KSP C# Modding

[almagnus1]

So aside from downloading and install VS 2013 Express and the free Unity download, what do I need to do so that I can start working on a C# based DLL for KSP?

[Raven.]

One thing I learned the hard way, make sure that Visual Studio compiles against .NET 3.5, and not .NET 4 or 4.5.

[*Aqua*]

Setting up Visual Studio: http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Setting_up_Visual_Studio

Ultimate help for every modder for anykind of mod: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/94638-New-Mod-Development-Links-Compilation (plugin related links at the end of the first post)

Have fun modding

[almagnus1]

Thanks for the info! =)

One thing I learned the hard way, make sure that Visual Studio compiles against .NET 3.5, and not .NET 4 or 4.5.

Is there any way to get .NET 4.0 or 4.5 to work with KSP?

[vexx32]

If I'm understanding correctly, no. That'll likely be because Unity itself is compiled against .NET 3.5, meaning it won't be able to properly load .dll files compiled against a later .NET framework. But I could be wrong.

[*Aqua*]

You are right. Unity scripts are running in a .Net 3.5 virtual machine. You can execute .Net 4 code except of everything .Net 3.5 doesn't have.

[NathanKell]

Yeah, the DLLs won't fail to load--they will load. They'll just break badly when you try to do anything not in NET 3.5.

[GregA]

What are the consequences for my Unity install (I am using Unity for other projects now, not just Kerbal) when I install VS Express? I am currently working on other Unity projects (brushing up my c# skills) in Mono, and do not want to disrupt those projects, plus I still like using the debugger.

Consequences are not a deal breaker, it is just in the past installing VS makes things go screwy on my computer, and installing MS products tends to be a painful ordeal.

Last time I used a VS product was 2010ish.

[longbyte1]

What are the consequences for my Unity install (I am using Unity for other projects now, not just Kerbal) when I install VS Express? I am currently working on other Unity projects (brushing up my c# skills) in Mono, and do not want to disrupt those projects, plus I still like using the debugger.

Consequences are not a deal breaker, it is just in the past installing VS makes things go screwy on my computer, and installing MS products tends to be a painful ordeal.

Last time I used a VS product was 2010ish.

Usually, VS binaries are not added to your path unless you specifically do it yourself, so it shouldn't mess up anything build-related. Just make sure that the target runtime remains set to Mono in whatever IDEs you are also using.

VS will also be set as a default for all source files, so make sure that you set the defaults back to the IDE of your choice.

[kerbiloid]

Whether Unity installation is required at all? (Except dll already present in KSP).

And at least SharpDevelop compiles different mods fine as described in this tutorial without Unity installation.

[NathanKell]

Unity is not needed for plugin dev.

[almagnus1]

Is there any documentation on how things load within KSP?

I'm interested in when the DLLs and part files, and if there's any way to have a plugin load another arbitrary plugin.

Edit:

What I'm really working towards is getting a potential solution to a problem I have with modded KSP, being "How can maintaining and updating the following mod list be made simpler?"

Active Texture Management

B9 Aerospace

Better Atmospheres

Deadly Reentry

Docking Port Alignment Indicator

Editor Extensions

Environmental Visual Enhancements

EnhancedNavBall

Extraplanetary Launchpads

EVA handrails pack

Ferram Aerospace Research

Fuel Science v0.4

Hooligan Labs Mods

Infernal Robotics

Kerbal Alarm Clock

Kerbal Attachment System

Kerbal Engineer Redux

Kerbal Flight Indicators

Kethane

KSP Interstellar

KW Rocketry

NavHud

Orbital Material Science

RemoteTech 2

Station Science

TAC Fuel Balancer

TAC Life Support

Trajectories

Transfer Window Planner

TweakScale

USI Kolonization Systems

Vanguard Technologies

The thought was to hook into some of the events within KSP, and have a mod that can read something like a 7Z, RAR, or ZIP archive, which will allow the end user to throw a bunch of files into a directory, rather than having to merge a bunch of game data directories. Ideally having the DLL do something like what's described at http://stackoverflow.com/questions/184309/how-to-use-system-io-compression-to-read-write-zip-files , assuming that parts of the .NET Framework aren't verboten for modders to use.

There's no real point at digging deeper into how to get the archives to play nicely with KSP if the events aren't exposed to begin with.

Edited November 21, 2014 by almagnus1

[longbyte1]

Is there any documentation on how things load within KSP?

I'm interested in when the DLLs and part files, and if there's any way to have a plugin load another arbitrary plugin.

...

The thought was to hook into some of the events within KSP, and have a mod that can read something like a 7Z, RAR, or ZIP archive, which will allow the end user to throw a bunch of files into a directory, rather than having to merge a bunch of game data directories. Ideally having the DLL do something like what's described at http://stackoverflow.com/questions/184309/how-to-use-system-io-compression-to-read-write-zip-files , assuming that parts of the .NET Framework aren't verboten for modders to use.

There's no real point at digging deeper into how to get the archives to play nicely with KSP if the events aren't exposed to begin with.

Some mods utilize CKAN, which you can use to automatically install updates for participating mods. This is already an ongoing project to auto-update mods; you just need to ask those mod authors if they're interested in adding their mod to CKAN.

As for the mod you're trying to make, I'd suggest using SevenZipSharp for the extraction. However, you're going to face a second problem: KSP's I/O is restricted, meaning you're probably not going to be allowed to download to download Zip files, extract them, and replace existing DLLs (which are being used by KSP, so an error will occur, meaning a third problem).

[almagnus1]

After poking with CKAN for a bit... it's going to have the same net effect as what I'm thinking, with the added bonus that it updates stuff, so it's more of a case of "why reinvent the wheel?"

I mean, only the following mods need to be maintained manually:

Active Texture Management

Better Atmospheres

Environmental Visual Enhancements

EnhancedNavBall

EVA handrails pack

Fuel Science v0.4

KSP Interstellar

Orbital Material Science

Station Science

TAC Fuel Balancer

Transfer Window Planner

Vanguard Technologies

Yeah, there's still a bit of quality of life stuff that's not there yet, but it's got enough of the major stuff that I'm willing to just stick with CKAN for the time being.

Edit:

Removing a few mods that are now available over CKAN.

Edited November 24, 2014 by almagnus1