[1.2.2] Stock Part Revamp, Update 1.9.6. Released Source Files!

[Taverius]

You need custom fx for that, though.

[Guest]

Anywhom, here's an early mockup of the LV-T30:

http://i.imgur.com/9T8fpmT.png

Any thoughts?

Stock engines without tank butts? ~:swoon:~

Please do more, if you have the time!

[OrbitusII]

You need custom fx for that, though.

True, but this is an improvement on stock stuff anyway, why not go all the way? If it's not a part of the release initially I'll be fine, I just think it'd be nice to have exhaust effects to match the engine design.

[Ven]

If you're interested in the /correctness/ of it w.r.t a real rocket engine, ask NathanKell.

Other than that ... looks good to me. Remember to model for a possible change in gimbal angles to more realistic values - the RD-180 used on the Atlas III and V have a gimbal range of 8 degrees, for example.

Also, real engines don't gimbal at the nozzle - the whole assembly moves. Example (SpaceX Merlin 1D):

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=26388.0;attach=424051;image

But If the entire engine gimbals, then wouldn't it look weird to see them phasing through their fairings? Eh Maybe they don't gimbal that much... Or maybe they don't gimbal at all when their in a stack...

HOLEEE CRAP.

There are not enough <3s in the world.

One suggestion: that upper ring on the nozzle looks a bit too thick to be for regenerative cooling; since there's already an exhaust pipe, it wouldn't be piping turbine exhaust into the nozzle. Well, ok, actually two: you can take this opportunity to remove that cylinder on the far side of the engine from the gas generator and the exhaust; there's no reason to have *two* gas generators (or that third one?)

Better? (the LV-T45 is more or less the same, but with pistons instead of solid sway braces (It'll be interesting to get the pistons to work properly...))

It might also be nice to have some exhaust effects coming from the exhaust pipe. That's what it's there for, at least, so it would be nice to see it actually doing something. Looking good!

Edit: here's an image of the Merlin engines undergoing a test. The Merlins are a gas-generator cycle engine like the LV-T series, so it should be a good comparison/reference if you decide to do the exhaust effects.

http://33.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m67uwzl0N01rti11fo1_1280.jpg

May as well hit it out of the park while I'm there.

[OrbitusII]

Looks great! I know that there's a module that forces individual transforms in a part's hierarchy to look at other transforms, I'm just not sure how it works. I may look into it tomorrow and I'll let you know if I can figure anything out.

Have you done custom engine effects before? I've already made a part that uses them so if you need/want a Unity package for reference I can throw that your way. The results of that are in my One-Eye Industries mod (link in sig).

[NathanKell]

<3 intensifies

[hoojiwana]

(the LV-T45 is more or less the same, but with pistons instead of solid sway braces (It'll be interesting to get the pistons to work properly...))

You could use FXModuleLookAtConstraint for the pistons. Stock rover wheels and the ARM claw use that module, and it is perfect for what you need it to do.

[Ven]

Have you done custom engine effects before? I've already made a part that uses them so if you need/want a Unity package for reference I can throw that your way. The results of that are in my One-Eye Industries mod (link in sig).

I've played with them a little bit before, Managed to get them to show wp in game but they fired in the wrong direction.

Any help you give will be much appreciated.

[Taverius]

You could use FXModuleLookAtConstraint for the pistons. Stock rover wheels and the ARM claw use that module, and it is perfect for what you need it to do.

Plenty of examples in the wheels, but essentially you pass the PartModule a GameObject name to rotate and one it needs to look at, and repeat for every single GO that needs to be constrained that way. It'll rotate around/point to the origin of each.

Porkjet is working with that too (I hope its ok if I post this):

[hoojiwana]

I've played with them a little bit before, Managed to get them to show wp in game but they fired in the wrong direction.

Any help you give will be much appreciated.

There's a tutorial in the OP of the Hotrockets thread that's pretty good.

[OrbitusII]

Porkjet is working with that too (I hope its ok if I post this):

https://i.imgur.com/9nKnPZZ.gif

Holy cow it's mesmerizing... That's gimbal control pistons done right!

I don't know if engines will gimbal when they're deactivated, I'll throw together a quick test model to see how that behavior works. I'll try to get you the custom effects package this afternoon along with the little gimbal system report.

Edited October 2, 2014 by OrbitusII

[OrbitusII]

Quick Update: gimballed engines do not gimbal until they are activated.

Also, the custom effects package. I don't have time to write up a usage guide but to get the particles to move along the correct axis for engines they need to be traveling down the Z+ axis of the effects model. "Simulate World Space" will make the particles move relative to the world when enabled, relative to the engine when disabled. Other settings are very similar to Unity's legacy particle system.

Dropbox Link

[Ven]

Quick Update: gimballed engines do not gimbal until they are activated.

Also, the custom effects package. I don't have time to write up a usage guide but to get the particles to move along the correct axis for engines they need to be traveling down the Z+ axis of the effects model. "Simulate World Space" will make the particles move relative to the world when enabled, relative to the engine when disabled. Other settings are very similar to Unity's legacy particle system.

Dropbox Link

Thanks for the help! Expecially with the Simulate World Space option, not having that ticked made for some weird effects...

Here's the next three engines I built today:

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I don't know why I care about the Ant, but there it is.

[Guest]

That 909 is going to be gorgeous.

[NathanKell]

What regex said, except for them all.

Ferram figured the closest real-world equivalent to the shaping of the LV-909 might be the Molniya Blok L stage's engine (if you want some references).

[Ven]

Update on the LV-T30 and a few other parts (No new effects yet):

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[CaptRobau]

Kinds of like black jet engine. Aside from that it looks really good.

[kiwiak]

Finally something that will make stock a little less ugly

Edited October 5, 2014 by kiwiak

[Percebob]

This is fantastic looking, can't wait to see the rest of it.

[kiwiak]

Oh by the way, please restore original small antenna texture unchanged, i always liked this red-white design

[OrbitusII]

Update on the LV-T30 and a few other parts (No new effects yet):

http://imgur.com/a/5Ns2W

Holy craaaaap that T30 though! I can't wait to see it completed!

[Ven]

The near-finished 45' finally sees the light of day:

And the updated LV-909 (which I'm having a hard time telling if it's any better than the last) (tank for scale*)

[CaptRobau]

LV-909 looks good. The T-45 could use a baseplate though. Having it just connect into empty air with some tanks would not look that good.

[Guest]

No, no stupid-looking tank butts on the engines, please. An engine is an engine, it's got a lightweight thrust structure at the top, not a big honkin' plate. It's my only complaint about LV-909, too. Granted, you could excuse the torus as a "start tank" (IRL engines often need helium purging to restart, which means having helium tanks attached), but it might look better with it gone, and you've already got two barrels that could pass as start tanks anyway.

[CaptainKipard]

This is all very impressive. You've come a long way since the open part mod.

One important question. Are you using the exact same colliders for all these models? This is important if you want to replace existing parts without breaking anything.