[WIP] [1.12.x] Kerbal Electric - Back to brighten up your explosions.

[Fengist]

6 minutes ago, linuxgurugamer said:

You should ALWAYS provide a log file.  It's fine to put a snippet into the post, but snippets are usually useless by themselves.

See my signature for a link to a post which describes in detail where the log files are and how to make them available to the author

And ya know... when I was writing that reply I was thinking about the link in your sig and realized, "I need to steal that."  

[linuxgurugamer]

Just now, Fengist said:

And ya know... when I was writing that reply I was thinking about the link in your sig and realized, "I need to steal that."  

Please do.

Although I find that people don't  read it 

[Chimichanga]

Hello @Fengist, great mod but I'm also experiencing Nullrefs using Slime lights on KSP 1.4.5 x64 with Making History, on Win7x64

From KSP.log:

[EXC 22:05:41.592] NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object
    ModuleKELight.ModuleKELight.FixedUpdate ()

From output_log.txt:

NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object
  at ModuleKELight.ModuleKELight.FixedUpdate () [0x00000] in <filename unknown>:0 
 
(Filename:  Line: -1)

Using Slime lights (and lots of them!) on a ship clawed to an asteroid presented me with the spam.  I made a copy of my KSP folder, and am running ONLY your mod and the Making History expansion, and am still experiencing the nullrefs on this very simple craft:

Both logs can be downloaded here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/bjlz7dr060fos4n/chimi-logs.zip?dl=0

The logs don't show a whole lot of helpful info based on my untrained eye, so if it helps track it down... the nullref spam occurs in the VAB too, and I can't get these suckers to blink at all - nullrefs regardless of blink settings.

Sorry for the many edits, kinda scatterbrained tonight! Thanks again for checking into this!

Edited September 20, 2018 by Chimichanga

[Fengist]

Thank you!  Nice bug report.  It's a bit late where I am but I will definitely dig into this in the morning.

54 minutes ago, Chimichanga said:

Hello @Fengist, great mod but I'm also experiencing Nullrefs using Slime lights on KSP 1.4.5 x64 with Making History, on Win7x64

 

[Fengist]

2 hours ago, Chimichanga said:

Sorry for the many edits, kinda scatterbrained tonight! Thanks again for checking into this!

Actually thank you.  After taking a look at the link showing your ingenious use of slime lights, you gave me a great idea for a not yet done mod.  Surface attach letters that you can make any color or size you like.

[Fengist]

Version Beta 5 available for download via the download button in the OP

Note: Having some issues with MiniAVC not detecting the update so this is where you know to find it.

Fixed - nullRefs.  This was caused as a result of me being a doofus and not checking all of the lights after a patch to fix the spotlight.
Fixed - Blinking - Stopped as a result of the null refs.
Fixed - Pan/Tilt - Stopped as a result of the null refs.

Let me know if you have any issues with this version.  Enjoy.

[Chimichanga]

11 hours ago, Fengist said:

Version Beta 5 available for download via the download button in the OP

Note: Having some issues with MiniAVC not detecting the update so this is where you know to find it.

Fixed - nullRefs.  This was caused as a result of me being a doofus and not checking all of the lights after a patch to fix the spotlight.
Fixed - Blinking - Stopped as a result of the null refs.
Fixed - Pan/Tilt - Stopped as a result of the null refs.

Let me know if you have any issues with this version.  Enjoy.

Working great! Thanks for the super fast update (and the Stick-On Letters!)

[Tazarak the Brutal]

Working fine here, too.

[Fengist]

On 9/25/2018 at 4:01 AM, Tazarak the Brutal said:

Working fine here, too.

LOL, WB!

[Cyrious]

Awesome little mod here, although I'm only really using the tower lights for general base floodlighting. It does however lead me to my question: Would it be possible to make tower orb lights so they spew light in all directions instead of mainly down?

There was this one inflatable globe light mod way back in ye olde .23 ish i think it was that was based off of the inflatable lights used in the movie Sunshine, and I loved those things to death. Problem is, they required a special plugin to work properly, and the required plugin for them never got updated to a newer KSP version. On top of that, KAS split into KIS and KAS, which broke its compatibility with that as well.

Don't get me wrong, the tower lights definitely work for my purposes and definitely beats building my own lighting towers using Stack Inline Lights and some I-beams, I just want a little more variety in the general floodlighting area.

And while the thought is on my mind, I has another question: Why is it we cannot switch lighting color types when "out in the field" (not in the VAB)?

[Fengist]

On 10/17/2018 at 1:21 PM, Cyrious said:

Awesome little mod here, although I'm only really using the tower lights for general base floodlighting. It does however lead me to my question: Would it be possible to make tower orb lights so they spew light in all directions instead of mainly down?

There was this one inflatable globe light mod way back in ye olde .23 ish i think it was that was based off of the inflatable lights used in the movie Sunshine, and I loved those things to death. Problem is, they required a special plugin to work properly, and the required plugin for them never got updated to a newer KSP version. On top of that, KAS split into KIS and KAS, which broke its compatibility with that as well.

Don't get me wrong, the tower lights definitely work for my purposes and definitely beats building my own lighting towers using Stack Inline Lights and some I-beams, I just want a little more variety in the general floodlighting area.

And while the thought is on my mind, I has another question: Why is it we cannot switch lighting color types when "out in the field" (not in the VAB)?

Yea.  It would be possible.  There are two types of lights Unity has for KSP that I know of, a spot light and a point light and KE uses either and sometimes both depending on the type of light intended.  It would be possible to make an orb light as you suggest and I'm pretty sure it's intensity and range could be adjusted by UI sliders.  I believe right now the tower lights do use a wide beam type spotlight.  Creating another with a globe should be easy enough.  I know in Unity it's also possible to do a type of masking so that these lights can be blocked from certain directions but I never played with it.  In theory, it's possible to create even a "bat signal" with them.  Whether that works in KSP or not, I have no idea.  If you can find me a link to an image of the lights from that movie you referenced, I'll take a look.  I've never seen the movie myself and have no idea what I'm looking for.

As for changing colors outside the editor, that was simply a choice I made.  My thinking at the time was that normally the lights we humans use have colors based on the type of filament or gas it uses and any lenses that cover them and that this should be something considered when creating the lights.  Allowing them to be changed 'in the field' should be easy enough, I just chose that for more of what I perceived as realism.  If enough people want them changeable outside the editor, I could do that.

*edit* You mean these?

 

Edited October 19, 2018 by Fengist

[Burning Kan]

On 10/17/2018 at 8:21 PM, Cyrious said:

required a special plugin to work properly, and the required plugin for them never got updated to a newer KSP version

work in 1.4.5 (no kerbalism support for RTG versio right now!)

dont need a plugin anymore , must run first tests with 1.5 but will work as expected,and just need kis if u wanna attach/ detach(but u can also play without it,have build a solar and RTG version(no kerbalism support for RTG versio right now!) so need to attach a batterie or solarpanel with KIS

edit:BTW nice mod

Edited October 21, 2018 by Burning Kan

[Cyrious]

On Friday, October 19, 2018 at 8:18 AM, Fengist said:

Yea.  It would be possible.  There are two types of lights Unity has for KSP that I know of, a spot light and a point light and KE uses either and sometimes both depending on the type of light intended.  It would be possible to make an orb light as you suggest and I'm pretty sure it's intensity and range could be adjusted by UI sliders.  I believe right now the tower lights do use a wide beam type spotlight.  Creating another with a globe should be easy enough.  I know in Unity it's also possible to do a type of masking so that these lights can be blocked from certain directions but I never played with it.  In theory, it's possible to create even a "bat signal" with them.  Whether that works in KSP or not, I have no idea.  If you can find me a link to an image of the lights from that movie you referenced, I'll take a look.  I've never seen the movie myself and have no idea what I'm looking for.

As for changing colors outside the editor, that was simply a choice I made.  My thinking at the time was that normally the lights we humans use have colors based on the type of filament or gas it uses and any lenses that cover them and that this should be something considered when creating the lights.  Allowing them to be changed 'in the field' should be easy enough, I just chose that for more of what I perceived as realism.  If enough people want them changeable outside the editor, I could do that.

*edit* You mean these?

 

It got updated?! OMG YES! And yes, that is the mod I was talking about. I might have to end up re-configuring my Mun-base so it doesn't rely so much on the Tower lights for general floodlighting. Hopefully reducing the number of pylons and ground bases I need with KAS/KIS to set them up will reduce the tendency of my base to try and pull itself apart.

 

But yeah, I know what the 2 lighting types are possible, I use another mod (Stack Inline Lights) also for general floodlighting of stations and ships, and it uses the point source. Causes a noticeable bit of lag on super high part count/polygon spacecraft, but the lighting effect especially in the dark is oh so worth it.

 

My suggestion to allowing them to be changed in-field is mainly due to the fact I have to deploy the tower lights with KAS/KIS, and its impossible to set the colors once they're in an Inventory space.

[Gordon Dry]

Wanted to test in KSP 1.5.1, added an idiot light to a part in VAB - it didn't show a resource - just the toggle buttons.

[Fengist]

On 10/30/2018 at 6:57 PM, Gordon Dry said:

Wanted to test in KSP 1.5.1, added an idiot light to a part in VAB - it didn't show a resource - just the toggle buttons.

Dunno guy.  I just tested it with a fuel tank and it shows LF and Ox fonts just fine.  What happens when you try to change the fonts?

[ThePixeledFox]

this mod has replaced my long lost beloved glow strips which doesnt look like its comming back ( if just for the slime lights , only thing sorely missing is a tweakscale config (i dont understand how to make one) to save on parts when i want to make a nice long strip of lights , im always thinking while building .. "dam if only i could scale this" lol , thanks for the mod love the slime lights

[Xurkitree]

Neat mod - and as some one who wants to create a light, can I ask how did you make these lights?

[Stone Blue]

@Fengist So, I just installed these in KSP 1.6.1... I'm getting this in the KSP.log for the Stirling Engine.
 

[LOG 17:01:36.339] PartLoader: Compiling Part 'Kerbal Electric/StirlingSurface/part/KE_StirlingEngine'
[ERR 17:01:36.347] Cannot find a PartModule of typename 'FAnimEngine'

I didnt see it mentioned in the OP that KE needs your Fengist's Animator plugin as a dependency

[Jackmason]

can the lights be deemed to be brighter or softer 

[Fengist]

Kerbal Lights now updated for 1.12.X

I've also included something for you to test out.  The instruction are erm... on the part.