GNE Industries - Animating Space

[Farnsworth]

Sphere Launchpads v 1.2

UPDATE: Now available, Spherical Launchpads with Ramps!

Drive your rover or other landed vehicle down these accessible ramps to explore the surface as you like.

We are proud to present our first product to be delivered to market on Kerbin. The Sphere launchpad is designed to be used with Skykooler's excellent "Extraplanetary Launchpads" modification for the current space program.

If you plan on landing one of these on any other planet, or moon, we highly recommend adding a strudy base with connection points for other service vehicles required to operate the launchpad.

To operate, simply right click and select deploy or shutdown to open or close the launchpad.

Warning: Building vehicles on the launchpad while it is shielded (closed) will lead to many pretty explosions.

We hope you enjoy this latest addition in getting kerbals as far away from Kerbin as possible.

Please do not hesitate to advise us if this product does not perform as intended and a recall is required.

Sincerely,

The Staff of GNE

************************************************************************************************************

Licence: Please do not redistribute this work without the express permission of GNE staff.

Please respect other's work.

Copyright 2013

Download v1.2: http://www./?bu5hm3m53ux69gx

Please feel free to report any bugs, comments, or crits. As this is my first part, there may be bugs I don't even know about. Thank you.

Mun Opening

Rovers Down

Easy Ride

Edited July 9, 2013 by Farnsworth

[scottholio]

Nice. Trying it out right now

[csshanks]

Looks amazing.

[Farnsworth]

Thanks a lot, hope you enjoy it. Please report any bugs or suggestions you may have to improve it.

[Ratata]

i am loving this!

[Hooligan Labs]

That's cool! I like the variety that is coming out.

I couldn't help but be reminded of this...

If I were to make suggestions, I would say to slow the animation (to make it look more like real motors) and to add something on the bottom so it won't clip through whatever it's sitting on.

[BossSquirrelz]

Wow! Awesome.

[Farnsworth]

i am loving this!

Thanks, glad you like it.

If I were to make suggestions, I would say to slow the animation (to make it look more like real motors) and to add something on the bottom so it won't clip through whatever it's sitting on.

Thanks, I was using your launchpad initially, which worked perfect. When you mention something on the bottom, are you referring to a collider, or a structure, like legs? Because the collider is something I fought with a lot while making this. Due to the pivot of the sphere, they will clip unless you build the base on a tower-like structure. I am open to any suggestions or advice you may have though. Airships are sweet by the way, but you already know that

Wow! Awesome.

Thanks a lot.

[Srilania]

Idiot question, is there plans to make the runway one as well, since I like this shape, but the regular EL launchpad doesn't have anything but the build menu, while the folding runway has the other stuff in it as well, making it easier to send up

[Farnsworth]

Idiot question, is there plans to make the runway one as well, since I like this shape, but the regular EL launchpad doesn't have anything but the build menu, while the folding runway has the other stuff in it as well, making it easier to send up

If you want to add the functionality to the launchpad (ie scanning, mining, refining), you can add the modules from the runway's part.cfg to this launchpad's part.cfg. Alternatively, you can copy the module from the part that you want the functionality from to any other part, including the launchpad. I hadn't even considered building a runway inside the sphere, could be done I suppose, but I am looking at a new smelter and miner first.

[Srilania]

Ok, I'm not all that up on how to edit these files, as I'm usually just wrecking things into planets and mooons and whatnot, anywhere but landing them right.

Edited June 23, 2013 by Srilania
fixing post right.

[Farnsworth]

Ok, I'm not all that up on how to edit these files, as I'm usually just wrecking things into planets and mooons and whatnot, anywhere but landing them right.

Open the Launchpad's part.cfg with notepad and add these lines:

MODULE
{
    name = KethaneExtractor
    PowerConsumption = 24
    Resource
    {
        Name = Ore
        Rate = 5
    }
}

MODULE
{
    name = KethaneExtractorAnimatorLanded 
}


MODULE
{
    name = KethaneConverter
    SourceResource = Ore
    TargetResource = Metal
    ConversionEfficiency = 1
    SourceConsumption = 3
    PowerConsumption = 10
}

MODULE
{
    name = KethaneDetector
    DetectingPeriod = 1.5
    DetectingHeight = 250000
    PowerConsumption = 0.8
    Resource
    {
        Name = Ore
    }
}
MODULE
{
    name = KethaneConverter
    SourceResource = Metal
    TargetResource = RocketParts
    ConversionEfficiency = 1
    SourceConsumption = 3
    PowerConsumption = 10
}

after these lines:

MODULE
{
name = ExLaunchPad
debug = false
}

This will give the sphere launchpad the ability to scan, and mine ore, then refine into metal and rocket parts.

Hope it helps.

[Srilania]

thanks, that helped awesomely, since this and the Hooligan launchpads I love the designs of, but since they didn't have anything other than deploy and build, they didn't have what I needed. now they will!

[Hooligan Labs]

Thanks, I was using your launchpad initially, which worked perfect. When you mention something on the bottom, are you referring to a collider, or a structure, like legs? Because the collider is something I fought with a lot while making this. Due to the pivot of the sphere, they will clip unless you build the base on a tower-like structure. I am open to any suggestions or advice you may have though. Airships are sweet by the way, but you already know that

Thanks! I would recommend maybe one of Unity's box or cylinder collider per sphere section. You don't have to worry about it bumping into other colliders on the same part, they ignore each other.

You have that hydraulic section, maybe the sphere portions could slide up that?

Ok, I'm not all that up on how to edit these files, as I'm usually just wrecking things into planets and mooons and whatnot, anywhere but landing them right.

Landing it right / Everybody will be flying / And we're landing it right~

[Farnsworth]

Thanks! I would recommend maybe one of Unity's box or cylinder collider per sphere section. You don't have to worry about it bumping into other colliders on the same part, they ignore each other.

You have that hydraulic section, maybe the sphere portions could slide up that?

Thanks, I did not know that about colliders on the same part. My concern is when it opens, if the sphere has a base attached as in my original posts pics, will the sphere collider not collide with the solar array, girder, etc?

[Benie]

Wow, this looks great, and it's in a much more compact and streamlined design for easier transport. I do have some questions;

1. Could you please show an example of what you mean of "adding a strudy base with connection points for other service vehicles required to operate the launchpad."? A picture would be great.

2. Can this thing launch any type of rocket, like the EL launchpad?

3. Does this mod require the Ethane mod?

4. Does this have a top connector for skycranes?

[Sephlington]

Wow, this looks great, and it's in a much more compact and streamlined design for easier transport. I do have some questions;

1. Could you please show an example of what you mean of "adding a strudy base with connection points for other service vehicles required to operate the launchpad."? A picture would be great.

2. Can this thing launch any type of rocket, like the EL launchpad?

3. Does this mod require the Ethane mod?

4. Does this have a top connector for skycranes?

I can answer 2 & 3: this is purely a part mod that uses the EL plugin, so in terms of launching things, it'll act exactly the same as the EL launchpad. It'll also need all the resources that an EL launchpad will need (because it is one), so you'll have to create your Rocketparts using EL, and thus Kethane as well.

[Farnsworth]

Wow, this looks great, and it's in a much more compact and streamlined design for easier transport. I do have some questions;

1. Could you please show an example of what you mean of "adding a strudy base with connection points for other service vehicles required to operate the launchpad."? A picture would be great.

2. Can this thing launch any type of rocket, like the EL launchpad?

3. Does this mod require the Ethane mod?

4. Does this have a top connector for skycranes?

1. See my second pic in the original post for an example of a base for the sphere to sit on. It has docking ports and a KAS winch system to connect ore, metal, kethane parts, etc.

4. There is a top attachment node, but be sure to detach anything from there as it will collide with launching ships if not.

2 and 3 were answered by Sephlington (thanks).

Please let me know if you have any other questions.

[Farnsworth]

Update: New ramps for the launchpad. See first post.

[Hooligan Labs]

That is looking good! By the way, did you get your questions answered?

[Farnsworth]

That is looking good! By the way, did you get your questions answered?

Thanks, and yeah. The issue with box or cylinder colliders was: 1) the edges would connect with the ground while opening causing the entire pad to jump. 2) when attaching stuff in the vab, it would connect to thin air due to whichever collider was there. In the future I will probably animate the sphere collider so when it falls, it will roll.

I also have a lift built for rovers, but need to figure out how to set the root frame of a clip to something other than it's first frame.

[Benie]

I got the updated version (removed the old one completely). Set it up on a platform and put it on the launchpad.

I cannot open it up. There's two that say "Status: Locked". No Open or Toggle option. There was in the last version.

Using a Medium sized sphere.

Also going by the OP, how were you able to spawn rovers? I don't see any of the required resources needed by EL in your pics.

Edited July 7, 2013 by Benie

[Hooligan Labs]

I got the updated version (removed the old one completely). Set it up on a platform and put it on the launchpad.

I cannot open it up. There's two that say "Status: Locked". No Open or Toggle option. There was in the last version.

Using a Medium sized sphere.

I forget, are you using Vanguard for animation? Maybe need an updated version?

[Farnsworth]

I got the updated version (removed the old one completely). Set it up on a platform and put it on the launchpad.

I cannot open it up. There's two that say "Status: Locked". No Open or Toggle option. There was in the last version.

Using a Medium sized sphere.

Also going by the OP, how were you able to spawn rovers? I don't see any of the required resources needed by EL in your pics.

It doesn't look like you have a probe core on your base. You need a controller (probe or pod) for the sphere to operate.

The second pic, I believe I just edited some hexcans for rocket parts full and added them to the base (rovers only need parts and electric charge), the third pic, the two landers are connected through KAS, and they hold 850 rocket parts each.

There is no need for the Vanguard plugin, the animations are built into the part.

[Benie]

Wow. I'm such a dunce. Even the game was trying to tell me "you won't have control".

Alright. Now that I finally got to see what the ramp looks like, could you possibly have some kind of thing on the sphere to show the facing of the ramp when it opens? That would be super.

Another bug I just saw. Saw this with EL's Runway. When opened, I can't close the sphere or raise the rover ramp. Both say "Status: Locked". Like it's stuck.

Edited July 7, 2013 by Benie