[WIP] (1.9.1 - 1.12+) TrekDrive - a Star Trek-like Warp Drive by ShadowWorks v0.99.1w NX-Class (10/08/2021)

[theJesuit]

On 2/9/2021 at 11:59 AM, TheShadow1138 said:

Complete IVA for the Phoenix

Yes.  Oh yes thank you.

On 2/9/2021 at 11:59 AM, TheShadow1138 said:

NX-01 Enterprise parts (maybe)

That would be excellent.

[TheShadow1138]

I've gotten the Phoenix initially balanced and playable.  Each part is tagged with the word "phoenix", so you can easily filter down to only these parts, but I have included a craft file that has two action groups set up:  Action Group 1 toggles the deployment of the nacelles and Action Group 9 toggles the main and vernier thrusters of the Phoenix itself to allow these to be quickly shutdown before using the warp drive and to re-activate them for sublight operation after deactivating the warp drive.

TrekDrive by ShadowWorks v0.6w

Change Log
v0.6w - Phoenix Initial release:
--------------------------------
* Updated Code:
    * Added nacelle glow animation capability, giving a visual indicator of coil charge.
    * Fixed coil charge logic to allow charging a partially discharged coil
    * Fixed a logic issue with the Warp Field Generator code.  Now the "not enough charge" warning will only occur if the warp drive is active.
* Moved to LqdDeuterium and Antimatter from Community Resource Pack
* Added Phoenix Parts:
    * Phoenix Crew Cabin (no IVA currently, built-in RCS, no effects yet)
    * Phoenix SAS (contains Monopropellant and Electric Charge)
    * Phoenix Fuselage (contains LqdDeuterium and Antimatter)
    * Phoenix Nacelle (deployable warp nacelle)
    * Phoenix Warp Core/Warp Field Generator
    * Phoenix Main Thruster (matter-antimatter rocket engine)
    * Phoenix Vernier Thruster (matter-antimatter rocket engine)
    * Phoenix Fairing (to conceal the warp nacelles during launch)
    * Phoenix Interstage Decoupler
    * Phoenix Launcher First Stage
    * Phoenix Launcher Main Engine (Liquid Fuel Oxidizer engine)
* Added Phoenix Warp Ship Test craft.
* Added Community Resource Pack and Waterfall as hard dependencies (bundled)

[Puggonaut]

NX-01 Enterprise parts , Oh please i'd love this in game .

Playing about with this mod today and so far so good , I may need a bigger universe though 

[TheShadow1138]

11 hours ago, Puggonaut said:

NX-01 Enterprise parts , Oh please i'd love this in game .

Playing about with this mod today and so far so good , I may need a bigger universe though 

I'm definitely gonna do the NX, and I'm gonna need a bigger universe too once it's in-game.  Warp 1 for a second or two puts you well outside of Kerbin's sphere of influence, and I wouldn't go higher than Warp 2 in the Kerbol system.  Warp 2 gives a nice comfortable ride out to Dres, but the NX has to be a Warp 5 ship, so it's gonna need somewhere to go.

Once I've got the Phoenix IVA done I'm gonna start on the NX.  It can be surprisingly difficult to find good orthographic line art.  I've got orthographic renders though that I think will do nicely for the NX.  This will be the first full Star Trek ship model I've done in many years.  Until the Phoenix the last Star Trek ship I did was the Enterprise-A.  I'm hoping it turns out well.

[TheShadow1138]

Phoenix IVA Progress:  Base geometry almost done, then a few props, then textures, and I can start getting it in-game and adjusting Kerbal positions.  There will be two versions of the IVA, one for a mostly stock game (stock throttle, and other props), and a MOARdV Avionics System (MAS) version with a main MFD, the "touch-screen" throttle, which will kind of give a warp speed indicator.  The MAS version will be a ModuleManager patch so that if MAS is installed you'll have the MFD an other similar props along with the few custom button and display props I'll be making.  Hopefully, the cockpit will look good with or without MAS installed.

I think I'm starting to get the hang of working in Blender, and aside from the non-standard hotkeys, it is kinda fun.

[Puggonaut]

On 2/17/2021 at 12:13 AM, TheShadow1138 said:

I'm definitely gonna do the NX, and I'm gonna need a bigger universe too once it's in-game.  Warp 1 for a second or two puts you well outside of Kerbin's sphere of influence, and I wouldn't go higher than Warp 2 in the Kerbol system.  Warp 2 gives a nice comfortable ride out to Dres, but the NX has to be a Warp 5 ship, so it's gonna need somewhere to go.

Once I've got the Phoenix IVA done I'm gonna start on the NX.  It can be surprisingly difficult to find good orthographic line art.  I've got orthographic renders though that I think will do nicely for the NX.  This will be the first full Star Trek ship model I've done in many years.  Until the Phoenix the last Star Trek ship I did was the Enterprise-A.  I'm hoping it turns out well.

Well I could probably find you the blueprints for the NX-01 if you would need them . Oh and a whole lot more reference stuff as well . 

[TheShadow1138]

15 hours ago, Puggonaut said:

Well I could probably find you the blueprints for the NX-01 if you would need them . Oh and a whole lot more reference stuff as well . 

That would be great!  I have an image that I think will work, but having more reference material, and possibly better blueprints to go off of is always a huge plus.

I am getting closer on the Phoenix IVA.  I've got the IVA modeled and have the non-operational displays modeled.  I am going to model a couple of buttons to fill out the control panels.  I've already got the IVA unwrapped so I can start texturing soon™.

[Puggonaut]

13 hours ago, TheShadow1138 said:

That would be great!  I have an image that I think will work, but having more reference material, and possibly better blueprints to go off of is always a huge plus.

I am getting closer on the Phoenix IVA.  I've got the IVA modeled and have the non-operational displays modeled.  I am going to model a couple of buttons to fill out the control panels.  I've already got the IVA unwrapped so I can start texturing soon™.

https://www.cygnus-x1.net/links/lcars/starfleet-vessel-enterprise-nx-01.php

That should keep you busy , shed loads of stuff to look at in there . 

[TheShadow1138]

5 hours ago, Puggonaut said:

https://www.cygnus-x1.net/links/lcars/starfleet-vessel-enterprise-nx-01.php

That should keep you busy , shed loads of stuff to look at in there . 

Thanks!  Those are some good blueprints.

[TheShadow1138]

IVA Progress:  Almost done with the textures, then I can put it in Unity and then finally start on the NX-01!

This is a custom texture I made based on a screenshot from the film (Star Trek: First Contact).  This will be the screen for installs that do not have MOARdV Avionics System (MAS).  It's not functional, but I think it's nice to look at.

Edit:  Finished the last texture, the secondary display.  Now, I can start building out the IVA in Unity.

Edited March 11, 2021 by TheShadow1138

[theonegalen]

neat!

[TheShadow1138]

Update: 0.7w Phoenix IVA Release

v0.7w - Phoenix IVA release:
* Added Phoenix IVA (Stock and MOARdV's Avionics System)
* The MAS version replaces some of the central props with MAS props, and replaces the Main Display with a functional MFD
* MAS version of the IVA will only be available with MAS is installed.

In-game screenshots:

MAS IVA:

Next, I move on to making the NX-01.

Edited March 14, 2021 by TheShadow1138

[Daniel Prates]

Hey it is Zefram Cochrane's ship!

[TheShadow1138]

NX Class Starship:  Kerbin's first Warp 5 capable starship has entered construction.  I've got the main saucer structure roughed out except for cutting out the areas for the various dorsal, ventral, and aft cargo bay doors/loading areas, the secondary impulse engines, and the navigational deflector.

Dorsal:

Ventral:

I'm pleased with how it's turning out so far, and am cautiously optimistic that I can churn out a decent NX Class model.  Right now I'm planning on having the bridge section be the "command pod" to which the saucer would be attached, and the secondary impulse engines would also be separate parts, along with the navigational deflector.  I'm not planning any functionality for the deflector at the moment, maybe a stock comm module and an animation for the blue glow.  I'm still on the fence about what part(s) will be the warp core and warp field generator since the NX class has it's warp core within the saucer section.  It may be best to just fold in those modules to the saucer part without making separate part(s), but I haven't settled on a solution just yet.

[TheShadow1138]

NX Progress:  Bridge greeble is complete, and I have begun making the cuts into the saucer section, the major ones anyway (navigational deflector and secondary impulse engines)

I've decided on the parts breakdown:

• Bridge (complete with IVA)
• Saucer (built-in maneuvering (RCS) thrusters, LqdDeuterium, Antimatter, WarpCore, and WarpFieldGenerator)
• Secondary Impulse Engine (utilizing stock Part Variants to do the port and starboard engines)
• Navigational Deflector (Stock Comm Module, and simple animation for the blue glow, no other planned functionality)
• Engineering Hull (LqdDeuterium capacity, and multiple nacelle mounting options)
  • Option 1:  Show accurate 2-nacelle arrangement above the saucer
  • Option 2:  2-nacelle arrangement below the saucer (similar to the Akira-class)
  • Option 3:  4-nacelle arrangement (combination of Options 1 and 2)
• Nacelle Mounting Pylon
• Nacelle

That's the breakdown right now, and I think it works, and makes sense from a show perspective as main engineering was in the saucer of the NX class.

[TheShadow1138]

NX Class:  I've started the navigational deflector, and completed most of the geometry for the aft dorsal area of the saucer section.

Navigational Deflector Progress

Aft Dorsal Saucer

[Puggonaut]

Beyond excited by this . 

Oh yeah Option 1 please please please 

Oh an if your feeling up for it .

Option 4 NX-01 Refit 

Edited March 19, 2021 by Puggonaut

[TheShadow1138]

10 hours ago, Puggonaut said:

Beyond excited by this . 

Oh yeah Option 1 please please please 

Oh an if your feeling up for it .

Option 4 NX-01 Refit 

Options 1-3 will all be available upon release.  They'll just be a few attachment nodes for the nacelle pylons, so not much of an issue.  We'll see about the Refit.

[Puggonaut]

14 hours ago, TheShadow1138 said:

Options 1-3 will all be available upon release.  They'll just be a few attachment nodes for the nacelle pylons, so not much of an issue.  We'll see about the Refit.

Cool that'll be great thank you . 

[TheShadow1138]

NX Progress:  I have completed the geometry for the saucer section.  With this I will move on to the engineering pylons.

Dorsal:

Ventral:

[TheShadow1138]

I have started modeling the engineering section, but some IRL things have come up rather suddenly, so I'm not sure how much I will be able to work on this in the coming weeks.

I do absolutely intend to complete the NX-01, so this is not being abandoned, I just want to make that clear.  Development will just be slower for a little while at least.  I just wanted to let y'all know that I haven't forgotten about this and why there may not be many progress updates in the coming weeks.

[PalowPower]

This Mod has a lot of potential. 

Will you also add Deflector shields, so "real" shields like in Star Trek?

[TheShadow1138]

On 4/13/2021 at 3:57 PM, PalowPower said:

This Mod has a lot of potential. 

Will you also add Deflector shields, so "real" shields like in Star Trek?

I was focusing on warp drive tech that behaves more or less like in Star Trek.  Deflector shields are a bit outside of the scope of the mod.  The shields would probably need to be 8 partial spheroids (starboard fore/aft dorsal/ventral [4], and port fore/aft dorsal/ventral [4]) for realism.  The code would need to account for collision, number of collisions, or force of collision in order to determine shield strength in order to deactivate that portion of the shield.  It would be a lot of work, and it would certainly be very cool, but my plugin skills are still in the early stages.

[Tanner Rawlings]

Never have I been so excited for a mod in my life.

I wish you success, this truly is a promising mod.

[TheShadow1138]

21 hours ago, Tanner Rawlings said:

Never have I been so excited for a mod in my life.

I wish you success, this truly is a promising mod.

Thank you.  I hope that it all turns out great in the end as well.

NX Update:  I have the Engineering Pylons modeled, not completely though, still need to do a cutout and some geometry for the first stage plasma accelerator and a couple of other things, but for the most part the hard part is done.  I'm not that great with more organic shapes so these were the part I was dreading on this model.  But, I think that they turned out pretty good.

Dorsal:

Ventral: