[1.12.x] Near Future Technologies (September 6)

[RealKerbal3x]

1 hour ago, MSA said:

When I opened the zip, only one folder came out.

What you want is inside that zip. There should be a folder inside called GameData, and you want to put everything in there in the main GameData folder.

[MSA]

12 minutes ago, RealKerbal3x said:

What you want is inside that zip. There should be a folder inside called GameData, and you want to put everything in there in the main GameData folder.

So I need to take the folders out of the gamedata folder? And if so what ones?

[RealKerbal3x]

Just now, MSA said:

So I need to take the folders out of the gamedata folder? And if so what ones?

It should have NearFutureSpacecraft, ModuleManager and B9PartSwitch in there. Unless you already have MM and B9PS installed (in which case you should just put the NFS folder in GameData) all of those need to go into GameData.

Assuming that NFS is the only mod you have installed, the file structure should be like this:

KSP>GameData>NearFutureSpacecraft
                               ModuleManager
                               B9PartSwitch

[MSA]

10 minutes ago, RealKerbal3x said:

It should have NearFutureSpacecraft, ModuleManager and B9PartSwitch in there. Unless you already have MM and B9PS installed (in which case you should just put the NFS folder in GameData) all of those need to go into GameData.

Assuming that NFS is the only mod you have installed, the file structure should be like this:

KSP>GameData>NearFutureSpacecraft
                               ModuleManager
                               B9PartSwitch

Again, so I need to take B9 and MM out of NFS and then put them into GameData?

[RealKerbal3x]

2 minutes ago, MSA said:

Again, so I need to take B9 and MM out of NFS and then put them into GameData?

Just put everything in the zip file’s GameData into KSP’s GameData folder.

[MSA]

Got it.

[Streetwind]

13 hours ago, RealKerbal3x said:

It should have NearFutureSpacecraft, ModuleManager and B9PartSwitch in there. Unless you already have MM and B9PS installed (in which case you should just put the NFS folder in GameData) all of those need to go into GameData.

Assuming that NFS is the only mod you have installed, the file structure should be like this:

KSP>GameData>NearFutureSpacecraft
                               ModuleManager
                               B9PartSwitch

There's actually four things:

NF Spacecraft, B9, NF Props, and Module Manager. All four are required.

[RealKerbal3x]

Just now, Streetwind said:

There's actually four things:

NF Spacecraft, B9, NF Props, and Module Manager. All four are required.

Dammit, forgot about that one

@MSA make sure you have Near Future Props installed too. It should be inside the GameData folder like the other dependencies.

[MSA]

7 hours ago, RealKerbal3x said:

Dammit, forgot about that one

@MSA make sure you have Near Future Props installed too. It should be inside the GameData folder like the other dependencies.

I’ll make sure to do that! (When my computer finishes updating )

[dlrk]

What's the best heatshield to use for the new pods? The default ones don't seem to match well.

Also, which pods have RPM/MAS?

Edited February 8, 2019 by dlrk

[RaiderMan]

I used a tantares heatshield at one point, and the dragon heatshield with the fuel tankage from the kerbal reusability expansion mod...sstu's custom heatshield works pretty good as well.

[Sokol_323]

3 hours ago, dlrk said:

What's the best heatshield to use for the new pods? The default ones don't seem to match well.

Also, which pods have RPM/MAS?

The old Mk3-9 full RPM. Also, a large pod (I don’t remember the designation, I use it as a command module on orbital stations) has RPM support. For new pods, only Pandora has the docking camera option (if you click on the green screen in IVA from the pilot, the general view will open from the outside of the docking port). And so for all habitable modules estt full and high-quality support for IVA.

[steve_v]

On 1/4/2019 at 11:33 PM, mikegarrison said:

This is a known interaction between TAC-LS, Near Future, and the way the game handles unfocused and high time-warp ships. I would suggest it is really up to TAC-LS to fix it.

Crossposting in case anyone else wants TACLS working with NF reactors:

 

[juanml82]

I'm trying to use the smallest lift fan in non hover move and it ends up loosing thrust while flying straight and level. Is that expected behaviour? as in, they are for hovering rather than horizontal flight?

[Streetwind]

8 hours ago, juanml82 said:

I'm trying to use the smallest lift fan in non hover move and it ends up loosing thrust while flying straight and level. Is that expected behaviour? as in, they are for hovering rather than horizontal flight?

All airbreathing engines, including stock ones, vary their thrust as your speed increases. The ramjets (whiplash and rapier) actually pick up significant thrust in the transsonic and early supersonic regime, then drop off again. All others generally start at near-maximum thrust on the runway, and it's all downhill from there.

Propeller engines generally have a lower optimal airspeed than jet engines. As such, it's reasonable to assume that they would lose thrust more quickly as you go faster.

[FellipeC]

Hey guys, has anyone made a cool ship using the MK4-B Elara command pod and care to share?

[RealKerbal3x]

12 hours ago, FellipeC said:

Hey guys, has anyone made a cool ship using the MK4-B Elara command pod and care to share?

I was thinking of building a Lockheed Martin MADV-like thing:

But I'm not really sure how I'd do it, because there aren't any other parts with a similar-looking heat tile texture on the bottom.

[Kerble]

Those are some really great mods!

Thanks so much for these!

[FellipeC]

8 hours ago, RealKerbal3x said:

I was thinking of building a Lockheed Martin MADV-like thing:

But I'm not really sure how I'd do it, because there aren't any other parts with a similar-looking heat tile texture on the bottom.

That the same issue I got, could not find a set of parts that match

[steve_v]

Can somebody please explain to me what the hell is going on with the thermal system, specifically my reactors overheating when unloaded?

Here is a ship:

The NTR reactor is off, yet core temperature, CoreEnergy and PartEnergy are all still increasing. If I switch to the space centre scene and return, they have increased still further:

 

If I leave the vessel for long enough, when I switch back to it all four engine reactors are destroyed instantly, unless I edit the save file first and zero CoreThermalEnergy in ModuleCoreHeatNoCatchup. Similar things happen to the power reactors and to other vessels, though exactly what melts down appears somewhat random.
Presumably this is a stock thermal bug, but it's making this mod essentially unusable right now. Where is this mystery thermal energy coming from? The reactor core is already the hottest part of the vessel, so as far as I can see this is completely at odds with rational physics.

Ed. A few (unloaded) minutes later:

I love NearFuture, but this behaviour is properly broken.

 

Edited February 19, 2019 by steve_v

[sturmhauke]

4 minutes ago, steve_v said:

Presumably this is a stock thermal bug, but it's making this mod essentially unusable right now.

It is a stock bug, and has to do with the way heat is calculated when switching back to a vessel or coming out of high warp. The calculation used is simplistic, and can sometimes result in too much thermal energy being added to a part.

[Streetwind]

@steve_v That's more Kerbal Atomics than Near Future, really. Same author, different mod.

Though, while you're here: are you using the optional NF Electrical integration patches? If yes: does the bug persist if you remove them?

[steve_v]

41 minutes ago, sturmhauke said:

It is a stock bug, and has to do with the way heat is calculated when switching back to a vessel or coming out of high warp.

I'm sure it is. Regardless of whose bug it is, how exactly am I supposed to play with NearFuture reactors when I can't switch away from a vessel?

 

40 minutes ago, Streetwind said:

@steve_v That's more Kerbal Atomics than Near Future, really. Same author, different mod.

Though, while you're here: are you using the optional NF Electrical integration patches? If yes: does the bug persist if you remove them?

It is, but it's the same reactor code in both mods that appears to be causing the problem - because yes, I am using the integration patch, and no, it doesn't happen using the stock ModuleEnginesFX.

Therefore I posted here, because the problem seems to relate to the NFE reactors rather than the engines themselves.

------

There is something properly screwey in the fission reactor code or it's interaction with the thermal system - On further investigation I note that raising the reactor throttle (even with the reactor off) actually decreases the core temperature. How or why I don't know, but that's broken behaviour if you ask me. Physics just doesn't work like that.
The probability of a reactor overheating when unfocused appears to be inversely proportional to its throttle setting. When reactor throttle is set to <100%, it gains heat from nowhere. If throttle =100%, it usually stays about the same. Whether the reactor is enabled or not makes no difference whatsoever. The mind boggles.

Leaving the throttle at 100% with the reactor off actually seems to alleviate the problem I'm seeing (though it doesn't entirely solve it), but this makes for a bunch of micromanagement if using linked throttle for engines, as any reactor set at 0% throttle (on or off) will overheat when unfocused.
It also means I can't use the touted "generator at low throttle settings" function of the NTRs in Kerbal Atomics, as the inbuilt radiators let you run it at 5% with no exhaust flow but 5% reactor throttle isn't enough to prevent it from gaining energy when unfocused and melting down when physics loads.
 

Edited February 19, 2019 by steve_v

[davidy12]

7 hours ago, steve_v said:

 

What's the command module on the end? 

[RealKerbal3x]

32 minutes ago, davidy12 said:

What's the command module on the end? 

I’m pretty sure that’s the 2 kerbal 2.5m pod from NF Spacecraft (can’t remember the name off the top of my head).