[WIP] Ring Parts Pack + True Sci-Fi Parts [Texture Artist Wanted]

[JordanL]

So, this project won't have any sort of release (even a playtest) for a while. I'm still sort of going over my design concepts and so on.

The goal is to add a set of ring parts for:

Habitation

Tanks w/ Engine Attachment Nodes on the Ring

Structure Parts (Circular Trusses, with surface attach and surface nodes)

Docking Rings (with integrated docking ports to reduce part count)

Utility Storage (for monoprop, electricity, with options to integrate with life support mods and custom resources)

Each of these types will have:

Glowing emissive textures in four colors (red, green, blue, white) for looking badass

Be more sci-fi styled than stock parts

Have integrated RCS ports (although this might come in an update after my initial release)

The properties of design I'm looking at are:

Ring cross-section (probably 1.5m and 2.5m variants)

Ring diameter (probably a 10m and 15m version, although I might do a 5m and 7.5m as well)

Pylon number (the number of structural pylons that connect to the center, I'll start with 3 and 4)

Stacking Diameter (the diameter to of the integrated center piece that stacks with your craft, I'll start with 1.5m and 2.5m I think)

My long-term goal:

Allowing (any) ring to be toggle rotateable while attached to the center (the stacking center would remain stationary and the ring would rotate)

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For the near and medium term this will end up being a purely part pack (modeling, animation, sound and texture work), but I'll get into actual add-on territory with the rotation. We'll see if that ever comes to fruition.

Basically, what I want to do is:

- Provide good ring-building options that don't require lots of welding or parts

- Allow you to put rings on your ships as easily as you stack any other part

- Add some parts that have a strong sci-fi styling so that you can more easily build that interplanetary ship that looks the part

- Integrate as many features into the part/model as possible (like RCS) to reduce the style-breaking attachments and part count

- Possibly (this is back of my mind right now) provide some procedural/tweakable options where it makes sense (like letting you tweak the ring itself, or with the docking ring letting you push the docking port off the ring itself a configurable distance)

- I'll probably add style-consistent center structure parts as well, but that's not my goal or focus at the moment

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All that being said, I know lots of people do crazy things with rings and their own custom solutions. Assuming that I had infinite time and effort, and no technological skill blocks at all, what is your wishlist from a comprehensive "Ring Parts Pack"?

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UPDATE

First look at the torus parts:

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Edited December 21, 2013 by JordanL

[LaydeeDem]

Sounds promising. Shoot me a PM if you need any help with modeling or texturing.

[XanderTek]

Sounds ambitious! I look forward to seeing the parts. I know the Infernal Robotics guys are working on some rotating hubs, so by the time you start looking into that aspect they may have a working solution.

[JordanL]

Sounds ambitious! I look forward to seeing the parts. I know the Infernal Robotics guys are working on some rotating hubs, so by the time you start looking into that aspect they may have a working solution.

If I ever started to tackle that, I was planning on talking to them about it anyway, so if they do I'll definitely see if I can integrate or defer to them first.

Sounds promising. Shoot me a PM if you need any help with modeling or texturing.

I'll PM you.

[ZodiusInfuser]

If I ever started to tackle that, I was planning on talking to them about it anyway, so if they do I'll definitely see if I can integrate or defer to them first.

This is what we've got so far (not quite ready for release yet):

If you intend to surface attach parts to the spinning sections of your craft, then you need to do it with robotics otherwise the parts will just stay still. You can of course make a single spinning part such as this inflatable ring, and use an animation to make it spin.

I look forward to seeing this develop!

Edited December 13, 2013 by ZodiusInfuser

[JordanL]

This is what we've got so far (not quite ready for release yet):

--SNIP--

If you intend to surface attach parts to the spinning sections of your craft, then you need to do it with robotics otherwise the parts will just stay still. You can of course make a single spinning part such as this inflatable ring, and use an animation to make it spin.

I look forward to seeing this develop!

Very interesting. The models I'm planning right now have the ring, pylons and center stack as a single model/part, so I might have to slightly rethink how the rotation will work, but getting the parts working is the first order of business.

I'm also considering making some large, triangular tanks with multiple engine nodes int he back, to allow you to build very large "wing-like" spacecraft, without using actual wings. (They wouldn't provide lift either.) Sort of like the parts you'd need to build the symetric "wing" sections of an Imperial Star Destroyer. (They would probably be about 12m long on the craft-attach side, 5m long on the engine-attach side, and taper from 2.5-1.5m thick.)

Edited December 13, 2013 by JordanL

[Camacha]

I do not understand why you would make the centre stationary. I think in reality a rotating hub would be too much weight, trouble and potential problems. They would just rotate the whole ship. Simple, easy and safe.

[JordanL]

I do not understand why you would make the centre stationary. I think in reality a rotating hub would be too much weight, trouble and potential problems. They would just rotate the whole ship. Simple, easy and safe.

To give Ender Kerbin a place to play games, of course.

[JordanL]

Alright, I've finished my first model (a very simple one that's a center stacking piece), and I'm texturing it right now. If anyone wants to help with texturing, I'd be more than open to it, but I'll get some rough textures done to kind of show the design I'm thinking.

I'm also going to include some 2.5m and 1.5m engines sci-fi themed engines I decided. They will be very high thrust and efficiency, but I'll likely add a new resource for them that is very heavy and needs to be mined. We'll see. I'm not entirely certain how I want to handle that yet.

They'll also come with custom engine sounds. Right now I'm thinking something along these lines:

http://www.freesfx.co.uk/rx2/mp3s/7/8106_1350315349.mp3

http://www.freesfx.co.uk/rx2/mp3s/5/5681_1335384272.mp3

http://www.freesfx.co.uk/rx2/mp3s/7/8349_1352727402.mp3

This project is quickly growing in my mind beyond just Ring Parts.

[LaydeeDem]

I don't know what engines would make those sounds, but it's interesting!

Though I think you shouldn't use the first one. As cool as it sounds, I don't think ANYONE would want to do a 15 minute burn with that pulsing noise.

[JordanL]

I don't know what engines would make those sounds, but it's interesting!

Though I think you shouldn't use the first one. As cool as it sounds, I don't think ANYONE would want to do a 15 minute burn with that pulsing noise.

They'll be true sci-fi engines. Anti-Gravity reaction drives, stuff like that. They'll probably require lots of electricity and a resource like "Dark matter" or something. Actually, that makes a lot of sense, especially if I make like a scoop or generator that only works in a vacuum to "mine" the dark matter. Hmm...

[kiwiak]

I just love ring shaped and rotating spacehip parts.. If rotating, a love it even more Well spacecrafts most of the time just stay still, until its need to do some burns.. they are not aircraft that fire engines continously. So rotating part certainly adds some dynamism. And circle symetry is beautifull too.

Have you watched solaris movie? Just take a look at this scene

http://youtu.be/bLV6JrygUb0?t=16s

Edited December 14, 2013 by kiwiak

[JordanL]

Indeed. The first parts won't be ring parts, they'll be more Imperial Star Destroyer type parts. I'm just about done with the main center section for it. Very dark texture with blue glowing lines and parts on the surface.

[JordanL]

First look at the parts (completely untextured)

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This is the 15m torus on a 2.5m center piece. You'll see there's space for four engine blocks around the torus. Each of these blocks has space for one 2.5m engine, and four 1.5m engines.

Edited December 21, 2013 by JordanL

[JordanL]

Okay, here's a little more of a proper example of the models I've been working on.

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