Help-A-Noob

[Milkshakefiend]

Right click on the "Mesh Renderer" part (where you unchecked it) and choose "Remove Component" on the collision mesh part to fix this. You should probably go to the parts that you want visible, but that are not part of the collider and do the same for the "Mesh Collider" tab

That sorted it! Thanks!

EDIT: Well, I realised I'd tweaked the surface node to an incorrect position after testing it on something other than an SRB - the node was clearly in the wrong location. I reset the node back to what it was originally, so now it works on the fuel tanks, but not the SRB. I guess the visual mesh of the SRB is actually a bit wider than 1.25m.

Edited August 31, 2013 by Milkshakefiend

[Greys]

None of the stock tanks are exactly at a standard notch in the scale, though with most they're very nearly there. Forgive me if it's mentioned earlier, I'm not at a computer at the moment but what are these collars intended to do? If they're just ment to look pretty you should look at the small stock truss sections, one of them has a weird variable that turns off it's physics, but you can't use that and have the collar contain, use, or generate resource, should still allow rightclick actions if you wanted

[Milkshakefiend]

None of the stock tanks are exactly at a standard notch in the scale, though with most they're very nearly there. Forgive me if it's mentioned earlier, I'm not at a computer at the moment but what are these collars intended to do? If they're just ment to look pretty you should look at the small stock truss sections, one of them has a weird variable that turns off it's physics, but you can't use that and have the collar contain, use, or generate resource, should still allow rightclick actions if you wanted

Instead of dotting several spotlights around a ship I thought about making a collar containing several lights. Not the most groundbreaking part, but I thought it would teach me the basics and hopefully touch on animations etc. I've seen something in one of the strut cfgs about physics significance - is that what you mean? I was going to have these consume power, so can't really use that I guess.

I've just managed to get the lights to animate on and off using an animation I made in Unity, but I still need to wrap my head around some of the cfg stuff - I've borrowed the modulelight part verbatim from the stock spotlight and just changed the name to my animation and the lights I have in my part - not sure if I need all that or if thats the only way/most effective way to do it or what.

EDIT:

Lo, and behold! It lights, and I got a cfg rescale working.

The lights look okay rescaled on the 2.5m, but I think 3.75m and 5m will require a better mesh and more lights sources.

Edited August 31, 2013 by Milkshakefiend

[Talisar]

Well done! I look forward to seeing more

[Milkshakefiend]

Right, so I thought I'd see If I can learn a thing or two about normal maps and thought I'd experiment making a fuel tank. Got the high poly and low poly meshes working fine, baked a normal map, edited it in GIMP, textured etc and got it to show up in KSP first time - woohoo! only problem is the lighting is wacky. It's not receiving lights right. Anyone seen this problem before and know what I've messed up? THe sides of the tank are perfectly flat - the visual mesh is a 32 sided cylinder.

[Dispatcher]

Did you assign your normal map any weird settings? Any kind of tiling effect? More possibilities. Was your original mesh short, say, about the size of one of the lit segments? Did you have 3 of these and then did you join them in object mode? In your materials, did you use any kind of gradient effect? One more question. Did you change or specify light reflecting off of your material at a non standard angle?

I've not encountered anything like what your pic shows, but if I haven't addressed it, perhaps a modeling guru may be able to help.

Edited September 4, 2013 by Dispatcher
Expanded.

[Milkshakefiend]

Did you assign your normal map any weird settings? Any kind of tiling effect? More possibilities. Was your original mesh short, say, about the size of one of the lit segments? Did you have 3 of these and then did you join them in object mode? In your materials, did you use any kind of gradient effect? One more question. Did you change or specify light reflecting off of your material at a non standard angle?

I've not encountered anything like what your pic shows, but if I haven't addressed it, perhaps a modeling guru may be able to help.

Negative to all of these - just incase anyone else has a similar issue in the future the fix for this was to use a .dae file in unity and not to just import the .blend file. The .blend and .dae imports seem very similar in terms of file content/structure, except the .blend has issues like this.

[Torminator]

I've been using .dae (and .fbx for animated models) with no problems, so I'd recommend those as well.

[Mrwood]

Lost Dazed and confused!

I'm attempting to mod an engine from the B9 pack to begin my first mod effort. Roadblocks to date I need help with:

1. successfully edited engine to include 2x modes, but can't alter effects with switch (http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/52058-FX-definitions-in-CFG-files-with-multi-mode-parts)

2. In attempt to address #1, I downloaded unity 4.2.2.f1 and KSP part tools from the ksp wiki link. I think part tools loaded ok, but I'm not sure. (how can I confirm if KSP part tool is loaded?) I looked at the unity video, on the ksp forum, but the version looks significantly different.

3. Can I load an existing part and alter in unity? If not, how do I start a new part?

Thx Mrwood.

[Dispatcher]

For question number 2. Take a copy of your KSP Part Tools folder and put it into the Unity Assets folder (at lower left side). Follow the tutorial instructions to essentially create a new GameObject which is controlled by the Part Tools. That new GameObject will be in the Hierarchy on the upper left side. To test that you have it set up properly, take a 3D model file (.dae or .blend or whatever) and put it into a new folder within the Assets folder. Select that model and you will see on the right side a menu. Checkmark the boxes for Generate ... Colliders and Lightmap UV, then press Apply. In a few seconds the model will have been imported to Unity. Drag the model into your new GameObject, in the Hierarchy on the upper left. It won't move but will be copied into the GameObject. Now drag the model's texture file into the same folder where you first dragged your model into Unity (in the Assets folder). Select the texture. If it needs importing, press the Apply button like you did earlier. If it doesn't need importing, applying isn't an available option and its ready. Next drag the texture into the GameObject like you did with the model file. It will copy into the GameObject. If you click on the GameObject arrow(s) you will see that a copy of your model and texture files is there. Select the model. Make sure that the Mesh Collider is checked as Convex, in the context menu. Set the Shader to KSP/ whatever it is you are wanting shader. Select your texture. After that is set the way you want, select the GameObject. In the menu on the right, checkbox Show Materials. Then press the Compile Materials button. Look at the File URL line. Set where you want your files saved. Then ... get ready for it ... press the Write button. After a few seconds. Look where you set the Write to occur. You should find a .mu model file and a .mbm or .tga or however you set the texture to export. That's how you know it worked. As for questions 1 and 3, I don't know.

[Mrwood]

Slowly making progress, I have applied the KSP shader model, but I can't seem to find the compile and write controls. Here is my progress to date:

Then press the Compile Materials button. Look at the File URL line. Set where you want your files saved. Then ... get ready for it ... press the Write button

for others apparently importing existing.mu files is discouraged by squad.

http://www.reddit.com/r/KerbalSpaceProgram/comments/1c2pew/help_with_opening_mu_files_ksps_3d_files/

A few other tips, with the latest unity setup:

make sure the layout is set to default mode - this keeps many of displays open that are common to the unity to KSP video. (Including the inspector tab)

Additionally, for some reason I was not able to load a .blend model into unity until I installed blend.

[Dispatcher]

Your image is a bit small. A larger one may help someone answer any remaining questions.

[Mrwood]

Success! Mostly... I had to add the collider from the physics menu separately. However, I could not get the collision mesh to match the cylinder from within the unity editor, and my icon size inside the KSP assembly building was tiny. Apparently it exported the emission screen and/or camera that I built in my blend tutorial. I'll tinker with blend to see if I can delete the extras. I don't think I want to try textures at this point since I'm artistically challenged. Once I get these nuisances addressed, its off to learn .dll creation.

Thanks, Dispatcher!

[Dispatcher]

Cool! As for texturing, for me its a lot easier than making 3D models. Have fun.