Open Source Construction Techniques for Craft Aesthetics

[dbmorpher]

Not sure if this has already been done but I just thought I'd post it.

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Sorry for the crappy ships or if someone had already posted this.

Its just I don't trust radial stuff that much.

Edited April 18, 2014 by dbmorpher

[astropapi1]

Do you guys have any tips on hiding struts and fuel lines? I've been trying to design a good-looking cargo SSTO, but it always ends up looking like I put it together in five minutes.

[iDan122]

Do you guys have any tips on hiding struts and fuel lines? I've been trying to design a good-looking cargo SSTO, but it always ends up looking like I put it together in five minutes.

1. Use less struts(connect only the middle and the outermost part of wings

2. Add a small cubic strut on each wing (underneath) and attach struts to them, making struts loner that way.

[O-Doc]

You can hide fuel lines on the side of an I-beam if you don't mind the extra weight. I do this if I'm using an engine pod style on space ships.

[sgt_flyer]

Do you guys have any tips on hiding struts and fuel lines? I've been trying to design a good-looking cargo SSTO, but it always ends up looking like I put it together in five minutes.

Well, you can attach radially a cubic strut on a fuel tank, and turn it so it goes either 'inside' of a wing, or even inside the tank it's attached on. (you can also use the small hardpoint for that, less thick than the cubic strut) then attach your fuel line start point to the cubic strut / small hardpoint.

Once there, you can make your fuel line going through the tank, or the wing. (Basically, your fuel line can pass through a part as long as it's origin point is inside the part's collision box.)

The fuel line will 'exit' the collision box of the part it started inside, to attach to the next collision box avaible.

You can even use that to chain between parts : imagine you have two wing parts between your tanks, you put a cubic strut or a small hardpoint in a way that it's clipping inside both wing parts. Your first 'fuel line going through the first wing, to the small hard point, and the second fuel line starts from the small hardpoint to the destination.

Of course, it requires fancy VAB / SPH camera play to be able to see through the parts.

You can also use other fuel crossfeed capable Structural parts / wing parts (not other fuel tanks) to transfer fuel without fuel lines.

Basically, if the tank you want to drain first is the one in the middle of your spaceplane, if you attach a wing to this tank, it can pump fuel from it. (Any engine radially attached on the wing will be able to use the tank 's fuel without fuel line)

A second wing on the first one can extend the effect (it pumps fuel from the first wing, which pumps it from the tank)

Now, if you radially attach a fuel crossfeed capable structural part with an attachment node to the wing (cubic strut, structural fuselage, etc) you can attach a fuel tank to the structural parts node - fuel will be pumped first from the 'center' fuel tank, through the wing and the structural part, inside the second fuel tank. (The same way it would if you ran a fuel line from the first to the second tank.)

Edited April 26, 2014 by sgt_flyer

[Giggleplex777]

That's the exact same technique I use for most of my crafts! It's great for crafts that require advanced fuel flow (e.g. one-and-a-half stage rockets, Space Shuttles).

[Rune]

Well, you can attach radially a cubic strut on a fuel tank, and turn it so it goes either 'inside' of a wing, or even inside the tank it's attached on. (you can also use the small hardpoint for that, less thick than the cubic strut) then attach your fuel line start point to the cubic strut / small hardpoint.

Once there, you can make your fuel line going through the tank, or the wing. (Basically, your fuel line can pass through a part as long as it's origin point is inside the part's collision box.)

The fuel line will 'exit' the collision box of the part it started inside, to attach to the next collision box avaible.

You can even use that to chain between parts : imagine you have to wing parts between your tanks, you put a cubic strut or a small hardpoint in a way that it's clipping inside both wing parts. Your first 'fuel line going through the first wing, to the small hard point, and the second fuel line starts from the small hardpoint to the destination.

Of course, it requires fancy VAB / SPH camera play to be able to see through the parts.

You can also use other fuel crossfeed capable Structural parts / wing parts (not other fuel tanks) to transfer fuel without fuel lines.

Basically, if the tank you want to drain first is the one in the middle of your spaceplane, if you attach a wing to this tank, it can pump fuel from it. (Any engine radially attached on the wing will be able to use the tank 's fuel without fuel line)

A second wing on the first one can extend the effect (it pumps fuel from the first wing, which pumps it from the tank)

Now, if you radially attach a fuel crossfeed capable structural part with an attachment node to the wing (cubic strut, structural fuselage, etc) you can attach a fuel tank to the structural parts node - fuel will be pumped first from the 'center' fuel tank, through the wing and the structural part, inside the second fuel tank. (The same way it would if you ran a fuel line from the first to the second tank.

That's like a masterclass in building tips. I'm sure a lot of people will thank you for this post!

Rune. Even if I knew most stuff, I wouldn't have written it so simple and clear.

[Majorjim!]

Hi all,

I have made a sub-assembly for engines with no stock fairings attached.

So far I have the following engines using the TR-2V and TR-2C stack separators:

-LV-T30

-Poodle

-Skipper

-LV-T45

-LV-909

The sub assembly is a stack of the engines so you can pick out the one you want to use each time and delete the rest.

Please be aware that if you remove the separator you will "break" the magic spell and the horrid fairing will return.

I am working on bigger separators for the rest of the engines its just that those separators are the easiest to get this trick to work with.

These should come in very handy for many different types of builds.

DOWNLOAD LINK: http://www./download/ktv3gfafycy3ef8/MajorJims+no+stock+fairings.craft

[AppleDavidJeans]

Detachable RCS Thrusters Mk II

After posting my original technique, I recognized one problem with it: The struts used to mount the decouplers could show through, possibly making it a nuisance. I rethought my technique and came up with an improved technique that uses radially mounted decouplers to eliminate the need for the struts mentioned. Again, this can be used on stock and mod crafts and the technique can even be used with mod parts. But let's stick to stock parts for the sake of us purists and this demonstration, shall we?

First off, there's 4 stock radial decouplers in KSP, but we'll use the Structural Pylon as it does not leave a mark on the craft unlike the others after jettisoning. Locate the Center of Mass (It's the anvil icon at the bottom left-hand corner for you noobs) on your rocket and place (ideally 4) Structural Hardpoints around it as shown:

MAKE SURE THAT THE LONG EDGE OF THE HARDPOINT ATTACHES TO THE CRAFT, OTHERWISE THE TECHNIQUE WILL NOT WORK SUCCESSFULLY!!!

Next, use the Cubic Octagonal Struts as shown:

Finally, top it off with 4 RCS blocks, 1 on each strut (Let's use the stock RV-105 blocks for this one ) as shown:

Now to see if it works:

Yep they work!

But wait! They also have to be able to detach and not leave a mark on the vessel. So now for the real test:

Double Yep!

Triple Yep! This technique has been proven and can now be used!

Quod erat demostrandum

NOTE: I did not use Infinite RCS for the test, so yeah it's all real. Also, you could use this with the other stock decouplers such as the TT-38K and Hydraulic Detachable Manifold, but they will leave a mark on the vessel when jettisoned, but the Structural Pylon thrusters might be cumbersome to use. Therefore, it becomes a this for that situation with my RCS techniques: trading portability for aesthetics and vice versa. So it's your choice. :|

Detachable Thing-a-ma-jigs

Did I spell that right? XD

One other thing I thought of was using BZ-52 Radial Attachment Points and Structural Pylons to create what I may call "detachable utilities" like solar panels and such in this manner:

Edited April 27, 2014 by AppleDavidJeans
********. Used wrong pic on second technique

[Exothermos]

I construct SSTO spaceplanes. Lots of them. And I must admit that well over 3/4 of the build time of each design is spent just fiddling with the aesthetics. I want to share some of the little techniques I've discovered (or stolen) over the last year or so.

This post is focused on playing with cockpits.

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[Promethes]

Interesting...

[Aegeas]

Tiny UFO (Communotron 88-88)

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Been wanting to share this one for a while, finally got around to it...

Craft File: http://www./view/iphh484orghrpuu/UFO.craft

[Aegeas]

My current favourite creation!

I find it funny with the big Kerbal Helmet sticking out the top.

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Made three versions but the space plane version is probably the most polished because I had to rebuilt it to get fuel to flow properly and ended up improving the design. Sorry I don't have better screen shots of my constructions but feel free to download the craft files and zoom and and look (I'm a heavy clipper) or pull them appart etc.

My two tips for this open source thread are: internal strutting (inside wings) and setting the nose wheel on a small strut to be level with the rear (wing) wheels, which can then be hidden inside a cockpit but still operate.

By internal strutting what I mean is if you zoom right in to the fuselage and make it so that your camera angle is inside the wing and start your strut, then spin 180 and finish the strut on the outer landing wheels, the whole strut is hidden inside the wing and makes the landing gear a lot more solid, reducing bounce and wing flex which can sometime cause landing crashes.

This is now my standard construction method for under carridge, I normally start this as a sort of 'chassis' then build from there when I make a new plane.

I share the OCD need for aesthetic correctness so like to hide things as best as I can, which I see most ppl on this thread share this need too.

I also like to be able to max warp (alt x4 warp) when flying a space plane so normally do the essential strutting to make sure there are no distortions that look ugly and can also cause crashing, so do a lot of 'hidden strutting through the wings and through internal zooming inside fuel cans etc. On this space plane I even managed the strut the 10th hidden air intake so that the whole stack didn't hang out the back on x4 warp. It's the little things!

Lastly thanks to the OP and contributors, this thread has been an enjoyable read and the one I relate the most to.

Craft Files:

Open Plane - Standard:

http://www./view/qpb4slbe47rdczy/open.craft

Open Plane - Mach 1 by the end of the runway version (rocket assisted), Jeb won the bet!:

http://www./view/pu2mn5zf2c76qkw/open_X.craft

Open Space Plane (includes small dock) - This is a drop tank version for extra range with an advanced jet engine, delete the drop tanks if you want SSTO:

http://www./view/nqhsuzua86s5eaa/open_sp2.craft

I haven't seen a smaller piloted space plane on these forums yet!

Space Plane Action Groups:

1 - Toggle Jet Engine

2 - Toggle Liquid Engine

(remember to right click and watch for the drop tanks to empty during ascent)

Think these would make good Lathe rover craft, pretty light weight to take along.

Bonus Craft - Compact (heavily clipped) nuke/jet powered space plane capable of SSTM (mun) and return: http://www./view/vg4vls2kpwzwdy7/Mun_Shuttle.craft

[sgt_flyer]

Mmh Ufos ! David Vincent was right !

[Blue]

I like how in Aegeas's micro-jet, the Kerbal is just facing the fire like "...this is my life now."

[Rune]

Tiny UFO (Communotron 88-88)

http://imgur.com/a/TiPfU

Been wanting to share this one for a while, finally got around to it...

Craft File: http://www./view/iphh484orghrpuu/UFO.craft

So cool! Now give it ions so it has delta-v and can land on small moons, and we are talking serious business...

[Woopert]

I lol'ed at the UFO.

Great work though, it's like a UFO made of umbrellas -- they're retractable! Great work, buddy.

[problemecium]

Structural Pylons

O_O I now know the use for structural pylons. For the longest time I've shied away from using struts and/or radial decouplers to stabilize big things during launch because I didn't want those dead nubs stuck to the sides forever. So I'd been building these ridiculous contraptions with tiny mecha-krakens at the top and a swarm of mini space tugs on the sides. But no longer! Thanks.

[mellojoe]

O_O I now know the use for structural pylons. For the longest time I've shied away from using struts and/or radial decouplers to stabilize big things during launch because I didn't want those dead nubs stuck to the sides forever. So I'd been building these ridiculous contraptions with tiny mecha-krakens at the top and a swarm of mini space tugs on the sides. But no longer! Thanks.

Absolutely! I stole this concept, too. NO MORE NUBS! Everything I've built in the last two days have used those things and then all my struts run to them. Dropping them onto the surface leaves my ships clean. Also, they blow up VERY easily. I've just done a mission where Jebediah walked around kicking any that survived, and they all summarily blew up. No more debris!

[vinsent10]

i made a atomic engine a bit more smooth if anyone would want to know how,just ask.hmmm i have stumbled across some problems with it not working making the engine not giving any thrust

Edited May 1, 2014 by vinsent10

[Blue]

It looks like you countersunk a down-facing large plate adapter using probably a cubic strut, and then attached an FL-T200 fuel tank on top of that node while clipping inside the X200-16 Fuel tank, and then on the very top node of the FL-T200 attached a nuclear engine.

It's sure pretty, though somewhat impractical unless one has a way of mounting it as a payload without causing the nuclear engine decoupler shrouds.

To be honest Vinsent10, it has thusfar gone without saying in this thread that if you come up with a decent technique that isn't very easy to 'visually disassemble' just by looking at it, then you would normally post instructions or provide a craft file.

[GusTurbo]

Majorjim's fairing-free engine technique would prevent problems with the infamously destructive nuke fairings.

[iDan122]

I present you-the extra-long gigantrons!

Basically take 2 girders, and on the connection point, put a flipped solar panel.

Like this(go to slide n5) I used this technique for my Kvant-1 module

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[vinsent10]

It looks like you countersunk a down-facing large plate adapter using probably a cubic strut, and then attached an FL-T200 fuel tank on top of that node while clipping inside the X200-16 Fuel tank, and then on the very top node of the FL-T200 attached a nuclear engine.

It's sure pretty, though somewhat impractical unless one has a way of mounting it as a payload without causing the nuclear engine decoupler shrouds.

To be honest Vinsent10, it has thusfar gone without saying in this thread that if you come up with a decent technique that isn't very easy to 'visually disassemble' just by looking at it, then you would normally post instructions or provide a craft file.

k.sadly the engine doesn't give any thrust as it's clipped into the tank to much.It's only aesthetic right now and here's a imgur album (btw sry for being late with it,have been outside doing alot of parkour with my friend lately) https://imgur.com/a/kLz3z

and btw how do i attach a IMGUR album directly to the reply?

[vinsent10]

i think there actually is a tutorial in this very thread how to delete automatic fairings