Frameshift and FTL Drives– Puffin Technologies

[OrbitusII]

Puffin Technologies Development Thread

WIPs:

1. Heat Sink Plugin

Team: Mekan1k (models), OrbitusII (plugin)

Official Status: Version 0.1 Alpha available, In-Development release available

Description: Overheating SRBs got you stuck on Kerbin? Fear no more, for this plugin will cool those overheating engines down and prevent unwanted catastrophic failure!

2. Revamped Frameshift Models & Plugin

Team: Mekan1k (configs), OrbitusII (models, plugin)

Official Status: finalizing model

Description: An overly powerful, sci-fi inspired engine that can get you to the speed of light in under 30 minutes! Soon to have its own plugin, which will help prevent spontaneous disassembly of your ships.

3. Radiation/Magnetosphere Plugin

<No Preview at This Time>

Team: OrbitusII

Official Status: KSP API research

Description: This plugin will add realism to KSP by adding radiation to Kerbol and magnetospheres to the celestial bodies. Parts with ModuleRadiationDamage will lose health and eventually break down and become unusable, but reparable by EVA'd Kerbals.

In-Development Plugin Download

Known Issues

SolarHeating module has some jumpiness when testing using raycasting (to be investigated)

Thermostabilizer fails to save stableTemp variable (bad OnSave setup?)

Please Note: As this is an In-Development build of the plugin, it has a special license contained inside the .zip file concerning redistribution of the download link and the parts and code contained inside.

Changelog

InDev1: Initial Release– added powered coolant systems, solar heating

InDev2: Fixed raycasting check for parts that have SolarHeating

ToDo List

–Fix powered coolant system stableTemp saving
Expanding Sytems:
–Add in code to decrease part temperature to 4 Kelvin if not detected by raycast (optional)
–Add in Greenhouse effect (warmer temperatures in atmosphere)

Bugfixing:

Postponed Temporarily

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Known Issues

There appears to be an issue where the stage requirement of the resource consumption is broken. I think this is fixed but it will require testing.

Please Note: As this is an In-Development build of the plugin, it has a special license contained inside the .zip file concerning redistribution of the download link and the parts and code contained inside.

Changelog

InDev1: Initial Release– Frameshift PartModule

ToDo List

–Check the staging requirement of the resource consumption
Expanding Systems:
–Action group support (next)
–Add support for multiple resources being consumed (maybe)
–Re-implement FractSpc resource
–Add near-instantaneously accelerating Alcubierre Drive

Bugfixing:

Edited July 19, 2013 by OrbitusII

[hoojiwana]

Hey guys, good to see you back up and running. Just gonna sit and listen to that video whilst doing other stuff, it's making nice background noise while I cry over UV maps.

EDIT: Would love to see some of those tutorials, would be a good thing to add to my modding information compilation.

Edited April 22, 2013 by hoojiwana

[OrbitusII]

Thanks, I would have replied sooner but I had nothing useful/productive 'til now. As said in this thread I am looking at buying a drawing tablet or whatever it's called. It'd be good to have some feedback so that I can make a decision, so if you have any input just let me know over there. Not here, there.

It would definitely improve my textures to have something besides a mouse, plus I'm getting tired of moving my mouse back and forth all the time... I may talk about what I want some more through my livestreams, but the post has my basic needs.

Edited May 2, 2013 by OrbitusII

[OrbitusII]

Update's been a long time coming.... Not really sure what's going on with the secret project at the moment, depending on what I can get done with the engine tutorial I have in the works and what 3_bit & Mekan1k can do we may or may not release what we have and expand as we continue to make mods (currently the engines are going nowhere, so we'll probably do that).

In other news, I've gotten back into programming with Unity3D and I am considering switching to plugin writing once the Frameshift 2 and MonoProbe 2 are completed. I'm almost finished UV mapping the Frameshift 2's main structure, then I can move onto the "doors" and start texturing once those are done being modeled and animated.

Plugin Plans:

There is the idea for a magnetosphere and radiation plugin, suggested by nhnifong. It's pretty easy so I may start with that.

There's also the Kerbal Colony Builder idea layed out by SwiftGates24. Unfortunately we lost the thread and links to the googledocs idea page, but it's similar to RTS for KSP– tech levels and building rockets off of Kerbin... There was a plugin on the forums that allowed for building rockets on other planets, but it was also lost with the Forum Apocalypse; if anyone can get me the link to that plugin I'll talk to the creator to see if he wants to help. *This will wait until the resources are implemented by Squad, to make everyone's job easier*

Keep in mind that everything is subject to change and, as always, there are no ETAs besides "whenever it's finished."

There will be an update livestream within the next three (3) days, expanding upon this info.

Edited May 2, 2013 by OrbitusII

[OrbitusII]

Preview of the Frameshift 2 for tonight. Be sure to go to http://www.twitch.tv/orbitusii tonight at 19:00 MDT, 03:00 GMT for the livestream with Mekan1k, Ariuss (Not So Parallel Studios), and myself! Definitely going to be a good show!

Edited May 3, 2013 by OrbitusII

[OrbitusII]

Just got my first WIP plugin in the works (basically all it does is return the components on the current object, will be a heat sink to cool off hot engines), so the Frameshift 2 may come with the "bubble" plugin, since triggers and enabling rigidbodies are basic stuff.

[Mekan1k]

Just got my first WIP plugin in the works (basically all it does is return the components on the current object, will be a heat sink to cool off hot engines), so the Frameshift 2 may come with the "bubble" plugin, since triggers and enabling rigidbodies are basic stuff.

Whoo! You mad my day OrbitusII!

[OrbitusII]

The one thing that will have to happen once I switch to plugin writing is that you and 3_bit will have start doing models; I can't do modeling and coding and texturing all on my own.

Codes and textures are ok, all of them plus models is not fun. I'd recommend starting off by experimenting with the tools Blender (or whatever you use) contains and seeing what you can come up with. The way I did it was experimentation and using basic shapes, then changing those shapes by deleting faces, moving them, extrusions, etc.

[ahappydude]

Thanks for the news and screens:)

[Mekan1k]

The one thing that will have to happen once I switch to plugin writing is that you and 3_bit will have start doing models; I can't do modeling and coding and texturing all on my own.

Codes and textures are ok, all of them plus models is not fun. I'd recommend starting off by experimenting with the tools Blender (or whatever you use) contains and seeing what you can come up with. The way I did it was experimentation and using basic shapes, then changing those shapes by deleting faces, moving them, extrusions, etc.

I was Initially referring to how you said that the frameshift engine engine 2.0 may come with the bubble effect...

[OrbitusII]

I was Initially referring to how you said that the frameshift engine engine 2.0 may come with the bubble effect...

I know, I just said that as a heads-up. I'd like to go into plugins and I'm kinda the only one doing anything, so it'll be good to have you two working on something. I'll finish what I've got in the works right now, but once we get some other things to do mod-wise (I'm thinking heat sinks) I'd like you working on models so I can focus on coding and texturing. I don't want to take all the credit, you're a part of this too!

Edit: I just let 3_bit know what's going on via Skype, will be waiting for his input before I make an official announcement on a stream or whatever.

Edited May 7, 2013 by OrbitusII

[Mekan1k]

I know, I just said that as a heads-up. I'd like to go into plugins and I'm kinda the only one doing anything, so it'll be good to have you two working on something. I'll finish what I've got in the works right now, but once we get some other things to do mod-wise (I'm thinking heat sinks) I'd like you working on models so I can focus on coding and texturing. I don't want to take all the credit, you're a part of this too!

Edit: I just let 3_bit know what's going on via Skype, will be waiting for his input before I make an official announcement on a stream or whatever.

No worries. I will gladly help with making more of the models- Especially since you said over the livestream that you had been working on a tutorial for using unity- hopefully we can take up some slack there too.

[OrbitusII]

Yeah, if I get Unity-complete items and UV maps it'll speed up my texturing and finalization. Modeling was never really my thing anyway, I'm just good at figuring stuff out I guess.

Anyway, I just need to touch up the Unity portion of the engine tutorial and then I can post it. Hoojiwana also had some input for the engines so I may add that in as an addendum.

I'm also looking to make unique versions of the new Puffin Technologies logo, so if you could PM/email me a color and signature touch I'll add those on and send you the image.

WIP, I think I'll remove the mohawk and reserve that space for hats or whatever is requested. Beak will probably be longer, tooth will be by request...

This is just based off of the current logo, which wasn't/isn't that great, to be honest... I might even hand-draw it just for kicks, then scan it and add things like color in Gimp. Like I said, a WIP which does not necessarily reflect the final product.

Edit: found my new reference picture:

Edited May 7, 2013 by OrbitusII

[hoojiwana]

Hoojiwana also had some input for the engines so I may add that in as an addendum.

The nozzle thing? That was just my way of doing low-poly small nozzles, I wouldn't really say it was the ideal method for creating them, and it doesn't look too good on anything above probe-sized engines.

[OrbitusII]

The nozzle thing? That was just my way of doing low-poly small nozzles, I wouldn't really say it was the ideal method for creating them, and it doesn't look too good on anything above probe-sized engines.

Well, I tried it out today and it looks pretty good! I may build a test model to texture and look at in-game, but I think it should work.

Four LV-T30s burning at max throttle. Typically they should have the overheat bar by now, but not with the heat sinks (linear RCS currently) on them! Plugin is working as it should.

Mek, would you mind doing some research and making a model for it? Here's the quick search I did, feel free to take some creative liberties in the design.

I'll post a test release on Spaceport (it'll come with some config-edited engines to allow surface attachment) once a prototype model is done, so it shouldn't be too long.

[hoojiwana]

What exactly does the plugin do? Because the default heat-model will do that anyway. Try it with an SRB, then with an SRB with something stuck to it. The more parts attached to an engine seems to spread the heat around.

[OrbitusII]

It takes the connected part's temperature variable and subtracts from it at a config-defined rate until the temperature is at the config-defined stable temperature. That's an interesting observation though, I'll test it out when I get the chance. The LV-T30s don't really overheat that much when they're stationary, SRBs on the other hand...

[Mekan1k]

Question Orbitus- Do you want a blackbody radiator, or a heat sink? Heat sinks can overheat, and explode, but are more efficient than black-body radiators, and smaller.

[WCOLE360]

The LV-T30s don't really overheat that much when they're stationary, SRBs on the other hand...

And mansails with the orange tank also!

[Mekan1k]

Oh, also, heat sinks with fans would be incredibly efficient, but only work in atmosphere, and if the plugin turned heat into a persistent resource, we could make engine-based thermocouples that connected between engine and radiator, to get some power out of them.

[OrbitusII]

I can implement both the standard heat sink and the blackbody radiator easily (currently it operates like a blackbody), fan-powered sinks will require a little more API investigation so not at the moment. Go ahead and do a standard high-surface area sink for now and do the blackbody as well if you like. All that'd really need to happen is adding a boolean to check if it's blackbody or not, so I can do that in my sleep.

@WCOLE: Yes, I'll definitely try the Mainsails as well.

@Hoojiwana: I forgot that currently there's a little blip in the code that I'd like to fix (checking whether or not the attached part has a "Part" component) so that might cause a little bit of an issue with the heat removal as I wasn't getting anything in the log when I should have... I'll fix that and test it out.

[Mekan1k]

I can implement both the standard heat sink and the blackbody radiator easily (currently it operates like a blackbody), fan-powered sinks will require a little more API investigation so not at the moment. Go ahead and do a standard high-surface area sink for now and do the blackbody as well if you like. All that'd really need to happen is adding a boolean to check if it's blackbody or not, so I can do that in my sleep.

Alright, I will get on that. I am moving today and tomorrow, so expect a model or two tomorrow afternoon/evening.

[OrbitusII]

Good luck with the move! I shall await your products.

Making some progress with the code fix... Hoojiwana was correct with the heat model distributing heat evenly. It turns out that I wasn't using "[KSPField]" to identify the stableTemp and tempDecreaseRate as things that show up in the config file, derp, so now that I got that in it should work better. Testing now...

Edit: Great success!

Config needs a little balancing, but as you can see those SRBs will NOT overheat anymore. Like, at all.

Edit 2: Balanced config down to -10 degrees as opposed to -250. SRBs now run at a nice cool (relatively) 850-ish degrees versus the 1600-1700 degrees without heat sinks.

SRBs without heat sinks (instead I just used linear RCS ports– same maxTemp) for comparison. It's obvious they run a lot hotter, even without the actual temperature readouts.

Edited May 9, 2013 by OrbitusII

[OrbitusII]

Currently streaming! http://www.twitch.tv/orbitusii Lots of stuff to talk about tonight! Mekan1k should be joining me partway through the stream, so be there!

[OrbitusII]

Got the plugin basically finished, all I have to do is add a little bit of debug code so that I can make sure it's working.

I also noticed that getting closer to Kerbol does not increase temperature like it should, so heat sinks are only useful for SRBs and high running temp. engines versus an all-around cooling device... Might be something to look at for the magnetosphere/radiation plugin...

Also (another "also?" What is this, some kind of redundant conspiracy? ) a breakthrough in code for the Frameshift 2.0 plugin- I won't have to use triggers to enable/disable rigidbodies to move the ship as one part (which would ruin everything), all I have to do is apply a force to all parts within the trigger! No idea why I didn't think of that before :derp:

A new graphic reflecting the actual project plans as they stand will be on the OP once I get it finished.