[0.90] LazTek SpaceX Launch, Exploration, Colonial Transporter & Historic mods (1/25/14)

[LazarusLuan]

I know you don't care to add 3rd party module dependencies but I do ask you include all the real transforms for the possibly of those who use RSS and RO to have good accurate control. I know you did so on V1 pod, just asking you do the same on V2. Otherwise it appears what you've seen and modeled match what I see. Thank you.

Frankly, I think it might work better all around if I make the RCS a surface attachable module anyway, since I'd like to have roll thrust without needing to use another mod.

[LazarusLuan]

what about the historical pack? I understand that getting the new stuff out is a priority but id like an update)

I'm working to get the Super Heavy/Ultra Heavy Lift packs with my Mars Colonial Transporter concept out first, since I'm almost done with those builds and I still need to model out the interestingly complex design of the original Falcon 9 Block 1 engine housing before completing the historical pack. Its design creates a slow roll during ascent on the real craft, so I've been experimenting with ways to recreate that in KSP. My plan is to also include all my old concept parts along with my version of the DragonRider and its associated SuperDraco nacelles.

[Haze-Zero]

Sorry if this has been asked somewhere before and I missed it, but what size does the DragonV2 align with in KSP? Is it a 2.5meter sized capsule or a 3.75 meter sized capsule? or is it, its own size standard to more closely match SpaceX?

[wasmic]

Question: will this pod be 2.5m or 64 %?

EDIT: Ninja'd.

Edited June 1, 2014 by wasmic

[LazarusLuan]

Except for some minor aesthetic cleanup, the Dragon V2 capsule is finished and I just need to complete the nosecone and new parachute system before releasing it here later today:

Edited June 1, 2014 by LazarusLuan

[Reddragon]

That's one really good model. How did you decide? Will you make a livestream or a video of creating the unpressurized module?

[Voidryder]

Beautiful job Sir!

[CaptRobau]

Any chance of sprucing up those empty Dragon IVAs with some more padding?

From Sploid:

The interior is not completed yet. You are looking at the bare structure. There will be padding everywhere and other things too, I'm sure (although the animation doesn't show too much detail.

The animation kind of shows this:

[sp1989]

Now since you have set the precedent of creating an amazing new part in 72 hours should we expect the Ultra Heavy and Mars Colonial pretty soon as well?

[Midanthrope]

Except for some minor aesthetic cleanup, the Dragon V2 capsule is finished and I just need to complete the nosecone and new parachute system before releasing it here later today:

http://electrictomatoes.com/ksp/screenshot26a.png

Amazing work as always. Your efforts and hard work are extremely appreciated.

[LazarusLuan]

Thanks for all the encouragement! Jeb has tested and approved the new ship and it's ready for download. I will include it with the .24 update for the SpaceX Launch Pack and my original DragonRider/2 will go into the SpaceX Historical Archive mod when that's completed. I haven't finished the new parachutes, trunk or solar panels yet, but it has a retractable nose cone, uses the KSP medium docking port and can still attach to the rest of the Dragon 2/Falcon v1.1 build for now.

LazTek SpaceX Dragon V2 Update

LazTek SpaceX Dragon V2 Update HD

[Midanthrope]

Thanks for all the encouragement! Jeb has tested and approved the new ship and it's ready for download. I will include it with the .24 update for the SpaceX Launch Pack and my original DragonRider/2 will go into the SpaceX Historical Archive mod when that's completed. I haven't finished the new parachutes, trunk or solar panels yet, but it has a retractable nose cone, uses the KSP medium docking port and can still attach to the rest of the Dragon 2/Falcon v1.1 build for now.

LazTek SpaceX Dragon V2 Update

LazTek SpaceX Dragon V2 Update HD

http://electrictomatoes.com/ksp/screenshot28a.png

You're amazing. Cheers.

[LazarusLuan]

Any chance of sprucing up those empty Dragon IVAs with some more padding?

From Sploid:

The animation kind of shows this:

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

I'm pretty sure Elon likes the shiny magnesium/titanium alloy interior walls he likes to show off in his DragonRider mockup and the flight test-ready Dragon V2 that was just unveiled, but if he starts putting padding into future models, I'll certainly make the adjustment.

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/77398-0-23-5-ModuleRCSFX-0-3-RCS-with-PROPELLANT-based-fuels-and-EFFECTS-based-FX!?highlight=ModuleRCSFX

Try this out, it fixes roll for capsule-mounted RCS.

Does this mod completely eliminate the need for surface-mounted RCS?

That's one really good model. How did you decide? Will you make a livestream or a video of creating the unpressurized module?

I think I'll do a video for the trunk and solar panels first and do the livestream on a future project.

Sorry if this has been asked somewhere before and I missed it, but what size does the DragonV2 align with in KSP? Is it a 2.5meter sized capsule or a 3.75 meter sized capsule? or is it, its own size standard to more closely match SpaceX?

The parts in the KSP universe have been reduced roughly 15-20% from their real-life counterparts, so while I actually model all my parts to have the correct 3.6-meter fuselage diameter, I reduce this to 85% in each part.cfg file, creating parts designed to fit on KSP's 2.5m fuselage. My soon-to-be-released SpaceX Super Heavy Lift/Ultra Heavy Lift packs have 3.75- and 7-meter fuselages in KSP, reduced from the real diameters of these planned SpaceX launch platforms of 5 and 10 meters, respectively.

Now since you have set the precedent of creating an amazing new part in 72 hours should we expect the Ultra Heavy and Mars Colonial pretty soon as well?

Yes - now that I've seen the actual design direction Elon chose for the new Dragon V2, which is very close to the direction I took on the Mars Colonial Transporter:

The collision node I made for the Dragon V2 has almost exactly the same proportions and shape as the one I created for the MCT mockup I recently created, so I'm very comfortable going forward with this design after seeing the new capsule.

Edited June 2, 2014 by sal_vager

[Virtualgenius]

Thanks for the awesome Dragon V2 Caplusle its a masterpiece am having some trouble with a docking port that fits and the nose cone fit over it

[Midanthrope]

Yeah same here, Not quite certain where I may be messing it up, but cannot seem to find the proper combination to allow the nosecone to cover a docking port, either the junior or just the clampotron

[LazarusLuan]

Yeah same here, Not quite certain where I may be messing it up, but cannot seem to find the proper combination to allow the nosecone to cover a docking port, either the junior or just the clampotron

Since the docking ports like to surface mount by default, I have to go under the ship with the camera in the VAB and then zoom into the cockpit to place the medium size port from underneath.

Here's a .craft file with the setup: LT_SpaceX_Dragon_V2.zip

Edited June 2, 2014 by LazarusLuan

[Midanthrope]

Since the docking ports like to surface mount by default, I have to go under the ship with the camera in the VAB and then zoom into the cockpit to place the medium size port from underneath.

Here's a .craft file with the setup: LT_SpaceX_Dragon_V2.craft

That did the trick, and as a heads up, getting a 404 on your craft file. Thanks again, Laz.

[LazarusLuan]

Ok - I changed the file to a zip instead.

Another gratuitous MCT shot:

Edited June 2, 2014 by sal_vager

[Guest]

The parts in the KSP universe have been reduced roughly 15-20% from their real-life counterparts, so while I actually model all my parts to have the correct 3.6-meter fuselage diameter, I reduce this to 85% in each part.cfg file, creating parts designed to fit on KSP's 2.5m fuselage. My soon-to-be-released SpaceX Super Heavy Lift/Ultra Heavy Lift packs have 3.75- and 7-meter fuselages in KSP, reduced from the real diameters of these planned SpaceX launch platforms of 5 and 10 meters, respectively.

Will there be any adapters from one to the other? If you make 5m as 3.75m and 10m as 7m, they'll be out of proportion with each other. While rescaling a single-diameter craft is not a problem, it starts to become a problem if you have a multi-diameter craft and proportions are wrong.

Also, could you make MCT windows opaque? It's hollow, and it shows, while the real thing would (presumably) have a separate cabin at each window.

[CaptRobau]

Were the dozens of portholes inspired by SpaceshipOne/Two?

[Midanthrope]

Another gratuitous MCT shot:

http://electrictomatoes.com/ksp/screenshot30a.png

Love the BladeRunner reference as well.

[RedAV8R]

Does this mod completely eliminate the need for surface-mounted RCS?

Yes it does. It allows for full roll control via a pods RCS, eliminating the need for surface-mounted, it allows for bi/multi-propellant usage, and otherwise behaves just like ModuleEnginesFX.

[LazarusLuan]

Will there be any adapters from one to the other? If you make 5m as 3.75m and 10m as 7m, they'll be out of proportion with each other. While rescaling a single-diameter craft is not a problem, it starts to become a problem if you have a multi-diameter craft and proportions are wrong.

Also, could you make MCT windows opaque? It's hollow, and it shows, while the real thing would (presumably) have a separate cabin at each window.

The Super Heavy Lift pack uses 3.75m parts which already have adapters with the .23.5 update and the Ultra Heavy Lift/MCT uses 7m parts (scaled down for KSP from their proposed 10m real life analogs), which I haven't seen in KSP before and don't know how good they would look connected to smaller components with a 7m-3.75m adapter. I realize the correct scaled down size in KSP for 10m is really 6.67m, but I found 7m to work better for me. I considered doing a 5-meter pack, but there aren't any plans currently at SpaceX to create a 7.5-meter diameter fuselage.

I'm going to make the windows work a little differently on all my future builds, so they don't allow you to see inside unless you open the hatch. The MCT is designed with 100 individual zip-up compartments on 6 decks with the ability to allow various configurations of open and closed dividers for different living arrangements during the 6-month journey. Modeling the interior is currently taking the most amount of time to build.

Edited June 2, 2014 by LazarusLuan

[LazarusLuan]

Were the dozens of portholes inspired by SpaceshipOne/Two?

While I certainly can't discount the influence Burt Ratan's designs might have had, my design was developed to fit Elon Musk's description of how it should function, which came across to me to be much like a commercial jet airplane. I designed the windows to provide the same kind of view one expects in a jet, using a similar shape of window as a Gulfstream G5.

[LazarusLuan]

Love the BladeRunner reference as well.

Thanks - I just watched a "new" Ridley Scott director's cut ( I think this might be the 4th version of a "director's cut" I've seen for BR) and had it on my mind...