[1.1.3] Surface Experiment Pack - EVA science for KIS/KAS (v1.4.2 6/30/2016) *Now with less explosions*

[AlbertKermin]

Haven't progressed in the current play through enough to try it myself, but curious if there is any anticipated problems with Kerbal Inventory System? Especially as it was announced KAS will be incorporating to use KIS rather than the current system in the future.

I'm currently looking into whether it will cause any problems. Hopefully, it won't, and will provide some wonderful new opportunities for this mod!

[Eleven]

Has anyone tried this with Career mode *and* OPM mod installed? Virtually every contract I get that has to do with an OPM planet or moon vanishes during a scene change. It's been mentioned in the Kopernicus thread and OPM thread (by me) but I was wondering how this mod reacts to that issue as well.

[AlbertKermin]

Has anyone tried this with Career mode *and* OPM mod installed? Virtually every contract I get that has to do with an OPM planet or moon vanishes during a scene change. It's been mentioned in the Kopernicus thread and OPM thread (by me) but I was wondering how this mod reacts to that issue as well.

I'll have to look into that, but there are (as of now), no contracts involving this mod, so I don't think it will affect anything.

[Spacepetscompany]

Any plans for new parts in the future? After all, you can easily fit all 3 in a KAS/KIS container and fly them to the moon.... Adding more will add a whole new layer of strategy, deciding which experiments to take along with you for maximum profit (eg: 1 Heavy experiment with high science output, and requiring some sort of recourse [science production over time?] vs 3 light experiments with small science output and re-usability potential). And it leaves room for future manned revisits to the same biome

[AlbertKermin]

I've spent this weekend messing around with this mod, and I've gotten some stuff done-

First of all, I installed Kerbal Inventory System, and spent hours messing with it. While my experiments can be safely and effectively stored, retrieved, and planted via KIS, the experiments refuse to run unless a Kerb is actually holding them via the KAS plug-in, so a standalone KIS install cannot be used to run this pack at this time.

However, with KIS installed, I have been unable to replicate the explosion bug, so the KIS plug-in may be fixing it.

Second, I got a bit of work done in Blender on an upcoming part-the Solar Wind Spectrometer. However, I'm a little iffy on the texture, and I know some of you guys are far, far better texture-makers than I, so I'd appreciate any advice you can give.

Third, I did some work on the collision meshes in Unity, and I was able to find that my collision meshes weren't what was causing the explosion bug (KAS ground pylons have meshes that are exactly the same). However, I did change mine just to be safe, and corrected the funky Retro-reflector texture while I was at it!

As of right now, it looks like the next update (sometime this week!) should consist of the updated collision meshes, MSEP science definitions for Urlum's moons, and the Solar Wind Spectrometer.

[AlbertKermin]

Update- Well, I added the Solar Wind Spectrometer to the game. Apparently, KSP decided that spectrometers are made of a highly volatile substance, because the part explodes EVERY SINGLE TIME I try to plant it on a surface! So I'm delaying updating the mod until I can get this bug sorted out.

Current ETA is now sometime this Sunday.

Any plans for new parts in the future? After all, you can easily fit all 3 in a KAS/KIS container and fly them to the moon.... Adding more will add a whole new layer of strategy, deciding which experiments to take along with you for maximum profit (eg: 1 Heavy experiment with high science output, and requiring some sort of recourse [science production over time?] vs 3 light experiments with small science output and re-usability potential). And it leaves room for future manned revisits to the same biome

You raise an interesting point.

Up until now, I hadn't really been planning any heavy/complex experiments, but it's something I'll look into. I'm also thinking that adding a few contracts (along the lines of "deploy Surface Experiment X on X planet") might be a good idea.

Also, up until now, all the experiments have been clustered in the same tech-tree node. I'm currently wondering if that is the most sensible arrangement, or if it wouldn't be better to spread them out over several nodes.

Great Mod. thank you for making it.

MSEP for stock!

Thanks!

[AlbertKermin]

Updated to phase 2!

-Added Science Definitions for Urlum's new moons!

-Added the AKI-S05 Solar Wind Spectrometer

-Somewhat decreased the tendency of parts to explode- hopefully.

[Astrofox]

Sir, is this compatible with KIS?

[Dunrana]

Sir, is this compatible with KIS?

at the moment, it needs KAS to actually run the experiment, but the experiments can all be stored and deployed via KIS.

we hope to, in the near future, make it possible to run the experiment while its on the ground.

[Enceos]

at the moment, it needs KAS to actually run the experiment, but the experiments can all be stored and deployed via KIS.

we hope to, in the near future, make it possible to run the experiment while its on the ground.

You probably already know how to do it. But just in case, DMagic science module allows all sorts of experiment tweaking:

Sample code from the Magnetometer

MODULE
	{
    name = DMModuleScienceAnimate


	animationName = magBoom	

	experimentID = magScan

	experimentAnimation = true					
	experimentWaitForAnimation = true	
	waitForAnimationTime = -1	
	keepDeployedMode = 2

	deployingMessage = Close proximity to the craft scrambles the magnetometer's sensors, deploying the scanner now.
	customFailMessage = The magnetometer is not suitable for use during atmospheric flight, try again on the ground or in space.

	animSpeed = 2
	endEventGUIName = Retract Magnetometer	
	showEndEvent = false				
	startEventGUIName = Deploy Magnetometer	
	showStartEvent = false			
	toggleEventGUIName = Toggle Magnetometer
	showToggleEvent = true			
	showEditorEvents = true

	experimentActionName = Log Magnetometer Data
	resetActionName = Discard Magnetometer Data	

	useStaging = False	
	useActionGroups = True
	hideUIwhenUnavailable = False
	rerunnable = True

	xmitDataScalar = 1.0


	dataIsCollectable = True
	collectActionName = Collect Data
	interactionRange = 1.2
	externalDeploy = True


	asteroidReports = True
	asteroidTypeDependent = True

	sitMask = 51
	bioMask = 1
	}

Everyone interested in science gets DMagic Orbital Science, so it's a good dependency for your mod.

[DMagic]

Everyone interested in science gets DMagic Orbital Science, so it's a good dependency for your mod.

I've been meaning to take another look at my standalone science module for a while now. It hasn't been updated, so it probably doesn't work at all. After I release the DMOS update this weekend (maybe) I'll take a look at it.

Deploying from EVA is simple and is already part of it, as is a simplified version of the asteroid-specific experiments that I use.

[DMagic]

I updated my [thread=72466]generic science experiment module[/thread], it should be working fine in KSP 0.90 now. You can try it out and see if it works for these experiments.

[AlbertKermin]

I updated my [thread=72466]generic science experiment module[/thread], it should be working fine in KSP 0.90 now. You can try it out and see if it works for these experiments.

Thanks! I'll be testing it out over the weekend. Right now, though, I'm kind of waiting to see right now as to how the KIS/KAS integration plays out.

I'm thinking of making a second, KIS standalone version of this mod using your generic science experiment module.

On a different subject, I am going to have to do something nice for everyone to celebrate the fact that MSEP is now at more than 1200 downloads! That is seriously, far, far more than I'd ever thought this mod would get!

[Spacepetscompany]

We need a ground deploy-able VDS compatible camera.

Edited April 3, 2015 by Spacepetscompany

[AlbertKermin]

Sorry for being away from this mod for so long. Real life kind of - got interesting.

And 3000 downloads! :):):):):)

Anyway, I have got some testing done with the KIS/DmagicScienceModule set-up, and I encountered a pretty extreme bug. Namely, taking science from a KIS deployed part will cause it to follow the Kerbal in question around like a lost puppy, then disappear the instant the Kerbal returns to their capsule.

We need a ground deploy-able VDS compatible camera.

http://www.ninfinger.org/karld/My%20Space%20Museum/a11tv1b.jpg

That's an interesting idea! I'm looking into it. Hopefully, I'll get it set up so it's just a minor science experiment without VDS, or acts as a camera with VDS installed.

[Apollo13]

KospY has updated KIS (KAS replacement) so that the player no longer needs to hold the experiment piece on his back via KAS.

Here's his solution and an image of a Munar Experiment in use: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/113111-0-90-Kerbal-Inventory-System-%28KIS%29-1-0-2?p=1850066&viewfull=1#post1850066

EDIT (30 Apr): Cannot use KIS 1.1 without KAS to execute experiments.

Edited April 30, 2015 by Apollo13

[Arron Rift]

Very interesting! Do you need to leave them planted for a while, or just pick them right back up?

Also, what parts did you use on that lander?

[Apollo13]

Very interesting! Do you need to leave them planted for a while, or just pick them right back up?

Don't need to plant them except to retrieve the data. Edited April 30, 2015 by Apollo13

[ManuxKerb]

KospY has updated KIS (KAS replacement) so that the player no longer needs to hold the experiment piece on his back via KAS. KIS will now work perfectly with it.

Here's his solution and an image of a Munar Experiment in use: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/113111-0-90-Kerbal-Inventory-System-%28KIS%29-1-0-2?p=1850066&viewfull=1#post1850066

Hi

How do i implement this solution ???

If i try to put the experiments on the ground (kerbin) they explode.

Using: KIS: 1.02 and latest KAS without KAS containers.

Thanks

[AlbertKermin]

Hi

How do i implement this solution ???

If i try to put the experiments on the ground (kerbin) they explode.

Using: KIS: 1.02 and latest KAS without KAS containers.

Thanks

As I understand it, his solution won't be available until KIS 1.1 comes out, which is after the release of KSP 1.0.

[ManuxKerb]

hmm will, KIS 1.1 still work with 0.9 ?

[DMagic]

KSP 1.0 seems to solve the external experimental deployment issue. ModuleScienceExperiment now has an EVA deploy experiment KSPEvent that should allow for the type of science experiments that you want.

[AlbertKermin]

KSP 1.0 seems to solve the external experimental deployment issue. ModuleScienceExperiment now has an EVA deploy experiment KSPEvent that should allow for the type of science experiments that you want.

That's good!

[Apollo13]

Cannot do Munar Experiments with only KIS 1.1. Still need KAS I guess, so we can put experiment on the Kerbal's back to do the experiment. Drop experiment to surface to Take Data. In other words (as I write this) nothing has changed.

Edited April 30, 2015 by Apollo13

[AlbertKermin]

Cannot do Munar Experiments with only KIS 1.1. Still need KAS I guess, so we can put experiment on the Kerbal's back to do the experiment. Drop experiment to surface to Take Data. In other words (as I write this) nothing has changed.

I just downloaded the KIS 1.1 update. Hopefully, an KIS-standalone version of MSEP should be done by Saturday.