[1.2.x] [Test Release] BioMass Continued (Development Thread)

[BetaguyGZT]

Yep, we're using "grow lamps" in the Greenhouses. Thanks for taking a look and getting creative with the API stuff, that's some real wizardry. I'll have to try that out myself ... but I can see it being "spammy" somewhat. I'll give it a test and see how it behaves, and go from there.  

[Stone Blue]

1 hour ago, BetaguyGZT said:

Yep, we're using "grow lamps" in the Greenhouses. 

We are?...???

OH!... Right!!... IF, SOMEONE, (un-named), can fix the greenhouse animations... lol

[Deimos Rast]

I poked at it a little more and I think I've got it as best as I can get it (tried about a dozen or so combinations of various input/output methods). With this new and improved method (that still has the same problem) it allows for usage of 2 (and I believe more) resources. I think.

Normally the RESOURCE sub node is used to define what a module costs to use (think RX Wheel). I've re-purposed it to be the output, and I'm pretty sure you can stack/chain a number of them if desired (haven't found any example of it in the wild, so no idea). The "resourceName" up top is what the light burns when the light is on. It defaults to ElectricCharge (and in that case the field isn't required). You can set the "resourceAmount" to a negative up top as well if you want, as per the old method, that causes it to shut off immediately.

There is the possibility that the bottom RESOURCE sub-node might over-ride the previously set consumption rate. Either that or it shuts off so fast it's hard to check.

Also, it doesn't seem to output 100 Ore, as you would think. I get values from 20-33 on average (probably 'cuz it's a rate).

This has been a rather tough nut to crack (and keep it 100% stock)...victory seems so close, yet keeps eluding me. Quite frustrating.

Got any other niggling issues that need poking? I know you never asked me to look into this one, but it's been something I've been curious about for a while.

Cheers.

MODULE
{
	name = ModuleLight
	animationName = LightAnimation
	lightName = spotlight
	useAnimationDim = true
	lightBrightenSpeed = 2.5
	lightDimSpeed = 2.5
	useResources = true
	//resourceName = ElectricCharge
	resourceAmount = 1.0
	//resourceFlowMode = STAGE_PRIORITY_FLOW
	RESOURCE
	{
		name = Ore
		rate = -100
	}
}

 

[Stone Blue]

9 hours ago, Deimos Rast said:

I poked at it a little more and I think I've got it as best as I can get it (tried about a dozen or so combinations of various input/output methods). With this new and improved method (that still has the same problem) it allows for usage of 2 (and I believe more) resources. I think.

Got any other niggling issues that need poking? I know you never asked me to look into this one, but it's been something I've been curious about for a while.

@Deimos Rast Hey, help is ALWAYS appreciated... Even unsolicited help... Sometimes thats the best kind...

[RomanCat]

Any good news?

[Stone Blue]

@RomanCat Not really... Things have slowed down... I havent heard from @BetaguyGZT in quite some time... I'm still working on some of the models, but I'm at a point where I need to get input from Beta, to see where he wants to go with things... He's lead on the project, so I dont want to continue without his stamp of approval on things... Plus, he's the coding and config brains of the operation...

I know he finished classes and had finals the end of June, and I think he had some other classes he was picking up for the summer... He mentioned taking a break between to chill, IIRC... He also has a LOT going on in RL besides just the schooling...

Actually, a LITTLE bit of good news: Quite a few of the models (by ZZZ) are quite complicated. I'm only beginning modelling, so I'm learning as I go... There have been certain things that have stumped me on some of the models... BUT, I have been working on some of ZZZ's other models NOT part of BioMass, as well as helping out with some modeling on another mod, and I've been learning quite a few things that I think will definately help me fix/improve the BioMass models... 

 

Edited July 15, 2016 by Stone Blue

[BetaguyGZT]

Hi everyone, sorry for the lack of updates on my end. Classes have resumed, and it's easily double the amount of classwork from previous. I'm enjoying it, but it's taking most of my time and focus. I haven't even played KSP since June 18th.

@Stone Blue is working on models, last I knew. When those are ready, we'll go over any code and balance tweaks that need to happen internally, and once we're satisfied that everything is nice and balanced, we'll do a Public Beta. Once we get a couple of those public test releases done and everything is 5x5, we'll do the Grand Re-Opening of BioMass on the Addon Release Thread.  

[RomanCat]

On 19.07.2016 at 1:25 AM, BetaguyGZT said:

Hi everyone, sorry for the lack of updates on my end. Classes have resumed, and it's easily double the amount of classwork from previous. I'm enjoying it, but it's taking most of my time and focus. I haven't even played KSP since June 18th.

@Stone Blue is working on models, last I knew. When those are ready, we'll go over any code and balance tweaks that need to happen internally, and once we're satisfied that everything is nice and balanced, we'll do a Public Beta. Once we get a couple of those public test releases done and everything is 5x5, we'll do the Grand Re-Opening of BioMass on the Addon Release Thread.  

Very good news. Thank you)

[BetaguyGZT]

Thankfully Midterms went well (I scored 3.988 overall ... missed ONE question on ONE test out of about six, and four papers!), so I'm recharging by getting some long-needed KSP flight-time under my belt. I think I can use the distraction before I go completely bat-scat ...  

Anyway, I left BioMass in a pretty good state. Imbalanced & fairly overpowered by my reckoning (I'll let you all be the judge of that), but decent enough for now.

While @Stone Blue is working on the models, I think it's a good week to consider a test release as-is. You folks have waited long enough, and have been very patient. Stone Blue and I really appreciate it.

Please bear in mind that there are issues with the models. Some might not connect quite right -- especially the Station Hubs. Don't use them yet. Seriously, don't use them yet. They're ... floppy. Remember the cartoons, where the character holds up a stick and it just makes a funny sound, then wilts like a daisy in the desert sun? That. You'll just end up deleting it. 

Some of the Greenhouses are kinda finicky with Docking, too. I think it's the Blue one that I had trouble with. Keep trying, and it'll go on the second or third try.

Specifically, what we're looking for in this first round of testing is "Baseline & Balance". Making sure things are as they're supposed to be without being too much or too little.

The rationale is: One of each Greenhouse equipped on-board, and together they should sustain three Kerbals. One of each Compressor shouldn't be letting you make too much of anything too quickly or too slowly. And the extra Convenience Parts are nice, too.

Oh, and the "Super Items" -- the Heavy, gotta-lug-this-thing-into-orbit-using-Saturn V ones -- those don't count. Those are "Rewards". (You're welcome!) We're not worried about those being balanced ... we already know they aren't. But they aren't "Monty Kerbal's Quest for the Revered Krustacean" either, like you've suddenly won KSP.  

Soooo ... if you enjoy stuff that's mostly working but might not always be what you expect, we'll have something for you this week. I want to make sure @Stone Blue isn't going to scream at me to hold off first. /giggle

[CobaltWolf]

You're not dead!

[Stone Blue]

6 hours ago, BetaguyGZT said:

Soooo ... if you enjoy stuff that's mostly working but might not always be what you expect, we'll have something for you this week. I want to make sure @Stone Blue isn't going to scream at me to hold off first. /giggle

Hmmm... I guess I better get crackin' on those models, then... Still been concentrating on other things instead... lol

[RomanCat]

11 august... All be alright?

[Stone Blue]

@RomanCat Shoot!!... I was going to post an update a few days ago, but I was on someone else's computer at the time, and couldnt log in... Then I forgot...lol

Not much to report, anyway...

I havent heard from @BetaguyGZT in some time...But that was expected: again, he is taking some express/condensed, really heavy-duty/rocket-science (<--- LITERALLY), degree program over the summer... So I guess double or triple normal class-work... I expect we'll hear from him when his vacation of regular classes starts... lol

I'm making a little progress with models... I think other than the greenhouses, all the original models should work, so everything else I'm doing with them could be considered "upgrades/features", so no biggie if they dont make it into the test/maintainance releases... I really think ALL the models should be gone thru and completely redone, anyway, to get the feeling of more of a single, aesthetic/form/design, where the look of the parts will fit better together... So I dont really want to put a lot of work into existing models & textures...

Though I guess I better push my latest work to him, so he can see if it can be merged easily... (I've renamed all the parts names, file names, and folder structure)... He may want to kill me, because it may cause him lots of re-coding...lol

So anything we release, even for a test release will definately break any existing save games...
Thats one reason we've kind of held off on even a test release: We dont want to release a TR, or even the first maintenance release or two, only to have to change a bunch of stuff, that will again break save games... We want to try to get any obvious save-breaking changes incorporated as soon as possible, so as to keep from having to break saves again and again...

 

Edited August 11, 2016 by Stone Blue

[RomanCat]

 

 

 

Well, at least it's better than nothing)

[Stone Blue]

Yeah...

But dont worry... In worst case scenario, and we were to decide we couldnt continue development, one of us WOULD, most definately post that info, and probably offer up our source files, in case someone else would like to pick up development...
So we wouldnt let the mod die an un-announced death... lol

So if we dont post anything for awhile, dont worry... Silence does NOT mean we are not still working on it, or expecting to get a TR out

Edited August 11, 2016 by Stone Blue

[RomanCat]

Anyway, GOODLUCK. And be faster then light)

[Stone Blue]

Just thought I'd post an update.... That there is nothing updated... lol

Still kind of on hold.... I was hoping to get further along on the models, not really for the Test Release, but for a future release... However, thanx to Microsoft, my life has been a living hell for the past two weeks... lol

So no real KSP dev work done AT ALL, for almost a month... >:(

Trying to get clean installs of Windows 7 & 8.1 back on my computer, and MS has made fresh, manual, user-done, installs very difficult... Hoping I can get working Windows installs done by next year...

Edited August 21, 2016 by Stone Blue

[RomanCat]

After 1 month. Maybe any news ?

[Stone Blue]

Ok.. well, news...

Unfortunately, not good...

I havent heard from @BetaguyGZT, who is Lead on the duo... He handles the coding and decisions on where he wanted the mod to go...
So, unless he shows up and wants to continue, then I guess BioMASS is ded in the water, at least in THIS iteration...

I hope to continue improving the models for the parts in the mod which use ZZZ's models, as I was going to release them in my own pack...
However, I've been hanging out too much on the forums, and the current temperament, over-moderation, and tension on the forums, as well as the hubrous of some mod developers here, means I will barely be contributing to the forums for the forseable future... At this point, I think I'm going to scale back any plans I had to publicly release any modding that I have part in, and just tweak things for my own use...
So even if Betaguy wants to continue development on the mod, I think my involvement will be just quick & dirty model tweaks, to get them working, and not worry about improved meshes/textures/animations...

If Betaguy decides NOT to continue, hopefully someone else will pick up the torch, and give the mod a try...

[BetaguyGZT]

Hi all. Please excuse my absence. Lot going on.

Yeah, I'm still around and want to continue BioMass. Classes have been a challenge. This week is Finals for this Term. I've also been in a car accident and had emergency surgery (fairly minor, but needed to happen) last week. As for the earlier period of time, it's been all Classwork plus I had to get a job.

My apologies for letting KSP-related stuff scorch on the back-burner.  Too many irons in the fire.

Let me get caught up over the next day or two, and we'll proceed. I have to run some errands here in a minute, so I'll be back in a little while.

 

[BetaguyGZT]

Once TAC-LS is working again on 1.2 I'll be picking things back up and development can continue. Shouldn't be terribly long for a Testing Release afterwards, mostly just making sure stuff is working. Some 1.2 changes will have to be addressed, likely; but aside from that things were looking about 85% done iirc.  

[BetaguyGZT]

Think I'm back up to speed now. I need to get all the converter code ported over ... guess I'll be dropping TAC-LS as a dependency, since the stock ModuleResourceConverter is doing everything that TAC-LS was nowadays -- and the clean Config code has been dropped too, which was another selling point.

Bonus, if there is one, is that the parts will run a bit more efficiently.

@Stone Blue, I'll rework the configs over the weekend and we'll proceed from there.

[seanth]

Boy, if I had know people would have accepted just a hard mode, we would have avoided all the level difficulty stuff.

Edit: do you have a github up? I'm not involved, but would still like to follow along. Besides, maybe when I get a break from teaching I can think about helping out. The biology professor in me just can't help it....

 

Edited October 17, 2016 by seanth

[BetaguyGZT]

Hiya Seanth.

Not yet. I tried to upload to Github once before, but I completely botched it up somehow. The in-browser interfaces wouldn't let me upload more than so many files at a time, and the directory structures kept getting messed up so I quit trying for the time being -- but this was several months ago.

Once I've finished redoing the code to 1.2 ways (since TAC-LS has changed so much), I'll be making another upload to my Google Drive and give ya a link via PM. Some stuff works, some not as of right this second. The models have been tricky, but we think we've got the answers now. As far as "why use TAC-LS", I might end up dropping it and use the Stock Converter since it does everything now. We've done it this way to future-proof BioMass without having to recompile .dll's; but it no longer has (or needs) a UI. Instead, we will encourage Players to use Action Grouping and chain together the cooperative BioMass systems (via the Action Groups Extended plugin).

And if you ever feel like taking the reins back, say the word. It's still yours, bud. I'm rapidly approaching my Sophomore year in College, so I know all about not having a lot of time. And yeah, it's "hard mode". There's only one way to do Space, after all.  

Edited October 17, 2016 by BetaguyGZT

[Deimos Rast]

So, you're almost done recoding BioMass eh? Neato. @Stone Blue needs something to do!