[Airships in 1.12.3] HooliganLabs Mods

[firegeek83]

Hooligan, your mod is great! I just discovered your probe sized part which has completely redesigned my probe missions to atmosphere planets. Any chance Squad will look into stocking your mod? It would interesting to see how many shapes these airship envelopes can come in on top of what you've created (like torus or spheres).

[Arron Rift]

Hooligan, your mod is great! I just discovered your probe sized part which has completely redesigned my probe missions to atmosphere planets. Any chance Squad will look into stocking your mod? It would interesting to see how many shapes these airship envelopes can come in on top of what you've created (like torus or spheres).

Bump, I'd love to see more parts like the probe core, or at least bigger probe cores. They're the main parts that you can build with similar to fuel tanks, and open up whole new possibilities!

[JewelShisen]

Bump, I'd love to see more parts like the probe core, or at least bigger probe cores. They're the main parts that you can build with similar to fuel tanks, and open up whole new possibilities!

Well once Tweakscale is added in then the possible cores and parts will get much bigger.

@firegeek83

Right now i have heard nothing from Squad about adding this to stock but I am very glad that you enjoy it so much! I will be adding some actual probe sized parts soon so keep an eye out here!

[Hooligan Labs]

Right now i have heard nothing from Squad about adding this to stock but I am very glad that you enjoy it so much! I will be adding some actual probe sized parts soon so keep an eye out here!

Yep, I'm not even working on the project anymore. Jewel has been keeping it running since I left to devote more time to my new Interstellar game. I would love to see Squad add airships and submarines in the future, somehow! I think this shows it could work!

[JewelShisen]

Yep, I'm not even working on the project anymore. Jewel has been keeping it running since I left to devote more time to my new Interstellar game. I would love to see Squad add airships and submarines in the future, somehow! I think this shows it could work!

Indeed. And just a note to let everybody know what is going on with this mod now: Toolbar support~! Right now it is still in testing and REQUIRES Toolbar to work but it's not ready yet.

[goldenpsp]

Hey all,

So I figured I would post to ask for some help. I love this mod and at least the idea of airships. I have been having a really tough time actually building workable airships however.

Mostly I'm sure it is due to my poor building skills. But I figured if anyone had some cool ships they wouldn't mind sharing, mostly so I can look at them in game.

I run with NEAR so I don't know if that has an effect.

As an example, I wanted to build a kerbin based airship in career mode to fly around the planet gathering science. I thought it would be more fun than the usual head straight to Minmus/Mun.

I wanted a basic airship, using a lab (to reset experiments) material bay, goo container, and thermometer, and simple pod. That's all of the experiments I had unlocked so far.

I started with the basic envelope, which ended up so tall it would fall over.

So I figured I would use an"octo" envelope (at least I think so, I'm on my tablet atm). As an example I tried building an undercarriage, figuring I would attach the octo to the top. But it only seemed to have attachment points at the front and back and would not attach to the vertical girder I had put on my undercarriage.

My next attempt was to put a science lab in the center, horizontal with an octo on the front and back. Then add the other parts. I worked really hard to try and get it balanced front to back, but it always wants to flip over forwards or backwards. I can kind of fix this by adjusting the buoyancy of each octo separately, but it is extremely tedious to do.

I'm sure this isn't enough info, but if anyone had some basic design tips I would love the help.

Thanks

[Hooligan Labs]

I'm sure this isn't enough info, but if anyone had some basic design tips I would love the help.

Thanks

The easiest would likely be to hang it from the top, like you first attempted. Try rotating it with WASD to find an attachment point. You can also use a Cirrus or the like, which is an animated envelope with an attachment point on the bottom.

[JewelShisen]

Hey all,

So I figured I would post to ask for some help. I love this mod and at least the idea of airships. I have been having a really tough time actually building workable airships however.

Mostly I'm sure it is due to my poor building skills. But I figured if anyone had some cool ships they wouldn't mind sharing, mostly so I can look at them in game.

I run with NEAR so I don't know if that has an effect.

As an example, I wanted to build a kerbin based airship in career mode to fly around the planet gathering science. I thought it would be more fun than the usual head straight to Minmus/Mun.

I wanted a basic airship, using a lab (to reset experiments) material bay, goo container, and thermometer, and simple pod. That's all of the experiments I had unlocked so far.

I started with the basic envelope, which ended up so tall it would fall over.

So I figured I would use an"octo" envelope (at least I think so, I'm on my tablet atm). As an example I tried building an undercarriage, figuring I would attach the octo to the top. But it only seemed to have attachment points at the front and back and would not attach to the vertical girder I had put on my undercarriage.

My next attempt was to put a science lab in the center, horizontal with an octo on the front and back. Then add the other parts. I worked really hard to try and get it balanced front to back, but it always wants to flip over forwards or backwards. I can kind of fix this by adjusting the buoyancy of each octo separately, but it is extremely tedious to do.

I'm sure this isn't enough info, but if anyone had some basic design tips I would love the help.

Thanks

I will see if i can make you something simple to learn from.

[DuoDex]

Feature suggestion for the airships: Autobalancer.

It would adjust the buoyancy of the envelopes on the craft (if there are multiple envelopes) to (in conjunction with SAS and RCS) maintain a user-inputted pitch. For simplicity's sake, the user would reach a desirable pitch then click a button. The envelopes would inflate/deflate to maintain that pitch, and when velocity control is engaged the envelopes inflate/deflate using the pitch control as a base.

As in, I launch a three-Octo airship with a couple of batteries on one end and a few RTGs on the other. Currently, I need a **** ton of SAS or RCS to maintain a somewhat equal pitch. With the new system, I launch, and before inflating my parts, I engage the system-this requires launch clamps to maintain a desirable pitch. When I begin my ascent, the envelopes inflate, but never so much or so little that my indicated desirable pitch is deviated far from.

I sort of suggest you only enable this for parts placed with symmetry or parts placed in a straight line, otherwise things could get very ugly very fast. VERY ugly, code and gameplay wise.

Thanks for your work on the airships.

My suggestion for the SQUID parts is simple compared to my first. I think that SQUIDs should be tweakable, rather than an entire set of landing legs and wheels.

Edited September 17, 2014 by DuoDex

[JewelShisen]

Feature suggestion for the airships: Autobalancer.

It would adjust the buoyancy of the envelopes on the craft (if there are multiple envelopes) to maintain a user-inputted heading. I sort of suggest you only enable this for parts placed with symmetry, otherwise things could get very ugly very fast.

Already planned for one that will keep the ship at level pitch and possible roll.

[Hooligan Labs]

Already planned for one that will keep the ship at level pitch and possible roll.

I almost had that working long ago, but lost the code.

I found it important to include in the UI an option to have the ship's Z or Y axis be "up". That way you can handle zeppelin or more typical balloon designs.

[JewelShisen]

I almost had that working long ago, but lost the code.

I found it important to include in the UI an option to have the ship's Z or Y axis be "up". That way you can handle zeppelin or more typical balloon designs.

Actually i have a bypass for that one. Just checking if the CoL is above or level (with a margin) with the CoM.

If it is more that a certain distance from the CoM then it would switch modes automatically.

Of course that is ideal. It may not work out.

[Hooligan Labs]

That might work! Just hope it doesn't get confused if the airship starts to tumble.

KSP hilarity ensues?

[JewelShisen]

That might work! Just hope it doesn't get confused if the airship starts to tumble.

KSP hilarity ensues?

If it was checking against relative distance then that issue gets negated.

[FreeThinker]

I wonder if I could use this to Create a zeplin and traverse arround the atmosphere of a planet using solar powered propellers

[JewelShisen]

I wonder if I could use this to Create a zeplin and traverse arround the atmosphere of a planet using solar powered propellers

Indeed you can! Firespitter has electric powered propeller engines.

[ahappydude]

Using this and extraplanetary launchpad is an great combo

[JewelShisen]

Using this and extraplanetary launchpad is an great combo

Well I would love to see what anybody makes!

[Righteousmikey]

Is there a way to turn off the sticky wheels? Holding a bouncing plane together is easier than spamming support struts on a tiny gear bay. Is this mod compatible with Kethane or Karbonite mod? I haven't installed this mod or found anything answering my questions, or was it in those 61 pages? Sorry for all the questions, but I really want to know.

P.S. My first post on the forum.

[JewelShisen]

All airship and SQUID parts are confirmed to be working in 0.25!

Also just as a little teaser for you all~

[Hooligan Labs]

Nice! Is it still necessary to touch the ground to save?

[JewelShisen]

Nice! Is it still necessary to touch the ground to save?

Yes it is. Also toolbar support is coming however it will be hardcoded for the moment. Meaning you will HAVE to have it.

[xxjetterxx]

I think this mod would be so much better with a stockalike texture option, other than that, great work!

[JewelShisen]

I think this mod would be so much better with a stockalike texture option, other than that, great work!

I will be honest and say that my ability to make textures is awful but also that I personally feel giving the parts a unique texture sets them apart and is part of what makes mods stand out from the core game.

Edited October 12, 2014 by JewelShisen

[Dragonchampion]

Do the SQUID still explode when deployed?