[0.90WIP] Procedural Parts - Parts the way you want 'em 0.9.21, Dec 19

[sworah]

In case anyone wants to change their TAC Life Support units to the SI ones that CoolBeer did on this post, here is a MM config file to fix them for the Procedural Life Support tank. I tested it in a simple manner, so use at your own risk.

@PART[proceduralTankTAC]
{
    @MODULE[TankContentSwitcher]
    {
        @TANK_TYPE_OPTION
[*],*
        {
            @RESOURCE[Food]
            {
                @unitsPerKL *= 0.317
            }
            @RESOURCE[Water]
            {
                @unitsPerKL *= 1.798
            }
            @RESOURCE[Oxygen]
            {
                @unitsPerKL *= 304.27
            }
            @RESOURCE[CarbonDioxide]
            {
                @unitsPerKL *= 261.78
            }
            @RESOURCE[Waste]
            {
                @unitsPerKL *= 0.56
            }
            @RESOURCE[WasteWater]
            {
                @unitsPerKL *= 1.98
            }
        }
    }
}

Edited May 20, 2014 by sworah
Had to add ",*" to one of the module search nodes.

[OtherBarry]

In case anyone wants to change their TAC Life Support units to the SI ones that CoolBeer did on this post, here is a MM config file to fix them for the Procedural Life Support tank. I tested it in a simple manner, so use at your own risk.

Thanks. I suppose I'll have to make one for when RO starts supporting TAC.

[Biotronic]

Great project! One thing - a user told me that using Procedural Parts with TweakScale! Rescale Everything! is fraught with danger. It turns out this is caused by different versions of KSPAPIExtensions.dll. In order to minimize such problems in the future, it would be beneficial to place this dll in a common folder - I'd prefer Gamedata/. This way, if two or more mods include the same dll, we will not end up with conflicting copies. Thank you.

[sworah]

Thanks. I suppose I'll have to make one for when RO starts supporting TAC.

Just to let you know, I forgot a ",*" after one of the module search nodes in the config I posted. I edited it but that made it disappear so the mods could approve it or something. It should be back up there by the time this message is.

[lajoswinkler]

How did you get it to work, mine isn't working either ?

If you use a Steam version, do the "verify integrity of game cache". Every now and then, something is updated. And reboot everything, and download the latest (like, this minute) update of Procedural Parts. That should help. Otherwise, do a clean installation and start mod installation with PP first.

[swamp_ig]

Great project! One thing - a user told me that using Procedural Parts with TweakScale! Rescale Everything! is fraught with danger. It turns out this is caused by different versions of KSPAPIExtensions.dll. In order to minimize such problems in the future, it would be beneficial to place this dll in a common folder - I'd prefer Gamedata/. This way, if two or more mods include the same dll, we will not end up with conflicting copies. Thank you.

Just to let you know - this won't work.

Every mod that uses KSPAPIExtensions is compiled against a particular version of the DLL. The DLL is coded so that it automatically finds and uses the most recent version of the code when this is required. If you have a common version across all mods, then every mod would need to update every time a new version of KAE was released. Obviously this isn't realistic.

Now that KSPAPIExtensions is getting more wide use, there's a few cases where this finding and executing doesn't work quite as expected. These cases are gradually getting shaken out however, so things should get more solid as time goes on.

I wasn't actually aware that tweakscale used KSPAPIExtensions, this is the first I've heard of it!

[Biotronic]

Thanks for the info. I've now updated TweakScale to use a local KSPAPIExtensions.dll. Hopefully this will fix the problem.

[Tommygun]

Would it be possible to make empty tanks, but add code to the tank so it would then act like a KAS storage unit for parts that you could then take out or put back in?

A person would still need to have KAS installed.

[swamp_ig]

Would it be possible to make empty tanks, but add code to the tank so it would then act like a KAS storage unit for parts that you could then take out or put back in?

A person would still need to have KAS installed.

I can't see why this wouldn't be possible.

All we need is someone to do it

How about you have a look at the config files involved and see if you can figure something out. I'd be more than happy to include your work in the release.

[Tommygun]

I already tried and failed to do it manually. I saved a tank as a sub-assembly, then tried to added the code to the craft file, but it just ignored all my changes.

I'm not a programmer so I may not be using the correct editor. (all I have is notepad) I wouldn't begin to know where to start to do it automatically.

[Azimech]

I see this in the part.cfg of the KAS container:

MODULE
{
	name = KASModuleContainer
	maxSize = 40
}

Since it's a module and not a resource, it might not be very easy.

Edit: Something else: It's logical that structural parts with a small radius have a less rigid joint than parts with a larger radius. For a special project of mine, I need the connections of even the smallest parts as rigid and inflexible as possible. Is that something I can edit?

Edited May 21, 2014 by Azimech

[KAO]

how do I get this to work with TAC and RealFuels? there's configs for both, but RealFuels only allows me to choose from a list of resources that are only defined for that mod.

[swamp_ig]

Currently RF supports ECLSS O2 and CO2 in the default and service module tank types, so you can use those.

There's no support currently in RF for other mods AFAICS, I suggest you request this from RF.

Edited May 21, 2014 by swamp_ig

[SpacedInvader]

Ok, so here's my question / request for this. First, is there an easy way to remove the size vs. tech limitations for tanks and structural parts? If not, I would like to request that those limitations be moved off to a separate file a la Stretchy SRB so that this could be done easily. The my reasoning for this is firstly based off of the fact that engine size progression in RO + RPL quickly outpaces the tank sizes as described in the tech levels, leaving you with large engines that you can't use because you don't have acceptably large tanks to attach them to and secondly because fuel tank size never really seemed like a limitation for the early rockets, after all, we were building large pressure vessels long before we were building them to launch into space.

Now, if we could only make a mod that would randomly explode newly designed rockets until you've flown them 5-10 times to simulate the difficulty in designing a reliable rocket....

[Makeone]

Doesn't they explode already 50-100 times before they actually work?

And, could the nodes in the PP tanks scale up within the tank? Now that i use latest Procedural Fairing (3.0.1) that has proper sized nodes on LARGE fairings, they become very wobble with PP tanks. Few struts helped, but my mun rocket was almost unstable to fly, barely made to orbit.

[Azimech]

The parts getting embedded in each other bug, PF and PP. I tried a workaround and it seems to work: don't attach parts of these mods directly to each other. Place a stock part in between. You *might* be able to let them share the same attachment node, making the stock part invisible and still circumvent the situation.

[swamp_ig]

New release!

Real Fuels Update

This release is focused on getting SRBs to work nicely with RF.

Now rather than 7 different RF parts (2 SRBs and 5 tanks) there's just one SRB and one tank. You can switch between the various types in the right-click tweaker API.

There's also a few bug fixes - now that my KSPAPIExtensions are getting broader use, a few issues are shaking out.

On that note - if you want to use tweakable everything you'll need to wait for an update.

I will be having a look at the issues with PFarings this afternoon (GMT+8), I think we may find that the problems are now resolved but I had forgotten to specifically test it. Just tested PFarings, appears to work fine.

For real fuels users, install the latest 5.3 release and then install the update over it, overwriting any files as required. MFT users can copy the RealFuels.dll and the KSPAPIExtensions From the second download into their MFT dir overwriting the existing DLL.

Edited May 22, 2014 by swamp_ig

[swamp_ig]

Ok, so here's my question / request for this. First, is there an easy way to remove the size vs. tech limitations for tanks and structural parts? If not, I would like to request that those limitations be moved off to a separate file a la Stretchy SRB so that this could be done easily. The my reasoning for this is firstly based off of the fact that engine size progression in RO + RPL quickly outpaces the tank sizes as described in the tech levels, leaving you with large engines that you can't use because you don't have acceptably large tanks to attach them to and secondly because fuel tank size never really seemed like a limitation for the early rockets, after all, we were building large pressure vessels long before we were building them to launch into space.

Although tech limits on the size of tanks isn't very realistic, I feel that there should be some kind of tech limitation just to keep the 'game' aspect going. After all... if you launch a career mode you expect some kind of progression not just to 'win' without a single click. At the moment the tech limits are tied to what's available in the stock game. What the limits "should" be really comes down to an arbitrary aesthetic judgement, so no matter what they are there'll always be someone who doesn't like it.

If you would like something else, It's fairly straight-forward using either MM or doing some PART file tweaking to put in your own tech limits. Why don't you give that a go?

Now, if we could only make a mod that would randomly explode newly designed rockets until you've flown them 5-10 times to simulate the difficulty in designing a reliable rocket....

Bah.. what about randomly make your computer explode! Now you're talking.

[OtherBarry]

And, could the nodes in the PP tanks scale up within the tank?

They should scale properly. Are you sure its node size thats causing instability?

[Atrius129]

I want to see a procedural kerbal twice the size of the VAB, throwing rockets into space as an alternative launch method.

[edit] This is wonderful, already added my own configs for procedural batteries and KAS storage tanks \o/

Would you or anybody else care to share these? They seem to be out there but I couldn't seem locate them on this forum.

[OtherBarry]

Would you or anybody else care to share these? They seem to be out there but I couldn't seem locate them on this forum.

Procedural batteries are easy. Just copy the rcs tank and replace Monoprop with electric charge, though you may want to play around with the density figures. Procedural KAS containers are harder, as they're a module rather than a resource. Will look into it though.

Procedural kerbal is still in the works....

[SpacedInvader]

I'm getting blurry textures to anything that is a tank, I originally thought it was a result of my MM config to remove the tech levels, but that turned out not to be the case. I've also tried disabling ATM for the mod, but that didn't fix anything either. Searching for blurry, fuzzy, or conflict didn't produce any results in this thread, so I'm lost as to what might be causing this. The problem doesn't apply to any of the structural parts, the heat shield, or the life support container. Also, when I had a look at the SRB, it's firing while in the VAB, with the nozzle somewhere in the middle, and a jet coming out of both the side and the bottom.

I'm guessing there is either an incompatible mod somewhere, or I'm missing some dependency, but I've got no idea where to begin.

EDIT: Also, for some reason I'm not getting the RCS or Xenon tanks at all, even in sandbox mode.

EDIT2: Ok, I've figured out that the issue with textures is a result of LOD not loading them correctly, and for some reason, it's only while on the propulsion tab. Adding another procedural part fixes all of the textures, but returning to the propulsion tab reverts the tank textures to blurry. I still have no clue about the other issues.

Edited May 22, 2014 by SpacedInvader

[Tommygun]

Procedural kerbal is still in the works....

Does that mean we can store monoproponent in their giant heads?

[petros_a_l]

Ok, so here's my question / request for this. First, is there an easy way to remove the size vs. tech limitations for tanks and structural parts? If not, I would like to request that those limitations be moved off to a separate file a la Stretchy SRB so that this could be done easily. The my reasoning for this is firstly based off of the fact that engine size progression in RO + RPL quickly outpaces the tank sizes as described in the tech levels, leaving you with large engines that you can't use because you don't have acceptably large tanks to attach them to and secondly because fuel tank size never really seemed like a limitation for the early rockets, after all, we were building large pressure vessels long before we were building them to launch into space.

Although tech limits on the size of tanks isn't very realistic, I feel that there should be some kind of tech limitation just to keep the 'game' aspect going. After all... if you launch a career mode you expect some kind of progression not just to 'win' without a single click. At the moment the tech limits are tied to what's available in the stock game. What the limits "should" be really comes down to an arbitrary aesthetic judgement, so no matter what they are there'll always be someone who doesn't like it.

If you would like something else, It's fairly straight-forward using either MM or doing some PART file tweaking to put in your own tech limits. Why don't you give that a go?

I don't have an opinion about RO since I don't use it but for the normal game the only thing that bugs me and change it with MM is the "lengthMax" (and "volumeMax" as a consequence) tech limitation. Having to spam procedural tanks one on top of the other, in my opinion, defeats the actual purpose of Procedural Parts. Since there is nothing stoping you from doing that in the stock game, I see no point in this limitation.

[petros_a_l]

I'm getting blurry textures to anything that is a tank, I originally thought it was a result of my MM config to remove the tech levels, but that turned out not to be the case. I've also tried disabling ATM for the mod, but that didn't fix anything either. Searching for blurry, fuzzy, or conflict didn't produce any results in this thread, so I'm lost as to what might be causing this. The problem doesn't apply to any of the structural parts, the heat shield, or the life support container. Also, when I had a look at the SRB, it's firing while in the VAB, with the nozzle somewhere in the middle, and a jet coming out of both the side and the bottom.

I'm guessing there is either an incompatible mod somewhere, or I'm missing some dependency, but I've got no idea where to begin.

EDIT: Also, for some reason I'm not getting the RCS or Xenon tanks at all, even in sandbox mode.

EDIT2: Ok, I've figured out that the issue with textures is a result of LOD not loading them correctly, and for some reason, it's only while on the propulsion tab. Adding another procedural part fixes all of the textures, but returning to the propulsion tab reverts the tank textures to blurry. I still have no clue about the other issues.

After disabling ATM you have to delete the texture cache already created in the Gamedata\ActiveTextureManager\textureCache\ProceduralParts(or whatever name you use) for the game to load the actual textures. If you can't find the exact Procedural Parts folder within textureCache, just delete the whole \textureCache folder and the mod will recreate it.

Edited May 22, 2014 by petros_a_l