[DEVTHREAD] Deep Space Exploration Vessels

[SpaceLaunchSystem]

Most of this stuff has been already made. NFElectrical has fission reactors and all types of advanced drives. KSPI has fusion reactors and speculative technology. Habitat Pack (old, but still works in 1.0) has centrifuges.

[Taki117]

Is this compatible with KSPI?

[Angelo Kerman]

Is this compatible with KSPI?

I don't currently have plans to work with KSPI. Deep Space Exploration Vessels is designed to work stand-alone, meaning you have everything you need to build spacecraft inspired by the NASA papers. That said, it is also designed to work with Near Future Technologies, Community Resource Pack, DeepFreeze (once I bring that up to date or somebody else decides to), RoverDude's stand-alone warp drive, and of course my own mods. That said, I believe there are some variants of KSPI that align it more with NFT, so in that sense it could work together, but DSEV won't follow the same technology path.

[Taki117]

I don't currently have plans to work with KSPI. Deep Space Exploration Vessels is designed to work stand-alone, meaning you have everything you need to build spacecraft inspired by the NASA papers. That said, it is also designed to work with Near Future Technologies, Community Resource Pack, DeepFreeze (once I bring that up to date or somebody else decides to), RoverDude's stand-alone warp drive, and of course my own mods. That said, I believe there are some variants of KSPI that align it more with NFT, so in that sense it could work together, but DSEV won't follow the same technology path.

I was more curious about mechanically, using WAsteheat and if the KSPI reactors would work for necessary power production.

[Angelo Kerman]

I was more curious about mechanically, using WAsteheat and if the KSPI reactors would work for necessary power production.

DSEV radiators use the stock heat system, which doesn't make use of WasteHeat. Also, the fusion reactor uses the stock resource converter to create ElectricCharge.

[Taki117]

DSEV radiators use the stock heat system, which doesn't make use of WasteHeat. Also, the fusion reactor uses the stock resource converter to create ElectricCharge.

Ah, ok. Thank you.

[Angelo Kerman]

is there a trick to getting the centrifuge working? no mater what i do it won't spin ...

Make sure to have the latest Infernal Robotics installed.

[Angelo Kerman]

Here's the latest promo image:

The next update out later this week will add Water and Minerals detection from Community Resource Pack to the stock scanners, and a compact ISRU that produces liquid hydrogen and fusion pellets (the standard stock ISRU will revert to its original configuration).

[ChrisSpace]

One day, in the distant future, I will have 1.0 working on my computer, and when that day comes, I cannot wait to play with these storage tanks!

[Angelo Kerman]

Get the latest version here!

0.3.18: Maddening Heat Part 2

Heat Management

- Improved game performance for heat management.

- Vessels will no longer be cooled to just a few degrees above absolute zero while in space.

- You can now specify a default target temperature for the entire vessel as well as for individual parts.

See the config file for the WB-2 fusion reactor for an example.

- Radiators now support multiple coolant resources.

- Radiators now support coolant loss while under accelleration.

- Radiators now require ElectricCharge to keep running.

- Tuned the Supernova and WB-2 thermal outputs. Better have at least a dozen large radiators if you have the fusion engine aboard...

NOTE: KSP may crash if you have the built-in thermal warning running when the radiators reach maximum. It appears to be game related.

I suggest you turn off the temperature warning using F10.

Career

- Redistributed the parts into the new tech tree.

Engines

- Added surface effects to the Supernova.

- Added "Ace" ArcJet Rocket Motor.

ISRU

- Added Water and Minerals detection to the stock scanners.

- Added Water and Minerals extraction to the stock drill.

- Added 1.875m ISRU processor. It fits inside the half-hex truss, and is a resized version of the stock ISRU.

- Removed liquid hydrogen and fusion pellet generation from stock ISRU.

Multipurpose Storage Tanks

- Added Water, Minerals, and Ore storage templates.

Other

- Added Masscon Ballast Module.

- Added Masscon resource. It literally weighs a ton! (1 ton per unit)

And updated promo image:

[wasmic]

Here's the latest promo image:

http://i.imgur.com/0ma6K8T.jpg

The next update out later this week will add Water and Minerals detection from Community Resource Pack to the stock scanners, and a compact ISRU that produces liquid hydrogen and fusion pellets (the standard stock ISRU will revert to its original configuration).

These things look good, but I think the Wild Blue logo clashes with the rest of the textures.

[Angelo Kerman]

These things look good, but I think the Wild Blue logo clashes with the rest of the textures.

Oh don't worry, the logo is replaced by the graphics for the individual resources, and you can toggle the logos. I might have to update the promo image to avoid confusion.

On a different note, I think DSEV is now functionally complete, so now it's bug stomping time. I'll keep the original post up to date so folks know what's been fixed and what's pending. Next update will fix as many issues as possible. Here's the list so far:

- Supernova flame not showing - FIXED

- Ace ArcJet engine not firing - FIXED

- If you toggle the orange tank sizes from large to small, attached parts appear to float - FIXED

- When switching resource types, the resource panel isn't updated until you reload the vessel - FIXED

- Orange tanks don't remember the size you set them to - IN PROGRESS

- Cannot dump coolant after reloading a vessel - IN PROGRESS

- Radiators that have high temperature explode during timewarp - IN PROGRESS

- Convert textures from MBM to DDS - IN PROGRESS

If you have an issue to report, please log a github issue, and check back here for status (as many don't watch github).

Edited May 8, 2015 by Angel-125

[Angelo Kerman]

Here's a hotfix to address some glaring issues:

0.3.19: Hotfix

- The Supernova now properly shows its engine flame.

- The Ace ArcJet is now the little engine that can (it works now).

- You can no longer toggle a tank diameter if you have parts attached to it.

- The resource panel now updates properly when you switch resources.

[Jivaii]

Angel, any chance of CKAN support?

[Angelo Kerman]

Angel, any chance of CKAN support?

I might do that for the 1.0 release, but I need to stomp some more bugs first. At least it's nearing completion though!

Speaking of which, Right now the part count stands at 18, which gives you absolutely everything you need to build a craft based on NASA's Discovery II. I fully intend to keep going though. After the initial release, I want to make a kerbal version of NASA's Copernicus. I have most of what I need already, but I'm wondering if different spacecraft should be add-on packs to the baseline mod, so that people can pick and choose. So the packs would look like:

DSEV-1: Discovery (baseline mod)

DSEV-2: Copernicus

DSEV-3: NAUTILUS-X

It would cut down the part count by having different packs but would also add to the complexity. By contrast, to build Copernicus, in addition to the baseline mod, You'd just need a TransHab, saddle truss & adapter, and aft radiator cone. That's like four parts. And to get NAUTILUS-X, you'd need TransHab, a hexagonal corridor and nose cone, industrial airlock hexagonal hangar, and a VASIMR engine (which I may do as a 2.5m NTR instead). Add to that a 1.25m fusion reactor and a fusion-powered jet engine, and the final part count for the mod if I included everything would be like 30 parts.

So it's a balance between creating the parts I need to create the big three NASA vehicles, and overloading the parts catalog. Any thoughts?

[Jivaii]

I might do that for the 1.0 release, but I need to stomp some more bugs first. At least it's nearing completion though!

Speaking of which, Right now the part count stands at 18, which gives you absolutely everything you need to build a craft based on NASA's Discovery II. I fully intend to keep going though. After the initial release, I want to make a kerbal version of NASA's Copernicus. I have most of what I need already, but I'm wondering if different spacecraft should be add-on packs to the baseline mod, so that people can pick and choose. So the packs would look like:

DSEV-1: Discovery (baseline mod)

DSEV-2: Copernicus

DSEV-3: NAUTILUS-X

It would cut down the part count by having different packs but would also add to the complexity. By contrast, to build Copernicus, in addition to the baseline mod, You'd just need a TransHab, saddle truss & adapter, and aft radiator cone. That's like four parts. And to get NAUTILUS-X, you'd need TransHab, a hexagonal corridor and nose cone, industrial airlock hexagonal hangar, and a VASIMR engine (which I may do as a 2.5m NTR instead). Add to that a 1.25m fusion reactor and a fusion-powered jet engine, and the final part count for the mod if I included everything would be like 30 parts.

So it's a balance between creating the parts I need to create the big three NASA vehicles, and overloading the parts catalog. Any thoughts?

Honestly? Take a look at what common parts/plugins/files you'll have. Make a 'core' of those, then building off that core, have add-on packs for each craft to fill in the missing components for the end craft. You could also break it up like Near-Future.

[Whizzkid]

The textures for the supernova engine seem to be broken - the part is completely white in the vab. Anyone else having this issue?

[CptRichardson]

Agreed on breaking it up. I only want the structural parts and the reactor, I don't need the engine parts (which are unfortunately borked, by the way. Loading freezes on them for me.)

[Angelo Kerman]

The textures for the supernova engine seem to be broken - the part is completely white in the vab. Anyone else having this issue?

Definitely don't see that issue. Everything works fine for me. Usually that means the game had a problem loading the texture.

Agreed on breaking it up. I only want the structural parts and the reactor, I don't need the engine parts (which are unfortunately borked, by the way. Loading freezes on them for me.)

Probably what I'll do is have the base pack as it is now, then the other ships will add on the extras that you'd need to build them.

[ChrisSpace]

Speaking of which, Right now the part count stands at 18, which gives you absolutely everything you need to build a craft based on NASA's Discovery II. I fully intend to keep going though. After the initial release, I want to make a kerbal version of NASA's Copernicus. I have most of what I need already, but I'm wondering if different spacecraft should be add-on packs to the baseline mod, so that people can pick and choose. So the packs would look like:

DSEV-1: Discovery (baseline mod)

DSEV-2: Copernicus

DSEV-3: NAUTILUS-X

It would cut down the part count by having different packs but would also add to the complexity. By contrast, to build Copernicus, in addition to the baseline mod, You'd just need a TransHab, saddle truss & adapter, and aft radiator cone. That's like four parts. And to get NAUTILUS-X, you'd need TransHab, a hexagonal corridor and nose cone, industrial airlock hexagonal hangar, and a VASIMR engine (which I may do as a 2.5m NTR instead). Add to that a 1.25m fusion reactor and a fusion-powered jet engine, and the final part count for the mod if I included everything would be like 30 parts.

Wait, if you're basing these designs on real-ish spaceships, I might have some suggestions (with the same tech level feel as discovery II):

(The HOPE, Z-pinch and VISTA spacecraft are shown in the 'realistic designs' page in Atomic Rockets, in case you want more information)

- The HOPE magnetoplasma and FFRE spacecraft

- The HOPE Z-Pinch fusion spacecraft

- The original D-T Vista, from which the KSP interstellar one is based

- The fusion-powered Pegasus and its lander probes from Space odyssey: voyage to the planets

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/tvradio/programmes/spaceodyssey/pegasus.shtml

- The following fusion-powered interstellar starships

http://www.icarusinterstellar.org/a-ship-called-resolution-project-icarus-workshop-update-14/

http://www.icarusinterstellar.org/meet-firefly-project-icarus-workshop-update-24/

http://www.icarusinterstellar.org/project-icarus-workshop-update-34-the-ghost-ship/

http://www.icarusinterstellar.org/ultra-dense-deuterium-fueled-starship-project-icarus-workshop-update-44/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Daedalus

Edited May 10, 2015 by ChrisSpace

[Sophia]

The textures for the supernova engine seem to be broken - the part is completely white in the vab. Anyone else having this issue?

I haven't tried this particular mod yet, but I've had this issue in the past and for me it always came from one particular texture taking up too much memory. What counts as "too much" is something I'm not too sure of, because KSP itself wasn't running out of memory or anything, but reducing the amount of memory used by that one texture always made it show up again. So you could try converting the offending texture to DDS, perhaps.

[Angelo Kerman]

I haven't tried this particular mod yet, but I've had this issue in the past and for me it always came from one particular texture taking up too much memory. What counts as "too much" is something I'm not too sure of, because KSP itself wasn't running out of memory or anything, but reducing the amount of memory used by that one texture always made it show up again. So you could try converting the offending texture to DDS, perhaps.

Next update will be replacing all the DSEV textures with dds.

[Oafman]

With the centrifuge, I don't get the 'Toggle Direction' or 'Toggle Spin' options that I can see on the tutorial video. I just see the standard IR options when I right click on either rotating hub. So I can spin them with the IR controls, and invert the axis of one, but have no way of leaving them spinning. These options are not present in the VAB or when launched. This is with 1.02 and the latest releases of this mod and of IR, and on Linux 64bit. Am I missing a dependency or something else?

I'll be very grateful for any help, because I've never been able to find a satisfactory way of getting part of a station to reliably rotate, and I'm sure this centrifuge will finally solve that problem once I can get it to spin automatically.

The textures for the supernova engine seem to be broken - the part is completely white in the vab. Anyone else having this issue?

Same. All the other parts are looking good, just the engine that has no colour.

Apart from these little niggles I'm loving this mod; the structural stuff and storage options are great, and the reactor is working very well.

[Angelo Kerman]

With the centrifuge, I don't get the 'Toggle Direction' or 'Toggle Spin' options that I can see on the tutorial video. I just see the standard IR options when I right click on either rotating hub. So I can spin them with the IR controls, and invert the axis of one, but have no way of leaving them spinning. These options are not present in the VAB or when launched. This is with 1.02 and the latest releases of this mod and of IR, and on Linux 64bit. Am I missing a dependency or something else?

I'll be very grateful for any help, because I've never been able to find a satisfactory way of getting part of a station to reliably rotate, and I'm sure this centrifuge will finally solve that problem once I can get it to spin automatically.

Same. All the other parts are looking good, just the engine that has no colour.

Apart from these little niggles I'm loving this mod; the structural stuff and storage options are great, and the reactor is working very well.

Glad you like the mod. The texture issues will be fixed next update, due later this week. I've replaced all the textures with dds. Because IR 20.2 handles spin direction and acceleration, those features are no longer needed in the hub and counter torque ring. You can use IR to keep the parts spinning; just tap the >> button, and the parts will keep spinning. I'll have to upload a new video to demonstrate that.

Meanwhile, I've reworked a couple of the promo images:

[Oafman]

I have some sort of issue with my IR install; it is not giving me the >> option, and also I can't open the group editor. So I'll try reinstalling that later.

So instead, I attached the rotating hubs to an action group and they are now happily rotating away

I'l look out for the next release; I'm keen to get to grips with that engine.

Many thanks