Horizon Aeronautics - Development Thread

[Guest]

Nice. Did you see my suggestions in the release thread, too?

First, splitting off Block D RCS (along with the little balls they're mounted on) and making them separate, decouplable parts. Second, splitting off RD-8 engines and adding Dtobi's gimbal plugin to allow them to control roll (you'll need that one for Energia anyway).

[stubbles]

I don't think I'm going to split the RCS on it. That's kind of a pain for a such a minuscule thing. Splitting off the RD-8's is possible, but that's also kind of a pain. Those engines are super tiny and quite annoying to attach. It's something I'll look into though.

[CERVERUS]

Any chance you could make the fuel tanks surface attachable? They'd work great as side boosters too.

Clipping

http://i.imgur.com/AYsIkf0.jpg

Add this to .cfg

http://prntscr.com/2za4fg

node_attach = 1.0, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0, 0.0, 0.0, 1

A screenshot to VAB

http://prntscr.com/2za795

Edited March 9, 2014 by CERVERUS

[Kitworks]

It seems to me that it has a tendency to flop around bit when using Mechjeb. Say during a gravity turn, it will over correct repeatedly and just sort of orbit around the node it should be facing. Happens to me when the first stage is nearing empty, the second stage when it starts, and the third stage when not under power.

Any ideas from anyone? Its on a clean install, except for Mechjeb 2 and Joint Reinforcement.

Thanks! The rocket looks great!

[Thourion]

It seems to me that it has a tendency to flop around bit when using Mechjeb. Say during a gravity turn, it will over correct repeatedly and just sort of orbit around the node it should be facing. Happens to me when the first stage is nearing empty, the second stage when it starts, and the third stage when not under power.

Any ideas from anyone? Its on a clean install, except for Mechjeb 2 and Joint Reinforcement.

Thanks! The rocket looks great!

Yeah jeb doing stuff when gimbal is on in 2nd stage. If you turn it off, either in flight or inside VAB, then all is good. Try it.

About the 3rd stage, i dunno since i didnt encounter such a problem, but you could try turning off its reaction wheels, especially if you got others in the payload itself. Same drill, right-click profit

Edited March 9, 2014 by Thourion

[landeTLS]

Adding launchpad smoke for the 1.2 zenit release tomorrow. (not to mention the oversized fairing)

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1482056/horizon70.gif

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1482056/horizon71.gif

Wow...just wow..

Is this effect in the smokescreen plugin? Cant remember seeing that in the releasenotes. Tho i wasnt looking for it.

[Guest]

I don't think I'm going to split the RCS on it. That's kind of a pain for a such a minuscule thing. Splitting off the RD-8's is possible, but that's also kind of a pain. Those engines are super tiny and quite annoying to attach. It's something I'll look into though.

If you add just one node and proper symmetry settings, they'll be easy to attach. Also, the jettisonable RCS are how it worked on the real Block D. I'd like to have it for Real Solar System mod, where every little bit of dV counts.

[kiwiak]

Wow...just wow..

Is this effect in the smokescreen plugin? Cant remember seeing that in the releasenotes. Tho i wasnt looking for it.

This needs to be released as separate plugin for every rocket to use!

[The Space Man]

Add this to .cfg

http://prntscr.com/2za4fg

node_attach = 1.0, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0, 0.0, 0.0, 1

A screenshot to VAB

http://prntscr.com/2za795

Thanks.

She can now take to the skies

[CERVERUS]

Thanks.

She can now take to the skies

http://i.imgur.com/mlKQnNJ.jpg

Nice my friend!!!

[stubbles]

Dragon - I'll see what I can do.

Kitworks - did you properly strut the rocket? Unfortunately I forgot to include the VAB file with 1.1 (which I'll fix today), but I had used KW Rocketry struts to secure the ship. If you're using FAR, you need gentler ascent angles, or else it will be a bit wobbly. Making very sudden turns of +5º at a time can sometimes make it flip.

The smoke is definitely being done with the use of the SmokeScreen plugin. I'll be updating the download today. Still working on it a bit

[Kitworks]

Kitworks - did you properly strut the rocket? Unfortunately I forgot to include the VAB file with 1.1 (which I'll fix today), but I had used KW Rocketry struts to secure the ship. If you're using FAR, you need gentler ascent angles, or else it will be a bit wobbly. Making very sudden turns of +5º at a time can sometimes make it flip.

I'm not using FAR, but I didn't strut it. I'll give that a try. Thanks!

[stubbles]

Updated to v1.2, OP links updated.

- Fixed career integration bugs

- Added Extra Large fairing for wide/tall payloads

- Added new launchpad smoke FX

- Added surface attach nodes for stage1/2 fuel tanks

- Re-added VAB ship file

- Re-strutted ship using default struts instead of KW Heavy Struts

[Hocki]

I love the launchpad smoke! It looks fantastic! Is there a way to get it to work for on other engines as well?

[NoMrBond]

I believe that part is being done with the Sarbian's SmokeScreen EFx mod, so yes adding support for other engines/parts should be just be a matter of making the correct config file for it

[kiwiak]

Can someone make modulemanager file adding launchsmoke to all engines?

[techstepman]

I was sitting there looking at all the smoke without realizing that my rocket was running out of fuel!lolz...this rocket is hands down my number one , and youre the first one to release a mod with this I think,.A beautiful rocket with beautiful effects.Tis kinda hard on mechjeb though...im wondering if the rocket is too woobly or mechjeb has issues again.Since you uploaded I have had so many launches that I even saw the rocket in my dream...lolz.thanks for all the pure awesomeness again.gotta go give some rep to sarbian too.

edit:just clicked on your sig...you are responsible for the battlestar mod for nexus? OMG! thanks for that mod too.im still playing it.

Edited March 11, 2014 by techstepman

[Boamere]

I have mechjeb but never use it for launches, launching a rocket is one of the best things for me! (plus mechjeb goes a little wonky when using FAR)

[stubbles]

Techsteapman - thanks! Yeah, I'm working on the NexusBSG mod as well, hah. Mechjeb works fine for me with the rocket - is your gravity turn too abrupt? If it turns too harshly, it will have problems for sure. These are my ascent settings:

Limit to terminal velocity (X)

Limit acceleration to 40m/s2 (X)

Corrective Steering (X)

Turn Start altitude: 6.9km

Turn End altitude: 70km

Turn Shape: 75%

[techstepman]

thanks i'll check it.

edit:WAIT WHAT???you ARE working on the BSG mod?i tought it was over do to that copyright thing.the mod is still being developed?

Edited March 12, 2014 by techstepman

[BLUAV8R]

I have mechjeb but never use it for launches, launching a rocket is one of the best things for me! (plus mechjeb goes a little wonky when using FAR)

Yeah, when I installed it for the first time I found out that doing your standard mechjeb 10km gravity turn was no bueno lol It took me a while to learn that I needed to start the turn the second I clear the launchpad

[Roerei]

For those wanting the smoke launch effects on other parts, I think it will only work with a part that contains the smoke screen FX mod.

If you have a part that contains it, you can add the following to its running effect in the part.cfg (usually the running effect will be called something with smoke, depends on the mod).

MODEL_MULTI_PARTICLE_PERSIST
			{
				name = launchSmoke
				modelName = HorizonAeronautics/FX/LaunchSmoke
				transformName = thrustTransform

				energy = 0.0 1.0
				energy = 1.0 0.8

				grow = 0.0 0.3 // Grow the particles at 0% per seconds ( 0.02 would be 2% )
				grow = 1.0 1.3 // Grow the particles at 0% per seconds ( 0.02 would be 2% )

				speed = 0.0 0.25
				speed = 1.0 11

				offset = 0.0 0.25  // Move the particle emitter away from its default position by x meters
				offset = 1.0 0.25  // Move the particle emitter away from its default position by x meters	

				renderMode = "Billboard" // Render mode : Billboard / SortedBillboard / HorizontalBillboard / VerticalBillboard / Stretch
				collide = true // Collision active or not
				collideRatio = 0 // how the particles react on collision. 1 is a mirror bounce, 0 is go parallel to the hit surface
				fixedScale = 1.0 // Fixed rescale of the particle emitter (for when you rescale the model)
				sizeClamp = 50 // Limits particle size. Default to 50

				// ***************
				// From here the value are not the default anymore.
				// ***************

				angle = 0.0 1.0 // Display if the angle between the emitter transform and camera is lower than 45° 
				angle = 45.0 1.0 // Display if the angle between the emitter transform and camera is lower than 45° 
				angle = 50.0 1.0 // Display if the angle between the emitter transform and camera is lower than 45° 
				distance = 0.0 1.0 // Display if the distance to camera is higher than 110
				distance = 100.0 1.0 // Display if the distance to camera is higher than 110
				distance = 110.0 1.0 // Display if the distance to camera is higher than 110

				emission  // Modulate emission from mach and density curve. You can add other section for size, energy, speed, grow, offset and scale
				{
					mach = 0.0 1.1
					mach = 0.01 0.0
					density = 1.0 1.0
					density = 0.1 0.0
				}
			}

Hopefully stubbles doenst mind me posting this, ill be glad to remove it otherwise.

I've tried it out on the KSO shuttle mod and it worked.

Brilliant effect by the way and a great rocket mod.

[stubbles]

you ARE working on the BSG mod?i tought it was over do to that copyright thing.the mod is still being developed?

yeah

NBCUniversal made ModDB stop hosting all BSG related stuff, but they never sent us a cease & desist ourselves, so technically we still legally work on it.

Hopefully stubbles doenst mind me posting this, ill be glad to remove it otherwise.

I've tried it out on the KSO shuttle mod and it worked.

Brilliant effect by the way and a great rocket mod.

Not at all, post away!

[stubbles]

No art progress really, been working on getting some workable configs.

I really want to keep things simple by having the RD-170's and their tanks as a single piece for the side boosters, but this damn thing is reluctant to roll all that weight with just dtobi's tiny shuttle nozzles on the craft.

I've already broken out the second stage's RD-0120 engines into their own parts (which are working with the gimbal plugin) but that still leaves a huge roll detriment to the first stage burn.

Edited March 12, 2014 by stubbles

[NoMrBond]

How much gimballing on the RD-170 outrider/tanks?

Some Urugan / E2 pictures have small winglets on the S0/Outrider tanks

Which would give you some Aero based control authority (maybe even grid fins).

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