[0.25]KSP Interstellar (Magnetic Nozzles, ISRU Revamp) Version 0.13

[Rampart]

After removing all my mods, and putting each one back on with the warp plugin. I found that none of my other mods were the problem.

So... after testing... the problem is: I use the warp core as the first part.

I hope other will try this out and back me up... to make sure I'm not crazy.

Honestly I should have looked closer at this, it's almost identical to the Science Lab bug from .4 that was fixed in .42, but that one didn't care if the lab was first or not, you just got different wacky behavior depending on if it was.

Should a warp core even allowed to be the root object? Fractal's call I guess, I'd have to re-look at stock but I thought the rule of thumb was something had to be able to control the ship in order to be root, so really science labs shouldn't be root either.

[Seeker89]

With a bit more testing...

I found it's only the warp core. So I have decide that in this game until fixed that I will remove the rooting of the part.

[jebodiah1976]

I have been trying to make a science lab work for two days without success.

The mod lacks indepth documentation about what modules do and how they interact with each other. (The vague explanations on the first page of this tread didn't help).

Basicly , I EVA a kerbal inside the lab, and it says that is stalled. I tried putting a reactor and it doesn't help either.

The main page explains about nuclear and antimatter reactors, but it's not clear what module in game provide nuclear fuel so to speak, so I'm at a loss. I've tried setting up an antimatter container but I don't seem to colelct any antimatter either, and the instructions on how to get magnetometric singularities in the mainpage are very cryptic to say the least ("try to get the biggest amount you can").

I really wanted a mod like this, after getting bored of waiting for ISA , and I don't like kethane mod much (it makes me lag a lot), so I had big hopes on this one. I don't want to edit cfg files and I haven't been able to try the warp drive , which I would have very much liked to try.

I really wish there was a video or deep documentation on the mods as the ingame descriptions and the thread intro aren't clear enough (at least for me as I haven't managed to make it work in two days of hard trying).

[Rampart]

I have been trying to make a science lab work for two days without success.

The mod lacks indepth documentation about what modules do and how they interact with each other. (The vague explanations on the first page of this tread didn't help).

Basicly , I EVA a kerbal inside the lab, and it says that is stalled. I tried putting a reactor and it doesn't help either.

The main page explains about nuclear and antimatter reactors, but it's not clear what module in game provide nuclear fuel so to speak, so I'm at a loss. I've tried setting up an antimatter container but I don't seem to colelct any antimatter either, and the instructions on how to get magnetometric singularities in the mainpage are very cryptic to say the least ("try to get the biggest amount you can").

I really wanted a mod like this, after getting bored of waiting for ISA , and I don't like kethane mod much (it makes me lag a lot), so I had big hopes on this one. I don't want to edit cfg files and I haven't been able to try the warp drive , which I would have very much liked to try.

I really wish there was a video or deep documentation on the mods as the ingame descriptions and the thread intro aren't clear enough (at least for me as I haven't managed to make it work in two days of hard trying).

Well, I've been making additions to the wiki on the first page, check that out and let me know where it needs improvement. Once you get the idea of how the mod works it's pretty easy, just think of the resources. Reactors (nuclear and AM) produce thermal power. Thermal nozzles and turbojets consume thermal power and various fuels (LF, LFO, Kethane) depending on selection to produce thrust. Generators consume thermal power to produce Megajoules (MJ), Megawatts (MW) is MJ per seconds.

Science labs, plasma thrusters, atmospheric scoops, and I'm sure I'm forgetting other things consume MJ to produce various other things. for the dual purpose magnetometer, you want the amount in between the || bars to be highest, you can also see this value on the AM collectors. That varies in altitude and on what body you are orbiting.

At some point I'll compile this into a FAQ and put it on the wiki.

[Fractal_UK]

I have been trying to make a science lab work for two days without success.

The mod lacks indepth documentation about what modules do and how they interact with each other. (The vague explanations on the first page of this tread didn't help).

Basicly , I EVA a kerbal inside the lab, and it says that is stalled. I tried putting a reactor and it doesn't help either.

The main page explains about nuclear and antimatter reactors, but it's not clear what module in game provide nuclear fuel so to speak, so I'm at a loss. I've tried setting up an antimatter container but I don't seem to colelct any antimatter either, and the instructions on how to get magnetometric singularities in the mainpage are very cryptic to say the least ("try to get the biggest amount you can").

I really wanted a mod like this, after getting bored of waiting for ISA , and I don't like kethane mod much (it makes me lag a lot), so I had big hopes on this one. I don't want to edit cfg files and I haven't been able to try the warp drive , which I would have very much liked to try.

I really wish there was a video or deep documentation on the mods as the ingame descriptions and the thread intro aren't clear enough (at least for me as I haven't managed to make it work in two days of hard trying).

Did you attach a generator to the reactor? A reactor generates heat but heat on its own is useless (unless you just want to use a thermal rocket) so you need to attach a generator as well. Up to now, you also have to activate the generator via right clicking and activating or by setting up an action group, though in the next update it will change to default on.

The nuclear reactors come with a few years of fuel included but the antimatter reactors don't come with anything, you need antimatter tanks and you need to harvest the antimatter to fill them yourself using the collector. The collector will report the rate at which it is producing antimatter, that value will always be zero while you're within the atmosphere.

[rosenkranz]

I am trying to wrap my head around this but my brain feels more like a car wrapped around a phone pole the harder I try. It aint pretty.

Is there a beginners guide to using this properly? I read through the OP and I think I understand most of the parts. But I could use a little advice to get started with this.

On another note considering frac's post (#585) on how a matter/anti-matter reaction breaks down, how in the world to you harness that for power generation if you can't harness it for thrust?

I understand that the current limits on thermal rockets isn't really fuel science but material science. The reactor can only get so hot before critical stuff melts

[Fractal_UK]

On another note considering frac's post (#585) on how a matter/anti-matter reaction breaks down, how in the world to you harness that for power generation if you can't harness it for thrust?

It's actually a little easier in some respects, the electric charge that makes the pions useful for thrust is also useful for direct conversion into electricity. Also, while the gamma rays are a problem for a rocket, they aren't a problem for power generation. All you need to do is stop the gamma rays and they heat up whatever you are stopping them with and with heat, you can get power. That just leaves the neutral pions as the big problem for power generation - they simply zoom straight through the walls of your antimatter reactor and then decay into gamma rays, having covered a great deal of distance from your reactor even in a fraction of a second.

[DaveStrider]

Given that microwave transmitters save the amount of solar energy you're recieving when you switch away, and transmit that energy whenever you have LOS, is it possible to set up an extremely elliptical orbit with a very low periapsis, and switch away when your solar energy is at it's peak?

this is probably more trouble than it's worth but i seem to have a knack for finding exploits...

[Fractal_UK]

Version 0.5 Released

A little going away present before I go on holiday!

Changelog

Version 0.5
-Added DT Vista Engine Inertial Fusion engine (Credit to ZZZ for the amazing modelling work on this engine)
-Added science lab IVA (Credit to ZZZ)
-Added power management system
-Added science transmission/reception options to computer core
-Added option to harvest Deuterium from Jool's atmosphere
-Added on/off options to Microwave Receiver
-Warp drive no longer selectable as root part
-Fixed science lab antimatter production
-Fixed resource management system unpredictability on docking/undocking
-Fixed science lab loading bug
-Fixed plasma engine incorrectly detecting number of active engines bug

Download links on first page updated!

[SeventhArchitect]

Sun does produce some gamma rays due to cyclotron-like processes created by solar flares. But it is a very small amount compared to entire power production of our star. And shielding requires huge amount of mass placed around the source. It can be lead, depleted uranium, granite or other high-density materials. Of course the stronger source is, the more massive shield must be. Considering that weight saving is a primary concern in space engineering, i don't really see any sort of gamma-ray engine being built anytime soon. If ever.

Well, you see...

Gamma rays are still a very basic particle, which can be used for something, I'm guessing. If I didn't guess it right with solar power properties, it had to be something else I'v enot yet discovered myself through the internets.

BTW, never once did I say that that entirety of gamma rays was going to go into creating thrust. In fact, if you read it correctly, I said it would be a reactor with a small nozzle, and it would actually use the small propulsion system, and the gamma rays be converted to outrageous amounts of energy which could be used to power a plasma thruster.

I hate ignorant people. :D

[Ratzap]

Well, you see...

Gamma rays are still a very basic particle, which can be used for something, I'm guessing. If I didn't guess it right with solar power properties, it had to be something else I'v enot yet discovered myself through the internets.

BTW, never once did I say that that entirety of gamma rays was going to go into creating thrust. In fact, if you read it correctly, I said it would be a reactor with a small nozzle, and it would actually use the small propulsion system, and the gamma rays be converted to outrageous amounts of energy which could be used to power a plasma thruster.

I hate ignorant people. :D

Get set to hate yourself then bud - gamma radiation is not a particle, basic or otherwise. It is a band of extremely short wavelength (and thus high energy) radiation, also known as photons. No mass, moves at the speed of light - because it is light, just realyl short wavelength. Capturing gamma would require very dense materials and would undoubtedly transmute said material over time due to the secondary decay chains.

[Scotius]

Fractal, you are a giant Happy holidays. And who knows, maybe 0.22 will be here when you return

[DaveStrider]

Well, you see...

Gamma rays are still a very basic particle, which can be used for something, I'm guessing. If I didn't guess it right with solar power properties, it had to be something else I'v enot yet discovered myself through the internets.

BTW, never once did I say that that entirety of gamma rays was going to go into creating thrust. In fact, if you read it correctly, I said it would be a reactor with a small nozzle, and it would actually use the small propulsion system, and the gamma rays be converted to outrageous amounts of energy which could be used to power a plasma thruster.

I hate ignorant people. :D

You're being very rude, and your idea seems to be "plug a generator into the reactor to power the plasma thruster" which is already in the mod, the only difference is that you're using slightly less of the reactors product for power in exchange for a useless amount of thrust.

EDIT: where do you get the Lithium for the new engine? deuterium can be harvested from Jool (and realistically from kerbin's oceans, although changelog only mentions jool), but where does the Li come from?

Edited September 11, 2013 by DaveStrider

[Fractal_UK]

EDIT: where do you get the Lithium for the new engine? deuterium can be harvested from Jool (and realistically from kerbin's oceans, although changelog only mentions jool), but where does the Li come from?

I'm afraid you can't at the moment, I've simply increased the supply of Lithium so that it will last a long time, doesn't seem unreasonable because it's probably relatively easy to store in sizeable quantities. I will add the option to get new Lithium and to get Deuterium from Kerbin's oceans in future updates but I thought, for now, you might as well have an update now rather than finish all of that system and delay the update by ~ 2 weeks.

[Donziboy2]

Any plans for a 2.5m computer core?

And 1.2k for the upgrade a little high?

Edited September 11, 2013 by Donziboy2

[DaveStrider]

Any plans for a 2.5m computer core?

And 1.2k for the upgrade a little high?

Remember that this upgrade is essentially an investment, you're paying 1200 now but you'll get (i think) twice as much science output than a base science station, by placing a few around moho or eeloo you can quickly set up an impressive science income as soon as you overcome the initial 1200 science (around 1 year i think at the two hotspots with one base science station (after the first upgrade the later ones will come exponentially faster.))

[Fractal_UK]

Remember that this upgrade is essentially an investment, you're paying 1200 now but you'll get (i think) twice as much science output than a base science station, by placing a few around moho or eeloo you can quickly set up an impressive science income as soon as you overcome the initial 1200 science (around 1 year i think at the two hotspots with one base science station (after the first upgrade the later ones will come exponentially faster.))

Yeah, that's the way to look at it, it's very definitely an investment. You can get the same rate from a science lab but it requires 2 kerbals with 0 stupidity, which is obviously much harder to pull off. It also means that using the science from a science lab to upgrade a computer core is more efficient in the long term unless that science lab has 2 zero stupidity kerbals in it already - anything else is an improvement and even a small improvement is better than nothing.

[SeventhArchitect]

Yo, Fractal. Still got a bit of a problem with the Antimatter "bear" containment chamber swinging back and forth when nothing is attached except by top or bottom of it. Just lettin you know, because it looks like it's hanging by a thin wire, and that really makes me very reluctant to even use it.

Hurrrr....

Well, I bid thee farewell. Next update you get is after I've set up a massive solar power station that sends out microwave transmissions, once I make a station outside of the sun's influence, and once I actually do get a few other small thigns done, like landing on a distant planet with an actual lander or aircraft, and the works.

BTW, the Jump Jet, prototype warp drive fitted vessel had to be brought out of service today. I'm going to retrieve Jebediah via a newer model, the Jump Jet Mk II, and leave the old Jump Jet to orbit Moho forever. A problem seemed to take place within the Exotic Matter Generator housed within the Alcubierre drive itself. Maybe a malfunction after it returned to Kerbin, but it can no longer charge, and no longer has enough Exotic matter to jump to even 0.1c. (must've been the update, but my version sounded cooler. )

Oh, and as another, final bit of info, I had crashed a corvette into Eeloo a while back. It was just to test the self-sustaining SSTO, electrical ship, and a bigger Alcubierre Drive, which worked at up to 2.0c. Lovely. though, after I recharged it again to full Exotic matter hold, I aimed it at Eeloo, and plowed into the planet. I would like to let you know, that the ship itself had survived, but the command pod did not. XD So, after about 2 in game weeks, I found it over 174 billion kilometers from the sun, Alcubierre drive still powering it to go 2.0c

Heheheheh. Well, I'll leave you to ponder these cool little events, then be on your way. Have a nice vacation.

[DmitriWillguard]

...and the other person who suffered this problem also didn't have their warpdrive textures load properly - it should be a transparent effect with blues and reds, not a pure white beam.

Found the problem -- my files extracted incorrectly, putting a "GameData" folder into my GameData folder. Moving the mod folder up a level corrected the warp texture issue.

[Kielm]

I love the ideas behind this mod!

I've just started using it, threw the WarpPlugin folder into Gamedata (not sure if I missed a step there).

First question: I put a science lab onto a station around Kerbin, with two Kerbals inside with Low stupidity but I'm not generating any science! The station says "researching" but the rate is 0.0 and no science is accumulating

The station is solar powered, do I need to attach an additional reactor or something? Have I put some mod files in the wrong place?

[Kielm]

Love the ideas behind this mod!

I can't seem to get my science module to produce science. It's attached to a station in Kerbin orbit but the science rate is 0.00 despite it saying "researching..." and having two kerbals with low stupidity.

I put the WarpPlugin folder from the zip straight into GameData - did I miss a step?

[zzz]

Can some one, who played long enough with this plugin give me the *.craft file of some vecicle with extensive use of parts from this plugin, something usuall and working. To take a look what is used and how it's combined. It's more out uf curiosity then for some purpose.

[theSpeare]

Zzz! New reactors and generators please!

Also has antimatter production by science lab around kerbin been nerfed heavily?

[Fractal_UK]

Science lab production is the same in all locations, the latest update fixes this rate, the code was horribly broken before. The rate is supposed to be reasonable but less than is collectable from the good collector locations. On the plus side, resource collection while the science lab isn't the active vessel should be working now.

[jebodiah1976]

Did you attach a generator to the reactor? A reactor generates heat but heat on its own is useless (unless you just want to use a thermal rocket) so you need to attach a generator as well. Up to now, you also have to activate the generator via right clicking and activating or by setting up an action group, though in the next update it will change to default on.

.

That was exactly it, thank you very much.

I've noticed I get a rate of 0.083 science a day while in orbit (I parked my science vessel at 600 Km) and two crewmen inside. Is there a way to increase this?

How do I tranfer this science I'm getting to another vessel? Or are the science mods stored "globally" and can be used to upgrade other modules. I'd like to know how to work on this before letting more time go on my current research , as I 'd hate to lose what I got so far.