Generators that work only when deployed...

[KerikBalm]

So I've added a resource "cooling", massless like electric charge, and various modules that consume it.

I'd like to add radiators that produce this resource. So far I've just copied solar panels and made them produce this instead of electric charge....

However, its still far from what I want.

Sun tracking would be fine, if I could get them to always orient 90 degrees to the sun.

However, I want them to work even (especially) when there is no sun exposure.

I don't want them to be "always active", as the radiators should need to be retracted during high speed atmospheric flight.

On the one hand, we have generators like RTGs and launch clamps:

MODULE

{

name = ModuleGenerator

isAlwaysActive = true

OUTPUT_RESOURCE

{

name = ElectricCharge

rate = 1

}

}

Is there something like "isActiveWhenDeployed"

Because... that would be ideal, much better than:

MODULE

{

name = ModuleDeployableSolarPanel

animationName = bigsolarpanel

raycastTransformName = suncatcher

resourceName = ElectricCharge

chargeRate = 18

powerCurve

{

key = 206000000000 0 0 0

key = 13599840256 1 0 0

key = 68773560320 0.5 0 0

key = 0 10 0 0

}

}

Right now, I'm thinking that I may just have it always be active, and the animation is just for show...

The last option is to make them into very very very low thrust engines with an alternator

*sidenote, what is "raycastTransformName = suncatcher"

I notice only the static solar panels, and the gigantor panels use that

[kahlzun]

Sun tracking would be fine, if I could get them to always orient 90 degrees to the sun.

Maybe you could alter the model so the 'front' of it is the side? So the game thinks its facing the sun, but the visible model is facing away?

[Lack]

Doing it without a plugin, you can do something along the lines of what you want. But it'll be relying on the player being honest and only activating the radiators once they have deployed them.

MODULE
{
	name = ModuleGenerator
	requiresAllInputs = true
	activateGUIName = Activate Radiator
	shutdownGUIName = Deactivate Radiator

INPUT_RESOURCE
     {
        name = []
		rate = 0.00033
     }
OUTPUT_RESOURCE
	{
			name = cooling
			rate = 4 
	}	
}

I've left in a few other things there as well that may be of interest to you. For example, you could use Input (e.g. coolant liquid) to vent heat, but that may be better done via a pseudo-engine so you get some actual thrust effects from its expulsion.

Edited December 15, 2013 by Lack