[WIP] Coatl Aerospace ProbesPlus Dev Thread [Beta] 10/19/2020 (1.8-1.10)

[KerBlitz Kerman]

Fine, break KSP...

[skbernard]

some of the parts arent recognizing the science portion of your parts config file for me - i'm taking a look at them and confused why some work and others dont, things like magnetometers and RPWS are fine, but things like DUST and electrostatic and the scoop arent working...  it looks like part configs with DMModuleScienceAnimate are working but things using DMModuleScienceAnimateGeneric are not

what am i missing? whad i break? my latest dMagic is from the 21st (i downloaded on the 21st)

Edited August 27, 2017 by skbernard

[Aelfhe1m]

6 hours ago, skbernard said:

what am i missing?

DMModuleScienceAnimateGeneric  is a separate download from DMagic Orbital Science which contains DMModuleScienceAnimate.

[skbernard]

2 hours ago, Aelfhe1m said:

DMModuleScienceAnimateGeneric  is a separate download from DMagic Orbital Science which contains DMModuleScienceAnimate.

Yup, that was it, thanks man - i guess i was confused after reading that it was included in the OP, i assumed this to mean included in this download, but not there when i checked

[Abpilot]

On 26/08/2017 at 8:48 AM, akron said:

I think so. Check these last few pages of the thread

Lol thx coatl

[akron]

ProbesPlus FAQ

Does it work with version 1.4.x ?
Yes. But you should always update to the latest Firespitter, and DMagic Science Animate Generic

Do you need to have DMagic Orbital Science installed?
No. You only need DMagic's Science Animate Generic (Included). However, Orbital Science is a fantastic mod and I have compatibility configs for it. I don't see why you would not want it

I have the latest version of  DMagic Orbital Science installed but some of the new ProbesPlus experiments don't work
Make sure you have the latest version of DMagic Module Science Animate. The animation plug-in is included with ProbesPlus, but you can and should always download the latest version

I followed the installation instructions but it crashes/won't load!
See here for some troubleshooting help and guide. You can then ask for help here and I or other users will help you, but we need your log file first. That post by NathanKell shows you how to locate the log file

What happened to the "Ground Ops" parts?
They are still coming but will be part of the regular mod for now. Having the 2 listed together made it confusing, plus there's currently no need to separate them into 2 mods. They might never be 2 separate mods, I don't know yet.

When are lander and rover parts coming?
There's already several lander parts in the mod. Venera-Vega, Surveyor, and Huygens are all released already. Rovers will be first included in BETA 18, keep and eye for that update. Lunokhod is up first.

The texture switching does not work!
This is reliant on Firespitter and Textures Unlimited (if TU is installed). Be sure to update to the latest version of each. If it still does not work, see above on how to get help by posting your crash logs

Why the texture switching to begin with?
Variety to hopefully have something that each player will like. I really cannot find a foil texture I'm happy with, so I just added some options to change up the look and feel. It is purely a cosmetic thing. I recommend Textures Unlimited to make them even better

I found a problem/bug. How do I report it
First of all, thank you for being willing to help. I will list "Currently known problems" at the end of this FAQ. See if it's not there first. Gather as much info as you can, especially if it is a situational problem so that I can replicate it. Then head over to the Github issue tracker here. Your issue may already been reported. If so, feel free to add more info if you think it can help. If not, you can log a new issue. If you're unwilling to go through the trouble I would still appreciate a quick post here reporting the problem

Why are the antenna so heavy?
They are balanced with stock parts and other popular mods. If I make them too light, they will not balance well and be too over-powered

Are the parts only replicas?
Not exactly. Each mission replica is really a collection of parts that go together. I try my best to make the parts be generic enough to be used elsewhere, so you can mix and match with other parts from my mod, other mods, and stock. Obviously this is not always the case and some parts are fairly unique. Let me hear your feedback on this and I can see what I can do to make future parts fit better

Will you make part X?
Maybe. The criteria is that it has to either 1. Serve a new purpose (There are no other parts like it), 2. Be visually interesting and different from other parts I have already done, 3. Represent a really awesome or ground breaking real life mission (Be "iconic"). I unfortunately do not have a lot of time to make new parts anymore, so part requests will be a low priority

Will you add support for mod X?
Maybe. If this other mod fits well with my mod and is widely used, then I don't see why not. If you want to help by making configs for said mod, even better!

Is it Realism Overhaul Compatible?
Yes, it is. Configs for my parts are included with RO. The folks that support that mod make the configs, not I. Shout out to them for adding support for my mod, specially PhineasFreak. Please be patient with them as they update configs to work with my latest releases

Does it work with Planet Packs?
Yes, but only Outer Planets Mod has custom science results (For the most part). Please let me know if you can help write/tweak science results for other planet packs

Do you have localization support?
I do not and it is not currently on the to-do, but if you want to help make it happen, let me know.

Are you from Akron, Ohio?
No, and I've never been there. It is purely a coincidence. I chose the name at random when creating a profile for Arma 2 a few years back and have used it since. I did not even know of the city at the time

Can I be a BETA tester?
Yes, anyone can. The latest parts and experimental fixes and tweaks are pushed to the Github repository. You can download the repo to have the latest files. Every so often, a milestone is reached and all the new stuff is collected into a release. Being in BETA gives me more freedom for changes and varying degrees of updates. However, experimentation is kept only to the Github repository. Each BETA release is given the same treatment as if it was a full release

What software do you use to make this mod?
I use Autodesk Maya 2014-2016 to make the 3D models. Textures are done in Photoshop CS6 with normal maps done through xNormal. Parts are imported in-game through Unity editor and configs are done in Notepad++ or plain old Notepad. I have this software available through my old school, but some free alternatives are Blender for modeling. Krita, GIMP, or Paint.NET for textures. Notepad++ is free and highly suggested even if you're not planning to mod KSP

Known Issues

• KSP log throws a lot of texture loading errors. This seems to be be due to my heavy use of texture swapping modules. As far as I know, texture are loading fine despite the error  
• Reloading the database from the cheat/debug menu may cause some parts and vessel using them to fail to load. I cannot figure out why. Restarting KSP is the safest way to re-load the assets
• The Huygens heatshield and aeroshell are better off jettisoned from the right-click menu, rather than staging it. This may also apply to the Venera lander and other parts with built-in jettison. I will continue to test this out 

Recommended Mods

• DMagic Orbital Science - Awesome collection of science parts. My mod is designed to synergize with DMOS now that it does not have it as a dependency
• SCANsat - Another great addition to give your probes better use. I have a few parts that designed to be used as SCANsat scanners. 
• Textures Unlimited - Brilliant mod enabling better bling shaders to make the foil textures on the probes really kickass
• Near Future Series - Fantastic mods with lots of engines and advanced parts. I have optional configs for my parts in case you use Nertea's RTG decay module
• Bluedog Design Bureau - A VERY extensive stock-alike US part pack with launch vehicles that can be used to launch the many US mission inspired parts in my mod
• Tantares - Great collection of Russian parts for launch vehicles and stations. You'll need that Proton to launch Venera  
• Rover Science - While I don't have rover parts *yet,* here is a neat mod to give your rovers actual purpose. I helped make parts for this mod, so please check it

Edited June 25, 2018 by akron

[akron]

By the way, this was not aimed at anyone, but to the benefit of everyone given the many recent questions

[RHodeidra]

Hi, 
I'd love to use this mod but I have a very extensive mod list as it is, and for some reason however much I trim your mod, or even replace whole other mods like BD Armory to accomodate yours, I get the ol' "not enough memory" access violation exception crash.  
I've tried manually installing the latest firespitter, modulemanager and animation plugin to no avail.  
I'll give it another whirl but this just so you might invest some thought into this matter.  
EDIT: So I removed BD armory completely, 2-3 dozen er so parts from various mods I'd never use anyway, Stockaline Mining extentions, and still it happens.  
Remove P+, add all of those again (and even added two more small ones) and it works fine.

Edited August 30, 2017 by RHodeidra

[akron]

5 hours ago, RHodeidra said:

Hi, 
I'd love to use this mod but I have a very extensive mod list as it is, and for some reason however much I trim your mod, or even replace whole other mods like BD Armory to accomodate yours, I get the ol' "not enough memory" access violation exception crash.  
I've tried manually installing the latest firespitter, modulemanager and animation plugin to no avail.  
I'll give it another whirl but this just so you might invest some thought into this matter.  
EDIT: So I removed BD armory completely, 2-3 dozen er so parts from various mods I'd never use anyway, Stockaline Mining extentions, and still it happens.  
Remove P+, add all of those again (and even added two more small ones) and it works fine.

Post a log with P+ installed. It sounds like you're having a separate issue.

[RHodeidra]

cleared

Edited August 31, 2017 by RHodeidra

[akron]

@RHodeidra this log does not appear to have the loaded mod data. Try uploading the " output_log.txt" from your KSP_x64 folder.

Cheers!

EDIT: The good news is that "Too many mods" might not be reason for your crash

Edited August 30, 2017 by akron

[RHodeidra]

F ixed

[akron]

2 hours ago, RHodeidra said:

F ixed

Are you sure you have the latest version of all the plugins? If you upload the whole file and let me look at it, we can see what versions of what is loading.

[RHodeidra]

https://www.dropbox.com/s/lud1991yqyq7hd8/output_log.txt?dl=0

[KerBlitz Kerman]

Is there a partless version of DMOS? I don't want ugly non-updated parts in my catalog.

[akron]

35 minutes ago, KerBlitz Kerman said:

Is there a partless version of DMOS? I don't want ugly non-updated parts in my catalog.

That would be a question for DMagic. Sure, some of his parts have an older aesthetic, but the real work is in the configs and custom modules. I think it would belittle his work if I just included those in my mod and take away a download from his mod and his work. Does that make sense?

Now, this comes up a lot. Is there really such a drive to not use DMOS? Most people seem to use that mod anyway so it just makes sense. For better or for worse, ProbesPlus is designed to be used in career and science playthroughs, instead of Sandbox, where you are likely to have other science mods anyway. If you've come to some of my streams, you've likely heard me rant about the science system in KSP, which I find very lacking. I like DMOS because some of the modules are more than just a right-click and have added functions or gameplay mechanics, which is why I designed my mod's science experiment to compliment DMOS and not replace them. The same is true for SCANsat. The difference there is that I am actually re-making the SCANsat parts (eventually after this work project) so they will be updated regardless.

[DStaal]

2 hours ago, akron said:

That would be a question for DMagic. Sure, some of his parts have an older aesthetic, but the real work is in the configs and custom modules. I think it would belittle his work if I just included those in my mod and take away a download from his mod and his work. Does that make sense?

Now, this comes up a lot. Is there really such a drive to not use DMOS? Most people seem to use that mod anyway so it just makes sense. For better or for worse, ProbesPlus is designed to be used in career and science playthroughs, instead of Sandbox, where you are likely to have other science mods anyway. If you've come to some of my streams, you've likely heard me rant about the science system in KSP, which I find very lacking. I like DMOS because some of the modules are more than just a right-click and have added functions or gameplay mechanics, which is why I designed my mod's science experiment to compliment DMOS and not replace them. The same is true for SCANsat. The difference there is that I am actually re-making the SCANsat parts (eventually after this work project) so they will be updated regardless.

Personally, I use both.  I don't find DMOS parts ugly either - your parts are probably marginally better, but DMOS's are fine as well.  I assume people want to keep their part lists short, either just for aesthetic reasons or for performance reasons.  However, I don't see why that should be your problem - they can ask for a partsless version, trim it themselves, or use The Janitor's Closet to help them trim it.

[KerBlitz Kerman]

49 minutes ago, DStaal said:

However, I don't see why that should be your problem - they can ask for a partsless version, trim it themselves, or use The Janitor's Closet to help them trim it.

I agree that it shouldn't be his problem but he definitely knows more than I do, so I was asking him.

The reason I didn't trim it myself is that the modules might be linked to the parts or in the same folder. So is that the case?

[DStaal]

32 minutes ago, KerBlitz Kerman said:

I agree that it shouldn't be his problem but he definitely knows more than I do, so I was asking him.

The reason I didn't trim it myself is that the modules might be linked to the parts or in the same folder. So is that the case?

As far as I know, any links between parts and modules are always 'this part uses this module', never that a module requires a part.  (If you ever see 'you need to use this part', it's because that's likely the only part configured to use a specific module.)

[akron]

2 hours ago, DStaal said:

As far as I know, any links between parts and modules are always 'this part uses this module', never that a module requires a part.  (If you ever see 'you need to use this part', it's because that's likely the only part configured to use a specific module.)

This is correct. You technically only need the modules from DMOS because I do not use any of the art assets. However, removing all DMOS parts will mean you lose about 3/4 of the science experiments because I do not have an equivalent and I will likely never have one for each. There's actually only about 2 more parts I want to do that use a DMOS module, not counting what will come with Cassini/Meridiani

10 hours ago, RHodeidra said:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/lud1991yqyq7hd8/output_log.txt?dl=0

Thank you. Start by updating your DMagic Module Animate Generic. See a link in my FAQ post. You have 0.16, latest is 0.19

There may be more to check, but this is a start. I worked late so I did not have time to thoroughly check your log.

[RHodeidra]

EDIT: Y that was it I seem to have copied the newest version in my TEST setup /o\ carry on,...

Edited August 31, 2017 by RHodeidra

[akron]

11 hours ago, RHodeidra said:

EDIT: Y that was it I seem to have copied the newest version in my TEST setup /o\ carry on,...

So it works now? nice! Hey, do you mind removing the code on your last post? Squad looks to have updated the Forums and now the code is all over the page

[RHodeidra]

Done

Edited August 31, 2017 by RHodeidra

[akron]

4 minutes ago, RHodeidra said:

Done

Thank you. That was weird. Fancy new forums though!

[notJebKerman]

@akron In case you are planning on adding New Horizons... A pretty much finished one is included in the @tygoo7's Tundra Exploration mod. The mod seems pretty much abandoned at this point. With his permission and a new, switchable texture, it could fit in well with other CA parts...