I'm completely new to mods, and have very little idea what I'm doing (engine)

[CSquared]

Hi guys,

So I'm trying to make myself a purely electrical engine, and I'm as far as making the model, getting it through Unity, making the part.cfg and actually hooking it up to a ship. The model's really just a placeholder to play with how to make things, and the .cfg is just the stock ion engine's one with the requirement for xenon removed and the thrust upped really, really far. However, when I load up the ship (which consists of a cockpit and an arseload of batteries), the engine activates just fine but tells me it's deprived of electric charge. Nothing happens. I'm almost certain I've done something wrong somewhere down the line (my last attempt at making a mod ended with it crashing KSP every time I tried to load it up - at least I passed that point this time), but I have no idea what. I will, of course, provide any information needed, but I'm not sure what you'd need.

The .cfg is as follows:

PART
{
name = IonEngine2
module = Part
author = CSquared

mesh = IonEngine2.mu
scale = 1
rescaleFactor = 1

node_stack_top = 0.0, 0.2135562, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0, 0.0, 1
node_stack_bottom = 0.0, -0.1872844, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0, 0.0, 1

cost = 5700
category = Propulsion
subcategory = 0
title = Dual State Electrical Propulsion System
manufacturer = K. Lee
description = Electricity in one end, thrust out the other.  Simple.
attachRules = 1,0,1,1,0

// --- standard part parameters ---
mass = 15.00
dragModelType = default
maximum_drag = 0.2
minimum_drag = 0.2
angularDrag = 2
crashTolerance = 7
maxTemp = 3600

MODULE
{
	name = ModuleEngines
	thrustVectorTransformName = thrustTransform
	exhaustDamage = False
	ignitionThreshold = 0.1
	minThrust = 0
	maxThrust = 1500
	heatProduction = 0
	PROPELLANT
	{
		name = ElectricCharge
       		ratio = 12.0
			DrawGauge = True
	}
	atmosphereCurve
 	{
   	 key = 0 4200
 	}

}

MODULE
{
      name = FXModuleAnimateThrottle
      animationName = colorAnimation
      dependOnEngineState = True
      responseSpeed = 0.5
}

}

It shows up properly in the game, and I can attach it fine (although it attaches with empty space between it and the batteries since I haven't moved the node attachment point yet), it just doesn't actually function. Help?

[hoojiwana]

The stock ElectricCharge resource has no density, and ModuleEngines will not work without one of the propellents having mass. It's impossible to have an ElectricCharge-only engine because of that.

[Diazo]

Two thoughts.

First, delete the DrawGauge = True line, I don't know if that is valid for ElectricCharge?

Second, right click the engine and check the flameout status, maybe it is not getting electricity for some reason?

Beyond that, someone else will have to take a look, I'm really just starting out myself.

Or see previous post.

D.

[CSquared]

The stock ElectricCharge resource has no density, and ModuleEngines will not work without one of the propellents having mass. It's impossible to have an ElectricCharge-only engine because of that.

Ah, OK, brilliant - didn't understand that. Would it be possible for me to simply turn the rate at which it uses xenon down to zero, but leave the propellant entry in there? So it still has to have a tank, but that's all?

[hoojiwana]

You can give it a try, I'm not sure if ModuleEngines is implemented in such a way as to allow that to work. Experiment!

[KhaosCorp]

You cant turn it use to zero I dont think, thats the same as not using any. You can however turn down the rate it uses Xenon so that even the little radial tank is close to an infinite supply. Making a custom resource that the engine not only burns but creates is also a common solution to this problem (see the firespitter electric props for good example of this).