[0.21] OrbitalConstruction Redux 4.2 (Kethane + EL Compatibility Update)

[boberts314]

This is a real shame because these two mods really belong together, although due to the EL being an arse-ache to set up I am just using OC and supplying it with resources from EL atm.

It's funny because imo both mods have small failings that the other fixes, for example I like EL's launch method over OC's.

I have similar sentiments. It's odd that such a small thing is so important to me but the simple fact that you spawn vessels right on the pad is one of the reasons I jumped on EL but never did install OC. The things EvilC has been posting lately have made me more giddy than I could possibly justify.

[tazyload]

I have similar sentiments. It's odd that such a small thing is so important to me but the simple fact that you spawn vessels right on the pad is one of the reasons I jumped on EL but never did install OC. The things EvilC has been posting lately have made me more giddy than I could possibly justify.

I enjoy using these two mods because launching everything you want to use from KSC becomes tedious as hell when you are working anywhere other than in orbit around Kerbin. In fact in my current game the only 2 things I have launched from KSC are an Orbital construction station and my mining vessel, both went straight to Minmus and started pillaging for goodies. Also having to gather the materials for each craft makes me consider their mass and other design features more carefully than I would if I were just launching from Kerbin.

[evilC]

@EvilC, earlier in the thread you posted a batch file update for the one dll to help with launch lag. Should that still work with the newest version of the dll? I'm having crazyy lag at launch, like 1 frame per 5 seconds. I did try the patched dll but don't think it worked. Any ideas on how to help the lag?

(Mun base is starting to come along!)

My fix to the lag should be included with the latest version. If it has more UI than a build button, it should include my lag fix.

[Krisism]

Does the new UI have the sliders/partial fills (same awesome UI used in EL)? I still only have a 'scan for docks' and 'build at selected dock.'

I'm pretty sure I downloaded the most recent I can locate (http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/26482-0-20-OrbitalConstruction-Redux-3-%28Landing!-evilC-s-Fixes!%29?p=454428&viewfull=1#post454428).

Would anyone have a newer version or perhaps a link to that download?

Cheers!

Kris

P.S. I really hope I can find this update - the version I have seems unbearable at launch. Takes a few minutes to cancel or do anything.

Edited June 25, 2013 by Krisism

[evilC]

No to partial fills in that version, however you could use custom fuel tanks to launch with a partial fill - the build should be less expensive then.

[evilC]

I am pretty sure the latest version is in the OP, not buried mid-thread.

[Starwaster]

Would like to see the ability to cannibalize any craft docked at the OC for its weight in parts. (or with some loss or configurable would be better). Realistically you'd have to transport each and every piece of a planned ship to the OC but that's probably not very practical so just breaking the ship down into its tonnage in parts is fine.

[Benie]

Hey, is there a latest Youtube video explaining how to use this mod? I'm completely clueless. I came here from the EL thread, in hopes to build an orbital space station around Duna, and spawn/send a Rover/Lander combo rocket to the planet surface to check out certain things.

I know it's possible to do this already, but we're talking a planet with atmosphere, where you would need parachutes everytime. And since parachutes only work one time, it wouldn't be possible to keep doing it everytime.

And does this thing require EL?

Edited July 1, 2013 by Benie

[tazyload]

Hey, is there a latest Youtube video explaining how to use this mod? I'm completely clueless. I came here from the EL thread, in hopes to build an orbital space station around Duna, and spawn/send a Rover/Lander combo rocket to the planet surface to check out certain things.

I know it's possible to do this already, but we're talking a planet with atmosphere, where you would need parachutes everytime. And since parachutes only work one time, it wouldn't be possible to keep doing it everytime.

And does this thing require EL?

You know you can repack your parachutes on EVA?

[Benie]

You know you can repack your parachutes on EVA?

No, I did not. So when I get it back up to the station, I can do an EVA to refill the chutes? Keep in mind the rover/lander would be unmanned, but the station will have Kerbals in it (of course).

[tazyload]

No, I did not. So when I get it back up to the station, I can do an EVA to refill the chutes? Keep in mind the rover/lander would be unmanned, but the station will have Kerbals in it (of course).

As long as you can get one of your dudes near to it you should be able to repack no problems

[Benie]

Awesome! That is exactly what I wanted, and without needing to use another mod! Thanks so much.

[Krisism]

For some reason this mod has just given up entirely for me. I've wasted about 3 hours and around 1000 tonnes of parts, but every single time I go to launch something, it takes all the parts but exactly 50.0 out of my spacedock. So, I am never ever able to launch the things and it keeps destroying parts. That, in addition to the immense 1 frame per 5 second lag when you actually do launch something until it 'lands at dock' - I can't use this anymore. It sucks when you required it in your mission, which now needs to also be restarted.

Any plans to update this in the future? I've been using the latest version since it was released, but these bugs are still here. Very unfortunate because it's the only mod that could put something on the ground safely/intact everytime.

Giving up for the night on KSP

[Benie]

I got a few questions.

1. Is this like HyperEdit, but legit?

2. How heavy would one 'SpaceDock' be if it was 100% full of 'SpareParts'?

3. Is this compatible with EL? I asked before, but didn't get an answer.

4;

(the "Orbital Warehouse" parts are recommended)

Where can I find this, if it's recommended? A Google search finds nothing.

Edited July 17, 2013 by Benie

[Kimberly]

I got a few questions.

1. Is this like HyperEdit, but legit?

2. How heavy would one 'SpaceDock' be if it was 100% full of 'SpareParts'?

3. Is this compatible with EL? I asked before, but didn't get an answer.

4;

Where can I find this, if it's recommended? A Google search finds nothing.

1. ...I guess? That's kind of a vague question. Basically, the mod requires that for any mass you teleport to your spacedock, equivalent mass is already present at the spacedock. So you still have to go through all the effort of shipping, but you can do so more conveniently. (For example, you can ship "Spare Parts", the resource used by OrbitalConstruction, to the Mun. You land the tanks with Spare Parts one at a time, then use them to build a base on the moon in one piece. It saves you from having to launch a whole base from Kerbin and landing it on the Mun, but you still have to work for it.

2. There's no "100% full". The mod includes modded fuel tanks which can hold spare parts, the spare parts have mass, and you can have as much space for spare parts as you're willing to attach to your spacedock. The only other thing a working dock needs is the identifier part, which has negligible weight.

3. I'm not sure.

4. The Orbital Warehouse parts are in the mod, under "Structure". (You can and will confuse them for regular fuel tanks...be sure to check before you launch. )

[magnemoe]

I got a few questions.

1. Is this like HyperEdit, but legit?

2. How heavy would one 'SpaceDock' be if it was 100% full of 'SpareParts'?

3. Is this compatible with EL? I asked before, but didn't get an answer.

4;

Where can I find this, if it's recommended? A Google search finds nothing.

1 yes its pretty much an legit version of hyperedit, still overpowered but you can use it realistic, like having an mothership spawn probes, you might also add stuff who make it look like an real space dock.

2 an medium spacedock is 150 ton, the large one is 400. You might also use the spare part containers directly. I did on one ship.

3 work independently from EL, however the spare parts are not the same as rocketparts, you can also not launch modules with rocketparts from an EL launchpad as spare part are resources.

This is an orion ship who went to Jool in 28 days, it carries 800 ton of spare parts.

I suspect that using orbital construction breaks the orion so be careful with this.

[taniwha]

This little ModuleManager fragment will make the SpaceDock part able to convert RocketParts to SpareParts. I guess it just reads the barcodes on the boxes and inputs them into the system

@PART[SpaceDock] {
    MODULE {
        name = KethaneConverter
        SourceResource = RocketParts
        TargetResource = SpareParts
        ConversionEfficiency = 1
        SourceConsumption = 2
        PowerConsumption = 10
    }
}

[Kimberly]

I'm not sure OrbitalConstruction is really intended to be used that way, magnemoe. I always assumed it was intended for use on orbital or ground-based stations that don't move.

[taniwha]

Why would a 4.83t craft require 64.53t of spare parts? A previously built 55t (or so) craft also took 64.53t of spare parts, but I put that down to conversion efficiency.

[edit]It turns out that restarting KSP "fixed" the problem: I now get 6.04t required. I guess there's a nasty bug in OC where only one class of ship can be built per session.

Edited July 19, 2013 by taniwha

[taniwha]

Some further observations. OC is dead slow. Ok, the initial scan for space docks being slow can't be helped (unless there's a better way than unpacking and repacking every craft in the game*), but once a space dock is selected, the game becomes almost unusable until the ship is constructed in orbit. The reason for this is clear from KSP.log: OC is checking the dock's supply of spare parts every frame (and to do so, unpacking and repacking the craft). Why not save the dock's supply of spare parts with the dock "name" when first scanning for docks? There is no need to check every frame since there's no way the supply can change due to the dock being on rails.

* I sure hope there is, because I suspect the way OC unpacks the ships is breaking my struts and fuel lines. There is the vague possibility that it's the new SubassemblyManager (I heard it can break struts and fuel lines, but on in-flight craft? I doubt it).

As another point, undocking a ship from my space dock immediately after constructing another ship (ie, construct ship, switch to space dock (via ]), undock) caused an explosion. I suspect the sudden change in mass (or maybe more the CoM) confused unity's physics engine. Reloading, construction, switching to a distant craft and back, undocking: no explosion.

[sumghai]

A bit of a shameless plug here, but for those who use OC and are leery about having re-purposed fuel tanks as SpareParts storage, R0.03a of my FusTek Station Parts Expansion includes a 2.5m diameter Karmony Parts Warehouse Module with a capacity of 200 SpareParts:

[taniwha]

sumghai: they look nice, but I think you'll have to either reduce the capacity or increase the length of the modules. They look to be 3.75m long, and with 1.25m radius, that's only 18.4m^3, or between 80t (4t/m^3) and 100t (5t/m^3). SpareParts are 1t/U; there's no way they're 10t/m^3.

[Kimberly]

I agree with taniwha, they are a bit overpowered as storage space right now. The density of pure iron is about 7.874 tons per cubic meter. I suggest halving the storage capacity; two warehouse modules to build a 200 ton spacecraft is still pretty darn space-efficient! Also, it may be worth making the warehouse modules act like spacedock identifiers.

[sumghai]

sumghai: they look nice, but I think you'll have to either reduce the capacity or increase the length of the modules. They look to be 3.75m long, and with 1.25m radius, that's only 18.4m^3, or between 80t (4t/m^3) and 100t (5t/m^3). SpareParts are 1t/U; there's no way they're 10t/m^3.

I agree with taniwha, they are a bit overpowered as storage space right now. The density of pure iron is about 7.874 tons per cubic meter. I suggest halving the storage capacity; two warehouse modules to build a 200 ton spacecraft is still pretty darn space-efficient!

Gotcha. From 200 down to 100 it shall be. Should I just discreetly patch the files, or announce it as a R0.03.1a update?

Also, it may be worth making the warehouse modules act like spacedock identifiers.

I'd like to think of the Warehouses as just that - bins for parts. Instead:

- Players could add a Spacedock Identifier part to a Kirs Docking Module

- Alternatively, I could hard-code the the Identifier PartModule into the Kirs

Thoughts?

[Kimberly]

Well, ideally, you'd make a whole new module--a workshop of some sort. You can never have enough modules. It doesn't seem right for every station with a docking module to be considered a spacedock. I guess spacedocks and the Karmony aesthetics don't really match, though, considering a spacedock would be big and metallic. If you're going to be integrating it into an existing module, the utilities module is perhaps the most sensible choice.