[0.22] Extraplanetary Launchpads Legacy Thread

[taniwha]

Shalidor: Yes, (eg, large spherical tank) ${ksproot}/GameData/ModsByTal/Parts/FuelTank/TAL_SphericalTankLarge/model.mu doesn't exit. Did you move things around rather than extracting as-is?

Hades: nice! Looks like a successful bootstrap operation

Jaxhofo: can you get me a (close to) stock craft file that reproduces the problem? Still, I'm glad the SpawnHeightOffset worked for you. BTW, another thing to consider is launch clamps (especially if you have the recycler enabled).

Edited August 17, 2013 by taniwha

[Freman]

Soo umm, new problem - started a fresh game, got to launching stuff - satellite went into orbit nicely. Can't get anything with an auger off kerbin

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/46756/Ore%20MinerX.craft

As soon as that ship passes 6k the camera and physics seem to go spaz (this is a cut down ship with the most basic of parts that reproduces my problem)

Remove the augers and it goes fine...

[taniwha]

Weird. I just got it into a 631kmx80km orbit, as smooth as you please (ok, FAR helped get it that far). You're not somehow deploying your augers, are you? They chew a lot of power (24u/s vs a mainsail's 2u/s).

[Jaxhofo]

Pretty much any vehicle too close to the ground suffers this problem for me. I've tested it on the stock craft, this what happens to the Orbiter 1A:

Here's what happens to a mining rig I made, with the smelter as the root part:

For both, the root parts explode right after I clicked build, and then the debris just stays there with no physics, giving NaN errors. If I switch from the space center and back, the debris then disappears.

Interestingly, as long as the root part is elevated, everything works out fine. Here's the stock Z-MAP launcher:

And this is just a cubic strut as the root, with beams to get it to spawn higher:

When the root part explodes, it gives a ground contact error with a negative number. But for the ones that do work, they give a ground contact error with 0.000m.

Edited August 18, 2013 by Jaxhofo
Added thumbnails

[nhnifong]

Oh I know that song NaN NaN NaN NaN NaN NaNaNaN NaN.....

[Freman]

Weird. I just got it into a 631kmx80km orbit, as smooth as you please (ok, FAR helped get it that far). You're not somehow deploying your augers, are you? They chew a lot of power (24u/s vs a mainsail's 2u/s).

Actually, the problem was simpler than that - I hadn't updated the kethane mod (0.75) once I went to 0.77 it all worked fine.

[taniwha]

Freman: weird it had such an effect, but I'm glad you got things sorted.

Jaxhofo: your previous post didn't disappear. Anyway, I'll get a pad off Kerbin and do some testing.

[slay_mithos]

I have to say that this mod goes well with the orbital construction one.

I couldn't get the rockets off Kerbin, mainly because both I and Mechjeb suck at balancing the thrust so that nothing breaks.

So I built a small station around 100k orbit, sent tons of parts 150 at a time, and built my launch pad 2 from there.

Bypassing the atmosphere really helps a lot, and you can make smaller ships when doing it that way.

Now I just need to make the rest either landing it or making it on site, but it having both seems to fit quite nicely, both mods complementing each other quite well.

[taniwha]

slay_mithos: that's pretty much how I got my 0.20.2 minmus base going.

[shoveycat]

can you edit it so building a ship requires no material, like it used to?

EDIT: Hurr de durr, please disregard

Edited August 18, 2013 by shoveycat

[Ratzap]

I decided to try this one out today. I added the 2 pod parts to my MM config for mechmeb so they don't need the part stuck on. Then reading the files I noticed Mun and Kerbin have no ore generated? Ike isn't mention either or some other moons, are you planning on adding them? I'm going to set up a base on Minmus first as it's close and easy to get to - iron out the kinks before heading to Duna.

For folks with MM and mechjeb add this to the stock file:

@PART[exLaunchPad2]

{

MODULE

{

name = MechJebCore

}

}

@PART[RocketBuilder]

{

MODULE

{

name = MechJebCore

}

}

Edited August 18, 2013 by Ratzap

[taniwha]

I haven't checked Mun, but Kerbin definitely has ore. If you mean the lack of info in the resource definition file, that's because Kerbin and Mun use the defaults while the others are tweaked.

[Van Disaster]

For folks with MM and mechjeb add this to the stock file:

You'd be better off making your own dev folder under GameData & creating a new MM cfg in there - that way when there's a new mod version you don't have to re-edit everything ( which was the point of MM! ).

I'm fairly sure I saw ore on the sun when I was resetting my persistent file...

[Tw1]

Anyone else having problems with the recycler?

It doesn't seem to be working for me.

[taniwha]

Tw1: you need to be much more explicit than "doesn't work for me". What are you expecting, and what are you getting? Do note that the recycler works only on debris, and it will recycle all debris within 50m.

[SyberSmoke]

Hey there, I am guessing this is known, but if not the scale for the LARGE ore scanner is off from the largest tanks. It is also very large and bulky, definitely a challenge to deploy. But I am not really seeing a reason to deploy it, cool effect though the scanner on the tether.

I was kind of wondering if it had been thought about to making a new version, one that is more fitting with vanilla tanks and scales. The tether is a nice effect, but looks odd when it is not pointing at the planet. May be....a module that when used opens up like the tether. But also has a directional component much like the Kethane scanners. Why am I thinking Radio Telescope in look and design.

Eah it is late...enough rambling. Oh and a bottom mesh/texture would be nice, seeing through the backside of the polygons is kind of a immersion breaker.

[Tw1]

Tw1: you need to be much more explicit than "doesn't work for me". What are you expecting, and what are you getting? Do note that the recycler works only on debris, and it will recycle all debris within 50m.

I have brought the debris right up to the pad, (see that LV-n?) pressed the button, and nothing happens.

The debris comes from an earlier landing, and was towed there using KAS.

It did work when I changed a vehicle's type to debris, and when I hyperedited stuff next to the launchpad, but that was with the previous version.

[taniwha]

The LV-N looks like it's connected to something. If it is, then it's not seen by the game as a separate vessel and thus not debris. Just trimming down possibilities: I'm "working" on getting a pad off Kerbin (I wanna play too, you know ), so it will take some time before I can do some off-kerbin testing (the nearest ore deposit is a LONG way from KSC).

[Kimberly]

I was kind of wondering if it had been thought about to making a new version, one that is more fitting with vanilla tanks and scales. The tether is a nice effect, but looks odd when it is not pointing at the planet. May be....a module that when used opens up like the tether. But also has a directional component much like the Kethane scanners. Why am I thinking Radio Telescope in look and design.

The large scanner should actually only work when it's oriented prograde or retrograde, and not pointed at the surface. This means the mirror goes through a gravitational anomaly before the main craft does, and the anomaly is measured by the change in return time of the laser. Once the main craft passes through the gravitational anomaly, the two are in their previous position again. The gravitational anomalies can be used to map the density of the planet below, and density can be used to predict ore locations. It's basically like GRACE.

[KhaosCorp]

I decided to try this one out today. I added the 2 pod parts to my MM config for mechmeb so they don't need the part stuck on. Then reading the files I noticed Mun and Kerbin have no ore generated? Ike isn't mention either or some other moons, are you planning on adding them? I'm going to set up a base on Minmus first as it's close and easy to get to - iron out the kinks before heading to Duna.

What makes you say there is no ore on Kerbin or Moon?? I think you may be misreading or misunderstanding how the deposit/seed info works.

[Tw1]

The LV-N looks like it's connected to something. If it is, then it's not seen by the game as a separate vessel and thus not debris. Just trimming down possibilities: I'm "working" on getting a pad off Kerbin (I wanna play too, you know ), so it will take some time before I can do some off-kerbin testing (the nearest ore deposit is a LONG way from KSC).

No, it's definitely not connected.

Maybe I'll try redownloading, you never know.

[Ratzap]

I haven't checked Mun, but Kerbin definitely has ore. If you mean the lack of info in the resource definition file, that's because Kerbin and Mun use the defaults while the others are tweaked.

Ok, that's what I meant. So if it's not in the resource def file it uses default. Cheers, I may go back and scan Ike

[track122]

Sorry if this is a repost, but I've installed the latest version of this and Kethane and the Augers don't seem to do anything when I deploy them, no animation, no resources in. I've made sure my ship is low enough to the ground/on a deposit just wondering if this is a bug with the mod, although it could very easily be because I have so many mods to begin with.

[taniwha]

track122: currently, the auger is completely unanimated, so the only way to tell if something is happening is resources. The auger should be working as I packaged up the contents of the EL directory I actually use, and I've tested the auger several times. Are you really over a deposit, or is it just a trick of perspective?

Also, is "the latest version" v3, or v3.1?

[SyberSmoke]

I would like to make a couple suggestions to help with the immersion of the mod. Mainly they concern Ore Processing and refining.

1: Splitting ore processing into two stages instead of just one. Getting the ore and breaking it up to extract useful materials tend to present very different issues. I like the auger and with a little love I am sure it will look and feel splendid when playing.

1a: Ore Processor: This would be a new object that is an intermediary step really. Using a combination of pulverization, magnets, and centrifuges the ore is separated from the useless stone. A byproduct of the process can be the release of O2, Water Crystals, and other chemicals from the rock its self that could be stored and used for life support and other things. It really would make an excellent model with all the spiny twirly bits.

1b: Blast Furnace: Processing ore in zero gravity or low gravity offers some unique issues. Taking ORE and melting it will only result in wired and unbalanced alloys as convection in gravity and the natural weights of metals help to keep the separate. The Furnace could be redesigned to help with this by making a couple off shoots. A basic furnace would most likely need to use a toroidal centrifuge as the main furnace component. Adding rotational forces to simulate gravity and make metals act like they do on Kerbin.

The second furnace would be an allow furnace. Using a spherical heating chamber and a magnetic field, metals are added to a floating glob of molten metal in the middle of the sphere. Metal goes in one end, molten alloys come out the other using vacuum. This model presents an interesting look also as two cylinders can be at either end of the sphere with connectors all around.

2: Alternate Mining Idea: Condensed Light Drill (Thermal Drill): There have been many ideas on how to mine ore in space. One of them is the condensed light drill. Simply out light is gathered using an array of reflectors and focused on a single point. With the right amount of light, stone can be vaporized and metals collected. Depending on what metals your after, you can vary the intensity of the light to melt only specific ores. It would just look very cool to have a spire collecting light and a collimated beam traveling down the center to a particle effect.

Any these are the thoughts. I enjoy the mod and look forward to where you take it. I am also curious to see where it goes when Squad also add their resource systems. Good luck and happy moding.