Editing/Re-decorating IVA's In 2022

[johnnydope]

KSP IVA Editor Station SETUP

To create a functioning workstation for editing KSP IVA's and props,
follow this installation manual EXACTLY and everything WILL WORK.

STEP 1: DOWNLOADS
Download the following files from the internet. Names and versions are PRECISE.

a) Unity Hub - Install current version from website, register and login.
b) Unity (Main Editor Program) "Unity 2019.4.18f1"
c) PartTools_AssetBundles_2019.4.18f1
d) TextMesh Pro Release 1.0.56 - Unity 2017.3
e) ImageMagick - download installer from website

STEP 2: INSTALLATION
If all pre-requisite software has been downloaded, begin with installation
of the main UNITY program. Confirm installation success and note installation path.

Next, open UNITY HUB and select "INSTALLS" from left Menu.
Select "LOCATE", and show "UNITY HUB" where you installed the main UNITY program.
"2019.4.18f1" should now show on the list. Now navigate back to the "Projects" menu.
Select "New Project" button, and select "3D Core". Give your project a name under "Project Name",
and select "Create Project". Unity will now launch. Minimize Unity, and launch "ImageMagick" installer.
Upon completion, close "ImageMagick" if running and return to Unity window.

STEP 3: Modding UNITY
With the UNITY window open, select "Window" from menu bar, and select "Package Manager".
Scroll down the list and find "TextMeshPro", highlight it and select the "remove" option.
This gets rid of the version you DO NOT need. Allow un-installation to finish and close "Package Manager"
window. Now select "Assets" from menu bar, and select "Import Package > Custom Package".
Select your download of "TextMesh Pro Release 1.0.56 - Unity 2017.3". When extracted it will be a "Unity Package File".
Click OPEN. Now an "Import Unity Package" window will open. Make sure everything is selected and hit "Import".
Now select "Assets" from the menu bar again and select "Import Package > Custom Package" again.
After the "Import Unity Package" window opens, select your "PartTools" download after extraction, and once again check that all boxes are checked and hit "Import".
Now you will see a new entry on the menu bar called "KSPAssets". Now on the bottom navigation window,
make your way to the following path: Assets > Plugins > KSPAssets. Check that BOTH "KSPAssetCompiler.dll" and
"KSPAssets.dll" have the checkbox "Validate References" UNchecked. To check, highlight the .dll and look at the info
that shows up on the right menu panel. "Inspector". (WITHIN UNITY)
CLOSE UNITY.
OK now you're done setting up the tool.

STEP 4: Setting up your KSP content.
Install a fresh copy of KSP In a folder of your choice just note the installation directory.
Within THAT particular installation of KSP, now add any mods required if the target you are trying to
edit is part of a mod pack. Dont worry about mod pre-requisites for functionality, just put the mod that contains
the IVA and PROPS you want. This will be your "UnTouched" GAMEDATA folder. Now create a new folder somewhere you can find it,
this will be your "Modded" GAMEDATA folder, and copy the GAMEDATA folder into your new "Modded" folder.
After this point only work in/on the "Modded" GAMEDATA folder.
Carefully go through the stock and mod folders and trim as much as you can. Most things can be deleted
except the "Spaces" and "Props" folder. Just keep in mind the IVA you want to modify has to BE there.
AND all the stuff you want to use prop wise has to still be there as well. When done trimming,
return to the root of your "Modded" GAMEDATA folder in file explorer.
In the file explorer address bar type CMD to get a command prompt window to show up within GAMEDATA.
Copy and paste the following command. (assuming you DID IN FACT install ImageMagick as instructed)

FOR /R %f IN (*.dds) DO mogrify -verbose -flip -format png "%f"

Now the textures of all things you are about to work on will show up in Unity.
All your content is now setup to work. Open Unity Hub and you should now see your project listed by name.
Open your project and select from the Unity Menu Bar, "Tools > KSP Part Tools".
Drag and drop the "Part Tools" window over to the right beside "Inspector". (common usual location for it)
Now click "Set Data Dir" and select your "Modded" KSP GAMEDATA folder.
You should now see two menu columns labelled "Spaces" and "Props" populate.

INSTALLATION COMPLETE   Tested in 2022 on KSP 1.12.2

Now you can spawn any IVA or prop and re-decorate it to your hearts content! Have fun!

Edited March 8, 2022 by johnnydope

[TheLoneOne]

Would you like me to test this on ksp 1.12.3? 

[Stone Blue]

46 minutes ago, TheLoneOne said:

Would you like me to test this on ksp 1.12.3? 

If it works in 1.12.2, it *will* work for 1.12.3

[SingABrightSong]

Looks like the command for "mogrify" should be "magick mogrify" according to the reference page for ImageMagick, but having corrected that the guide has been helpful for getting everything to render in Unity properly

[zer0Kerbal]

so - what is the quick and fast and easy way to make a blank IVA model in blender for say a poor pod without it's own personalized IVA?

 

assuming one has Blender and @taniwha's .mu import tool installed and working?

Edited April 1, 2022 by zer0Kerbal

[TheLoneOne]

zero basiscly you want to probably take the mesh of the poor pod and make a hollow object in the shape of that, then I V A 

1 minute ago, TheLoneOne said:

zero basiscly you want to probably take the mesh of the poor pod and make a hollow object in the shape of that, then I V A 

basiscly remove the textures to the craft and hollow it out and bam iva space (oviously rename and make this a new file)

16 hours ago, zer0Kerbal said:

so - what is the quick and fast and easy way to make a blank IVA model in blender for say a poor pod without it's own personalized IVA?

 

assuming one has Blender and @taniwha's .mu import tool installed and working?

and also your gonna want to import things from alot of iva prop mods i can send you my setup if needed

basicly like take Near future props, make it a dependancy for the iva and then include stuff from it.

Edited April 2, 2022 by TheLoneOne

[Stone Blue]

16 hours ago, zer0Kerbal said:

so - what is the quick and fast and easy way to make a blank IVA model in blender for say a poor pod without it's own personalized IVA?

 

assuming one has Blender and @taniwha's .mu import tool installed and working?

Yeah... mae your interanl mesh, and an overlay mask if you want, for windows & cutaways... esp. if you would lie to support JSITransparentPods
Be aware, Skwod for some reason, set up the IVAs with a very weird orientation, much different that external models. Something lie 180° on one axis, and 90° on a 2nd... I dont recall which axis tho

Unfortunately, Taniwha started some IVA, and even prop building functionality, and supposedly, you should be able to make whole IVAs, from modelling the mesh, to modeling props, to even propulating the IVAs *with* the props... However i wasnt able to get it completely working, and that was about the time he took a hiatus from KSP.

So, go ahead and model the mesh/overlays, then you'll have to resort to Unity & PT to properly propulate them.
Know that its an *extremely* tedious process. Not difficult, but time consuming & tedious.

[zer0Kerbal]

Thank you!

For now (and on the really small back-back-back burner) all I want is an IVA with seats - and maybe TransparentPods transparency.... the rest maybe someday.  oh, and lights, must have lights.

if you see a good video tutorial on just this - please drop me a line!

Edited April 4, 2022 by zer0Kerbal

[astroantihell]

Hello guys!

Could somebody share with me TextMesh Pro Release 1.0.56 - Unity 2017.3 file since the original download link is not working anymore.

Thanks!

[TechDragon]

link is still broken 3 months on, its kind of a showstopper, anyone got a lead on how we can still download  TextMesh Pro Release 1.0.56 - Unity 2017.3 now the link is broken? I've been searching and basically all I'm finding is other people noticing the link is broken, and people talking about how you have to download that exact version for KSP modding. 

[Stone Blue]

1 hour ago, TechDragon said:

link is still broken 3 months on, its kind of a showstopper, anyone got a lead on how we can still download  TextMesh Pro Release 1.0.56 - Unity 2017.3 now the link is broken? I've been searching and basically all I'm finding is other people noticing the link is broken, and people talking about how you have to download that exact version for KSP modding. 

If you're not making/editing any plugins, and just modelling parts & IVAs, you shouldnt need TextMeshPro *at all*... i havent had it installed for the last few years & versions of Unity. (I wasnt installing it, even when it *was* available/updated)

[TechDragon]

If its not needed, then why does everyone always say its a requirement for the part tools package?

I didn't see anyone describing it as "optional" or "only needed if your going to do <something>"... I even found someone saying that the exact version was needed because things wouldn't recognize another supposedly compatible version . 

So to keep this on the topic of IVAs, is this step needed to setup things for editing IVAs in 2023? or can we skip the step? and does anyone know what will be broken (if anything) in the official PartTools, by not having the correct version of TextMesh Pro?

 

[Stone Blue]

Well, have you even *tried it*, without TMP? vOv

That first link you posted, was someone trying to make something that required working with... *displayed text*... so no surprise its needed for that.
 

Edited January 7, 2023 by Stone Blue

[Hippodingo]

Hello,

I followed all the steps (actually the FOR loop didn't work but as I understand it, it's only to have textures in Unity so it's not a big issue)  and I can open a space and add some props. However, this space -  which is supposed to be already populated with some props (because it's a space from DE_IVA mod) - is empty, just like the stock space is. Did I do something wrong? I set the folder to be my modded GameData, which includes DE_IVA and its dependancies.

Moreover, when I'm done modifying a space, where is the file to put in the Space folder supposed to be? The file where there are all the

PROP

{

BLAHBLAHBLAH

}

I am a total Unity newbie, sorry if I'm asking stupid questions. I can provide more info which could help you to help me.

EDIT: I just noticed this error message:

Unloading broken assembly Assets/Plugins/KSPAssets/KSPAssetCompiler.dll, this assembly can cause crashes in the runtime

Maybe can it explain my problem?

EDIT2 : accordingly to

On 1/6/2023 at 6:52 PM, Stone Blue said:

If you're not making/editing any plugins, and just modelling parts & IVAs, you shouldnt need TextMeshPro *at all*... i havent had it installed for the last few years & versions of Unity. (I wasnt installing it, even when it *was* available/updated)

I didn't install TextMeshPro.

Thanks for your help!

Edited March 11, 2023 by Hippodingo
More details

[Stone Blue]

1 hour ago, Hippodingo said:

However, this space -  which is supposed to be already populated with some props (because it's a space from DE_IVA mod) - is empty, just like the stock space is. Did I do something wrong? I set the folder to be my modded GameData, which includes DE_IVA and its dependancies.

Hmm... If you have your GameData folder correctly setup with installed mods, *and* have indeed pointed PartTools correctly to your GameData, You *should* just be able to have an empty "scene", then in the PartTools window, clic the "Spaces" tab, which should have a list of stuff under it, with "Spawn" buttons on the left of each.
Clic the button, and PartTools (PT) loads the IVA from the *config file*, for the named IVA you spawned. The props are all listed in that file.
 

1 hour ago, Hippodingo said:

Moreover, when I'm done modifying a space, where is the file to put in the Space folder supposed to be? The file where there are all the

PROP

{

BLAHBLAHBLAH

}

That would be the config (.cfg) file. When you are done adding props to, or modifying, a "space" (IVA), you select the top-level, root object of your "space". You add a KSP PartTools component to it. Name your "space" in "Space name", name your "space" file (the .cfg you want) in "Config Name", in "Dir URL" point to the folder in GameData where you want it placed.
Clic "Save to Config"

Thats it.. Unity should have written your file for you, with all the "space" information and all the prop locations, ready to be loaded in-game.

As to the KSPAssetCompiler error... that can be ignored.

[Hippodingo]

Thank you, everything is working well now!

[Aviator_09]

Hello everyone

I recently got into editing IVA's and stumbled upon this thread

The problem however is that i followed the steps, all exactly the same and yet Unity shows a console error message of:

 

Cannot clone model '*model part path here*' as model does not exist
Model was not compiled correctly
Cannot create space

 

any help would be appreciated 

[Aviator_09]

NEVERMIND, SORRY FOR BOTHER

apperently, the set gamedata directory on parttools ONLY SEARCHES FOR PARTS IN THAT FOLDER

i was getting errors due to the .cfg file trying to spawn something in that was OUTSIDE of the set gamedata directory

*i was lazy, thats all*

 

but now theres a new challenge: I cant operate anything in the cockpit, i only managed to import the jsimaincompunit and a singular alcor mfd, yet none of the buttons work and the displays dont update

in the unity editor it says something about setting AnimationClip to legacy, but i cant find any legacy button in inspector or in debug mode

am I missing something?

Edited August 25, 2023 by Aviator_09
new problem

[Poppa Wheelie]

I just finished using this guide.  It "mostly" worked, but I did have a few issues.  And one step is now incorrect (the ImageMagick tool has changed since the OP here was written).  So I've written a December 2024 updated version of the process: