[WIP] Cacteye Telescope v0.1 (2/1/14) - Modular, EVA-serviceable orbital telescope

[DasBananenbrot]

Appreciate it!

You're welcome

[kiwiak]

I went through this whole forum, and I can't believe nobody has posted and AAR of the deployment of this beauty! I just finished my mission and am about to head home. I thought I would share this STS-61-inspired mission with everyone as proof of what the telescope can do.

http://imgur.com/a/0gMzw

I thoroughly enjoyed this mission, and it will be one of my favorites because of the functional applications of this mod. Thank you OP!

Thats a cool shuttle SkyHook.

[rottielover]

Funny (or sad) story....

I put this really nice telescope in a polar orbit, and then used the new kerbin mini shuttle mod to send a service mission up... Ribfred Kerman was selected to carry out the EVA work. After replacement of all the modules he was getting set to head back to the ship. He closed the doors to the service bay and ... THWACK! His head got caught in the doors as they closed, right at the neckline (I should have thought about screenshots).... Anyway, phantom forces kicked in, and poor Ribfred was killed by DREC G-Forces (but the body didn't go away).

So do to some feature or bug, the body of Ribfred is orbiting kerbin right now... I tried to catch him in the shuttles cargo bay to bring the body back for burial, but he slipped out.

So this happens to be my main savegame, so if anyone has suggestions on how I can deorbit him.....

[kiwiak]

Funny (or sad) story....

I put this really nice telescope in a polar orbit, and then used the new kerbin mini shuttle mod to send a service mission up... Ribfred Kerman was selected to carry out the EVA work. After replacement of all the modules he was getting set to head back to the ship. He closed the doors to the service bay and ... THWACK! His head got caught in the doors as they closed, right at the neckline (I should have thought about screenshots).... Anyway, phantom forces kicked in, and poor Ribfred was killed by DREC G-Forces (but the body didn't go away).

So do to some feature or bug, the body of Ribfred is orbiting kerbin right now... I tried to catch him in the shuttles cargo bay to bring the body back for burial, but he slipped out.

So this happens to be my main savegame, so if anyone has suggestions on how I can deorbit him.....

Maybe use KAS winch?

[Boamere]

Funny (or sad) story....

I put this really nice telescope in a polar orbit, and then used the new kerbin mini shuttle mod to send a service mission up... Ribfred Kerman was selected to carry out the EVA work. After replacement of all the modules he was getting set to head back to the ship. He closed the doors to the service bay and ... THWACK! His head got caught in the doors as they closed, right at the neckline (I should have thought about screenshots).... Anyway, phantom forces kicked in, and poor Ribfred was killed by DREC G-Forces (but the body didn't go away).

So do to some feature or bug, the body of Ribfred is orbiting kerbin right now... I tried to catch him in the shuttles cargo bay to bring the body back for burial, but he slipped out.

So this happens to be my main savegame, so if anyone has suggestions on how I can deorbit him.....

You could employ the idea's of danny and ram him with a rocket, and if that doesn't work you could push him with an engine exhaust

[federicoaa]

When I try to activate the processor it says it is in the wrong bay, what does it means?

[a__gun]

The processor needs to be in a processor mount, inside a bay DIRECTLY underneath the main tube. If you think of the processor as a camera and the tube as the lens - put anything in between and it won't work.

[Boamere]

Hmm i'm gettiong magical torque on the telescope, it's able to move it's position in orbit.

Also it suddenly bugged out and said it was orbiting at 0.0ms and was on the launhpad, even though it is in space

When i tries to turn it kept acting as though it was resting against something :/

It's very odd, it was working fine earlier... ???

[iCnHunter]

I currently have the telescope in a 275k orbit with a low processor in the bay. Every time I try to activate it I get an error saying "incorrect bay config".. Any help?

[enneract]

Hmm. Is it possible to get a moho observation?

[Luckfish]

I'm thinking that I'm being an idiot in how I'm installing the mod, but when I tried to it made all parts (stock too) disappear...

[a__gun]

What did you do..?

[DasBananenbrot]

I'm thinking that I'm being an idiot in how I'm installing the mod, but when I tried to it made all parts (stock too) disappear...

What the hell? How did you installed it?

[fitiales]

When I try to activate the processor it says it is in the wrong bay, what does it means?

same thing happened to me.

you must try to correctly place this part of the processor..

right

wrong

[acc]

yep, that was confusing me first too. just attach the processor mount to the inside attaching node of the cargo bay.

btw if the old processor still floats into the mount after relasing, don't attach the new processor or both parts clip and the telescope explodes

[Anghor]

Instead of releasing the old processor,

get a Kerbal there, grab the old processor, put it away on the service vehicle and then install the new processor.

or just look at the sun and fry the old processor.

Edited February 9, 2014 by Anghor

[Luckfish]

What the hell? How did you installed it?

I'm using the Generic Mode Enabler (v2.6.0.157) to install/uninstall mods, it seems pretty good about merging the the Mod's GameData folder with the KSP GameData. Should I have put the parts in another (not KSP GameData) folder, as well as the ships? When I ran KSP after installing CactEye (and KAS, Hull Camera, Action Group Manager) KSP told me that the few flights in progress couldn't be rendered because all the required parts were not found. Both (un-Kerbed probes) ships just disappeared, and the VAB had no parts whatsoever in it. I shut down KSP, uninstalled CactEye, and then had to go re-research every single (previously unlocked) part in the tech tree. I knew CactEye was a WIP (heck, so is KSP for that matter) so I didn't get all aggro, but after reading on this thread it seems that other people have been having luck with this mod, so I figured that it was most likely something I had done wrong.

[DasBananenbrot]

I'm using the Generic Mode Enabler (v2.6.0.157) to install/uninstall mods, it seems pretty good about merging the the Mod's GameData folder with the KSP GameData. Should I have put the parts in another (not KSP GameData) folder, as well as the ships? When I ran KSP after installing CactEye (and KAS, Hull Camera, Action Group Manager) KSP told me that the few flights in progress couldn't be rendered because all the required parts were not found. Both (un-Kerbed probes) ships just disappeared, and the VAB had no parts whatsoever in it. I shut down KSP, uninstalled CactEye, and then had to go re-research every single (previously unlocked) part in the tech tree. I knew CactEye was a WIP (heck, so is KSP for that matter) so I didn't get all aggro, but after reading on this thread it seems that other people have been having luck with this mod, so I figured that it was most likely something I had done wrong.

Try to install it manually it isn't that hard

[Andon]

OK, so. I like the mod, so far. BUT I have a few issues. First and foremost: It's too linear for a multi-part system. The Service Bay is nice for a mini cargo bay outside of this mod. I like the processors (And processor housing!) being separate parts for serviceability. I also like the design possibilities with having the tube separate from the processor bay... Except the mod doesn't allow it. It only detects the tube if it is attached directly to the main service bay. And it also doesn't detect the processor if the mount isn't added properly. Having more freedom with design choices would be very nice - Or, alternately, having the service bay, processor mount, and the tube being one part would also be fine.

Another issue is that the science on these things is... very, VERY high. I gained roughly 6,000 science from one unserviced mission. Went to LKO with the mid-tech processor on a fairly simple rocket design. Used the Wide-Field 2 camera on everything except Moho (didn't want to risk the sun). Boosted to Munar orbit. Did the same thing, and used the two mid-tech single-use experiments (900+ Science. Each). Came back and pretty much finished my tech tree.

[Rubber Ducky]

OK, so. I like the mod, so far. BUT I have a few issues. First and foremost: It's too linear for a multi-part system. The Service Bay is nice for a mini cargo bay outside of this mod. I like the processors (And processor housing!) being separate parts for serviceability. I also like the design possibilities with having the tube separate from the processor bay... Except the mod doesn't allow it. It only detects the tube if it is attached directly to the main service bay. And it also doesn't detect the processor if the mount isn't added properly. Having more freedom with design choices would be very nice - Or, alternately, having the service bay, processor mount, and the tube being one part would also be fine.

Another issue is that the science on these things is... very, VERY high. I gained roughly 6,000 science from one unserviced mission. Went to LKO with the mid-tech processor on a fairly simple rocket design. Used the Wide-Field 2 camera on everything except Moho (didn't want to risk the sun). Boosted to Munar orbit. Did the same thing, and used the two mid-tech single-use experiments (900+ Science. Each). Came back and pretty much finished my tech tree.

You have to remember that the processor is meant to process the image received, so it makes sense (at least to me) that nothing should be placed between the processor and optical tube, as that'd block the incoming image. The reason they're all separate parts is to allow mixing and matching of future parts (there should eventually be larger/smaller cargo bays, different types of optical tubes, etc.). Remember that this is the very first release, and there should be more to come.

Also, yeah, science is pretty high at the moment. It really wasn't meant at all to be used multiple times across different bodies/orbits, or really to be used at all outside of Kerbin orbit -- thus why I only allowed high orbit observations. Due to the way the science system works, I can't tie it all into the same type of observation (AFAIK), so basically my only other options are to make pitiful science returns that require you to boost the telescope to different bodies (which doesn't make sense, because you wouldn't see any difference in observations), or to outright disallow the use of the telescope around other bodies (which, as I'm sure we can all agree, would be pretty disappointing). I probably will lower the science gain, though, and try to see if I can actually modify the situation of experiments so you can't get double/triple science for the same observations.

[Andon]

My thought about the processor was that it was the computer core. And, in that sense, things are digital and it wouldn't really matter where it'd be.

I agree that completely removing the ability to have data gathered outside of Kerbin orbit would be a Bad Thing. However, this DOES give me an idea. Have tech level determine WHAT you can view. So Low Tech would be for closer things. Mid tech would be for farther/smaller things (Moons, etc), and High tech would be for smaller/further things. It makes technological sense, too, and not just in magnification. Sure, if the Hubble telescope was in a geosynchronous orbit it'd be able to take FANTASTIC pictures of the ground, but it isn't. So if it were to be pointed at the Earth, you'd just get a blur.

As long as there's going to be a reason to have it be multiple parts, I'm fine with it. It just seems a bit problematic and needlessly irritating at the moment. Do you plan on a multiple processor holder? So you don't have to worry about having a low AND a mid AND a Kerbal to change it out.

[federicoaa]

A couple of suggestions:

1) Make a "control from here" option for the optical tube

2) Make a cargo fairing for the whole telescope, for FAR's sake

[BlazingAngel665]

A couple of suggestions:

1) Make a "control from here" option for the optical tube

2) Make a cargo fairing for the whole telescope, for FAR's sake

Both of these are glorious ideas. Also since the processor is a computer . . . doesn't it make sense that you could control from there? But the surface cube core is a great part to have in general. I love the radial torque wheels too.

[The Destroyer]

I'm using the Generic Mode Enabler (v2.6.0.157) to install/uninstall mods, it seems pretty good about merging the the Mod's GameData folder with the KSP GameData. Should I have put the parts in another (not KSP GameData) folder, as well as the ships? When I ran KSP after installing CactEye (and KAS, Hull Camera, Action Group Manager) KSP told me that the few flights in progress couldn't be rendered because all the required parts were not found. Both (un-Kerbed probes) ships just disappeared, and the VAB had no parts whatsoever in it. I shut down KSP, uninstalled CactEye, and then had to go re-research every single (previously unlocked) part in the tech tree. I knew CactEye was a WIP (heck, so is KSP for that matter) so I didn't get all aggro, but after reading on this thread it seems that other people have been having luck with this mod, so I figured that it was most likely something I had done wrong.

Agreed with another poster, do it manually. I can't offer any support for mod managers.

[DMagic]

Due to the way the science system works, I can't tie it all into the same type of observation (AFAIK)

Do you mean making it so that an image of Duna from Kerbin orbit, or the Mun, or Eve would all count as the same experiment, making it so that each planet could only be imaged once (or perhaps a more limited number of times)? This is possible I think, just not when inheriting the ModuleScienceExperiment like your plugin does. You would need to use IScienceDataContainer and recreate the experiment that way.

Using this method you can point the module to whichever planet you want the science experiment to apply to. Normally you would just use something like vessel.mainBody, but I don't think there's any reason why you couldn't just always point the experiment towards Kerbin, so that every experiment thinks you are in Kerbin orbit, regardless of where you actually are. You can check out the SCANsat or the Tarsier Space Tech source (or mine if I can ever get it working right), those are the only two that I know of that use this method, but there are probably others.

It's a bit more complicated to use IScienceDataContainer, but it gives you a lot more flexibility in how you can set up your experiments.