloned in Unity.

One works fully, one - partially. WHY??? 

Update: re-cloning the whole subsystem worked. Now both deploy correctly. Still dunno why they didn't.

Edited March 19, 2016 by Dr. Jet

[Dr. Jet]

IVA-s are visible ingame and work with JSI.

2 meter 3-way opening service bay seems enough for most tasks. Additional nodes for vertical attachment allow surprisingly dense packaging. Two drills, three radial ore tanks and a small refinery for example. 

Was forced to split wheels into individual parts rather than two wheels in single part.

Still lots of work ahead...

Edited March 26, 2016 by Dr. Jet

[Dr. Jet]

Updated download file. 

Now you can try COMRADE rover. No lights, no props, unbalanced configs... but it works! 

Edited April 1, 2016 by Dr. Jet

[Dr. Jet]

Slowly upgrading...

Now we have lights. 

Small one have internal lighting too. And it is switcheable... if you have RasterPropMonitor.

I wonder if someone likes that DIY-alike IVA with fridge and cooler? Or should I rebuild it with more compact equipment to be able to fit TWO kerbals in? 

Edited April 16, 2016 by Dr. Jet

[Dr. Jet]

Control panels for small rover - stock and RPM.

[fr33soul]

Can i report an issue here?

 

the LED Headlight doesn't fit well on the fuel tank as i expected.. they are too much built-in to the tank and they don't light enough coz under the tank's texture..

In this pictures u can see the first on top is the original attached and the second is that i needed to move manually with the move tool in order to detach from the tank.. 

KSP 1.2.2

tank: (KW Rocketry SA-2 LFT)

[Dr. Jet]

Well, it's a thread for non-released parts... but anyway. 

It's not a problem with LED, it's a problem with tank. LED collider strictly matches visible LED model, while collider of this particular tank does not.

Editor Extension Redux mod is higly recommended (screenshot shows you don't have it). It will give you much better control over what attaches where and allow precise movements, rotations and alignments. 

Edited December 22, 2016 by Dr. Jet