Walking, Flying, Custom Replica T-Rex Mech[.23.5]

[VR_Dev]

Yeah I already added way more torque to the parts. That was my bad, they had the same as the cockpit, which was like 10. I'm currently trying to make a foot that thinks its a wheel, then cranking the braking torque way up. Hopefully the feet will work like in that picture, they will think they are wheels until you apply the brakes.

I'll send you the .craft with the additional torque. I added a realistic amount i think. In that pic you have one of the arms mirrored. Thats why it looks weird. You need to apply each arm individually without symmetry mode turned on

Edited April 24, 2014 by clown_baby

[VR_Dev]

And as for the load time I really don't know what to say. It is just a little slower than normal on mine. And like I said, still better fps than my gundam. Anyway, I'm off the bar so I doubt I'll get back to this tonight. Here's my code for the .cfg, it loads it as a wheel but doesn't load the MuMechServo Module. Can you not call that inside another Module?

When I get back at it I'll switch it around and try to code a wheel inside an MuModule part. Thoughts?

PART
{
name = WheelFoot
module = Part
author = Squad

mesh = NewModel.mu
scale = 2.3
rescaleFactor = 2.3

node_stack_top = 0.0, 0, 0.1, 0.0, 1.0, 0.0, 3

TechRequired = advancedMotors
entryCost = 11200

cost = 1200
category = Utility
subcategory = 0
title = brake foot
manufacturer = Kerbal Motion LLC
description = The RoveMax Model 3 was developed in total secrecy by Kerbal Motion's R&D team over the course of a year and a half. When it was finally revealed to the company's chairman, he stared in shock, screamed 'WHY', and subsequently dropped dead on the spot.

attachRules = 1,1,1,1,1

mass = 3
dragModelType = default
maximum_drag = 0.2
minimum_drag = 0.15
angularDrag = 1.5
crashTolerance = 150
breakingForce = 99999
breakingTorque = 99999
maxTemp = 1200

explosionPotential = 0

MODULE
{
	name = ModuleWheel
	hasMotor = false
	resourceName = ElectricCharge
    	resourceConsumptionRate = 2
	canSteer = true
	controlAxisType = Forward
	steeringModeType = TankSteer
	tankSteeringTorque = 0.5
	brakeTorque = 999
	brakeSpeed = 5
	impactTolerance = 800
	overSpeedDamage = 30
	WHEEL
	{
	    wheelName = wheel
	    wheelColliderName = wheelCollider
	    suspensionTransformName = suspensionTraverse
	    suspensionNeutralPointName = suspensionNeutralPoint
	    damagedObjectName = bustedwheel
	    rotateX = 1
	    rotateY = 0
	    rotateZ = 0
	}

	steeringCurve
 	{
   	 key = 0 150 0 0
	 key = 13 90 0 0
	 key = 13.5 0 0 0

 	}

	torqueCurve
	{
	  key = 0 150 0 0
          key = 3 100 0 0
	  key = 6 70 0 0
	  key = 15 10 0 0
          key = 15.5 0 0 0
	}

}
MODULE
{
	name = MuMechServo

	specPower = 0.1
	rimFalloff = 3
	alphaCutoff = 0

	rotateJoint = True
	rotateAxis = 1, 0, 0
	keyRotateSpeed = 20.0
	rotateLimits = True
	rotateMin = -90.0
	rotateMax = 90.0
	rotateLimitsRevertKey = False
	jointSpring = 0
	jointDamping = 0
	onActivate = False
	rotateKey = up
	revRotateKey = down
	fixedMesh = Base
	servoName = Foot
	invertSymmetry = False
	motorSndPath = MagicSmokeIndustries/Sounds/infernalRoboticMotor		// Motor loop sound path
}

}

Bus edit: the wheel code probably has to go inside the mumechservo, as that's how I created a rotating engine

Edited April 24, 2014 by clown_baby

[blackheart612]

I think the massive delay before you can launch is cased by the colliders being too detailed lol

[VR_Dev]

I'm on board with that theory. Its just that my macbook is so old and low powered I assume I'm at the lower end of kerbal players, and its playable. I'll try and dedetail the parts. I could use some help though

[blackheart612]

Try using decimate modifier.

[VR_Dev]

I'll look into that. But my macbook has a 2.3 ghz processor with 4 gigs of ram. I sent a flying .craft to uynohaveavaliable and he says with his 8 gigs of ram its too slow. It doesn't make sense

[blackheart612]

what? lol XD

[m1sz]

I'm running a i7 with 12gb of ram and a GTX660. Still my computer can't go over 2fps in the VAB, and needs several seconds until it goes well in the runway. After it "finished" loading, I can get a stable 20-25fps

PLaying the animations (Action group 1 and 2) makes everything ABSOLUTLY laggy again, but after it's finished, it instantly get's back to 20fps

[blackheart612]

Yep, that's called physics calculation and colliders are the ones being calculated If I'm right

[m1sz]

It's so good to have modders arround

If we know the problem, it's a matter of dealing with it!

What I don't get is why clown baby is able to play with average fps, and many of us cant!. I made some videos yesterday, I might convert a GFY just so I can illustrate my lack of fps during some periods

[VR_Dev]

Thats what I don't understand. This is running the tail animation, feet animation, head animation, 6 separate scythe opening animatons, and 4 separate parts calling the IR plugin. Also it's recording

The video in the original post also gives a good example of it on my computer

Edited April 25, 2014 by clown_baby

[VR_Dev]

I assume I'm able to disable physics calculation for meshes? Skipping over things like the teeth would probably make it run much smoother. Or does it calculate physics for parts as a whole? I'll look into it

[Parallax]

^way too many polygons man, get rid of those teeth on the blades, all the little embossments on the parts, that's like 4/5 of your polygons gone right there. you can make it look pretty after it's functional

I took a closer look at the craft you sent me, it`s going to be a lot of tedious work, but in theory you can make this work. this should be enough to get you started:

First thing I did was I labeled the servos to indicate which side they belong to. To walk you need to combine two motions: raising the leg, and moving forward (natural flexibility of the parts/joints allows you to turn using sas torque). To raise the leg you use the lower leg and middle leg servos, to move forward you use the hip and foot servos. I grouped the servos so that when you raise one leg, the other leg scoots forward. also, very important, action group 0 is set to center the two middle servos (raise leg) and action group 9 is set to center the two outer servos (move forward), activate both when you launch this thing. To walk you just alternate pressing 2 and 4 with the right timing (I Think I posted the script I used for my mk3 walker earlier in the thread), the legs re-center automatically.

I only tried walking the dinobot with the values shown in the pic, and it kinda worked, but it walked backwards, very slowly. To get it working right, you need to play around with the servo limits, the COM, the contact points on the foot, the angle of the foot relative to the rest of the craft, the speed of the servos, the timing in the script, reduce the overall weight of the craft, etc.

have fun!

Edited April 26, 2014 by Parallax

[VR_Dev]

Yeah I already started in blender. Its a pain in the ass though. And mind numbingly boring. So it might take me a couple days, but I appreciate the effort man. I'll hook up you with a new craft when it runs smoother

[VR_Dev]

Well I took out a bunch of meshes, compressed the rest in unity, and wrote them as the "smallest" mu file. I think it runs pretty smooth but I sent it off to m1sz, so we'll see what he thinks. I can do more to make it run smoother, but I can't find the blender file for the head so I would have to redo it. If he thinks it runs ok I'll send it off to the rest of you.

It's also smaller and lighter.

Anyway, I added these rockets too. It really is way smoother, my fps just plummets when I record.

Edited April 28, 2014 by clown_baby

[VR_Dev]

Well I changed the textures to tile only once instead of a 100 times or whatever and that doesn't seem to have really helped. I also removed the cast and receive shadows for a lot of the meshes.

Does anyone know what the smallest texture format in unity is to write the .mu file? I've been used TGA_smallest but maybe the one that just says "smallest" is lower? What about the shader setting? I've been setting them as ksp/specular but maybe some of the other ones will run smoother?

I still have to redo the head but because I can't find the .blend file I have to reanimate it before I can change it to TGA_smallest. Maybe that will help still, but I dono.

Anyone have any other suggestions as how to make a .craft run smoother?

Edited April 28, 2014 by clown_baby

[blackheart612]

Not sure if png or tga_smallest is best because png gets better compression methinks. go ask around

[m1sz]

I could check what parts give more lag, just by using them in the SPH. I'll give you how my fps react!

[blackheart612]

afaik, models = lag

textures = ramcap lol

[VR_Dev]

turns out my mesh colliders might be slowing everything down. I have to figure out what the difference between mesh colliders and node_colliders are

[blackheart612]

you wanna know?

[VR_Dev]

Sure. But from what I can tell they're pretty much the same thing. It blew everyones mind in the chat that I was using mesh colliders. But I don't know what the other option is. Maybe they thought I was applying it to the whole part, but I just apply convex colliders to a couple individual meshes

[VR_Dev]

So it seems to work if I add the mesh collider, but don't click "convex". Whats the difference. Can I just do that for all the parts?

edit: convex seems to have to deal with ground collisions

Edited April 29, 2014 by clown_baby

[VR_Dev]

Hey guys, I appreciate everyone keeping an eye on this thread. PM if you wanna give this thing a try and I'll send the first couple people the download link

[blackheart612]

node colliders are only in the config. mesh colliders are what allows your parts to be picked up or what dictates you where to attach. also, afaik, some of my colliders are not convex... hmmmm