Boat Parts ~~~0.90~~~ R4.65~~~

[BubbaWilkins]

Thanks for the interest!

Single part hulls will not work. Unless you are ready to do some serious coding. Think of every part as having a singular float location being the center of the part in question. Your big floating box in the game will function much like a beach ball. It will not float level. So you end up adding more parts, and those parts aren't balanced properly. Eventually you might have something that floats well but looks like a cardboard box with wings and drums all over it. (aka crap).

I've taken the floating to another level, beyond the vanilla game, by allowing those points to move, and change dynamically. Also the forces at play either positive or negative can be altered or simply turned off to allow for damage, or counter-flooding, to level a listing ship.

To save yourself time you could use the code I made, and simply apply it to your own parts. It would save you about a month or two of coding/testing and sleepless nights.

After everything is done, I could release a guide on how to implement the plugin on other parts - it won't be too difficult.

On the topic of part count and frame rate. I couldn't be happier the way it is turning out with the R3 release. Everything is very stable even at 4x and the part counts are at least 1/2 of R2.5.

This means less boat, and more aircraft docked!

I might take you up on that if I continue messing with it. I'm finding that my Blender skills are much outdated at this point, so haven't gotten much farther than just some basic shape modelling. I suspected that we might need a minimum of 3 parts for a hull to create a stable floating platform. I was hoping that buoyancy was a factor of mass/lift and that you could offset the two to create a stable/self righting hull with little fuss. So my next question to you was, how are you handling getting the ships to the water? hyper-editing? Embedded wheels?

[InfiniteDice]

So my next question to you was, how are you handling getting the ships to the water? hyper-editing? Embedded wheels?

Make ship. Launch ship. Ship starts over the water.

I'm curious how the new super carrier in the pics steers compared to the larger ship in r2.5?

Way better, and it's tunable.

[Gizmosis13]

Well you Sir are Awesome. I love this mod can't wait to see R-3. Keep up the great work, it is very much appreciated.

[BubbaWilkins]

Make ship. Launch ship. Ship starts over the water.

Way better, and it's tunable.

Awesome. I have several helicopter based excursions just waiting on the corresponding naval platforms to hit.

[OopsThatNotWork]

Make ship. Launch ship. Ship starts over the water.

Wait so let me get this straight (might be having a stupid moment here), if we launch one of the premade craft files, it will auto launch in the water instead of the runways or launch pad? Great work btw, looking forward to making new carrier and filling it with some sort of aircraft once i learn to land them.....

Edit : Thinking of using this mod and KAS to tie the craft down once below deck

[InfiniteDice]

Wait so let me get this straight if we launch one of the premade craft files, it will auto launch in the water instead of the runways or launch pad? Thinking of using this mod and KAS to tie the craft down once below deck

1) Any ship launched which uses the Con Tower will launch automatically to the water, this ability can be adapted to any part so long as there is only one of that part on the vessel.

2) The parts come with a docking solution that is dead-easy to use. KAS might connect the ships but if the connection isn't perfectly stiff, in some situations the aircraft will smash around and something will be damaged. I suggest trying the solution I package as it has been tested to be safe and secure. I strongly suggest KAS for rescue and loading as that's where it excels!

[KhaosCorp]

KAS only makes good cargo tiedown if you can retract the connecter plug so it locks...usualy the amount of mucking about with stuff so everything lines up perfect in order to do that makes it to aggravating to be worth-while. Though it has about 100 other uses. I plan on using KAS for flight deck fuel lines, that way below deck is pure storage. A 'dead-easy' docking solution sounds much better!

Im also gonna be testing KAS and SQUID platforms to see if I can make a breaking system, kinda same concept as RL carriers use. Though I must say, not feeling to confident either is going to work so well...at the least it will lead to some entertaining crashes....good fun!

[Espresso]

Sounds Awesome InfiniteDice, just wondering where in the water it "teleports" to, as I would prefer mine just off the KSC coast, does it just "teleport" off the coast, or is it to a random location?

[InfiniteDice]

Sounds Awesome InfiniteDice, just wondering where in the water it "teleports" to, as I would prefer mine just off the KSC coast, does it just "teleport" off the coast, or is it to a random location?

Just off the KSC coast is exactly where it goes. I don't want it spawning too far as people will likely want to load it up immediately.

[brobel]

it sounds and looks like its so close to being released its killing me with anticipation (just for your info i love boats especially ones that can sink in ksp

[KhaosCorp]

HAHAHA

Ive basically done nothing but build planes since he posted those pics =) well, I started working on a gantry system too, but you get the idea lol

[InfiniteDice]

I had to fix the lift position, I had to test to see if things were gonna work out, It's a tight squeeze but fairly large rovers using the latest vanilla wheels can easily drive up the loading ramp. This rover has small rocket engines to help in the water. Being the ship can change it's pitch via flooding, it's very simple to adjust for land or amphibious vessel loading. This means one more thing off my list as complete!

After loading, good thing I didn't put a central wheelset on that rover, it needed the clearance to avoid contacting the overhanging part of the rear section. Now all that I'd need to do is dock it using the docking system and it would be ready to rock across the ocean.

Edited June 7, 2013 by InfiniteDice

[KhaosCorp]

That looks awesome. And a bit bigger than I thought from the other pics. I been building things a bit smaller than I need to it would appear.

[Espresso]

AWESOME!!!!!!!!

InfiniteDice, you are a KSP GOD, prettymuch. This mod and the Naval parts pack, and the damage system are going to be so epic, and I plan to, with your permission,(yes, there will be a link to this page in the description) use this stuff (when it comes out) in a youtube series.

[stealer0517]

Can someone repost the download link? i cant find it

[KhaosCorp]

Can someone repost the download link? i cant find it

Its still being worked on, so don't think there is a download link at the moment. Should be real close to a release based on most recent post from InfiniteDice...I hope =)

[andrew123]

When the submarines come out, prepare to see some jury rigged vls launch tubes... tomahawks and slbms will be shooting out of booster bay to its left and right!

[KhaosCorp]

Im excited about the ballast, not just for the potential of having a sub in the future, but also it is going to make the carriers so easy to load and operate. Old one was a nightmare, if your load was not perfectly balanced it would create a lot of issues. Im also thinking it may be useful for landings. Tilt the bow of the ship up, planes land at the tail, braking would be more effective since you'd be on slight incline.

Kinda hope that little speed boat has some decent impact damage too lol! I want to make a skiramp style floating ramp for it =P

[madspy]

I can't wait for R3!

[InfiniteDice]

Tilt the bow of the ship up, planes land at the tail, braking would be more effective since you'd be on slight incline. Kinda hope that little speed boat has some decent impact damage too lol! I want to make a skiramp style floating ramp for it =P

1) The bow up trick does work, there is a part that helps with landing however. The important thing is adjusting ship balance once it has aircraft/ rovers docked to it.

2) The runabout (speedboat) has an 80 rating I think. The newer version is still small but not as small as the one in earlier pictures. The accuracy of the water and physics makes it very difficult to manage small craft with shallow hulls. Lots of water creeps up and bad things happen. I've scaled it 2x larger and it's behaving itself much better.

Notes about the subs... If and when those parts are released they will include a vertical launch bay, torpedo bay, periscope. Pretty much everything that makes it a sub. That will not happen soon though.

For now you guys will be busy trying to make aircraft that meet these requirements:

1) Strong -

Skip to the 8 minute mark.

2) Low speed stability - you need to be able to pitch the nose of the aircraft up and down while maintaining 30 - 40 m/s. This is the ideal landing speed... if you can make one slower, great!

3) Stop within 100m - The Super Carrier will be over 200m long, but the smaller variant is just over 100m long. Even a smaller variant may be released (Grasshopper) Which will be about 65 - 70m long.

To land most fast flying aircraft the landing assist system will be needed. If you have slow aircraft you likely will not need to land using the assist system.

4) Reversing engines, or steerable wheels. - You need to back up and turn on the carrier to dock the aircraft. I will include the standard reverse engines with the pack as usual.

Optional 5) Load carrying capacity - the aircraft must be able to meet all the above requirements plus carry at least 2 kerbal mass in drop-able equipment/ordinance.

Optional 6) High Speed stability - the aircraft must meet all the requirements 1 to 4, and be able to break the sound barrier at under 5000m.

An AMAZING carrier plane meets all 6 requirements above. Just to let you know, these are also the requirements for the Naval Aircraft Pack. So once that is released you'll have something that can do all those things right out of the box!

That's it for now guys... my next post will have some update pics from the weekend.

ID.

Edited June 10, 2013 by InfiniteDice

[InfiniteDice]

[WCOLE360]

I like the speed boat.

[InfiniteDice]

This large rover is more like a land yacht but has no issues making it up the large lift.

After a brief journey to the island (with the airstrip) the rover is unloaded onto the shore.

The updated Runabout - This version has extended operation range and can seat 4 kerbals (could be outfitted to seat more). The body of the boat has inboard motors and a probe so it can remain unoccupied along a shoreline etc. The Carrier has a cargo lift bay (use KAS) to winch the runabout up into the carrier. I've had the runabout up to nearly 50 m/s but balance must be tuned for higher speeds. It can turn excellent, will not tip, and behaves just like it should.

Later guys!

[KhaosCorp]

Looking awesome! Can't wait!!

Been working on planes for this since ya posted the first pics =P Still having some take-off distance issues on a couple of my jets. Also looking forward to the Naval Aviation stuff your working on....folding wings are brilliant.

Your mod is one of the very few that so radicaly change the dynamics of KSP, really fantastic work, it is very much appreciated!

[InfiniteDice]

Thanks buddy! For the take-off distance, simply raking the aircraft (making the front higher than the back) by changing the gear position at the rear of the aircraft can really help with that... gives the wings more default angle.