Minor Soft-Body Physics

[Tex]

In case you don't know, soft-body physics is a system of animation that allows for non-rigid elements in video games and film. This type of animation looks ubercool, and is also extremely realistic.

What I'm proposing here is a minor implementation of soft-body physics to KSP. Even though my idea may never get beyond this very thread, it'll still be fun to talk about!

Specifically, I believe soft-body physics would be useful in animating the rocket engines and wheels, things like that. In rockets, engines would realistically contort to the thrust being expelled out the nozzle, and could even crumple if you land on them. This particular idea was inspired by Apollo 15's LM's Descent stage engine being smashed up when they landed unevenly. SB physics would also be handy in animating bouncier wheels, and maybe even steel-mesh wheels that could bend if too much pressure is applied.

A list of other uses I see include flags, solar panels, and dentable fuel tanks.

I realize that this is an idea that will take quite a bit more power to run (probably, I'm no computer expert) but what I suggest is only partial implementation. Less accurate physics points.

Thanks for being drug though this long suggestion! I'll answer any questions or address any comments you can present.

[Nemrav]

I like the idea, it would be more neat than simply exploding tanks *imagines Danny exploiting it*, but this would be strictly for higher end computers considering how gpu intensive KSP is, so I imagine it would preferably be a add-on so it doesn't send the laptop KSP players's computers in flames... (though maybe it would force them to get a good desktop....).

I imagine people using jumbo 64s as tylo lithobreaking tubes.... at orbital velocity

[coolitic]

I have always wanted ksp to have this, but should be done later.

[Shna_na]

I think it would be a fantastic addition, but would consume a lot of precious development time. I mentioned it to C7 in a stream before, and he seemed pretty taken aback. I believe his words were "WHOA-nonononono..." then he went on to say about how demanding it would be in terms of development time and PC-crippling.

But, hypothetically speaking, if it were to be implemented, I'd like to see it in the settings in a similar format to the terrain scatter: have it so that it can be toggled on/off and a slider to determine how easy it would be to make something crumble under the pressure, so to speak. I think it'd also mess with the damage system a little... I'd like to see it, but given the negatives, eh, I can live without it. This is the one time where I say that "the modding community might do that" is a valid argument.

[DonLorenzo]

This feels like something for a hypothetical KSP 2.0 (I also just thought it'd be cool if the KSP 1.0 solar system were reachable in KSP 2.0. hah)

But yeah it'd be cool.