[WIP] Space Launch System (SLS) and ORION (MPCV)

[Sunshine]

(To clarify the size hickup...)

[Guest]

Yes, thats why i have been torn because I know how much performance can be a severe drag when there is more geometry present but textures probably even more so. When i get these part into KSP and we start testing everything out I think the we will be able to gauge where I need to make the changes. And if the high poly models will be usable, if they arent at all Ill adjust and make the changes. I have no issues with the extra work, Im a student and all of this is a learning experience for me. The bottom line is I want to get the most accurate SLS that the game can handle but still be playable, if that means having two versions of some of the parts so be it, no skin off my back more practice for me. My computer is not a good computer to judge performance though I'm Running 2 6 Core Xeon Processors with 64GB of ram and 4 gigs of Graphics memory. Which isnt much use when it comes to this game but its going to be hard for me to judge how well my mod will perform on more realistic computers.

Thanks CapFlyer for your response and I think building both parts high and low poly versions is going to be a reasonable compromise, and it will make everyone happy lol

Actually, I think that polycount isn't the most important thing here. Texture resolution is the biggest deal, because memory consumption is the main limiting factor for KSP mods. KSP can't use more than about 3GB of memory (unless you're on Linux), and it's not that hard to hit this limit.

[Stevincent]

Actually, I think that polycount isn't the most important thing here. Texture resolution is the biggest deal, because memory consumption is the main limiting factor for KSP mods. KSP can't use more than about 3GB of memory (unless you're on Linux), and it's not that hard to hit this limit.

There seems to be debate here, thats why I said "textures probably more so." but i cant find any sort of official documentation on this. I'm sure we will be able to hammer out the performance issue during testing. But I believe you're right I think the issue with geometry comes with part counts when there are tons of collision meshes interacting with each other, if you have poor collision meshes it can bog the game down. But this is speculation I'm not 100% sure on any of that.

[Guest]

Poor collision meshes can definitely lag the game in VAB, when moving the part, though if the part count is low, even such a mesh will not be a big problem. For example, the RC1 of the ULA pack had an overcomplicated mesh on the Atlas V CCB, it lagged the VAB whenever it was moved, but actually flew fine. As long as your collision meshes are well optimized, you should be fine, as KSP isn't too heavy on the graphics card (more on the CPU and memory).

[Stevincent]

Will that ever change? Or is that a Unity Engine limitation?

[OopsThatNotWork]

Dragon01 was talking about Ares V, not Ares I. SLS Block I has a height of 321 FEET, not meters. Ares V was going to be 381 feet, so SLS is actually going to be smaller.

http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/588413main_SLS_Fun_Facts.pdf

I agree the SLS 70t vehicle will be smaller. The full blown 130t awesomeness will be 384 ft, according to the file you posted.

No matter what im gonna be there when they launch these monsters for the first time. I was born well after apollo ended, and despite its cool looks the shuttle launch system just doesn't compare to the Saturn V launch system or the SLS as far as impressiveness in my opinion.

Edit: "20 percent more thrust than the Saturn V at liftoff" -link above.

[Stevincent]

I agree the SLS 70t vehicle will be smaller. The full blown 130t awesomeness will be 384 ft, according to the file you posted.

No matter what im gonna be there when they launch these monsters for the first time. I was born well after apollo ended, and despite its cool looks the shuttle launch system just doesn't compare to the Saturn V launch system or the SLS as far as impressiveness in my opinion.

I will always think the Saturn V will be something too look on in awe 5 F-1 engines are you freaking serious! Thats some power!

[OopsThatNotWork]

I will always think the Saturn V will be something too look on in awe 5 F-1 engines are you freaking serious! Thats some power!

I totally agree!

[Stevincent]

I totally agree!

http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/sls/f1_sls.html#.UgPZzm3BMRZ

[MainSailor]

Will that ever change? Or is that a Unity Engine limitation?

From what I understand it's a limitation of the Unity engine not currently being 64 bit. I'm not sure there's anything in the KSP coding that is preventing this, but I'm not a programmer by trade so don't quote me on that.

There's been some discussion of a 64 bit version of Unity in testing/development, I'm not sure how close to release it is, but that would more than likely fix all of the texture related issues people have with mods and RAM.

[Guest]

For the people with 64-bit systems, at least. Some are stuck on 32-bit ones, with 4GB ram maximum.

[Razorcane]

What???? The SLS is not 900 feet tall. The Saturn V was barely a third of that. The SLS is expected to be ABOUT the same height as the Saturn V because of constraints in the VAB. EDIT it was probbably a typo, the website says feet, not meters.

Also scale by 64% please. That is the scale factor Bobcat uses, it's the one Chimer and I's ULA pack uses etc.

Ah yes, my numbers were in feet. The Saturn V is still nearly 20 meters taller though. Of course the Saturn V has one extra stage.

[OopsThatNotWork]

http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/sls/f1_sls.html#.UgPZzm3BMRZ

Wait hold on. I thought they were going to used re-purposed RS-25s from the shuttle program?

http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/files/SLS_Engines.pdf

According their PDR doc they released, for at least the first 4 flights they intend to use shuttle generation RS-25s then begin work on a new generation of RS-25s.

[Stevincent]

Wait hold on. I thought they were going to used re-purposed RS-25s from the shuttle program?

http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/files/SLS_Engines.pdf

According their PDR doc they released, for at least the first 4 flights they intend to use shuttle generation RS-25s then begin work on a new generation of RS-25s.

I believe they are looking at possibilities of not using SRB's

[BlazingAngel665]

Actually the People at NASA fired up some bits from an old F-1 on one of the VTCs to see how it worked. A generation 2 F-1 is being considered for a liquid booster for some of the heavier versions of the SLS cargo block. Our restoration team where I work is actually restoring some of the F-1s that were recovered at sea.

[Mr. Pseudonym]

Actually the People at NASA fired up some bits from an old F-1 on one of the VTCs to see how it worked. A generation 2 F-1 is being considered for a liquid booster for some of the heavier versions of the SLS cargo block. Our restoration team where I work is actually restoring some of the F-1s that were recovered at sea.

Yeah, did some reading on Wikipedia, apparently there is a competition between 2 companies, I think one is refurbishing the old Space Shuttle SRBs or something like that, and the other is making a simpler F-1 for the Next-Gen boosters.

[BlazingAngel665]

Yeah, did some reading on Wikipedia, apparently there is a competition between 2 companies, I think one is refurbishing the old Space Shuttle SRBs or something like that, and the other is making a simpler F-1 for the Next-Gen boosters.

Actually they are improving the efficiency. The original F-1 used a single turbo to handle EVERYTHING, but the action wasted a lot of fuel out of a side pipe. But it was genius. Wherner Von Braun was incredibly bright to be able to use his metal so efficiently.

[Kyle.Daoust]

Its actually a longer burning, significantly higher thrust version of the Shuttle SRB, even more so than the one already planned. The F-1 idea sounds a lot safer and cooler than that though.

[Stevincent]

Ok, just finished UVing the RS-25, a few minor tweaks and I should be good to go with the texturing. Here is a render of the 512MAP with normals, ao, and color baked down onto the low-poly model. Ill be texturing on a 2K map, so I may release 512 1K and 2K maps.

[OopsThatNotWork]

Actually the People at NASA fired up some bits from an old F-1 on one of the VTCs to see how it worked. A generation 2 F-1 is being considered for a liquid booster for some of the heavier versions of the SLS cargo block. Our restoration team where I work is actually restoring some of the F-1s that were recovered at sea.

Are you, who you work for, looking for a recently graduated engineer?

But for real, im serious.

[MainSailor]

Our restoration team where I work is actually restoring some of the F-1s that were recovered at sea.

The ones Bezos recovered?

[Mr. Pseudonym]

I don't understand what this is because I don't model, but OOH PRETTY COLORS

[Stevincent]

I don't understand what this is because I don't model, but OOH PRETTY COLORS

Here is a clearer image of the pretty colors, here is the low poly RS-25 with and without the maps applied.

[BlazingAngel665]

Are you, who you work for, looking for a recently graduated engineer?

But for real, im serious.

Nope sorry, we are a museum. We have a restoration branch but I'm not in it. I am a camp councilor.

The ones Bezos recovered?

The very same we give public tours, you have to be a citizen (tech exportation laws, it's almost 50 years old and still the best in the world) and you can't take pictures from past the glass wall.

[Stevincent]

Not quite done yet but I figured I'd post an update on the RS-25 texture, so you have an idea of what Im going for when it comes to texturing. Im posting here the 512, 1K and 2K maps, though a lot of the detail in the 1K and 2K maps are lost in the rendersize but you get the idea. Let me know what you think and if you want to see any changes. Still working on the pipes and what not, but its coming together. Also there are no normal maps yet so this is just straight color map.

512

1K

2K

Edited August 11, 2013 by Stevincent