[WIP] Nert's Dev Thread - Current: various updates

[landeTLS]

I think the externals are almost done! I need to complete the specular and normal maps for the fuel tank, utility pod and landing legs, but things are otherwise approximately where I want them. Then I'll release a test release, before I start with IVAs (which will take a good while).

Today I flew the assembled ship to Duna and landed it to test performance and landing ability. I used up about half the tank, but I suspect I better pilot could do it in less.

I may add integrated landing lights into the landing gear pods too!

http://nertea.the3rdage.net/ksp/fcsm_tex2.jpg

Those textures look nice. Cant wait

[Captain Sierra]

Not sure I'm a fan of a CM being only 2 person and going from 2.5m down to 0.625m. Seems like a tiny chute for something not so tiny. My 2 cents would be create a 1.25-0.625m nosecone SAS unit for it to make it a better CSM and an alternate nosecone parachute for those using it as a lander. Either way, beautiful work. It has been fun watching NFP progress from early concepts all the way to the mod it is today. It continues to be a required mod for my heavily modded installation. Beautiful work as always. Your stuff continues to be these beautiful parts which end up as favorites of mine, as stockalike or not as they may be. Keep it up and have some rep while I'm at it.

[Explorator]

Not sure I'm a fan of a CM being only 2 person and going from 2.5m down to 0.625m. Seems like a tiny chute for something not so tiny. My 2 cents would be create a 1.25-0.625m nosecone SAS unit for it to make it a better CSM and an alternate nosecone parachute for those using it as a lander. Either way, beautiful work. It has been fun watching NFP progress from early concepts all the way to the mod it is today. It continues to be a required mod for my heavily modded installation. Beautiful work as always. Your stuff continues to be these beautiful parts which end up as favorites of mine, as stockalike or not as they may be. Keep it up and have some rep while I'm at it.

I actually think this doesn't matter because there is no need for a sas unit, but also because the parachute is supposed to be compressed.

[Helix935]

I think the externals are almost done! I need to complete the specular and normal maps for the fuel tank, utility pod and landing legs, but things are otherwise approximately where I want them. Then I'll release a test release, before I start with IVAs (which will take a good while).

Today I flew the assembled ship to Duna and landed it to test performance and landing ability. I used up about half the tank, but I suspect I better pilot could do it in less.

I may add integrated landing lights into the landing gear pods too!

http://nertea.the3rdage.net/ksp/fcsm_tex2.jpg

Congrats! Awesome textures and they actually look stockalike too so awesome

[kiwiak]

I love capsules with big windows actually making IVA usefull.

I hope you will use raster prop monitors for interior.

WIll this capsule be part of near future propulsions pack?

[nubcaker]

Agreed with Kiwiak. Integrate RasterPropMonitors into the capsule IVA and I will forever love you in a non-homo way.

[Nertea]

Not sure I'm a fan of a CM being only 2 person and going from 2.5m down to 0.625m. Seems like a tiny chute for something not so tiny. My 2 cents would be create a 1.25-0.625m nosecone SAS unit for it to make it a better CSM and an alternate nosecone parachute for those using it as a lander. Either way, beautiful work. It has been fun watching NFP progress from early concepts all the way to the mod it is today. It continues to be a required mod for my heavily modded installation. Beautiful work as always. Your stuff continues to be these beautiful parts which end up as favorites of mine, as stockalike or not as they may be. Keep it up and have some rep while I'm at it.

Aww, thanks! I had fun making it too.

I'm playing with some settings to make the capsule interesting. Its reaction wheels are stronger than the normal capsule and it's a bit lighter, but sacrifices impact resistance and heat tolerance. I'm also thinking of making it require power, but also be able to function like a probe core if there are no crewmembers. I'll certainly be making some kind of new chute for the top at some point; just haven't decided what it should look like yet. There's only so many ways you can make a nosecone .

I love capsules with big windows actually making IVA usefull.

I hope you will use raster prop monitors for interior.

WIll this capsule be part of near future propulsions pack?

Yes, it will use RPM I think, to a silly extent (monitors everywhere!). It will not be part of NFPP; it'll be part of a (theoretical) separate pack, strictly for things I make that don't need plugins.

[kiwiak]

Aww, thanks! I had fun making it too.

Yes, it will use RPM I think, to a silly extent (monitors everywhere!).

Then i hope you will also use another of his props... Well all of them thet were used in ALCOR. Staging switch, action groups buttons, fuel indicator, etc.

Overally how much % of capsule is completed already?

What else will we find in this nor-part-of-near-future-propulsions-pack?

f... um... i may suggest something... Lander can witch large window on the floor! To actualy se surface BELOW you

[Nertea]

Then i hope you will also use another of his props... Well all of them thet were used in ALCOR. Staging switch, action groups buttons, fuel indicator, etc.

Overally how much % of capsule is completed already?

What else will we find in this nor-part-of-near-future-propulsions-pack?

f... um... i may suggest something... Lander can witch large window on the floor! To actualy se surface BELOW you

If you look up images of the 787's cockpit, that's what I'm going to be heading towards. I will probably make such switches - I'll have to look into RPM's capabilities much more thoroughly before I start modeling props.

IVA 1% complete .

And as to other stuff... well, I don't know for sure. Trusses and integrated fuel tanks, to start.

[Sean Mirrsen]

How about collapsible rover wheels? Structural command seats (i.e. 0.625m inline stack with windshield)? Deployable floats ("landing legs" for water)? Maybe landing legs with integrated ladders? Maybe (finally) heavy-duty landing gear? Curved girders/trusses for station rings?

[Nertea]

So externals are pretty much done, I'm just waiting on some kind of fix to the landing legs, which are not animating correctly when retracting (vexing!). In the meantime I'm fiddling with rough IVAs, so both habitable bits will have untextured, half finished interiors. Yay?

I also made some progress on the 2.5m scale large trusses after a remodel or two. It seems like a semi-octagonal model looks pretty nice, with the smaller sides of the octagon matching the stock Modular Girder segments.

What do people think of this? It has a bit more decoration than the stock girders, as it's kinda plain for something so large. I put some electricity wires in, plan on texturing the middle pipe kinda like a fuel line...

[wasmic]

How many passengers are there room for in the command pod? Three? Four?

Anyway, it looks super rad, all of it. Especially the command pod. And the SM. And that thingy you posted right above here.

[Nertea]

I tried to jam 4 in there, but 2 seems like all that will fit well.

[jfull]

That strut looks just right for putting some distance between my Kerbals and their ship's reactor

[ZobrAA]

Nertea, did you saw this?

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/26286-FTmN-Atomic-Rockets-More-v2-2?p=897126&viewfull=1#post897126

Looks like you and Kommitz working on the same stuff with that LH2 tanks and struts for it

[Nertea]

Whoa, no, I hadn't! That similarity is really uncanny It's like... slightly off octagonal and everything!

Gotta figure out a way to differentiate then!

[Kerbal01]

Would you be willing to make a replica of the solar panels from the MAVEN spacecraft?

[Nertea]

I uploaded the various bits for anyone who want to test them, to test. The landing legs are still giving me some grief, they work some percentage of the time, but sometimes seem to stop working for no apparent reason at all. Most other things are done, though I have some texture work to do on the ends of the service pod and the internal fuel tank of the fuel pod.

Appreciate any comments on balancing as well.

I threw together rough IVAs (basic modelling, no textures) also for testing.

[Captain Sierra]

Just had an idea for that CSM craft. An adapter that on one end is 2.5m. On the other end, it is the same shape to acomadate the engines and landing leg pods, and has a recessed 1.25m port so that the entire thing can be fit snuggly against it when docked, like in the concept pic.

Still not a fan of the tiny chute nose cone.

[4nxs]

I had some spare time so I have been testing the new parts. First of all, nice work. I especially like the stock-a-like look and the fact that the parts are versatile so you can use them in other crafts.

Things I noticed during testing:

- the landing legs bug you mentioned

- when going EVA from the pod or grabbing the ladder in space the kerbals will do a 180 or 360 spin. Also on the ground the kerbals move faster across the service container ladder than the pod ladder

- balancing of the parts is alright for me, nothing seems to be out of line (did a landing, ascent and rendezvous on Duna, had a reasonable amount of fuel left at the end)

- perhaps you could create a nosecone part for when you don't use a parachute or jr. docking port, with maybe a functionality (science, probe, antenna)

Looking forward to the release!

[Nertea]

I had some spare time so I have been testing the new parts. First of all, nice work. I especially like the stock-a-like look and the fact that the parts are versatile so you can use them in other crafts.

Things I noticed during testing:

- the landing legs bug you mentioned

- when going EVA from the pod or grabbing the ladder in space the kerbals will do a 180 or 360 spin. Also on the ground the kerbals move faster across the service container ladder than the pod ladder

- balancing of the parts is alright for me, nothing seems to be out of line (did a landing, ascent and rendezvous on Duna, had a reasonable amount of fuel left at the end)

- perhaps you could create a nosecone part for when you don't use a parachute or jr. docking port, with maybe a functionality (science, probe, antenna)

Looking forward to the release!

Thanks for testing! I'll look into those issues when I can. I might make a part for the top eventually.

[hieywiey]

I love how this is coming along!

[m00f]

If you are planing to be modeling the lander pod after this:

http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/1/34851/761573/NK_Mission2Mars_2048.jpg

Then, you should put the docking port on the bottom, surrounded by the engines, as that seems to be what is shown in the picture

Edited January 18, 2014 by m00f

[DaMichel]

@m00f: He did exactly that, didn't he?

@Nerta: Nice. I like the engine part. It seem pretty useful and i haven't seen anything like it yet.

The landing leg housing intersects a lot with the part it is attached to. Also it would be better if it was shorter, if possible. About the height of a landing pod.

I'm just writing this because i've been struggling to make a realistic atmospheric lander for duna which can also carry a small rover. Your stuff would help a lot as it seems. But here is another suggestion: How about a cargo hold along the lines of this

http://kerbalspaceprogram.com/st-spacetech-landing-program-v1-0/

, which is apparently abandoned? Perhaps with integration of InfernalRobotics for door control. Hm ... might be a fun project for myself. Do you plan to do something like that?

[m00f]

@m00f: He did exactly that, didn't he?

He did? I must not have seen it in the pics.