simple highway mod idea

[Penkover]

I have a simply idea about integrating surface of celestial bodies.

A highway.

The mod adds one more part to the game with super funkcion:  

A highway builder. It is one big part equiped with 8 wheels, and two connector balls (on bottom and upper side to connect with your rocket). It looks like a bit oversized ( 15-30m) rover but it can put an asphalt road over places where it get over. 

Controling is same as normal rover control with max. speed nearly 20m/s. But it have two buttons, which alow to place a road.
1. Button: toogles between 
None,
build mode or
demolish mode 

Build mode starts building. None means, you can maneurate without building. Demolish mode clears already existing road and reveals the original terrain.

2. Button determimes the width of the road what appers (or is demolish) after everywhere, where it moves. (Not when flying, bridges in far far future upgrades). 
The road looks like 1-10m wide black asphalt zone (you can use original runway texture ) a bit (0,2-0,5 m) over terrain (not water or KSC buildings) to cover all holes and bents with flat area.

You can now build your own runway on duna or highspeed road connecting your mun bases. 
We just need a skillful modder, not someone like me.

[tntristan12]

I balked at this idea for about 10 seconds, and then I thought about it... adding infrastructure to other worlds would be a really cool feature! I'm not sure this is exactly the best way to do it, but the idea definitely has merit.

I for one would love to have little roads connecting parts of my base.

Something like this would be great for another expansion pack. Perhaps one focused on colonization or something similar.

Edited April 7, 2017 by tntristan12

[Alshain]

The problem with that is that infrastructure of that nature is done with static models.  These can't be applied dynamically, and using dynamic models, like those your craft are made from would just be added dynamic physics calculations to a game that is already using them rather excessively is probably not a great idea.  There really isn't a great way to accomplish this.

Even if it were possible, it wouldn't be a road paver.  It would be a regolith 3D printer, because NASA and ESA are both already investigating that possibility.

 

Edited April 7, 2017 by Alshain

[Razorforce7]

It won't be possible like Alshain said.
It can only be a static infrastructure which defeats the building idea behind this.

Also what would it be good for?
Terrain collision with asphalt or grass in KSP is similar. So what traction benefits would a rendered road system provide?

If it actualy were to be a dynamicaly build road system (meaning by the use of parts) it would involve part + part collision calculations.
Part + Part collision is bumpy and fatal. And while I'm sure the asphalt parts will be optimized for collision with i.e. wheels and gear it is not as solid as terrain itself and can actualy be a kraken recipe.
Oh, and we got something like landscape relief. How are road pieces to be puzzled together if every patch of surface has its own angle?

But good try:D

Edited April 7, 2017 by Razorforce7

[mattinoz]

15 hours ago, Razorforce7 said:

It won't be possible like Alshain said.
It can only be a static infrastructure which defeats the building idea behind this.

Also what would it be good for?
Terrain collision with asphalt or grass in KSP is similar. So what traction benefits would a rendered road system provide?

If it actualy were to be a dynamicaly build road system (meaning by the use of parts) it would involve part + part collision calculations.
Part + Part collision is bumpy and fatal. And while I'm sure the asphalt parts will be optimized for collision with i.e. wheels and gear it is not as solid as terrain itself and can actualy be a kraken recipe.
Oh, and we got something like landscape relief. How are road pieces to be puzzled together if every patch of surface has its own angle?

But good try:D

 

Why couldn't the part effect the underlying static geometry?

Rework the system so the surface is plastic in that it can alter over time but not within the context of a physics frame like dynamic parts can. The part doing the work could have a wheel base wider than the area of effect so the change in the surface does need to be considered until the part moves past it. 

I guess radically increases the amount of planet data in the game as each save needs a full copy that can take account of the effects. 

There is still the question of what's the point. To which I'd say bumps have a dramatic effect in KSP especially on lower gravity and mild lift situations. Plus given this does sound like it would take fairly significant effort in the game development front I'd think it really would be the realm of a future expansion.

Still, would make a great part of Colonisation Expansion as already mentioned.

 

[Azimech]

On 7-4-2017 at 5:28 PM, Razorforce7 said:

Part + Part collision is bumpy and fatal. And while I'm sure the asphalt parts will be optimized for collision with i.e. wheels and gear it is not as solid as terrain itself and can actualy be a kraken recipe.

Who gave you that idea? It's wrong.

 

Edited April 9, 2017 by Azimech

[mattinoz]

On 08/04/2017 at 1:21 AM, Alshain said:

Even if it were possible, it wouldn't be a road paver.  It would be a regolith 3D printer, because NASA and ESA are both already investigating that possibility.

 

1

The interesting to me here is why wouldn't you take a leaf out of the Eskimos book and build like an Igloo?

That way you are creating more volume for the same energy spend. Given that the hole you dig for source material is then part of the final construction. Plus the waste from rock cutting becomes the filler you use to make the structure airtight-ish. 

[Alshain]

19 hours ago, mattinoz said:

The interesting to me here is why wouldn't you take a leaf out of the Eskimos book and build like an Igloo?

That way you are creating more volume for the same energy spend. Given that the hole you dig for source material is then part of the final construction. Plus the waste from rock cutting becomes the filler you use to make the structure airtight-ish. 

Well, first of all this is a concept, not a final product, but these building have to be able to hold out a vacuum.   It can't be airtight-ish, it has to be air tight.

[mattinoz]

1 minute ago, Alshain said:

Well, first of all this is a concept, not a final product, but these building have to be able to hold out a vacuum.   It can't be airtight-ish, it has to be air tight.

 

Yes, it would need to be air tight but construction generally is very leaky. I'm assuming they'd need an inflatable rubber/plastic internal lining to make them fully airtight after the shell is complete.

[Alshain]

19 hours ago, mattinoz said:

Yes, it would need to be air tight but construction generally is very leaky. I'm assuming they'd need an inflatable rubber/plastic internal lining to make them fully airtight after the shell is complete.

I guess I don't know what you mean by "build like an Igloo" then.