[1.8.1-1.12.x] Modular Launch Pads v2.7.0: Launch clamps evolved: Real-style launch bases and towers [04 July 2024]

[AlphaMensae]

Some great news to report: @NathanKellhas resurfaced and is streaming KSP again, RSS/RO/RP-1 of course, and was introduced to MLP. Of course, he soon ran into Mechjeb's problem with auto-staging the parts that use Animated Decouplers (the umbilicals, swing arms and hold-downs). Being Nathan Kell, he found the problem was on AD's end, and wrote a modified version called Staged Animation, which is basically AD without the decoupling part (though still shows the decouple stage icon so you have something to see), and which works with Mechjeb.

I've tested it, works fine in KSP 1.8.1, so it'll be good for all later versions as well. 

I'm now converting the .cfgs for the AD-enabled parts to use Staged Animation instead, and will be including it in the next minor update of MLP,  and removing Animated Decouplers.

[ltajax]

Is there a video tutorial on how to get the launch rails to work ? I cant seem to figure it out.

[AlphaMensae]

5 hours ago, ltajax said:

Is there a video tutorial on how to get the launch rails to work ? I cant seem to figure it out.

It's not a proper tutorial, it isn't edited, but this is a demo of the Mini launch rail being built and used.

I had Animated Attachment installed for this, but it doesn't work with node attached rockets, so I had to surface attach the rocket to the rail. You can still use the rails without Animated Attachment, but you'll have to manually rotate and reposition the rocket after rotating the rail.

If you use Animated Attachment, go to its folder in GameData and delete the AnimatedAttachment.cfg file, or you will have lot of other parts with the module installed, and that can cause problems.

[AlphaMensae]

Even more great news!  @NathanKellhas graciously added a modified form of ModuleAnimateGeneric to Staged Animation, in which custom titles can be given to deploy limit sliders and all the animation toggle buttons can be disabled. So at last there can be understandable deploy limit sliders and no more of those remnant "toggle" buttons! 

As an example, the new Thor Fallback tower PAW:

 

After I make the changes to MLP, this will be v2.2, as it is a significant enough upgrade that I want it to be more visible than a point release would be 

Edited May 14, 2021 by AlphaMensae

[NathanKell]

Happy to help, this is such a wonderful mod!

[CardZLol]

For some reason, i've been having alot of problems with the install lately
1- The soyuz launch pad parts are just gone, the category is there but theres no parts
2- The shuttle FSS is incomplete, missing beanie cap, crew access arm and external tank serive structure

I reinstalled it 3 times already, nothing seems to fix it
i donwloaded it from Spacedock

[AlphaMensae]

Ok, been quiet, but I've been working on an additional thing for v2.2. Rather than just being the module upgrades, I'm adding a Titan III/IV launch stand. This is being designed pretty much for the Titan III and IV, as it is sized for those rockets, have a mounting spot for the mast, and a cutout in the frame for the big service tower (the fomery-titled Extra Large General Service Tower, now the Titan III Service Tower). The cutout  is so the tower can sit snug against the mast (which is on the launch stand) but have the frame be a symmetrical square so it will rotate properly.

It will also have integrated hold-down bolts, but these will have deploy limit sliders on the X and Z axes so they can be adjusted for use with smaller diameter tri-core rockets.  Custom deploy limit slider titles now possible to make them clear as to what they do, which is why I'm doing it  

I'm also going to revise the Titan II tower droop umbilicals to be more droopy like the general ones (the real ones were quite long and had pronounced droops). Both them and the general droop ones will also get the "extend-o-pole" length adjustment like those on the Thor Fallback Tower to provide more precise fitting to variable-diameter rockets.

Might also add a general version of the Thor/Delta Fallback tower with droop umbilicals. This will be a non-tapered version to allow for more height variants, but won't have the upper clamp or 2-step retract method like the Large General Fallback Tower.

[Giancarlo Kerman]

Im not sure if im just stupid but for some odd reason, when I try to use the launch rails the rockets wont decouple from the base

the rocket wont even rotate

Edited May 28, 2021 by Giancarlo Kerman
forgot to mention

[AlphaMensae]

3 hours ago, Giancarlo Kerman said:

Im not sure if im just stupid but for some odd reason, when I try to use the launch rails the rockets wont decouple from the base

the rocket wont even rotate

The root part still has to be on the rocket or the rail won't decouple.

The rocket won't rotate with the rail unless Animated Attachment is installed. if you use that for the rails, then delete the .cfg file it comes with or you will have dozens of other parts with that module added to them, which will cause problems.

[Giancarlo Kerman]

On 5/28/2021 at 5:13 PM, AlphaMensae said:

The root part still has to be on the rocket or the rail won't decouple.

The rocket won't rotate with the rail unless Animated Attachment is installed. if you use that for the rails, then delete the .cfg file it comes with or you will have dozens of other parts with that module added to them, which will cause problems.

Ahhh thanks for reminding me Alpha, I didnt really understand the note at first on the first page

 

just want to say that this mod is amazing!

[AlphaMensae]

A quick screenshot of the Titan III Launch Stand with no Titan III on it...this was for testing purposes.

The normal launch clamp columns (here in the 4 corners) can be turned off (just the actual meshes are turned off, the clamp stays functional) to leave just the side rail wheels (they have no colliders).

There are special attach nodes for the Titan III Auxiliary Mast and Service Tower.

And, Titan IV configuration, with the elevated center section and yellow color (standing in for the actual gold-ish color):

[OrbitalManeuvers]

2 minutes ago, AlphaMensae said:

A quick screenshot of the Titan III Launch Stand with no Titan III on it...

I'm very excited to put one on there when the time is right! Thanks for this addition - this looks great!!

[AlphaMensae]

Ok, a proper Titan III-E Centaur screenshot:

 

For comparison:

 

[AlphaMensae]

Titan IVB:

For comparision:

 

 

[CardZLol]

On 6/2/2021 at 10:40 PM, AlphaMensae said:

Titan IVB:

For comparision:

 

 

These are looking great!
Beautiful work.

[AlphaMensae]

Revised Titan II Droop Umbilical with 1m adjustable extension tube:

This is how it looks in Unity; it has 4 pivoting sections:

It doesn't look at all like that in Wings 3D, as each segment has its origin (pivot point) at 0,0,0, so it's just a bunch of overlapping horizontal pipe segements. In Unity, the segments get moved into proper position and rotated the correct amount. I've refined how I make the droop umbilicals, turns out it's much easier to animate them when the pivot points of the meshes are at 0,0,0. Before I assembled the segments in Wings 3D, so nothing was at 0,0,0, which can be done, but it's harder to animate as the meshes have to be manually offset to match the pivot points.   Also, the extension tube (Pivot_0)also rotates (drops) with the rest of the umbilical, so there's nothing left sticking out from the arm. 

[AlphaMensae]

Adding the adjustable extension tube to the General Droop Umbilicals meant having to redo the animations, so I took the opportunity to remake all of them, and added an extra size (Mini) as well.  I used the refined simplifiied method from the Titan II droop umbilicals, and ended up using the same rotation angles (60 and 120 degrees) for all sizes, so I on;y had to make one animation that is used by all of them.

Shown are all five sizes, with the extension tube at full length and with the Standard Short mount type. At top is the Mini size with the extension tube at the minimum length. At the bottom is the Extra Large size with the Alt 3 Mount type, the longest of the 3 alt types; I removed the Standard Long mount type as it was redundant.

[biohazard15]

For 2.2, please also consider a fix for Saturn IB milkstool stand:

(NB: This is with Saturn rescale patch, so it would likely be present after BDB Saturn update)

Saturn V Moon stack, with everything assembled as close to RL as possible:

Saturn IB milkstool stack, using the same tower subassembly, milkstool is moved slightly down to match RL, tower arms are lined with Apollo\S-IVB:

The milkstool is too short.

[spritefun]

Does anyone know how to use the Soyuz gantry arms properly? No matter what I do, the Soyuz fins always clip through the gantry part.

[GuessingEveryDay]

1 hour ago, spritefun said:

Does anyone know how to use the Soyuz gantry arms properly? No matter what I do, the Soyuz fins always clip through the gantry part.

Rotating the boosters 45 degrees? Oh, here's a picture of a Soyuz lifting off, you can see the boosters are rotated 45 degrees to make room for the arms. While the 4 smaller arms are for the boosters.

[spritefun]

Wow, now I feel stupid. For some reason I was convinced you shouldn't rotate it because I thought it launched not rotated lol.

Thanks for the reply btw!

Edited June 7, 2021 by spritefun

[AlphaMensae]

52 minutes ago, spritefun said:

Wow, now I feel stupid. For some reason I was convinced you shouldn't rotate it because I thought it launched not rotated lol.

Thanks for the reply btw!

Yep, the clamp arms are at the 45° positions, the gantry arms are in two opposite 90° positions between the clamp arms, the large and small fuel arms are nested together in another 90° position, and the Soyuz transport train delivers the rocket at the remaining 90° position.  

[spritefun]

I think it looks right now. It's the R-7 so it's a bit small, but still looks good. IRL it looks like the large fuel arm is connected all the time even whilst the gantry is up, is that the way it should be with MLP too?

I love that transport train + rocket combo! I wish there was some way to deploy rockets in KSP like that without having to build a 500 part behemoth.

[AlphaMensae]

On 6/6/2021 at 2:43 PM, biohazard15 said:

For 2.2, please also consider a fix for Saturn IB milkstool stand:

The milkstool is too short.

That will have to wait for the remake of the Saturn Launcher parts, as it's too extensive of a change for a quick fix.  And that may have to wait until Cobalt finishes the new Saturn  V and IB.

[AlphaMensae]

Actually, even the new BDB Saturn V is going to be a problem since the S-IC and S-II are 6.25m in diameter, which is undersized compared to the 2.5m Apollo CSM and 4.25m S-IVB; they need to be 6.4m to stay the same scale. With the new Saturn IB at 4.25m too, the two are just not going to match. 

So I'm just not going to bother. Or use DECQ's Saturn V...but there's no Saturn IB to go with it, so again...ehhhhh, I'll just keep the Milkstool the same height, I don't care, as the arms can be adjusted accordingly.