[WIP] Gemini Space Craft

[WooDzor]

Introduction

So I am trying something new (Yes I know there's a very beautiful Gemini Spacecraft already). My first baby steps into modding KSP, and I thought; I need a central point to ask stupid questions and feed back and as a logbook of a complete MOD noob to get other people excited about modding too.

Lessons learned and tips received

-Start simple don't go all in with a crazy project that you'll never finish with interiors and other funky stuff like I did. While you might learn a lot, you'll be pulling out your hair. Especially if you don't know how to use one of the programs

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Software used

-Sketchup

-Photoshop

-Blender

Latest image

Time spend

12 hours from the restart.

Initial Concept

Edited July 12, 2014 by WooDzor

[MK3424]

For a first mod it's already looking good!

Only... the nosecone is a bit to long:

Nevertheless, it's a great looking addon.

[WooDzor]

Perspective does funny things.. it's exactly like the blue prints :S .. well sort of. I used some artistic freedom, but only with the diameters of the parts.

Edited July 11, 2014 by WooDzor

[MK3424]

Could be...

Still looks great.

I am convinced of that the Gemini spacecraft is an highly underrated spacecraft.

It tought us how to rendez-vous, docking and orbital maneuvers.

[Whirligig Girl]

Now, It may be that you are already aware of this, but someone was going to say this.

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/24867-FASA-Jun-30-Mod-compatibility-Update

[sirkut]

Now, It may be that you are already aware of this, but someone was going to say this.

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/24867-FASA-Jun-30-Mod-compatibility-Update

You must have missed what the OP said about the matter:

So I am trying something new (Yes I know there's a very beautiful Gemini Spacecraft already).

[WooDzor]

But I'll restart tomorrow and get rid of all the internal rubbish and openable doors.. BUT I've learned quite a bit already Blender was one of the worst pieces of software earlier today.. Now it's actually not too bad Still wouldn't touch it fpr modeling though..

[WooDzor]

For a first mod it's already looking good!

Only... the nosecone is a bit to long:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bd/Gemini_spacecraft.jpg

Nevertheless, it's a great looking addon.

We were both right, since I had messed around with the diameters of the pod to get the angles somehow right, the nose of the had a smaller diameter making the correctly dimensioned nosecone look funny. Fixed it. Thanks for the tip!

[Guest]

Make it to the correct proportions, please. Fudging dimensions to fit KSP sizes never looks good.

[WooDzor]

So started fresh this morning, and trying to make it a bit more Kerbal then before.

Though I do get some funny triangles at some places in my texture even though the face is completely flat. Anybody an idea what could have caused this? I can't even resolve it with the mark sharp edges.

[MK3424]

WOW!

The model looks great!!

[IRnifty]

Though I do get some funny triangles at some places in my texture even though the face is completely flat. Anybody an idea what could have caused this? I can't even resolve it with the mark sharp edges.

So the problem you're having is something Blender is EXTREMELY picky about when it renders. Basically, those faces are not PERFECTLY aligned with the rest of the face they neighbor. Luckily, Unity likes to solve this problem by smoothing the normals out during the import process. If you remember looking at my part in my tutorial, you'll notice that it really isn't all that round in Blender, and yet in-game, it looks perfectly round. I love normal smoothing...

[RiggerLee]

I realize that at the moment you're playing with a single individual part working out the graphics and appearance but I think you should also think about it's functionality. I would love to see a Gemini style capsule like this but for it to have meaning in the game I think you should do a mod that gives it a greater purpose. Part of that might mean giving it capabilities that other pods lack and perhaps even taking away some of the capabilities that they have.

Examples. What if the single Kerbal Mercury pod could not do EVA? It couldn't. Gemini was the first with a door you could reclose and you really needed a second man to help get the EVA out and back into the capsule. What if Mercury did not have access to the docking mode of control? What if Mercury would not accept a docking port on the nose. How about if Gemini would only accept the small docking port. No Crew transfer unless you want to do EVA. The Three man Apollo could be the first that would accept the large docking port for crew transfers to other craft like landers. I think you should need at least a Gemini to set a target and do intercept projections. I think the Apollo should be the first craft with the onboard computer to do patched conic course computation. The others should not show the encounter or the part of the hyperbolic path within the sphere of influence or the elliptical once it leaves. So it just shows the elliptical path that you are on right now. No crystal ball for what will happen once you sling shot around the Mun. I'd like to see a new control mode for the lander cans Where you can control the throttle of the main engine and use the RCS in liner mode to control drift just like Apollo 11. Fly the ball to kill most of your trajectory and arc. Then turn straight up right switch modes and have fine control of the throttle to control decent and RCS to control drift. It would be nice if you could upgrade to a view that would give you a topo map to show slope, a radar altimeter and even drift vectors and a targeted landing point. All things you could earn. And I think there should be ground hazards and less tolerance for slope, drift, and decent speed that require this level of control. I think the lander should require a two man crew.

Right now you can do every thing with just the little one man pod. I'd like to see a real purpose for the larger crafts and a push to use them.

Enough ranting. But it all starts with your two Kerbal Gemini pod. I hope you keep going with it.

Lee

Edited July 12, 2014 by RiggerLee

[Woopert]

Looks really nice so far. I tried modelling something really tall in Blender before (SLS core stage) and I followed the exact dimensions from the real one, and it looks short for some reason. I think once you get it in game it will look fine.

[WooDzor]

enough for today.. I am getting sloppy.

@Riggerlee. I agree. But as I said before it's just me trying to learn a new software program and having some fun with it at the same time. And since I love KSP and the Gemini Spacecraft I decided to build that one. Other than orbiting and a bit of docking I can't think of much else to do with it. I already have nice Stock Gemini in my VAB (sorry this one has an additional stage to land with it on the Mun, couldn't find another picture).

@Woopert. Thanks. I already cut the nose a bit shorter the dimension vs length was of, it looks a lot better now

@MK3424. Thank you!

@IRnifty and Orionkermin. Thanks for getting me started

Edited July 12, 2014 by WooDzor

[blackheart612]

Didn't read much from other posts since this is a quick one, if you are using sketchup to blender, use decimate to smooth the surface. Be aware of flipped normals so recalculate properly, and from experience, I only use one material most of the time, sometimes a lot of materials in one object won't show up the normals in ksp for some reason I may never know.

[WooDzor]

@blackheart. Cool Thanks. Blender added a whole bunch of funny lines to the model too. I spend an hour cleaning that up (including figuring out how to model in Blender) because it was causing me trouble with seaming the model. Not sure what normals are though.. you mean inverted faces? I am pretty sure I didn't have any. In the beginning one or two popped up when trying to get rid of the double lines, but I am pretty sure there's non left. I spend quite some time cleaning up the model and I only used 1 material through out.

About the the decimate tip; I am not quite sure whether I used it.. probably not.. Bad thing?

[MK3424]

Didn't read much from other posts since this is a quick one, if you are using sketchup to blender, use decimate to smooth the surface. Be aware of flipped normals so recalculate properly, and from experience, I only use one material most of the time, sometimes a lot of materials in one object won't show up the normals in ksp for some reason I may never know.

Wait, what? He's using Sketchup?

This means.... i finally be able to "model" the APAS docking system (well at least i will try).

[sirkut]

Wait, what? He's using Sketchup?

This means.... i finally be able to "model" the APAS docking system (well at least i will try).

B9 uses Sketchup if that helps gain any means to make a model.

[WooDzor]

Of all the 3d programs I know how to work with sketchup is simply the easiest.. no fuss just model things up baam. Anybody remembers 3d modeling in autocad R14? *bangs head on table*

[sirkut]

Of all the 3d programs I know how to work with sketchup is simply the easiest.. no fuss just model things up baam. Anybody remembers 3d modeling in autocad R14? *bangs head on table*

I used an ms-dos version of autocad back in my college days. Best part of engineering cad class. Hated pencil/paper.

[blackheart612]

Decimating greatly decreases tris from sketchup without damaging the looks of the model, depends on how you decimate.

[WooDzor]

Decimating greatly decreases tris from sketchup without damaging the looks of the model, depends on how you decimate.

I exported to 3ds though, couldn't find the decimating bit.. what would be the best filetype to export from sketchup to Blender? FBX didn't work for me.. I cleaned it up by hand. How many triangles would you expect in a model like mine?

the planned parts in white. the texture on the model still looks a bit rough around the edges..literally

[blackheart612]

It doesn't matter, it'll be on modify, iirc. And you can use decimate.

[WooDzor]

Textured 3 parts now: docking port, the parachute and the cockpit. Not perfect, but I decided to just continue with it, work myself through the process and later on come back and update textures and maybe the model. Btw

I am wondering whether it's possible let the parachute thing 'disappear', just like the parachutes in KSP. Anybody got experience with parachutes?