[20.2] KW Rocketry 2.4

[Winston]

KW Rocketry – v2.4

models by Winston and textures by Kickasskyle

Download:http://kerbalspaceprogram.com/0-18-1-kw-rocketry-overhauled/#comment-6875

We recommend deleting all old KW Rocketry parts before installing a new version.

Fairing demonstration

Changelogs:

Updated to v2.4

-Now uses new 0.20 filing system

-Unable to fix fairing jettison sounds, using stock decoupler sound until this can be resolved

-Bug fixes

Updated to v2.3

-SpacePort is currently corrupting mods if uploaded directly so we’ve uploaded a text file with the download link inside.

Updated to v2.2

-Further bug fixes, managed to kill those magic shrouds this time.

Updated to v2.1

-Bug fixes

Added in v2

-New 3.75m engine, the Griffon XX with a max thrust of 3800

-Two new SRBs, the massive Globe X5 and the little Globe I

-1.25m, 2.5m and 3.75m nose cones

-1.25m, 2.5m and 3.75m low-profile decouplers

-1.25m, 2.5m and 3.75m low-profile “Pancake†fuel tanks

-A stage separation motor slightly larger than the Sepatron

-A large RCS pod

-1.25m non-expanded fairings

-Numerous fixes, tweaks and improvements.

Updated to v1.2

-The pack is now updated to work correctly with KSP 0.18.2

-Normal maps added to many of the parts

-Re-balanced many of the engines

-Fairings now decouple more realistically and do not collide with payloads when stacked (demonstration of how to assemble them here http://tinyurl.com/cfmeh4f)

-Tweaks and bug fixes

-EDIT – The 3.75m Expanded Fairing Base was still not decoupling, fixed and re-uploaded. Here is the offending part as a separate download so you don’t have to download the whole pack again if you already installed the pack: http://speedy.sh/KvPbw/KW3mExpandedFairingBase.zip

Updated to v1.1

-A few fixes including the 2.5m L2 tank having 60 units too little oxidizer and the Rigel 3 Heavy craft file not loading.

Added in v1

-Three 1.25m liquid engines

-Four 2.5m liquid engines

-Two 3.75m engines

-Four solid rocket boosters

-Three lengths of fuel tank in each of the three diameters

-Payload fairings for small probes all the way up to huge station modules

-Interstage decoupler shrouds and adapters for engines

-RCS fuel tanks for each of the three diameters

-An RCS quad

Edited June 2, 2013 by Winston

[Guest]

This makes my day! Thanks, Winston!

[MDBenson]

Has this been repackaged to use the GameData folder, Winston? I had already fixed the fairing nodes for 0.20 by just adding 'scale = 1' to them all to alleviate the bug in 0.20.0 you mentioned. The only thing remaining was to move them up to the GameData folder and last I tested that doesn't work with your version but does with the other guy's version. I know this works okay in a legacy parts folder but a repackage would be nice, if only to prevent your mod falling foul of the legacy folders being deprecated.

Thanks

[GavinZac]

What's this like? Im a bit wary of overpowered engines - this isn't going to make it 'press spacebar to win', is it?

[Mihara]

Has this been repackaged to use the GameData folder, Winston?

I'm not Winston, but I just downloaded it, and can say that whatever is currently downloadable from Spaceport isn't using GameData, whether this is actually a new file or not.

Which is quite unfortunate, since I'm pretty sure KW Rocketry pack includes multiple parts that are simple rescales of each other, and GameData packaging would allow to reduce both download size and memory usage on those.

[Eleven]

So, is Spaceport just not giving us the correct download or is this still not compliant with the new directory setup? Cause I just downloaded it and it's not working.

[Borklund]

Yay, you're back! Are you going to update/add new things to the pack any time soon?

[daver4470]

I used the batch file in the thread linked below -- it adds the PART structure and the scale item to all the part .cfgs. Worked well for me; things seem to work okay, and my entire KW package is in the GameData structure now.

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/31273-0-20-Part-cfg-Updater

Your mileage may vary. Guarantees not given. Checks will not be honored.

[shadowsutekh]

I think it's spaceport being spaceport and not working properly. Would you mind adding a dropbox or some other form of alternate download? While spaceport says it's updated, it's actually giving us an older version when downloaded.

[Winston]

Has this been repackaged to use the GameData folder, Winston? I had already fixed the fairing nodes for 0.20 by just adding 'scale = 1' to them all to alleviate the bug in 0.20.0 you mentioned. The only thing remaining was to move them up to the GameData folder and last I tested that doesn't work with your version but does with the other guy's version. I know this works okay in a legacy parts folder but a repackage would be nice, if only to prevent your mod falling foul of the legacy folders being deprecated.

Thanks

It isn't yet, but once I figure out how to do that I will try to update it.

At the moment it's just the same old version, but I can confirm that it works in 20.1.

What's this like? Im a bit wary of overpowered engines - this isn't going to make it 'press spacebar to win', is it?

We've tried our best to balance all the engines with the stock ones.

This pack merely gives you more options when it comes to engines and fuel tanks.

Edited May 31, 2013 by Winston

[KhaosCorp]

What's this like? Im a bit wary of overpowered engines - this isn't going to make it 'press spacebar to win', is it?

not at all....KW kit is very balanced imo, no 'cheater parts' in here

[ialdabaoth]

It isn't yet, but once I figure out how to do that I will try to update it.

All you have to do is go into each part.cfg file and add two lines at the very top:

PART
{

and one line at the very bottom:

}

and then move everything into /GameData/KW-Rocketry

[stupid_chris]

Oh my god I'm so happy to see an official thread for this

I'm just gonna try something I noticed while testing: The 2.5m Griffon engine has a slight gimbal under balance, in my opinion. It can hardly turn at all when it has some extra boosters on the sides when above 25km. Although it seems reasonable than it should, and changing the gimbal to .75 gave it performances I would've expected from the engine.

Now you guys are free to leave it like this if you wish, but I just thought it feels more balanced this way ^^

[shadowsutekh]

It isn't yet, but once I figure out how to do that I will try to update it.

At the moment it's just the same old version, but I can confirm that it works in 20.1.

It's really easy to update for the most part. If you want to know what parts go where, open up the squad folder to see how they set up the subfolders in Parts. Also as

ialdabaoth pointed out parts can be updated with Part {} around the entire config.

Also you may have to define Scale = 1 for some or all of the pieces in the KW pack in order to fix an attachment node issue.

[ialdabaoth]

It's really easy to update for the most part. If you want to know what parts go where, open up the squad folder to see how they set up the subfolders in Parts. Also as

ialdabaoth pointed out parts can be updated with Part {} around the entire config.

Also you may have to define Scale = 1 for some or all of the pieces in the KW pack in order to fix an attachment node issue.

Also, Winston - note that every part that you guys made duplicates of at different sizes, can now be merged into a single directory to save space.

For example, right now you have three directories: /KW1mExpandedFairingBase, KW2mExpandedFairingBase, and KW3mExpandedFairingBase.

You could instead have ONE directory: /KWExpandedFairingBase, with a single model.mu file, model000.mbm file, and model001.mbm file, and then three files called part1m.cfg, part2m.cfg, and part3m.cfg

I've edited my own cfgs to do exactly this; if you'd like send me a PM and I can send you my KW directory.

Edited May 31, 2013 by ialdabaoth

[loppnessmonsta]

You could also just have one cfg! Each PART{} is loaded individually. For example, Talisar's Spherical pack (which right now is just tanks) uses one cfg for two parts each- a full and empty version of each tank. I've been playing with his cfgs, and now that I mention it, I might just condense the whole pack into one cfg. Because I can! I think. I might be wrong. I don't actually know enough about modding to be sure, I just play with cfgs for myself.

[Winston]

Also, Winston - note that every part that you guys made duplicates of at different sizes, can now be merged into a single directory to save space.

For example, right now you have three directories: /KW1mExpandedFairingBase, KW2mExpandedFairingBase, and KW3mExpandedFairingBase.

You could instead have ONE directory: /KWExpandedFairingBase, with a single model.mu file, model000.mbm file, and model001.mbm file, and then three files called part1m.cfg, part2m.cfg, and part3m.cfg

I've edited my own cfgs to do exactly this; if you'd like send me a PM and I can send you my KW directory.

That's neat, thanks.

[Camelotking524]

Good to have you back Winston. Always much love for KW Rocketry.

[Greywind]

Used this pack from the beginning, one of the best. Keep up the good work!

[MDBenson]

I played with KW in 0.19 a lot and can confirm the engines are pretty well balanced. I was building big rockets with 20-30ton payloads and my liftoff TWR was about 1.2-1.6 which is more than acceptable.

As for the rest of the pack, the parts are excellently modelled and sensibly spec'd, my only issue is some attachment nodes can get a bit wonky, and the fairing adapters don't hold the payload up that well unless you strut the hell out of it. I guess that's the way the game works though. Overall I recommend it if you like building realistic-looking and behaving rockets. It's very good for that.

I look forward to you figuring out the GameData setup and up-speccing this to the new format. Also can you take alook at the weight of the 3.75m expanded fairing base? It looks a bit too heavy to me at 6mt.

[Taverius]

That's neat, thanks.

If you have parts that share a model or texture but not the other, you can use model nodes:

MODEL
{
   model = Squad/Parts/Command/landerCabinSmall/model
   texture = model000, Squad/Parts/Command/mk1pod/model000
   texture = model001, Squad/Parts/Command/probeStackSmall/model001
   parent = myTransformName
   position = 0.1, 3.0, 5.0
   scale = 2.0, 2.0, 2.0
   rotation = 0, 60, 225
}

For example, B9 has many variants of tanks (structural, LF, LFO) which share a texture map with slightly different models.

We give the models different names (Structural.mu, LFO.mu) in the directory of the part type, then in the part.cfgs we do:

MODEL
{
    model = Path/to/model/file/<model name>
}

This is because the mesh line ignores the contents if there's any .mu models in the directory and just loads the first model it finds.

Or, if you have parts with the same model and different textures:

MODEL
{
   model = Path/to/model/file/<model name>
   texture = <original texture name>, Path/to/new/texture/<texture name>
}

This is obviously less economical in terms of memory usage than sharing a texture, but it still means instantiating only one copy of the geometry for n different parts with different textures

Things to keep in mind, when using model nodes:

• all file-names are without the extensions
  
• paths are always absolute starting from inside Gamedata, as you can see in the new debug menu.
  
• the texture name in the first part of the texture line is the original name of the texture the .mu refers to. With part tools of version 0.18 or earlier, this is always model000, model001.
  When 0.20 comes out this can be other than model<index>, which can trip you if you're trying to save memory and disk space by sharing textures. If in doubt you can see it by opening the .mu with a hex editor and looking at the end of the file.
  
• the texture you want to override must exist. if it doesn't exist when the model loads, you cannot override it with another later.
  

Using such trickery we got B9 3.0, which was 160 megabytes of PNG(!), down to 95Mb. Optimizing the PNGs got us down to 77Mb on-disk, and that's with 173 parts.

You can also use model nodes to make parts made of multiple models using the full node syntax, though this is of little interest generally to original part makers

Edited May 31, 2013 by Taverius

[Talisar]

You could also just have one cfg! Each PART{} is loaded individually. For example, Talisar's Spherical pack (which right now is just tanks) uses one cfg for two parts each- a full and empty version of each tank. I've been playing with his cfgs, and now that I mention it, I might just condense the whole pack into one cfg. Because I can! I think. I might be wrong. I don't actually know enough about modding to be sure, I just play with cfgs for myself.

You'd be able to do one cfg for each size tank (For example 1 cfg or LFO-full/LFO-empty/Mono-Full/Mono-empty), but I made each size tank with it's own model, so they have to have their own. I plan on condensing them down to this level in a later release, just haven't had anything good enough to add to it yet, so the update is still in the wings.

Edited May 31, 2013 by Talisar

[skepticalzombie]

This is definitely one of the best mods around - I highly recommend it to everyone and anyone! Thanks so much, Winston!

[ialdabaoth]

While you're here Winston, is there any way we can change how the fairings attach? I see what you were going for, and it's neat, but I really think it'd be far more sensible for the users if the fairing wall segments attached directly to the base, and then the fairing nose cone segments attached directly to the walls.

[loppnessmonsta]

This is fascinating. I'll see if I can set up a file structure that takes advantage of what Taverius is describing as well as condensing your cfgs (as you described). Be good practice. Also, glad to hear B9 3.0 is a thing now. I'm eager for the release!

I'm also looking forward to a new KW release. I particularly enjoy the fairings; so much cleaner looking.

Edited May 31, 2013 by loppnessmonsta