Firespitter propeller plane and helicopter parts v7.1 (May 5th) for KSP 1.0

[CaptainKipard]

I can't get this to work. I get a menu with a "Next Texture" button, but nothing happens when I click it.

I deleted everything from Firespitter except the Plugin folder and the dll inside it.

This is what the module looks like:

MODULE
{
	name = FStextureSwitch
	displayName = Hub Texture
	moduleID = 0
	showListButton = true
	textures
	{
		name = KipEng/parts/LPNodes/NodesCol
		name = KipEng/parts/LPNodes/AltTextures/NodesColDark	
	}
	objects
	{
		name = 6node
	}
}

When I click "Debug: Log Objects" I get this.

[Log]: object: model
[Log]: object: KipEng/parts/LPNodes/6nodemodel(Clone)

I tried "model", "6nodemodel" and every other name I could think of that could possibly go in there but it makes no difference

I know the alternative texture is being loaded because I can see in the debug window.

What am I doing wrong?

Edited March 20, 2014 by Cpt. Kipard

[736]

Not sure if anyone has told you about this Snjo, but (For me at least) the fighter landing gear never is quite straight enough for planes to take off, even your packaged planes. It seems to be about 2 or 3 degrees off, either outwards or inwards, and either way, the plane ends up crashing.

I hav only had problems with my planes crashing when I don't take off before I hit 80 m/s. Are you sure your wings are straight? when you use shift+wasd keys it makes stuff attached to them rotate funny. When I roate my wings with shift+wasd keys I put a cubic octagonal-strut with the opposite rotation as the wing to make it straight down, then attach landing gear to that. OR... you could be putting them on a missile or something, which creates a problem. You should take off before 60 m/s in any single engined plane, if not, you need a rocket assisted takeoff

(some sepatrons + decouplers) or you need more wings.

[Snjo]

I can't get this to work. I get a menu with a "Next Texture" button, but nothing happens when I click it.

I deleted everything from Firespitter except the Plugin folder and the dll inside it.

This is what the module looks like:

MODULE
{
	name = FStextureSwitch
	displayName = Hub Texture
	moduleID = 0
	showListButton = true
	textures
	{
		name = KipEng/parts/LPNodes/NodesCol
		name = KipEng/parts/LPNodes/AltTextures/NodesColDark	
	}
	objects
	{
		name = 6node
	}
}

When I click "Debug: Log Objects" I get this.

[Log]: object: model
[Log]: object: KipEng/parts/LPNodes/6nodemodel(Clone)

I tried "model", "6nodemodel" and every other name I could think of that could possibly go in there but it makes no difference

I know the alternative texture is being loaded because I can see in the debug window.

What am I doing wrong?

I assume you already tried, but it looks to me like the proper object name is model, and that the KipEng/parts/LPNodes/6nodemodel(Clone) is the parent of that mesh.

The proper name should be the name of gameobject with the mesh in the Unity editor.

[736]

Sjno,

I have a few requests. Notice that your mod is called "firespitter" but there are not components specific to the supermarine spitfire besides elliptical wings which need a model update badly (no offense, but I can clearly see the faces the edges). I also can see that there is only a B-17 cockpit; there are Avro Lancaster engines, but no Lancaster cockpit; Bomber cockpits should be more versatile. I am also requesting another cockpit, one like the Bf-109 or the P-47 or almost any Lavochkin propeller fighter, where it is not a bubble cockpit; behind the pilot's seat the fuselage continues into the tail, and the bottom of the Part should be slanted up so that it matches the elliptical fuselage well. I would like to see a non-elliptical wing, one with a straight end, like the Mustang, and one with a rounded end, like the Zero; the wings should have more sizes, so there can be smaller bombers and larger fighters. I would also request a longer (preferably uncolored) nose adapter to the probe-size parts with small intake underneath, like spitfires and mustangs, also one that has no intake underneath for Russian planes. I would like to see an elliptical fuselage with a tiny intake on top like the Il-2; players can flip it upside down for a Bf-109 look. Speaking of intakes, A coolant radiator duct that go between the base of the wings would be favorable for the Yak-1 family of planes. I would like a bomber tail with a spot for the Skillful auto-turrets, one with a small window like B-17, one with a larger one, like a H8K "Emily." I know this seems like an awful lot of requests, but in general, Many parts belong to only the P-51, AH-64, UH-1, and B-17.

[Snjo]

Sjno,

I have a few requests. Notice that your mod is called "firespitter" but there are not components specific to the supermarine spitfire besides elliptical wings which need a model update badly (no offense, but I can clearly see the faces the edges). I also can see that there is only a B-17 cockpit; there are Avro Lancaster engines, but no Lancaster cockpit; Bomber cockpits should be more versatile. I am also requesting another cockpit, one like the Bf-109 or the P-47 or almost any Lavochkin propeller fighter, where it is not a bubble cockpit; behind the pilot's seat the fuselage continues into the tail, and the bottom of the Part should be slanted up so that it matches the elliptical fuselage well. I would like to see a non-elliptical wing, one with a straight end, like the Mustang, and one with a rounded end, like the Zero; the wings should have more sizes, so there can be smaller bombers and larger fighters. I would also request a longer (preferably uncolored) nose adapter to the probe-size parts with small intake underneath, like spitfires and mustangs, also one that has no intake underneath for Russian planes. I would like to see an elliptical fuselage with a tiny intake on top like the Il-2; players can flip it upside down for a Bf-109 look. Speaking of intakes, A coolant radiator duct that go between the base of the wings would be favorable for the Yak-1 family of planes. I would like a bomber tail with a spot for the Skillful auto-turrets, one with a small window like B-17, one with a larger one, like a H8K "Emily." I know this seems like an awful lot of requests, but in general, Many parts belong to only the P-51, AH-64, UH-1, and B-17.

Yup, I know

The reason for the name of the mod was that the first couple of parts I made, the engine, wings and landing gear, were based off the Spitfire, if not super accurate. At that time, doing a faithful spitfire cockpit was beyond what I could do, and I wasn't into creating alternate fuselage shapes. Things have changed since then. I could do a better job on the cockpit, and I have gotten the reference material to do it well. Now, I won't be doing any cockpit at the level of DCS, but at least comparable to the Sopwith Camel cockpit.

As always, it's also a motivation problem of course. Being challenge driven, not completion driven, I jump from thing to thing. From aircraft to aircraft, or from project to project. I may just have picked up a Unreal Engine 4 license to investigate the possibilities for plane games in that

The cost of UE4 is basically $20 (monthly cancellable), compared to $1500 for unity, so you get great graphics (which, admittedly, is not something I will be able to fully exploit), and hopefully a good physics engine for cheap.

I just hope they have some actual wheel physics! Too bad it's all C++, not C#.

[CaptainKipard]

I assume you already tried, but it looks to me like the proper object name is model, and that the KipEng/parts/LPNodes/6nodemodel(Clone) is the parent of that mesh.

The proper name should be the name of gameobject with the mesh in the Unity editor.

Well I tried "model" before. I also tried "6node" which is the name of the 3d object in blender and also the name right under "Inspector" in Unity, but I it doesn't have any parents. Parttools is applied directly to the mesh. Could the problem be that I need an empty parent?

[Snjo]

Well I tried "model" before. I also tried "6node" which is the name of the 3d object in blender and also the name right under "Inspector" in Unity, but I it doesn't have any parents. Parttools is applied directly to the mesh. Could the problem be that I need an empty parent?

Oh yes, indeed.

I never even tried using the Part Tools directly on the mesh.

As you see in the name logging, it alters the name of the vessel's root part's first gameObject, adding in (Clone), so that hierarchy setup is unpredictable.

[CaptainKipard]

Efing-A, it worked! Thanks Snjo!

[blackheart612]

Glad it worked!

[CaptainKipard]

Glad it worked!

You gave me the idea btw so thanks as well. Check it out.

[blackheart612]

Yeah, man, saw it. Nice

[Endersmens]

I'm having a pretty big problem with the mod. As in its unusable. The engines dont animate, and control surfaces do nothing. at all. they act like static wings. I'm gonna try to figure out if its a mod confliction. probably. Will report later

Edited March 25, 2014 by Endersmens

[RocketScientist00]

Well, the firespitter parts won't load in my KSP 0.23. Please help.

[Woopert]

Well, the firespitter parts won't load in my KSP 0.23. Please help.

Is it installed in GameData? That's a common mistake -- not putting the files there.

[RocketScientist00]

Where should I put it?

[RocketScientist00]

Is it installed in GameData? That's a common mistake -- not putting the files there.

Where should I put it then?

[Pliuple]

hm... not sure if its a bug but Apache cockpit makes the craft really laggy... all good with other *pits. If anyone had similar prob. and fixed it, please share. Thnx in advance

[Snjo]

hm... not sure if its a bug but Apache cockpit makes the craft really laggy... all good with other *pits. If anyone had similar prob. and fixed it, please share. Thnx in advance

It's the monitors in the IVA that cause the slowdown. It's using some 1600 individual objects to render the characters. You can remove some or all of them from the cfg. Maybe someone in the rasterpropmonitor thread has made a setup for that cockpit. That thing is way more efficient than my old ones.

[Renousim]

Any idea when the new update will be out?

[mellojoe]

Won't descend!

I made a very basic craft using the helicopter blades trying to learn all the parts. This one won't stop going upward, the engine won't stop spinning, even with all the power cut. What did I do wrong? Help?

This is after sitting on zero throttle for over 2 minutes. I've still got a vertical speed of 10m/s, going upward. You can even see thrust at 0.0. What is going on here?

[Snjo]

Won't descend!

I made a very basic craft using the helicopter blades trying to learn all the parts. This one won't stop going upward, the engine won't stop spinning, even with all the power cut. What did I do wrong? Help?

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

http://i.imgur.com/78xOT4K.jpg

This is after sitting on zero throttle for over 2 minutes. I've still got a vertical speed of 10m/s, going upward. You can even see thrust at 0.0. What is going on here?

Well, that's a new one

So you have gravity turned on, right? For fun, try rebuilding the craft, but with a decoupler between the fuselage and the rotor, and see if it acts that way before and after you detach the rotor.

Can't think of any reason the rotor would keep spinning unless it is some prototype engine you downloaded separately and forgot to delete...

[Justin Kerbice]

@snjo: even the rotor rotate/spin, it is at low speed and should not produce lift, I have the same "infinite spinner" with the FS1PEE Electric Propeller engine.

And I also report a while ago that engine start to produce lift far before reaching their working speed, usually the craft lift-off as a rocket whereas the rotor spin very slowwwwllllyyyyy.

[Bloodbunny]

Maybe this has been suggested, but I'll throw it out there too.. with engine modes being added, perhaps you could give the prop engines a turbocharge mode so that they could fly at higher altitudes. Maybe make it to where the engine will rapidly overheat and explode if used below say 6000 m.

Another suggestion: being able to easily reverse the spin direction on the props... yeah I know there is no torque..its just an eye candy type thing

And last but not least: Turboprop engines

[Geschosskopf]

@SNJO:

Would it be possible to create some sort of GUI for adjusting the buoyancy of the pontoons? Maybe a slider as with fuel tanks? And perhaps make the pontoon buoyancy tweakable in the SPH/VAB?

Thanks.

[Snjo]

Oh, so 0.23.5 is out! Time to get to work!

I'll be debugging the code in the new version and throwing out one that has the features that were already complete in the pre-release.

@snjo: even the rotor rotate/spin, it is at low speed and should not produce lift, I have the same "infinite spinner" with the FS1PEE Electric Propeller engine.

And I also report a while ago that engine start to produce lift far before reaching their working speed, usually the craft lift-off as a rocket whereas the rotor spin very slowwwwllllyyyyy.

Not sure what is going on with out of control spin in your case, but I have observed that in 0.23, due to some change in the way resources are handled, you can run an engine on a single resource in some rare cases. An electric engine would keep running while it was out of power as long as it had "air" coming in.

edit: the issue where spin speed is detached from lift, and you take off very soon is due to the fact that you can't separate engine rev up speed from the throttle/fake collective in stock engines. I'm working on that in a new module, using actual blade lift based on rotor speed.

Maybe this has been suggested, but I'll throw it out there too.. with engine modes being added, perhaps you could give the prop engines a turbocharge mode so that they could fly at higher altitudes. Maybe make it to where the engine will rapidly overheat and explode if used below say 6000 m.

Another suggestion: being able to easily reverse the spin direction on the props... yeah I know there is no torque..its just an eye candy type thing

And last but not least: Turboprop engines

I've added spin direction controls for the future helicopter engines, so when I extend that to other engines, it should follow along with that, if I choose to use that module for those engines

Turboprops have been suggested many times. To be clear, are you thinking of a design that hangs out from the wing or fuselage, much like the VTOL? Any examples you're all imagining when suggesting stuff is helpful.

@SNJO:

Would it be possible to create some sort of GUI for adjusting the buoyancy of the pontoons? Maybe a slider as with fuel tanks? And perhaps make the pontoon buoyancy tweakable in the SPH/VAB?

Thanks.

The pre-release has buoyancy sliders. For the moment they are accessible both in flight and in the hangar if I remember correctly.

Edited April 2, 2014 by Snjo