[1.12.x] RetractableLiftingSurface Module released

[Daelkyr]

A quick question. When creating a retractable lifting surface. Does the part that is intended to be the wing need a collider?

[hraban]

4 hours ago, Daelkyr said:

A quick question. When creating a retractable lifting surface. Does the part that is intended to be the wing need a collider?

No!

 

[Sam Hall]

This looks like a really helpful mod, but trying to use it i ran into a weird problem: for some reason any part using  the RetractableLiftingSurface module reports in the editor as having a wing area of 1.5, no matter what the various DeflectionLiftCoeff values in the .cfg file are actually set to. Changing those values still impacts the in-flight performance of the wing normally; you can set them to zero and have a wing that doesn't do anything at all, or set them to ten and get ridiculous lift, but when you look at the part's properties in the editor it still says the same "Relative Wing Area: 1.5" in both the "Control Surface" and "Retractable Lifting Surface" boxes.

I also checked out Contares and SXT to see  if they're doing something different that i just missed, but nope 1.5s across the board there too. Very strange.

 

also it would be nice if the control surfaces could be set to remain motionless while the wing's retracted instead of futilely waggling about in response to control inputs... like, with "retractedCtrlSurfaceRange" + "extendedCtrlSurfaceRange" values or something? That's a secondary concern though.

[Beetlecat]

23 hours ago, Sam Hall said:

This looks like a really helpful mod, but trying to use it i ran into a weird problem: for some reason any part using  the RetractableLiftingSurface module reports in the editor as having a wing area of 1.5, no matter what the various DeflectionLiftCoeff values in the .cfg file are actually set to. Changing those values still impacts the in-flight performance of the wing normally; you can set them to zero and have a wing that doesn't do anything at all, or set them to ten and get ridiculous lift, but when you look at the part's properties in the editor it still says the same "Relative Wing Area: 1.5" in both the "Control Surface" and "Retractable Lifting Surface" boxes.

@Sam Hall, grid fins... are you the Sam Hall of Kn-2 fame?

[Sam Hall]

9 hours ago, Beetlecat said:

@Sam Hall, grid fins... are you the Sam Hall of Kn-2 fame?

yeah, i'm working on trying to get an update out for that hopefully within the next few days. i know one of the main complaints people have had about it in the past is "the grid fins look like they should be able to fold but they don't", so it's real nice to finally be able to do something about that.

[linuxgurugamer]

On 12/20/2016 at 5:28 PM, Sam Hall said:

This looks like a really helpful mod, but trying to use it i ran into a weird problem: for some reason any part using  the RetractableLiftingSurface module reports in the editor as having a wing area of 1.5, no matter what the various DeflectionLiftCoeff values in the .cfg file are actually set to. Changing those values still impacts the in-flight performance of the wing normally; you can set them to zero and have a wing that doesn't do anything at all, or set them to ten and get ridiculous lift, but when you look at the part's properties in the editor it still says the same "Relative Wing Area: 1.5" in both the "Control Surface" and "Retractable Lifting Surface" boxes

Strange.

I'll take a look

[Beetlecat]

10 hours ago, Sam Hall said:

yeah, i'm working on trying to get an update out for that hopefully within the next few days. i know one of the main complaints people have had about it in the past is "the grid fins look like they should be able to fold but they don't", so it's real nice to finally be able to do something about that.

That's terrific to hear! Some kind souls have taken stabs at updating the configs for it occasionally, but it's a specific piece of KSP gold. I'm really glad the retracting surface module will help make the grid fins more awesome, too.

Edited December 22, 2016 by Beetlecat

[Winchester]

Quick question:

Some mod or other installed this as a dependency, but KSP complains about versioning during startup ("please use 1.2"). Is the mod actually compatible with 1.2.2, and only in need of a cfg edit to get it to stop complaining (if so, which cfg and what do I change), or not? And if so, can we get an actual update?

Cheers!

[linuxgurugamer]

Ignore it.

there will be an update this weekend, so for now, delete the .version file in the directory to stop the warnings

[linuxgurugamer]

New release: 0.1.0:

• Added info functionality for the editor
• Added disable of control surfaces when not fully extended
   

[Sam Hall]

fantastic, looks like everything's working correctly now! Thanks!

[linuxgurugamer]

14 hours ago, Sam Hall said:

fantastic, looks like everything's working correctly now! Thanks!

Another bug fix this morning, fixes the control surfaces.

[Acvila]

Is this module working on a plane like Grumman F14 Tomcat with Variable-sweep wing?

[linuxgurugamer]

On 1/14/2017 at 2:16 AM, Acvila said:

Is this module working on a plane like Grumman F14 Tomcat with Variable-sweep wing?

No, variable sweep wing is a different issue, in that the wing is always there.  From KSP's point of view, the COL is what changes, not the lift.

 

New release 0.1.3:

• Added easing in of control surface after animation finishes.  Ease-in is over a period of 1 second

[linuxgurugamer]

New release, 0.1.4:

Updated for 1.3

[steedcrugeon]

I think I have come across a bug with the control surface, I have raised an issue on the Github for it. If you need any more details I'll try to get it for you.

Still damned impressed with this mod, the OTAV would not be what it is without it!

Edited June 28, 2017 by steedcrugeon
There was no bug, my KSP was corrupted

[NISSKEPCSIM]

Just a quick question: Would it be theoretically possible to create a collider with the same animation as the animated wing, and have the lift being generated from that collider, and not the base part?

I only ask because I am trying to mount a paraglider on a capsule, and, because of the slant of the pod, the wing produces immense downforce, whereas the actual canopy is pointing upwards, and, if the above answer is yes, should produce upwards lift rather than downforce.

Ignore the above.

Edited August 12, 2017 by NISSKEPCSIM

[linuxgurugamer]

New release, 0.1.5:

• Updated for KSP 1.3.1

[steedcrugeon]

Yippee! Thanks LinuxGuruGamer, I've been waiting on this one. I know you've lot on your plate but I really appreciate the effort you're going to.

[PrathamK]

So does it add any new part or modify old one to be Retractable?

Awesome Concept @linuxgurugamer

Thanks,

[linuxgurugamer]

No, a part needs to have an animation, and then the modder can use this in the config to control it.

[Mecripp]

Just the plugin I been looking for some of these  parts that need a home there MIT

 

[Mecripp]

Can some one tell me if , I set this right 

 MODULE
{
        name = RetractableLiftingSurface
        retracted = 1     // this value comes from the animation  If you find that you are getting
                        // lift when retracted, and no lift when extended, set this to 0
        retractedDeflectionLiftCoeff = 0
        extendedDeflectionLiftCoeff = 0.4 // 4.83m^
        useInternalDragModel = True

        // If no control surface as part of this lifting surface, then no need for
        // following two lines
        retractedCtlSfcDeflectionLiftCoeff = 0
        extendedCtlSfcDeflectionLiftCoeff = 0.4
}

//MODULE
//{
// name = ModuleControlSurface
// useInternalDragModel = True
// dragCoeff = 0.2
// deflectionLiftCoeff = 0.4
// ctrlSurfaceRange = 20
// ctrlSurfaceArea = 0.4
// actuatorSpeed = 25
// transformName = Pivot1
//}

and a 2nd part really not sure 

 MODULE
{
        name = RetractableLiftingSurface
        retracted = 0     // this value comes from the animation  If you find that you are getting
                        // lift when retracted, and no lift when extended, set this to 0
        retractedDeflectionLiftCoeff = 0
        extendedDeflectionLiftCoeff = 1.37 // 4.83m^
        useInternalDragModel = True

        // If no control surface as part of this lifting surface, then no need for
        // following two lines
        retractedCtlSfcDeflectionLiftCoeff = 0
        extendedCtlSfcDeflectionLiftCoeff = 1.25
}

//MODULE
//{
// name = ModuleControlSurface
// useInternalDragModel = True
// dragCoeff = 0.5
// deflectionLiftCoeff = 0
// ctrlSurfaceRange = 20
// ctrlSurfaceArea = 0.95
// actuatorSpeed = 25
// transformName = Wing8
//}

 

[linuxgurugamer]

It looks ok, what sort of problem are you having?

[Lisias]

Well, it is not working on 1.4.3. I get this when I attach a part with this module:

Quote

[ERR 19:14:02.275] Module RetractableLiftingSurface threw during OnStart: System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object
  at RetractableLiftingSurface.RetractableLiftingSurface.OnStart (StartState state) [0x00000] in <filename unknown>:0 
  at Part.ModulesOnStart () [0x00000] in <filename unknown>:0 

[EXC 19:14:02.282] NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object
    RetractableLiftingSurface.RetractableLiftingSurface.LateUpdate ()
 

<the last exception is repeated ad nauseaum>

I have TweakScale, InterstellarFuelSwitch, Kerbal Engineer and my part on this installment.

I will fire it up on 1.4.1 to see what happens in the mean time. If the thing explodes again, then I post the full logs - as it will be confirmed it's a bug, and not a non supported environment.