[1.9-1.10] Global Construction

[allista]

18 minutes ago, gamerscircle said:

I am running 1.4.3 of KSP [because of mods]

GC 2.0.1 with the latest version of AT_Util and Containers installed.. I get no GC Icon on KSP screen and there is no GC category in the editors.

When I attempt to load a vessel into a DIY , I get this.

The latest versions of AT_Utils/CC may be a problem: they're also compiled against 1.4.5.

It's best to use the versions from SpaceDock that are marked as "for 1.4.3" and to use the AT_Utils bundled inside these versions.

[Taco Salad]

I love this mod, it makes bases allot easier to set up and run, but is their any way to retain the feature of every generic crew cabin having workshop support in the newest version? If their is a config file I can mess with to keep it let me know.

[allista]

13 hours ago, Taco Salad said:

I love this mod, it makes bases allot easier to set up and run, but is their any way to retain the feature of every generic crew cabin having workshop support in the newest version? If their is a config file I can mess with to keep it let me know.

Place this into a new file GameData/GroundConstruction/GC_for_all.cfg (or something like that)
 

@PART[*]:HAS[#CrewCapacity[*],~CrewCapacity[0],!MODULE[NotGroundWorkshop],!MODULE[GroundWorkshop]]:FINAL
{
    MODULE
    {
        name = GroundWorkshop
        AutoEfficiency = True
    }
}

 

Edited September 6, 2018 by allista

[gamerscircle]

On 8/31/2018 at 1:50 PM, allista said:

The latest versions of AT_Utils/CC may be a problem: they're also compiled against 1.4.5.

It's best to use the versions from SpaceDock that are marked as "for 1.4.3" and to use the AT_Utils bundled inside these versions.

Since a couple of anchor mods that I use were updated for 1.4.5, GC2 works great now.. thank you again for making remote base building a tad easier ..  What is next a Life Support system?  [ j/k ]

[Funpc90]

I install the version of the mod for 1.4.5 and I can not load the ships 
(when I click on load nothing happens) please help me.

Edited September 9, 2018 by Funpc90

[Brigadier]

On 9/9/2018 at 4:04 AM, Funpc90 said:

I install the version of the mod for 1.4.5 and I can not load the ships 
(when I click on load nothing happens) please help me.

You haven't given much to go on here.  Please read the thread below and go through the steps as best you can and provide the information that it asks you to.  While you still might not get an answer, at least you will have given some information that might help identify the problem.

 

[allista]

Version 2.1 for Kerbal Space Program 1.4.5

Released on 2018-09-13

• Empty kit containers can be used as assembly spaces
  • They can be created in Editor as well as inside some assembly spaces.
  • This completely lifts the limitation on the final mass and size of the vessel you construct.
• New DIY Kits can be created in orbit
  • For that you need the new Orbital Assembly Line,
  • And the separate Orbital Assembly Space.
• Vessels can be constructed from DIY Kits in orbit
  • For that you have to use a new type of kit container -- the Orbital Kit Container,
  • And the new Orbital Workshop part.
  • Orbital Kit Container is limited in that it cannot store kits with launch clamps (for obvious reasons).
  • In an assembly line interface you can chose what type of the kit container to spawn or use for the kit you assemble.
• Deploy hint is drawn as a 3D box rather than 2D "shadow" to accommodate orbital construction.

 Download 

 

Edited September 13, 2018 by allista

[Brigadier]

7 hours ago, allista said:

Version 2.1 for Kerbal Space Program 1.4.5

@allista, thank you for all of your work; this is going to be amazing once I figure it out (and that could take a while ).  A small comment - your video is hard to understand; your voice is low and muffled, and the the background music volume is high.  It's not as clear as your previous videos although it's still understandable.

[allista]

5 minutes ago, Brigadier said:

@allista, thank you for all of your work; this is going to be amazing once I figure it out (and that could take a while ).  A small comment - your video is hard to understand; your voice is low and muffled, and the the background music volume is high.  It's not as clear as your previous videos although it's still understandable.

Thanks for the feedback. Don't know what happened with the soundcard or mic or whatever; this terrible background noise like broken fan -- it's not in the room, but it's in the record 

If I figure out what's the cause and have time to, I'll make another try.

[allista]

2 hours ago, Brigadier said:

@allista, thank you for all of your work; this is going to be amazing once I figure it out (and that could take a while ).  A small comment - your video is hard to understand; your voice is low and muffled, and the the background music volume is high.  It's not as clear as your previous videos although it's still understandable.

Second microphone and another input gladly did the trick! 

Also I'm not so tired today, so I hope I've made a better work of explaining things this time.

Updated the links in the post and on SpaceDock.

Cheers 

[garwel]

Wow, looks like a big and very nice update. Do you have an idea if it's still compatible/cooperating with MKS?

[allista]

2 minutes ago, garwel said:

Wow, looks like a big and very nice update. Do you have an idea if it's still compatible/cooperating with MKS?

I myself maintain the version of GC that's bundled with MKS. I made a pull request to their repo today with this update; we'll just have to wait when it's merged and the MKS itself is updated.

Meanwhile, you can always use the standalone version of GC alongside with MKS; all MKS parts that have GC functionality should work fine, but you'll have additional parts (like the Space Crane) and resource conversion shortcuts (compared to the ones MKS provides; but you're free to ignore them).

[Denko666]

Hey Alista!

Thanks for this Global Construction mod. It's exciting to throw out EPL and replace it with this.

However, i installed it and KSP won't start up anymore. It hangs while loading parts; more precisely when it tries loading your space crane:

[LOG 21:40:29.083] PartLoader: Compiling Part 'GroundConstruction/Parts/SpaceCrane/SpaceCrane/SpaceCrane'
[LOG 21:40:29.195] PartLoader: Part 'GroundConstruction/Parts/SpaceCrane/SpaceCrane/SpaceCrane' has no database record. Creating.
[LOG 21:40:29.207] DragCubeSystem: Creating drag cubes for part 'SpaceCrane'
[WRN 21:40:29.246] File 'C:/Program Files (x86)/Steam/steamapps/common/Kerbal Space Program/KSP_x64_Data/../GameData\ConfigurableContainers\VolumeConfigs.user' does not exist
[EXC 21:40:29.250] ArgumentNullException: Argument cannot be null.
Parameter name: key
    System.Collections.Generic.SortedList`2[System.String,AT_Utils.SwitchableTankType].TryGetValue (System.String key, AT_Utils.SwitchableTankType& value)
    AT_Utils.SwitchableTankType.GetTankType (System.String tank_type)
    AT_Utils.TankVolume.get_Type ()
    AT_Utils.TankVolume.Cost (Single volume_conversion)
    AT_Utils.TankVolume.Info (Single volume_conversion)
    AT_Utils.VolumeConfiguration+<>c__DisplayClass9_0.<Info>b__0 (System.String s, AT_Utils.BaseVolume v)
    System.Linq.Enumerable.Aggregate[BaseVolume,String] (IEnumerable`1 source, System.String seed, System.Func`3 func)
    AT_Utils.VolumeConfiguration.Info (Single volume_conversion)
    AT_Utils.SwitchableTankManager.GetInfo (.ConfigNode node)
    AT_Utils.SwitchableTankManager.GetInfo (.PartModule host, .ConfigNode node)
    AT_Utils.ModuleTankManager.GetInfo ()
    PartLoader.CompilePartInfo (.AvailablePart newPartInfo, .Part part)
    PartLoader+<CompileParts>c__Iterator1.MoveNext ()
    UnityEngine.SetupCoroutine.InvokeMoveNext (IEnumerator enumerator, IntPtr returnValueAddress)

Can you explain what is happening? Cause i can't make heads or tails of it.

 

Thx! =)

[allista]

22 minutes ago, Denko666 said:

Hey Alista!

Thanks for this Global Construction mod. It's exciting to throw out EPL and replace it with this.

However, i installed it and KSP won't start up anymore. It hangs while loading parts; more precisely when it tries loading your space crane:

[LOG 21:40:29.083] PartLoader: Compiling Part 'GroundConstruction/Parts/SpaceCrane/SpaceCrane/SpaceCrane'
[LOG 21:40:29.195] PartLoader: Part 'GroundConstruction/Parts/SpaceCrane/SpaceCrane/SpaceCrane' has no database record. Creating.
[LOG 21:40:29.207] DragCubeSystem: Creating drag cubes for part 'SpaceCrane'
[WRN 21:40:29.246] File 'C:/Program Files (x86)/Steam/steamapps/common/Kerbal Space Program/KSP_x64_Data/../GameData\ConfigurableContainers\VolumeConfigs.user' does not exist
[EXC 21:40:29.250] ArgumentNullException: Argument cannot be null.
Parameter name: key
    System.Collections.Generic.SortedList`2[System.String,AT_Utils.SwitchableTankType].TryGetValue (System.String key, AT_Utils.SwitchableTankType& value)
    AT_Utils.SwitchableTankType.GetTankType (System.String tank_type)
    AT_Utils.TankVolume.get_Type ()
    AT_Utils.TankVolume.Cost (Single volume_conversion)
    AT_Utils.TankVolume.Info (Single volume_conversion)
    AT_Utils.VolumeConfiguration+<>c__DisplayClass9_0.<Info>b__0 (System.String s, AT_Utils.BaseVolume v)
    System.Linq.Enumerable.Aggregate[BaseVolume,String] (IEnumerable`1 source, System.String seed, System.Func`3 func)
    AT_Utils.VolumeConfiguration.Info (Single volume_conversion)
    AT_Utils.SwitchableTankManager.GetInfo (.ConfigNode node)
    AT_Utils.SwitchableTankManager.GetInfo (.PartModule host, .ConfigNode node)
    AT_Utils.ModuleTankManager.GetInfo ()
    PartLoader.CompilePartInfo (.AvailablePart newPartInfo, .Part part)
    PartLoader+<CompileParts>c__Iterator1.MoveNext ()
    UnityEngine.SetupCoroutine.InvokeMoveNext (IEnumerator enumerator, IntPtr returnValueAddress)

Can you explain what is happening? Cause i can't make heads or tails of it.

 

Thx! =)

Looks like installation issue. You're probably missing the GameData/ConfigurableContainers/TankTypes.cfg (or the whole folder, for that matter).

Please, download the distribution from the SpaceDock and merge the content with your GameData folder. There should be three subfolders installed: 000_AT_Utils, ConfigurableContainers, GroundConstruction (I haven't changed the name of the GC folder lest not to brake compatibility with other mods).

[Critter79606]

Hey Allista, love the new additions.  Creating the empty box is a great idea to solve the box being too big for the workshops!  And just in time, I've got to build and launch a karborundum gathering ship from the Mun.

[Brigadier]

I'm coming up the learning curve and have questions.

I put a Orbital Assembly Line (OAL) into the VAB and select the "Edit Tanks" button on context menu.  I see the ability to add tanks and save configurations; cool so far.  Once I've added a new tank, I see that I can fill, empty and delete (F/E/X) it with the appropriate buttons.

When I edit the tank volume with the first button (tank size), the line changes functionality and I can adjust the volume but only in 1.15 m3 increments (an odd size, no?) and end up with a tank that is 1.15000060 m3 in size.  Somewhere, there's a rounding error.

Worse though, is that once I'm editing the tank volume I can no longer return to the F/E/X line functionality.  In the screenshot, I've clicked on the edit tank size for the first two tanks, but not touched the third line.  I can't find any way to return the first two to look like the 3rd line.

How do I switch between the two tank loading functionalities?  What am I missing?

I notice that I can save configurations, but how do I retrieve them properly?  I started with the default config, and tried to load my test config.  No joy.  The Add button remained inactive until I deleted one of the existing tank lines and only then could I add my config. I thought it might be that I'm exceeding the available volume but altering an existing tank's volume didn't help; I still couldn't add my config.  Do I have to delete one of the existing tanks before the Add button becomes active?  Is this the intended behaviour? 

I just want to know, you know?

[AlonzoTG]

I much like the new parts except the orbital assembly line. The transfer pods seem to be very nearly compatible with Near Future construction (iirc.), ie the truss adaptor seems to be correct for mounting it to a 2.5m stack (assuming it's size is not variable, just doing initial VAB testing right now..) 

My issue with the orbital assembly line and the orbital assembly space is that these are basically #3 parts, or parts that rightfully should have #3 nodes... Take a close look at how the Orca command pod in Rover Dude's Umbra Space Industries FTT pack  works. It uses the engine shroud code to create a variable mounting mesh. Indeed, the assembly line requires an expanded 5M (#4 oversized) fairing, so anything less than a #3 mating surface is just not right... 

[allista]

6 hours ago, Brigadier said:

I'm coming up the learning curve and have questions.

I put a Orbital Assembly Line (OAL) into the VAB and select the "Edit Tanks" button on context menu.  I see the ability to add tanks and save configurations; cool so far.  Once I've added a new tank, I see that I can fill, empty and delete (F/E/X) it with the appropriate buttons.

When I edit the tank volume with the first button (tank size), the line changes functionality and I can adjust the volume but only in 1.15 m3 increments (an odd size, no?) and end up with a tank that is 1.15000060 m3 in size.  Somewhere, there's a rounding error.

Worse though, is that once I'm editing the tank volume I can no longer return to the F/E/X line functionality.  In the screenshot, I've clicked on the edit tank size for the first two tanks, but not touched the third line.  I can't find any way to return the first two to look like the 3rd line.

How do I switch between the two tank loading functionalities?  What am I missing?

I notice that I can save configurations, but how do I retrieve them properly?  I started with the default config, and tried to load my test config.  No joy.  The Add button remained inactive until I deleted one of the existing tank lines and only then could I add my config. I thought it might be that I'm exceeding the available volume but altering an existing tank's volume didn't help; I still couldn't add my config.  Do I have to delete one of the existing tanks before the Add button becomes active?  Is this the intended behaviour? 

I just want to know, you know?

Yea, sorry, this is documented somewhere (probably in TCA docs, because UI elements are in the shared library), but is not obvious.

1. To apply the change of any numerical field in any of my mods you just have to press Enter (or numpad's enter). There once was the Set button, but it was replaced by this behavior to conserve UI space.

2. Once you've applied the change, the line will change back to F/E/X, and you will have the free volume to add another tank of any type, including your saved config.

3. The "strange" volume increment is just 5% if the total volume. And the small decimal part (.000009) is not rounding, but the floating point error; when a commuter works with the floats, it cannot, due to the nature of internal representation, perform exact operations. 1.0+1.0 is always equals something like 2.000002 or 1.999997. This is what you see here. I could choose to round the numbers to, say, 1L. But that would mean you'll always have some small unusable leftover volume. So instead the volume field uses the round robin format to show and read current value exactly.

[allista]

2 hours ago, AlonzoTG said:

I much like the new parts except the orbital assembly line. The transfer pods seem to be very nearly compatible with Near Future construction (iirc.), ie the truss adaptor seems to be correct for mounting it to a 2.5m stack (assuming it's size is not variable, just doing initial VAB testing right now..) 

My issue with the orbital assembly line and the orbital assembly space is that these are basically #3 parts, or parts that rightfully should have #3 nodes... Take a close look at how the Orca command pod in Rover Dude's Umbra Space Industries FTT pack  works. It uses the engine shroud code to create a variable mounting mesh. Indeed, the assembly line requires an expanded 5M (#4 oversized) fairing, so anything less than a #3 mating surface is just not right... 

Why does attaching #2 node to #4 node of the fairing bother you so much? It would stick alright and will be held in place with auto-struts. It's enough to lift the thing into orbit, is it not?

Other options include: pack them into a kit and build it in orbit; use Hangar's alternative fairings.

I like the idea of making several attach nodes using the shroud module, so I'll see what it costs in terms of labor. But unfortunately I don't have that much free time for KSP, and I always prefer adding new functionality in code to adding new pretty models.

So to be honest, as much as I like 3D-modeling, all the parts I make are only for MVP, and I try to spend on them as little time as possible.

[Denko666]

15 hours ago, allista said:

Looks like installation issue. You're probably missing the GameData/ConfigurableContainers/TankTypes.cfg (or the whole folder, for that matter).

Please, download the distribution from the SpaceDock and merge the content with your GameData folder. There should be three subfolders installed: 000_AT_Utils, ConfigurableContainers, GroundConstruction (I haven't changed the name of the GC folder lest not to brake compatibility with other mods).

Odd, i first installled GC with ConfigurableContainers and ConfigurableContainerCore; and it gave that error in the log. i removed ConfigurableContainers but kept the core and the error remained. That's when i posted here. Based on your reply i uninstalled ConfigurableContainersCore, which also pulled TCA, ATutils and GC, and reinstalled them. Now it does work!  

Thx or the fast reply Allista! Love your mods, can't design my ships without them.

[AlonzoTG]

The single biggest issue in making a working spaceship is joint stability. There are two factors that directly impact the stability of a joint: The inherent strength of the joint, and the diameter of the joint. Joint strength is always negatively impacted by having miss-matched node sizes too. (assuming the colliders are well aligned with the node positions..) As coupling solutions are available for everything up to #8 (10M) nodes, as well as several alternate form factors such as Mk2, Mk3, and several mod truss profiles...  My latest generation tug, for example, supports #2, #3 and #4 payloads on the bow end, and #3 and #4 payloads on the stern end. Having a #3 node allows me to jettison the #2 adaptor, saving both weight and improving the matching. 

[goldenpsp]

47 minutes ago, AlonzoTG said:

The single biggest issue in making a working spaceship is joint stability. There are two factors that directly impact the stability of a joint: The inherent strength of the joint, and the diameter of the joint. Joint strength is always negatively impacted by having miss-matched node sizes too. (assuming the colliders are well aligned with the node positions..) As coupling solutions are available for everything up to #8 (10M) nodes, as well as several alternate form factors such as Mk2, Mk3, and several mod truss profiles...  My latest generation tug, for example, supports #2, #3 and #4 payloads on the bow end, and #3 and #4 payloads on the stern end. Having a #3 node allows me to jettison the #2 adaptor, saving both weight and improving the matching. 

Well considering @allista's modeling situation and your desires, he'd accept some assistance in that arena 

[allista]

50 minutes ago, AlonzoTG said:

The single biggest issue in making a working spaceship is joint stability. There are two factors that directly impact the stability of a joint: The inherent strength of the joint, and the diameter of the joint. Joint strength is always negatively impacted by having miss-matched node sizes too. (assuming the colliders are well aligned with the node positions..) As coupling solutions are available for everything up to #8 (10M) nodes, as well as several alternate form factors such as Mk2, Mk3, and several mod truss profiles...  My latest generation tug, for example, supports #2, #3 and #4 payloads on the bow end, and #3 and #4 payloads on the stern end. Having a #3 node allows me to jettison the #2 adaptor, saving both weight and improving the matching. 

Knowing how part joints actually work in KSP, I totally agree. Still, this is a game and one encounters such limitations all the time.

2 minutes ago, goldenpsp said:

Well considering @allista's modeling situation and your desires, he'd accept some assistance in that arena 

That's just what I wanted to ask, provided, if course, that @AlonzoTG have some skill in 3D modeling.

There are two problems here: first is texting. I can reshape the nodes to #3, but that would mean to re-texture everything from scratch; which is always triple harder than modeling the objects. But second is: suppose I do it; what will become of the ships that people here are building right now with the current parts?

Anyways, judging by the looks of the real space station is pretty standard to make segments considerably thicker than the passages/ports between then; recon this has something to do with pressure inside. And aesthetics 

[allista]

Let me tell you what I'm planning on doing next for GC; after I tend to the long standing matters in Hangar and maybe (fingers crossed) start to implement the translational control via active gimbaling in TCA that I've been long dreaming about.

I'm going to work on the docked spawning from kit containers. So that you could actually grow a space station incrementally, next module docked to the previous right away.

That's my priority.

[Brigadier]

8 hours ago, allista said:

Yea, sorry, this is documented somewhere (probably in TCA docs, because UI elements are in the shared library), but is not obvious.

1. To apply the change of any numerical field in any of my mods you just have to press Enter (or numpad's enter). There once was the Set button, but it was replaced by this behavior to conserve UI space.

2. Once you've applied the change, the line will change back to F/E/X, and you will have the free volume to add another tank of any type, including your saved config.

3. The "strange" volume increment is just 5% if the total volume. And the small decimal part (.000009) is not rounding, but the floating point error; when a commuter works with the floats, it cannot, due to the nature of internal representation, perform exact operations. 1.0+1.0 is always equals something like 2.000002 or 1.999997. This is what you see here. I could choose to round the numbers to, say, 1L. But that would mean you'll always have some small unusable leftover volume. So instead the volume field uses the round robin format to show and read current value exactly.

Thanks for the answers.

1. Ok, surprise, surprise!, this works as advertised.  I also noted the available volume at the top of the dialog which I hadn't seen before.
2. See first sentence of 1, above.  I now understand that I need to free up some space from the default SP and MK tanks before I add any new tank, including a saved config.  To enable the Add button, a volume has to be specified.  Got it.
3. Makes sense.

The empty costs of the OAL (2,250,122), the GAL (1,500,055) and OW (250,045.20), while the Inline Workshop is only 17,500, seem high.  By far, the most expensive parts by an order of magnitude.  While I understand that this construction capability is enormous leverage, is this also expected (I'm running a GPP+GEP install)?

A cool feature I wasn't expecting: configs are retained across game saves.  Nice touch.

Would it make sense to have a button to merge tanks holding the same contents?