Kerbin Mini Shuttle

[helldiver]

Step 3

-After the low res game model is completed and fully UVed, I then import it into the high resolution scene.

-I apply an Edit Poly modifier on both models (high and low res). This will allow me to move their elements without screwing them up. It will also allow me to do a good projection without object interference that can block rays.

-I move all the elements of the Low resolution game model first. I then use snap to vertex and move the high resolution elements so that they match perfectly with the low resolution elements.

-I select my low resolution game model and then Render to Texture and select my high resolution model as the model to project from (reference geometry).

-The projection cage (in blue) has to be fixed so that all rays are cast correctly and with as minimal errors as possible, otherwise I'll have a lot of work to do in Photoshop. This can take a very long time depending on how complicated the model is. The projection tools are similar to standard mesh editing tools making the job slightly easier. Setting it to shade also helps in finding areas with casting problems.

-I bake multiple times, typically at 256 or 512 resolution looking for miscasts. These can be found by setting miscast areas to show up as red on the baked texture (ray miss color).

A note about what you can and can't do to a game mesh after you've gotten to this point. The KSP 3D Studio Max wiki has some errors in it that I'd like to clear up.

What you CAN do

-You can edit the geometry as much as you like, including deleting or adding geometry. However, your UVW will be messed up on any area you added within an element. If the area you added was an element and it already had UVW information, your mesh will be perfectly fine!

-In fact the KSO is composed of a ton of pieces (elements) each with their own UVW that were all made into a solid object. This allowed me to move the UVW islands until it all fit on a single texture.

-You can delete any part of your mesh and your UVW will be fine.

-For advanced users dealing with the skin modifier, you can also delete and add to your mesh that has a skin modifier, you just have to do it down to the editable poly level. However, you have to be careful and do only one addition at a time. Move the addition over and close to the area you'll attach it at. Never add or attach objects at the Skin Modifier level or you'll wreck the vertex weight assignments. With some practice you can get really good at adding/changing legs, arms, torsos, heads etc on characters that are already animated and skin weighted.

What you can't do

-You can't share the UVW information of two different objects that have their own transform and vertex count/order. That means that if you add/subtract an element or vertex, you can only share UVW, Vertex Weight and Projection Cage information with a clone of that same object, but not of a clone whom you added or removed elements or vertices from its parent. This is for purposes of exporting and importing a UVW file, something most users here probably wouldn't be doing.

-You usually can't share the same Normal Map of one object with the clone of the same object if that object had vertices removed, since it violates the rule above. Keep in mind when you bake a Normal it picks up the vertex/face tangent information of the mesh you casted on. However, you CAN share the same normal map on the clone of the same object which has had an element added or removed, as tangent information is preserved.

This error manifests in a big nasty black spot on your model. You have no idea what's causing it since your smoothing groups are correct, and the mesh has no holes in it. That's when you discover that the tangents got fudged and you need to recast the whole thing.

Step 4

-All textures I bake have to be fixed. In particular, Normal maps will always have geometry errors of some sort which have to be cleaned up using the smudge tool in Photoshop. This is why it's important to get as clean a cast as possible as you won't have to do as much clean up work. Also, the closer your projection cage is to your game model (without intruding into the reference geometry) the less geometry errors you'll have.

-The AO map is used as the basis for all the shadows, grunge, and areas where dirt or dust has accumulated. This one also has to be cleaned up and typically takes the longest. Most 3D editing programs have issues with floating geometry and determining exactly where two parts intersect. So you'll often end up with the shadows and grunge offset by half a pixel. All those areas have to be filled in.

The completed model with base texture, normal map, and a basic specular.

And now I move on to final detail texturing. The rest of the work is all done in Photoshop.

Edited August 23, 2013 by helldiver

[The Destroyer]

The ET looks great Helldriver!

I can't wait for what the boosters would look like

[dukewellignton]

It looks great!

[helldiver]

Enjoy

-Up above is final. Some very minor changes maybe in case the stock engines don't fit the mounts which I highly doubt.

-I'm not making couplers unless ZRM requires them. I think the stock couplers should be fine.

-The mounting configuration you see there is what I wanted, so the attach points will more or less be in that configuration.

-The EFT and LRBs are designed to be large and imposing. They aren't mini, I don't want them to be. This should give you plenty of power and fuel for other orbiters such as B9 kits or if you make your own.

-Why is it orange and white and those colors? I tried my best to match the colors of the rockomax jumbo as well as other colors and patterns used in KSP. I didn't normalize the bumpy texture into the normal because it looked too strong and it just didn't look right (even the stock rockomax jumbo looks way too bumpy for my tastes).

-EFT and LRBs are solid. I'm not making them separate pieces unless we run into issues (unlikely). I'm not messing with fuel distribution non-sense, so the tanks are solid.

-There are engine mounting spots on the LRBs and the EFT, after all this is a Kerbal construct not NASA or Soviet

-If possible I may install a nozzle into the LRB, making it an engine+LRB all in one with gimbal capability (but not vector). Will wait for feedback from ZRM if that is possible or if we should just let players decide what engine to install into the LRBs.

Dimensions:

-EFT 3.5m dia, Mount 1.6m dia

-LRB 1.6m dia, Mount .8m dia

I've moved on to collision meshes already.

[Edit] Bleh, went back in and killed the liquid hydrogen hose, it felt unsightly and messed with the sleek vertical look of the LRB. Kept the LOX and pressure hose however.

Edited August 24, 2013 by helldiver

[Albert VDS]

Words cannot describe how awesome that is!

[runmug]

Main engine start!

[Climberfx]

Enjoy

...

I've moved on to collision meshes already.

Man, you got the skills!

Amazing result!

Edited August 24, 2013 by Climberfx

[apachegamer21]

You are skilled man great job I can't wait to fly it !

[SargeRho]

Well, what can I say?

[DisarmingBaton5]

-EFT and LRBs are solid. I'm not making them separate pieces unless we run into issues (unlikely). I'm not messing with fuel distribution non-sense, so the tanks are solid.

Wait... What do you mean they are solid? Do you mean one part or do you mean solid fuel? If they are solid fuel, how is one meant to transfer fuel to the orbiter?

[helldiver]

Wait... What do you mean they are solid? Do you mean one part or do you mean solid fuel? If they are solid fuel, how is one meant to transfer fuel to the orbiter?

The LRBs and the EFT are solid objects. No man, not solid fuel

Solid as in they are not three or more pieces. The nosecone, middle section, end section are all welded. LRB are separate from the EFT though.

[ddavis425]

[Edit]Bleh, went back in and killed the liquid hydrogen hose, it felt unsightly and messed with the sleek vertical look of the LRB. Kept the LOX and pressure hose however.

Sorry, but I don't see what got removed between that pic and the previous ones

[Fonso]

Solid as in they are not three or more pieces. The nosecone, middle section, end section are all welded. LRB are separate from the EFT though.

So will we have to rely on the separatron force to keep the LRBs away from the EFT? will they properly detach as the Soyuz first stage does?

Sorry, but I don't see what got removed between that pic and the previous ones

Agree, seems like another blind bat here

[helldiver]

So will we have to rely on the separatron force to keep the LRBs away from the EFT? will they properly detach as the Soyuz first stage does?

As long as you attach them with a TT-38K at the top you should be fine (or similar coupling). Use struts at the bottom to stabilize. You shouldn't need sepatrons.

[Gojira]

Oh man, it's so close I can feel it!

[DisarmingBaton5]

Oh man, it's so close I can feel it!

I can taste it. Yum! (The LOX needs some more salt, though)

[Gojira]

I can taste it. Yum! (The LOX needs some more salt, though)

Yeah, it does. However, the kerosene tastes goo-

//keels over from toxic material consumption

[DisarmingBaton5]

Yeah, it does. However, the kerosene tastes goo-

//keels over from toxic material consumption

I hope the shuttle doesn't keel over from toxic material consumption too. Good thing you're not the shuttle! Right? Right? *sheepish face*

...Right?

Edited August 25, 2013 by DisarmingBaton5
"ting" is not a word.

[CaptRobau]

I wonder how those parts would look if they adhered to stock sizes, so 1.25 and 2.5m, but with the Mini Shuttle kept at the same size.

[iDan122]

When is this going to be available? If you need a test pilot I can help, I can run anything and can record a good quality video of your project. PM me if you want to cooperate.

-Dan

[helldiver]

When is this going to be available? If you need a test pilot I can help, I can run anything and can record a good quality video of your project. PM me if you want to cooperate.

-Dan

It would be impossible for me to tell you when. However I'm in the same spot you're in, i.e. I want to start playing with it already. Actually I haven't played KSP since I started working on this project except for a few times I fired it up to take screenshots for reference.

Our goal is to get the KSO done and out. The lift vehicle you see above is not part of that first phase, but it seems it may end up being part of it.

[DisarmingBaton5]

I wonder how those parts would look if they adhered to stock sizes, so 1.25 and 2.5m, but with the Mini Shuttle kept at the same size.

They would probably look like pencils.

[helldiver]

Update: the KSP Lifter project files and textures were mailed off.

I hope I'm not overwhelming ZRM.

[ZRM]

Update: the KSP Lifter project files and textures were mailed off.

I hope I'm not overwhelming ZRM.

Heh, no, I just have a bit of a backlog on my to-do list right now as I have not been able to work on the project today or yesterday, and this previous week has been a bit hectic for me. Really I'm amazed I have had the time to get the landing gear, RCS, attachment nodes, control surfaces, main engines and the cargo bay working. However I do have a lot of free time coming up (i.e. from now onwards, hopefully) to really get this to a state you'll all enjoy. Sorry to keep you all waiting. I want to get this done as quickly as possible, but at the same time not cut any corners. I want there to be at least some parts of this that should say to Squad "this is how it's done". That said as soon as the main feature set is ready for playtesting I will push this out to you all.

Helldiver, the lifter and new rudder you sent me really are quite minor additions (in terms of work involved) that should not affect the main development of the orbiter, so I am going to wait until I have everything else mostly feature-complete (but untuned - ready for playtesting) before upgrading to the latest assets. One good thing about Unity is that it makes such a process relatively painless. I must admit that there are some parts of the engine and editor that are mostly well thought through. I can only presume that this was all done by the one programmer at Unity that cared.

So, back to Unity I go...

Edited August 25, 2013 by ZRM

[Odyssey]

I was curious how progress is with the cargo bay arm. I know helldiver was saying that he wanted a simple arm coming up from the bottom of the bay to grip and release items. Will that be in the first edition, or in later releases?