[1.8.x] DMagic Orbital Science: New Science Parts [v1.4.3] [11/2/2019]

[DMagic]

Does the ASERT module have KAS grab capability? Sounds like something that would be VERY useful given how it's supposed to work.

All of my parts have KAS modules. The MM config is in the resources folder.

The KAS modules for the Universal Storage parts are added on the US side of things, along with the tweakscale configs.

On another note; this will probably be the last update with new parts for this addon* aside from a few Universal Storage versions, but one thing I want to do before I get to Version 1 is to deprecate the survey contracts. The stock survey contracts fulfill basically the same purpose, and it would be nice for everything to share the same behavior. It's easy to setup new types of surveys, and to limit them to certain experiments. The only issue is that they need those tiny little icons to indicate which experiment to perform at each waypoint.

I am hoping that someone with more experience in creating tiny textures can help me out here. I don't necessarily need all of my experiments to be represented. There are a few that I want in particular though, the bio drill and the multi-spectral imaging platform are two that may be difficult to come up with textures for.

I've come up with textures for a few of my experiments (a few are modified from free, open-source icon collections), I think they work pretty well.

Let me know if anyone has any suggestions or feedback on these... or if you figure out what experiments they are for.

If anyone is interested in helping out there are just a few things to know. The textures are 32*32, but in-game are re-sized to 16*16 (you could make them at 16*16, but they usually look better down-scaled, all of the stock icons are), and the icon itself should be white with a transparent background, the color is applied later.

* This is probably a lie

Edited February 27, 2015 by DMagic

[keeper]

This is a brilliant mod.

I am in AWE of the animation your experiments do. & SO MUCH SCIENCE

Yay I have scansat aswell, thank you, thank you, thank you! Brilliant good fun this mod

Those Icons lookin pretty sweet!

[J.Random]

The last one is completely unreadable, but that's not a problem with the icon itself, just Arsonide's weird choice of marker colors, I guess.

oops, missed

or if you figure out what experiments they are for

No idea. XRD? - obvious RPWS is obvious - DAN - 2xMagnetometer and telescope, I guess.

Edited March 4, 2015 by J.Random

[Drakoflame]

I just want to let you know DMagic, This mod is a MUST for any version that I've played, ever since I found it back in .24. It has also inspired me to make my own mod (of which I am still learning Blender and how to make the models and that fun stuff). I want my mod to be completely based around Probes and probe science, having all of the science giving a full data return value, eliminating the need to return your Ion powered space probe from the lonely space potato (Dres).

At first I'm going to have simple static model parts, with no animations. They will be in the first release, as well as being "primitive" and have low science values. These will include, but not be limited to: Camera (and if I can make them work with RPM that would awesome), Compass (might get an animation later to point a small needle to magnetic north), and maybe some kind of photo-plate that captures particles (like your solar partical collector, but not the exact same... I wanna try to stray away from copying things, but I do have my own idea for some kind of magntometer )

Later thing will include things like Multi Spectral Cameras, and if I can figure out how to make it work, have them show IR, X-Ray, Visible Light photos of Kerbol, based on where you take the picture from (again, if I can figure out how. It would be cool to see little sunspots or maybe even Moho flying infront)

[K1774b]

I tried searching this thread before posting but only saw one other person with this issue and it doesn't look like they ever got an answer.

I seem to be having a problem with the universal storage wedges for the science experiments showing up in the tech tree (science mode).

I installed through CKAN and am pretty sure it grabbed any dependencies DMagic needs.

Community Tech Tree appears to be installed and the parts all show up in sandbox just fine.

Tried reinstalling Dmagic several times and changed my persistent.sfs file so I could unlock the entire tree and only the empty container and a water container are present.

Strangely enough I have goopod wedges in the VAB even though they don't appear anywhere in the tree.

Any help would be appreciated.

[smjjames]

Do you also have techmanager installed? You need that in order for CTT to work properly.

[K1774b]

Do you also have techmanager installed? You need that in order for CTT to work properly.

Yes. Is there any special configuration for it? I vaguely remember a popup when I first started my science mode about it now that you mention it.

[SVlad]

Universal Storage parts included in this mod doesn't have an option to toggle off casing unlike other Universal Storage parts. Is it a bug or a feature?

[smjjames]

I've spotted a minor (though harmless) bug with the mini-goo container and mini materials bay experiments. When you clean the experiments in them with a mobile proccessing lab (or similar part with the same functions), the percentage complete shows as -infinity%, but the proccess just takes a few seconds and everything works as it should.

[Frostea]

Hello DMagic! I like the concept of ASERT but it would be nice if it gave more science for larger asteroids. I caught myself a titanic 3.4kT E class asteroid and the 100% ASERT scan only gave 80 science. Also, given the size of E class asteroids, it might be sensible to increase the range of the scan. As pictured:

Javascript is disabled. View full album

Edited March 15, 2015 by Frostea
Apparently can't spoiler tag an imgur album

[sp1989]

An absolutely essential mod! I mirror all the compliments that have been given. A staple in my save game folder since .24. My only issue is and it is minor. The solar particle collector should give full transmission of science! Am I the only one who thinks this?! Lol

[DMagic]

This is a brilliant mod.

An absolutely essential mod! I mirror all the compliments that have been given. A staple in my save game folder since .24. My only issue is and it is minor. The solar particle collector should give full transmission of science! Am I the only one who thinks this?! Lol

I just want to let you know DMagic, This mod is a MUST for any version that I've played, ever since I found it back in .24. It has also inspired me to make my own mod (of which I am still learning Blender and how to make the models and that fun stuff). I want my mod to be completely based around Probes and probe science, having all of the science giving a full data return value, eliminating the need to return your Ion powered space probe from the lonely space potato (Dres).

Thanks. I look forward to seeing more science experiment addons. And the solar particle collector is based on the Genesis Mission, one of the few real life missions designed for sample return; so it's definitely not getting full transmission return.

The last one is completely unreadable, but that's not a problem with the icon itself, just Arsonide's weird choice of marker colors, I guess.

No idea. XRD? - obvious RPWS is obvious - DAN - 2xMagnetometer and telescope, I guess.

Correct, and yes, that dark blue is not the best color.

Universal Storage parts included in this mod doesn't have an option to toggle off casing unlike other Universal Storage parts. Is it a bug or a feature?

This is intended.

Yes. Is there any special configuration for it? I vaguely remember a popup when I first started my science mode about it now that you mention it.

You have to select the Community Tech Tree from the list of available tech trees. I believe you can do this on first loading or whenever you go into the R&D center.

I've spotted a minor (though harmless) bug with the mini-goo container and mini materials bay experiments. When you clean the experiments in them with a mobile proccessing lab (or similar part with the same functions), the percentage complete shows as -infinity%, but the proccess just takes a few seconds and everything works as it should.

That's odd, I haven't tested that in a while. Does this happen with any of the other resetable parts? I'll have to test this out.

Hello DMagic! I like the concept of ASERT but it would be nice if it gave more science for larger asteroids. I caught myself a titanic 3.4kT E class asteroid and the 100% ASERT scan only gave 80 science. Also, given the size of E class asteroids, it might be sensible to increase the range of the scan.

The scanning range is 2km, basically anything within loading range is close enough. The issue here is that the module doesn't seem to have the right target. It's hard to say exactly what's happening without seeing exactly what your configuration looks like, but it looks like you are targeting something while two different crafts are grappled to the asteroid.

The sensor looks for a receiving ASERT module on your target vessel when you actually have a target. When you have two sensors on the same vessel (anything grappled to an asteroid is part of the same vessel) you have to clear any targets for the sensor to be able to find the second module on the same vessel; more than two sensors on the same vessel is probably not going to work right.

The message shown on your screenshot indicates that the ASERT module has found a receiver, and that there is an asteroid somewhere directly in front of the transmitters dish, but that there is no asteroid between transmitter and receiver, a crude illustration of which is shown below. But again, it's hard to say what's going on without seeing exactly what your craft looks like.

Something like this:
         T -------> R ------> Asteroid

Instead of this:
         T -------> Asteroid ------> R

Asteroid science is repeatable with diminishing returns for experiments conducted on asteroids of the same spectral type. There is a longer explanation in the first post, but the total science available across all nine spectral types is around (9 * 40 * Base Science Return (8 for the ASERT)), so if you really want more science just visit more asteroids.

[DMagic]

I posted this as an update to the magnetometer chapter, but this is pretty cool and deserves to be mentioned again.

Magnetospheric Multiscale Observatories (MMS)

A really interesting launch happened a few days ago. The payload contains four identical satellites meant to orbit in formation and take very precise, high speed measurements of the Earth's magnetosphere. In particular, they are designed to study the points where the Earth's magnetic field reconnects; points where magnetic fields intersect and recombine after having been pushed around by the solar wind.

During two stages of its mission the satellite quartet will move into two elliptical orbits to intersect the points where magnetic reconnection occurs.

The actual instruments onboard are fairly similar to those described above and are present on many spacecraft. The primary difference is that there are so many of them. The instruments designed to monitor energetic particles usually rely on the spacecraft turning to get a complete view of the area; each MMS has multiple copies of each instrument (eight per craft in the case of the Fast Plasma Investigation instruments), which helps to give very rapid measurements covering the entire area.

[sp1989]

Are you referring to this sample return vehicle?

I guess they were using realchute opened it up too late and didn't quicksave. NOOBS!

Edited March 15, 2015 by sp1989

[micha]

That's odd, I haven't tested that in a while. Does this happen with any of the other resetable parts? I'll have to test this out.

It happens with other resettable parts as well; although I do have your mod installed as well so it could still be the culprit. More likely to be something else though.

[Frostea]

The scanning range is 2km, basically anything within loading range is close enough. The issue here is that the module doesn't seem to have the right target. It's hard to say exactly what's happening without seeing exactly what your configuration looks like, but it looks like you are targeting something while two different crafts are grappled to the asteroid.

I updated my screenshot to show what I was trying to do more clearly

The tiny blob on the right is actually a 2.5m sized science craft. The Kerbodyne craft on the left was actually Tweakscaled to 7.5m so the Rockomax parts looks tiny.

Both of the crafts have a ASERT on the side of their grappling claws. I have tried to get them position exactly opposite of each other by targeting the asteroid's CoM and then eyeballing the rest .

However, I don't know if the sides that the ASERTs are facing actually matters so I tried to conduct the experiment while the ASERT is still on the grappling claw. No success there, so I EVA'ed my Kerbal and had him attach one of the ASERT onto the side of the asteroid and it worked (as pictured in my last post). I'm probably just nitpicking here

Incidentally I had a similar setup on a C class asteroid and it works without having to attach the ASERT on the side of the asteroid.

[smjjames]

This is odd, I was just able to use the biodrill on Vall, an airless moon, but got a Vall specific science report. Is this a bug or some kind of easter egg? I do have CSS, but that just adds stuff and wouldn't change how it works.

Regarding why I have a biodrill, it's a no-chute version of a laythe probe which I forgot to remove the drill off of.

[DMagic]

Are you referring to this sample return vehicle?

Actually it was a sensor installed backwards... apparently a common occurrence. They even had this awesome recovery method planned where a helicopter would snatch the thing out of the air as it parachuted down.

It happens with other resettable parts as well; although I do have your mod installed as well so it could still be the culprit. More likely to be something else though.

I haven't tested anything yet, but most of the reset stuff is on the lab side of things (which I don't touch), so it might be something else causing it.

I updated my screenshot to show what I was trying to do more clearly

Incidentally I had a similar setup on a C class asteroid and it works without having to attach the ASERT on the side of the asteroid.

The issue here is probably that you still have something targeted (it's showing above the navball).

There are basically three ways the ASERT tries to find a receiver. The first is by looking for one on your target vessel, this a regular vessel, targeted by double-clicking on it, or through the map screen, etc... The second is by checking if you are targeting an asteroid through the "Target Center of Mass" button and if that asteroid has an ASERT attached to it somewhere. The third, only if nothing else is targeted, is by checking your current vessel for a second ASERT module. If one is found more than a few meters away then it is selected.

What I think might be happening here is that the asteroid is targeted and the first ASERT module is targeting itself, this shouldn't be able to happen, but I might have missed something. If that's the case then it's ignoring the other module and trying to transmit to itself, which causes the transmission to not pass through the asteroid.

Just clear any targets if you're using this double-grappling method and it should work fine.

You can look at the dish itself and it should be pointed at its target if things are working. If they aren't it will just be spinning around.

This is odd, I was just able to use the biodrill on Vall, an airless moon, but got a Vall specific science report. Is this a bug or some kind of easter egg? I do have CSS, but that just adds stuff and wouldn't change how it works.

Regarding why I have a biodrill, it's a no-chute version of a laythe probe which I forgot to remove the drill off of.

You should get a prize or something. I think you're the first person in over a year to comment on that.

[smjjames]

Actually, it seems more like a generic science report, but not sure if it's actually specific to Vall anyway.

[Frostea]

There are basically three ways the ASERT tries to find a receiver. The first is by looking for one on your target vessel, this a regular vessel, targeted by double-clicking on it, or through the map screen, etc... The second is by checking if you are targeting an asteroid through the "Target Center of Mass" button and if that asteroid has an ASERT attached to it somewhere. The third, only if nothing else is targeted, is by checking your current vessel for a second ASERT module. If one is found more than a few meters away then it is selected.

Ahh... So that's how it finds the target. I must have had the asteroid's CoM targeted then. I remember clearing the target when I was doing the same with a C class asteroid so that explains why it worked.

Edit: Pffft. Just realised that this was mentioned in the front post. Me and my poor reading

[smjjames]

You can also use the biodrill on Bop, heh.

[haft2doit]

Love the mod man. I have one suggestion/request (an easy one I hope). When using Universal Storage there is an option to turn on/off the structure. Having the option to have your US experiments exposed would be cool for use with probes and such. Purely cosmetic but adds to the mod I think. It would also bring your mod in line with US's own wedges. Don't know if it has been brought up before but just a thought. Great work.

[Dimenus]

Hey Dmagic, awesome mod.

Have a quick question though. I'm having an issue with 'Multi Spectrum Analysis data from High orbit above Duna' within 'Conduct a search for ongoing / past bioactivity'. I placed my satellite in a polar orbit and have grabbed every single piece of science from this module, but the contract doesn't complete. Any thoughts? The orbit is 250km/250km.

[DMagic]

Do you have any screenshots of the satellite and the contract?

The biological survey contracts shouldn't have any restrictions like the other surveys do where they require a certain amount of science. So any science experiments from orbit should go through without any problems, unless something is going wrong. I would need to see your output_log files to say if anything else is going wrong.

[BlackHat]

Contract problem. I got the:

Long Term Magnetic Field Mission

- Use one or more vessels equipped with a magnetometer and a radio plasma wave instrument to study a planet or moon's magnetic field environment. Enter an orbit that matches the specified parameters (monitor this mission in the contract window to see when these parameters have been met) and remain in orbit for the specified amount of time.

For the planet Kerbin. I was able to meet all the parts of the Contract very quickly, EXCEPT for the eccentricity.

Initially I thought it was Max eccentricity of 0.15 so I set up a virtually circular orbit. (AP:103km PE:102km)

But the condition did not trigger and i read it more carefully.

It says: "Orbit with at least 0.15 eccentricity"

Ok, so I set raised my AP:350km & PE:103km (that should be a Ecc of >0.5)

But the condition still did not trigger? (According to an orbit Calculator PE:102 AP:138 should be ecc 0.15)

Any Idea whats wrong?