Rubber Band Inc: Caterpillar tracks.

[electronicfox]

This makes me feel like making Wall-E in KSP as a probe, and launching him to...EVE!

The base form is inspired by Wall-e, altered a bit to keep it easilly workable within KSP and more modular.

[Kommitz]

These look excellent and the texturing looks great and everything's just nice.

So, yeah. I am excited to get my hands on the release.

[hoodedarche0]

Has he given an update in a while as to his progress? As I am very interested in getting a hold of them to build an amphibious assault vessel with tracked landing vehicles.

[TheCardinal]

The first sets are powered electrically, although I have considered some more powerful sets using fuel.

It seems intuitive to use fuel for more powerful sets but the reality is that the most powerful machines work on electricity for movement.

Take f.e. a diesellocomotive. The motors which move the locomotive are in fact electric. The dieselengines generate the electricity for those motors.

If you look at the largest digging equipment in existence, those run on electricity as well....

[electronicfox]

It seems intuitive to use fuel for more powerful sets but the reality is that the most powerful machines work on electricity for movement.

Take f.e. a diesellocomotive. The motors which move the locomotive are in fact electric. The dieselengines generate the electricity for those motors.

If you look at the largest digging equipment in existence, those run on electricity as well....

I actually hadnt thought of this, I guess the limitation there would be that without a huge solar array, generating enough electricity to run the motors is not possible. Perhaps some form of generator mod would work for this (if it hasnt already been created) to convert the fuel to electricity.

I could imagine this would work great for massive mining operations.

[Mekan1k]

Will you release test tracks soon? This is one of my most-anticipated mods, next to the B9 aerospace pack...

[Nibb31]

You could use a generator that converts fuel to electricity, like fuel cells. This would avoid needing multiple versions of the tracks.

[electronicfox]

This does bring to mind giving the tracks a high-power mode to be used in conjunction with a generator (or giant solar array), but these kinds of updates will wait until after the initial release.

to that point, any other ideas (realistic and non game-breaking ideas) for these tracks for future updates would be good. I have some small ideas right now (certain track set designs, deployable sets etc.)

[Kenobi McCormick]

Electricity isn't too big an issue. Something using tracks can afford to be a bit on the heavy side, so RTG spam or fission reactors work nicely. A genset mod would be nice, though.

to that point, any other ideas (realistic and non game-breaking ideas) for these tracks for future updates would be good. I have some small ideas right now (certain track set designs, deployable sets etc.)

How about some reasonably sized track sets? Like, say, the tracks off an M4 Sherman tank? Or something similar to what's on a Cat D3 bulldozer? Right now you've showed off many sweet sets, but they're all either massive or tiny. Nothing in the middle area.

[Tommygun]

any other ideas (realistic and non game-breaking ideas) for these tracks for future updates would be good. I have some small ideas right now (certain track set designs, deployable sets etc.)

The only thing I can think of is if it would be possible to make them work on water and land.

Tracks have a paddle wheel effect when in water and will slowly drive an amphibious vehicle forward.

[electronicfox]

The only thing I can think of is if it would be possible to make them work on water and land.

Tracks have a paddle wheel effect when in water and will slowly drive an amphibious vehicle forward.

This might be possible, but that'd be on the plugin side so EndlessWaves would be able to answer this fully.

[EndlessWaves]

This might be possible, but that'd be on the plugin side so EndlessWaves would be able to answer this fully.

It's easy enough to apply a force, so assuming I can detect when the wheels are floating (so you don't get a sudden burst of speed when you go into shallow water) the main work involved is just going to be setting up to do the rotation visuals from a source other than the wheelCollider RPM.

[TheCardinal]

This does bring to mind giving the tracks a high-power mode to be used in conjunction with a generator (or giant solar array), but these kinds of updates will wait until after the initial release.

to that point, any other ideas (realistic and non game-breaking ideas) for these tracks for future updates would be good. I have some small ideas right now (certain track set designs, deployable sets etc.)

The generator doesn't need to be very complex. Think of a jet engine in KSP (intake, fuel, exhaust). Instead of the exhaust (with flames and smoke etc.) a small part which blows upwards, thrust 0, generating throttle times a certain amount of electricity.

Besides that, there are already some nuclear generators available.

[EndlessWaves]

Instead of the exhaust (with flames and smoke etc.) a small part which blows upwards, thrust 0, generating throttle times a certain amount of electricity.

ModuleEngines fuel consumption is dependant on thrust, so 0 thrust wouldn't convert any resources.

The stock ModuleGenerator used for the RTG supports input/output (conversion) as well as pure output (generation) though, so setting up a fuel converter should be a simple config-only job.

EDIT:

After the engineers muddled up the scale, Bob kerman found a use for the reject set of tracks:

Edited May 28, 2013 by EndlessWaves

[brobel]

The generator doesn't need to be very complex. Think of a jet engine in KSP (intake, fuel, exhaust). Instead of the exhaust (with flames and smoke etc.) a small part which blows upwards, thrust 0, generating throttle times a certain amount of electricity.

Besides that, there are already some nuclear generators available.

Or couldnt you make a part that is an exhaust and the tracks need exhaust to work (just like jet engines need intake) and when the tracks are driving the exhaust turns on emitting some sort of smoke special effect

[electronicfox]

Still figuring out the scale of this set a bit, bet here we have the new mini-cruiser. Jeb and Bob seem displeased with the shrinking of things.

[brobel]

that looks like a good prob size to me

[Mekan1k]

Looks great for small, high-torque rovers

[brobel]

so when these are done youll put out a download

[electronicfox]

Once these are textured and a few plugin bugs squashed, then comes a release.

[sounthernrebel78]

Cant wait to get hold of these tracks.

[Scotius]

I love those mini-tracks I keep couple of simple rovers around KSC in case my kerbals need transportation between SPH and VAB. I can already imagine Jeb trundling around on this offspring of a tank and a Segway

[electronicfox]

Did someone say segway?

[electronicfox]

All parts nearly textured, just some small bits left to do and some bugs to kill. Have a video showcasing all 4 sets.

[Mekan1k]

Yo dawg I hear you like treads, so I put some treads in your treads, so you can roll while you roll.