[1.0.4] Endurance (from Interstellar) [DISCONTINUED]

[Shryq]

I'm not sure how much time I'm going to have to work on it, though. So if it gets to the point where you need a model and I haven't got a preliminary of mine done, I'd just say go ahead with what you have, or make one. Also is there a poly count you guys are aiming for?

EDIT: The back end is kind of a crap-shoot. There's not much to use for reference. I have at least 10 images for the front and side, but for the back and bottom I have 3 images and about half a second of video. If you come across something save it for me, yeah?

EDIT2: Got the back mostly shaped, cut out the engine bays, got the docking area shaped, tweaked the cockpit area. Fuselage (at least as an alpha version) is mostly done. Check out that wing placeholder.

ToDo: Windows, vertical engine bays, landing gear bays, cut out RCS blocks.

Any suggestions on how to do the vertical engines would be appreciated. I'm not even sure where they are, but I think its the 4 vents on the bottom, visible in this picture (the one visibly firing is the hydrazine thruster):

Edited November 30, 2014 by Shryq

[Simonov]

I'm not sure how much time I'm going to have to work on it, though. So if it gets to the point where you need a model and I haven't got a preliminary of mine done, I'd just say go ahead with what you have, or make one. Also is there a poly count you guys are aiming for?

EDIT: The back end is kind of a crap-shoot. There's not much to use for reference. I have at least 10 images for the front and side, but for the back and bottom I have 3 images and about half a second of video. If you come across something save it for me, yeah?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/113879533@N02/sets/72157648782189217

Not sure about the bottom but there's a few good views of the rear here including the engines.

[SpaceXray]

Shryq: That looks good! I was planning to do all the art side of the mod myself but you clearly know what you're doing so if you want to model the ranger that's fine by me!

Orange Ignition: The current plan is to have detachable cargo parts which fit into the back of the Endurance's modules which can then be ferried down by the Lander. The modules themselves are never seen detached in the film and instead the Lander seems to be carrying some sort of crate. In terms of in-built generators, that's something we'll definitely be including but at the same time I don't want to make it ridiculously OP.

Currently zekew11 is working to get the full-ring model in game so hopefully we should have a test release for the Endurance part reasonably soon if it all works out.

Here's a render of the full ring assembly with hastily textured engine mounts:

http://i.imgur.com/maPtmkV.png

And in the meantime I've started work on the Lander:

http://i.imgur.com/pySt4nr.png

And exploded view showing the parts (fuselage, Main Engines L & R, and VTOL engine assembly):

http://i.imgur.com/vLHSq3R.png

Hi benjee! First of all, love the way this mod is going!

And second, I think you got the arrangment wrong. The docking node is attached to the wrong place in your screenshot.

It should be between 2 engine modules, not between 2 others.

Like here:

[TheFlyingPigs]

Please. Make. Tars.

[Space Scumbag]

I made this: TARS

Not perfect, but it looked and moved like in the movie.

[Shryq]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/113879533@N02/sets/72157648782189217

Not sure about the bottom but there's a few good views of the rear here including the engines.

That is very helpful! Thank you!

And SpaceXray is right, the docking node attaches between two engine modules.

[xxhansonmaxx]

Shryq: That looks good! I was planning to do all the art side of the mod myself but you clearly know what you're doing so if you want to model the ranger that's fine by me!

Orange Ignition: The current plan is to have detachable cargo parts which fit into the back of the Endurance's modules which can then be ferried down by the Lander. The modules themselves are never seen detached in the film and instead the Lander seems to be carrying some sort of crate. In terms of in-built generators, that's something we'll definitely be including but at the same time I don't want to make it ridiculously OP.

Currently zekew11 is working to get the full-ring model in game so hopefully we should have a test release for the Endurance part reasonably soon if it all works out.

Here's a render of the full ring assembly with hastily textured engine mounts:

http://i.imgur.com/maPtmkV.png

And in the meantime I've started work on the Lander:

http://i.imgur.com/pySt4nr.png

And exploded view showing the parts (fuselage, Main Engines L & R, and VTOL engine assembly):

http://i.imgur.com/vLHSq3R.png

Nice work with the models and textures. There is something u have to pay attention to. The Ranger has a tilted docking port

http://imgur.com/tOAI22U

Edited November 30, 2014 by xxhansonmaxx

[benjee10]

Yeah I made a mistake with getting the docking hub in the rock place. It's easily corrected.

RE the angled docking port, I think it's simpler to ignore that. It just keeps things simpler.

Shryq: Model looks good, looks like you have some N-gons there though. Make sure to convert everything to tris or quads. The poly count looks fine to me!

Here's the finished textures for the Lander:

Also, interesting point I found, apparently the Lander reenters upside down to protect the payload, hence the 360 degree rotating seats and the windows at the top and bottom.

[Shryq]

Yeah the upside down lander thing is pretty cool. Maybe there could be an option to invert orientation (like navball and control wise) for reentry, that would make it usable with Deadly Reentry, too!

As far as the angled docking port, I thought it was a pretty critical design point, angling the back like that (25 degrees by my estimation) allows for the engines to gimbal upwards. Another interesting point, is that there is a sub-set of RCS ports that are aligned with the angle of the docking port. Can I ask why you think it would be beneficial to keep the port straight?

Also:

Edited November 30, 2014 by Shryq

[benjee10]

It just adds an additional layer of complexity that isn't there otherwise, making docking trickier and such, but if you think it's critical then it isn't a problem.

Model looks really nice! Topology looks nice & clean. Good work!

Also, just FYI, we're trying to keep the scale so that the docking port is 1.25m and if possible the Ranger should be roughly the right diameter to fit on top of a 3.75m stack (with an adapter).

Edited November 30, 2014 by benjee10

[Shryq]

Roger on the docking port. For the stack, does that mean, that it would fit inside a 3.75m fairing, hypothetically, or fit on a stack the way they are in the movie in the double configuration?

[benjee10]

The double configuration shown in the movie ideally, but we can tweak things around since I'm pretty sure the Ranger doesn't perfectly fit the 3.75m form factor if you make the docking port 1.25m.

[Orange_Ignition]

the lander texture looks fantastic, although i have a question as to what the blue/grey tiles are on the top.

[benjee10]

Cheers! I think they're supposed to be some sort of heat shielding, possibly reinforced carbon-carbon like the Space Shuttle's leading edges. The underside lacks them hence the inverted reentry.

[xxhansonmaxx]

the lander has a docking port at the top and the bottom http://endurance.interstellarmovie.net/?ulang=en_za

[Shryq]

I don't think the thing would fit 3.75 if the docking port is 1.25. It might be possible to scale it down so that it does fit 3.75, and make the docking port ourselves?

Well, I just re-watched the launch sequence and they don't even show the configuration on the rocket. Is there anywhere else that tells or shows it?

Edited December 1, 2014 by Shryq

[Gaalidas]

What, are you camping out at the movie theater so you can nab a particular scene when you need it? Or is it better if I just don't ask those kinds of question?

[Shryq]

Don't ask, don't tell.

But in all seriousness, I only watched like 10 minutes, trying to find that scene. And I payed to see the movie originally. So I don't have any qualms about it.

[The Walking Bread]

Omg I would so love this for my ksp. Keep up the good work guys. I have several shots from the movie. I'll help with what I can

[KSP_ftw]

Yeah the upside down lander thing is pretty cool. Maybe there could be an option to invert orientation (like navball and control wise) for reentry, that would make it usable with Deadly Reentry, too!

There would be an easy solution for the inverted orientation. As someone else has already mentioned the lander has a dockingport on top of it (the one they use in the movie to put the endurance back in orbit after certain things happen... I don't want to give to big spoilers for anybody who has not seen the movie yet). If you'd use stock docking ports you could just use the "control from here" button to change the orientation of the craft. If you do the ports on your own then maybe you could implement that function?

O man this mod is looking better every day that I check on it! So looking forward to playing around with it!

[Shryq]

There would be an easy solution for the inverted orientation. As someone else has already mentioned the lander has a dockingport on top of it (the one they use in the movie to put the endurance back in orbit after certain things happen... I don't want to give to big spoilers for anybody who has not seen the movie yet). If you'd use stock docking ports you could just use the "control from here" button to change the orientation of the craft. If you do the ports on your own then maybe you could implement that function?

The only problem with this is that the 'forward' vector is going to be pointing either down or up, not forward. It might not be too hard just to code a button into the right-click menu to invert the z and x axis. Ill look into it when I start programming parts.

I'm planning on making the docking port on the Ranger, just so it matches the movie better, I'll have a chance to experiment I'd suppose.

EDIT: Was just thinking that if the idea is to protect the cargo like a heatshield, then using the top docking port as a 'control from here' would most likely be fine.

EDIT2: Almost done with the modeling. Just need to do the docking port, landing legs, and vertical engines. I'm not sure what to do about the texturing, as I'm pretty bad at it. If someone wants to take a crack at it I would be more than happy to let 'em.

Edited December 1, 2014 by Shryq

[benjee10]

That looks fantastic! I'll be more than happy to UV unwrap and texture it if you like, so as to keep the textures in a similar style to the Lander.

[xxhansonmaxx]

The only problem with this is that the 'forward' vector is going to be pointing either down or up, not forward. It might not be too hard just to code a button into the right-click menu to invert the z and x axis. Ill look into it when I start programming parts.

I'm planning on making the docking port on the Ranger, just so it matches the movie better, I'll have a chance to experiment I'd suppose.

EDIT: Was just thinking that if the idea is to protect the cargo like a heatshield, then using the top docking port as a 'control from here' would most likely be fine.

EDIT2: Almost done with the modeling. Just need to do the docking port, landing legs, and vertical engines. I'm not sure what to do about the texturing, as I'm pretty bad at it. If someone wants to take a crack at it I would be more than happy to let 'em.

http://i.imgur.com/rJkwazl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/EOv06bS.jpg

I think the back should be a little shorter

[xxhansonmaxx]

after this is done i can probably make a cinematic video if you guys want

[Akira_R]

Hey I just wanted to chime in on the scale issue you guys were talking about earlier, if the docking port is made 1.25m then based off the scale of everything here, then the ranger itself will be a little bigger than 3.75m, which would allow it to fit nicely inside say a 5m fairing from KW, which would work out great because the KW Griffon Century is a 5m rocket visually based off the Saturn V, which is what it looks like they launch the ranger on in the movie.

Just my $0.02

Cheers