B9 5.0 pre-release (with download)

[K3-Chris]

Bac9, Taverius and I are releasing B9 5.0 soon, new features include:

HX fuselage system:

(click for full size)

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Massive scaled parts for interplanetary ships, stations, outposts, colonies etc, can dock whole spaceplanes inside.

Updated IVAs and new (HL) IVA:

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HL Cockpit:

New Props:

Short demonstration of the new props:

Multi function displays:

B9 MFDs with a lot of custom/modified elements including showing cameras views from 2 integrated cameras in each cockpit (one facing forwards, one facing 10 degrees downwards for airplane landing) and all 10 external RPM cameras other pictures and video show older version of the MFD.

Action group rocker switches:

Resource bars:

Lit Push buttons for main functions:

Abort button prop:

Part integration:

A lot of parts have been merged into a single entry in the part list, tweakables used to pick fuel contents, shape (tails, adapters) etc. Most parts with sufficient internal space (tails, adapters etc) now can hold tanks.

Price tweaks, balance tweaks

Tons and tons of tweaks to account for the new career costs and fuel costs, mass changes and more.

Check the last pages for current updates.

Download:

https://bitbucket.org/Taverius/b9-aerospace/downloads

DELETE HOTROCKETS' B9 .CFG BEFORE INSTALLING

Hotrockets and a lot of mods that used to modify B9 4.0x are no longer compatible and need to be updated, remove hotrocket's B9 configuration, if you encounter an issue please try again on a fresh .24.2 install with only B9 + bundled mods.

Sorry about large red text but we're getting a ton of hotrockets related bug reports despite specifically telling you not to use it.

This download is provided as-is for testing purposes, we give no guarantees what so ever about it's stability, and no guarantees the vessels you make using it will work with release version.

Please submit bug reports here: https://bitbucket.org/Taverius/b9-aerospace/issues?status=new&status=open

We're a lot more likely to get to bugs properly submitted than mentioned here on the forums.

List of known issues:

• S3 and Mk5 don't have B9 IVAs yet, S3 uses Mk1 squad IVA, Mk5 has squad's "lets stare at a wall" Mk3, both are getting re-done external models and given bespoke IVAs in "5.1".
  
• All fan-fixes and some auxiliary mods do things to B9 that are no longer supported, delete the B9 folder before installing the new version, don't install RPM 18.2 after installing B9 (we bundle RPM with B9 sans it's old B9 patches anyway) hotrockets has a redundant B9 config, we supply our own, delete theirs to see the updated effects.
  
• Stock craft are balanced for NEAR/FAR only, they might work in stock, they might not.
  

Before reporting a bug please check if it's already been reported, also note we only support KSP 0.24.2 and we don't support Windows 64 bit build at this time.

If you're crashing because KSP uses more than 3GB~ of memory install Active Texture Management you can also force KSP into OpenGL mode with -force-opengl to drop RAM usage by 1GB~.

WIKI

https://bitbucket.org/Taverius/b9-aerospace/wiki/Incompatible%20Mods

FAQ

Do I need the Deprecated folder? No, it's to enable people to load old B9 based craft files, on a new save or on a save with no prior B9 versions used it's not needed.

This thread has shifted purpose from my old mod that is getting integrated into B9 proper into more of a 5.0 pre-release information and showcase thread, and my old mod doesn't quite follow the new updated mod rules, as such I've removed it from the forum and curse, it will only really have any use for the few days left until B9 release.

Edited August 30, 2014 by K3|Chris

[The Destroyer]

Awesome! I always wanted an IVA for this.

[Moon Goddess]

Wow that looks AMAZING!!!! just one more thing on the list of reasons I wish we could move around in IVA.

[K3-Chris]

Wow that looks AMAZING!!!!

I've only manipulated assets others made, though I guess I can take some credit for how it fits together if not for the parts themselves.

just one more thing on the list of reasons I wish we could move around in IVA.

Yeah I caught myself adding details in places none of the seated kerbals could see, I'm used to designing maps for FPS games where you can look in every nook and cranny, had to edit myself and ensure the props in there were visible while making sense, like the fire extinguisher, it was on the back of a chair at first, almost impossible to spot and thus kinda pointless, if we ever can move in IVA the layout is ready for it, kerbals fit through the hole and there are handholds for them near it etc making movement up and down pretty easy, and the doors line up with the S2 cockpit door.

[fusty]

Wow this is gorgeous, well done K3|Chris

[K3-Chris]

Wow this is gorgeous, well done K3|Chris

Thanks

Btw anyone got any ideas for the 6m version? (this is the 2m version) not entirely sure in what direction to go with it, the 6m outer model is identical to the 2m one except it's 3x as long and has 6 windows instead of 2, I guess I could just repeat the design 3 times and remove the resulting internal walls, but that's boring, anyone got any suggestions for the internal layout of the 6m version?

[Rockstar04]

I forget what mod it was that had the bunkbed with space ship sheets on it but that seems like a solid LOL that would never get old. . . .

[Helix935]

aww crap thats awesome but why must it be for B9! i lack the room! NNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[Amaroq]

Helix -- you can cherry-pick specific parts from within a mod ... that's what I did for a long time.

Now I rely on the Active-Texture-Management mod

[Helix935]

Helix -- you can cherry-pick specific parts from within a mod ... that's what I did for a long time.

Now I rely on the Active-Texture-Management mod

I know. I do that all the time but last time i did it with B9 it did not feel right(as in the parts were too useful for me to throw away) and i have the latest aggressive variant of active texture management installed

[K3-Chris]

Just updated to 0.2

I've adjusted the MFDs to better face the kerbals head-on, they're still slightly too far from the wall to line up with them right but they're at least a better angle now, I've made the windows double-click:able to look through them, and I've added a transform to the last seat so you can use all 5 if you prefer, also made the arms for the MFDs props as well, if you don't have RPM you can remove them as well, don't need to look at empty non-used arms.

[acc]

looks really good. I like all the details. Sadly a crew cabine would make my shuttle to long :<

[Armchair Rocket Scientist]

Looking really good, although I do think it seems a little empty right now. Some overhead storage bins and fold-down tables between the passengers would make a big difference there. Likewise, there seems to be a bit too much empty space on the lower deck.

Also, I think I said this in the WIP thread, but I would love to see crew tanks for the HL and S2 Widebody fuselages. Maybe also for the MK2, but I'm not sure if 2 kerbals in a standing position would fit.

[K3-Chris]

Looking really good, although I do think it seems a little empty right now. Some overhead storage bins and fold-down tables between the passengers would make a big difference there. Likewise, there seems to be a bit too much empty space on the lower deck.

As said it's still missing some general storage props from a future alcor release.

Also, I think I said this in the WIP thread, but I would love to see crew tanks for the HL and S2 Widebody fuselages. Maybe also for the MK2, but I'm not sure if 2 kerbals in a standing position would fit.

If you did I didn't see it, hmm, interesting proposition, only real difficulty is I'd need to make the external crew tank models, easy enough to get a hold of the base external shape but much less so to add the windows model, window cover model with animation and window emissives, in the MK2 I imagine they'd have to crouch a bit.

[BudgetHedgehog]

Sweet jesus, 0.2 is a massive improvement on the initial release! Absolutely love it, especially the RPM screens.. makes it feel like a ferry or airplane

Now if only I actually had B9 installed and could make a plane that actually flew..

[BananaDealer]

looks really good. I like all the details. Sadly a crew cabine would make my shuttle to long :<

Which is why I switched to SSTOs...

[Amaroq]

@Helix935 - Ohh, sorry. I should've checked your postcount before that response, thanks for being a good sport about it.

God, how many mods do you run that you're out of memory with ATM!?!? Am I gonna hit that limit?

Oh, and O.P. - Beautiful work, must must must have it! You should certainly take credit for the aesthetic of the scene; had I taken the same elements and assembled them, it would've looked kindergarten-esque.

[Helix935]

@Helix935 - Ohh, sorry. I should've checked your postcount before that response, thanks for being a good sport about it.

God, how many mods do you run that you're out of memory with ATM!?!? Am I gonna hit that limit?

Oh, and O.P. - Beautiful work, must must must have it! You should certainly take credit for the aesthetic of the scene; had I taken the same elements and assembled them, it would've looked kindergarten-esque.

a crap-load of 'em and their the kind that are so useful that i can't not have them and at my last count it totals at 82 mods (including improvised)

[K3-Chris]

A quick size study based on Armchair Rocket Scientist's request for IVAs for non-existing crew tanks

Mk2, outline is the outer mesh, solid is a scaled down "inner wall" Fits really nicely, only real difficulty in the design would be egress and ingress, but I can picture the door working like a gull-wing hinge near the top of the sloping top wall, hinges out a section of the top sloping all and the narrow vertical wall, again I have no animation experience in KSP what so ever, but I could make a black line/normal map indentation around the shape of the door and have warning chevrons along the edge with warning text to make the indented function obvious, could also locate the eva hatch on the external model there.

Only real issue is that the Mk2 cockpit doesn't have a door, there isn't a door no the external mode's backside and none in the IVA either, though neither of the pilots can actually see the rear wall. We could in theory pretend there was a door there, but as far as I know the pilots on the Mk2 enter though the canopy opening like a jet fighter's, a door between the cockpit and the rest of the plane would be pretty pointless since they can't get out of their chairs anyway, well perhaps the rearward guy could if his chair turned 180, that makes sense, but the front pilot couldn't get out without crawling over switches and buttons.

S2WB + HL Another row of chairs could fit on the right in the HL shape but I think that would be a good place to put some stairs between the 3 floors and could put a WC in the staircase if you imagine them as a filled triangular volume, along with storage etc.

Biggest problem with them is as said the external model, and ideally I'd like there to be a logical path the kerbals could do inside the craft, both the S2WB and HL parts don't connect directly to a cockpit of that shape, both need an adapter, would I have to make crew-tank versions of the adapters as well? HL -> round 2m and S2WB -> S2 ones

Edited March 26, 2014 by K3|Chris

[Armchair Rocket Scientist]

If you did I didn't see it, hmm, interesting proposition, only real difficulty is I'd need to make the external crew tank models, easy enough to get a hold of the base external shape but much less so to add the windows model, window cover model with animation and window emissives, in the MK2 I imagine they'd have to crouch a bit.

Where we're going, we don't need windows!

Reaction Engines A2

However, the A2 design does not have windows. The heat generated by traveling so quickly makes it difficult to install windows that are not too heavy. One solution Reaction Engines has proposed is to install flat panel displays, showing images of the scene outside.

I suppose you'd still have to add a hatch somewhere, but that could just be part of the texture, as on the

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/66502-Kerbonov-Kn-2-Cockpit-Module

Also, I did some testing in the SPH and with EVAed kerbals and command seats, and I found the following:

A 1.25m fuselage is big enough for a single kerbal, but not much else, and two kerbals sitting in line would have to squeeze past each other. A crew tank would probably be too cramped for long-term missions, but for a rover or light atmospheric craft it would be all right.

An MK2 fuselage can acommodate 2 kerbals sitting abreast (albeit with no aisle between them) although their helmets clip together slightly. There's quite a bit of room on the side for equipment and storage. A 2m long MK2 crew tank would probably be enough for 2 kerbals.

A 2.5m fuselage, or the stock MK3 fuselage, would be similar to the S2: big enough for 2 decks, 2 abreast with an aisle and overhead storage.

The HL2 fuselage is 3.75 meters high and just over 3 meters wide. This is enough for three decks, with seating up to 4 abreast (middle deck only). Even with only one deck occupied, a 2m long crew tank could comfortably seat eight kerbals. With crew on the upper deck, the capacity increases to twelve. A 3.75m fuselage (and I doubt the new update will be out for five minutes before people start putting the new 3.75m parts on their planes) would be pretty much the same size, just with different proportions.

The S2 wide body fuselage is just under 5 meters wide, or the width of two S2 fuselages with some extra in the center. It's not tall enough for three decks, but it should be wide enough for 6-abreat seating (assuming a single aisle), with lots of extra space on the lower deck and ample overhead storage on the upper. Again, this allows it to easily seat 12 kerbals in a 2 meter long module.

As a special bonus, the S2-S2W adapter is 4m long, so it should seat four rows, with 2 seats in the front, 6 in the back, and at least another four in the middle for another 12-man crew tank.

EDIT: didn't see your post there, K3|Chris. Looks like we arrived at pretty much the same conclusions.

Incidentally, the HL cockpit Nothke is making could remove any need for a crew-capable HL-2.5m adapter:

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/66578-Early-WIP-Bingo-Aerospace-Blizzard-B9-styled-modular-cockpit-for-HL-fuselage

Edited March 26, 2014 by Armchair Rocket Scientist

[Prime flux]

Btw PorkJet is working on some MK2 spaceplane parts, which are looking great including a Mk2 crew tank.

more information over here http://http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/57662-PorkWorks-dev-thread-Inflatable-habs-and-more!-Current-project-MK2-stock-expansion/page82

[OldMold]

Btw anyone got any ideas for the 6m version? (this is the 2m version) not entirely sure in what direction to go with it, the 6m outer model is identical to the 2m one except it's 3x as long and has 6 windows instead of 2, I guess I could just repeat the design 3 times and remove the resulting internal walls, but that's boring, anyone got any suggestions for the internal layout of the 6m version?

How about a focus on long duration missions. Sleeping bunks, work station nooks, lockers. Or maybe hibernation pods (with custom heart-beat RPMs). Excellent work so far!

[K3-Chris]

How about a focus on long duration missions. Sleeping bunks, work station nooks, lockers. Or maybe hibernation pods (with custom heart-beat RPMs). Excellent work so far!

Good ideas, though hibernation isn't "canon" at this point and I'm not sure how far outside canon I'm willing to take it, nothing really stops me from making a hibernation pod though any kerbal you put in that "seat" would sit down, not lie down, could obviously make them "sit" on their back and hide the legs by only making the top part have a window... Though obviously it would still act like a seat, any kerbal in it could get out right away for an EVA etc. And the kerbal would move his head, arms and feet around, not very hibernation:ish Could leave them empty and RP using them I guess.

A work station/desk isn't a bad idea either, general storage is a given, The 2m is lacking that currently, will remedy that.

Perhaps I should make two versions? one with more amenities and storage and general IVA RP:ness while the other is more of a scum-class airliner seating? pack as many kerbals in there as possible without getting sued for in-humane/kerbal treatment for flights between point A to B.

Prime flux: I've seen that project and while I wish him luck with it, I'm not a fan of the look, it looks like an overly pointy stock part imo, I much prefer the b9 aesthetic.

Having some fun, disregard the horribad textures, thats on my ram-capped install, previous pictures are from my stock + my mods install

Edited March 26, 2014 by K3|Chris

[K3-Chris]

Duh, guys on IRC explains to me about smoothing angels, now the fire extinguisher and ladders look like actual round objects XD

Quick teaser for Armchair Rocket Scientist:

Edited March 27, 2014 by K3|Chris

[Taki117]

Question: If you close the S2 window screens does it block the window in IVA? This is more a curiosity than anything.