[1.12.x] Mark IV Spaceplane System (August 18, 2024)

[AmanitaVerna]

1 hour ago, Rakete said:

So maybe if you already investigated the drag issues and fixed them for yourself... maybe you could send Nertea a pull request to release a fixed version of this mod for us all? That would be wonderful to have Mk4-Mod with fixed drag....

There's an outstanding pull request from two years ago to fix a different cfg error, so I don't think Nertea is maintaining this anymore.

[JadeOfMaar]

3 hours ago, Rakete said:

So maybe if you already investigated the drag issues and fixed them for yourself... maybe you could send Nertea a pull request to release a fixed version of this mod for us all? That would be wonderful to have Mk4-Mod with fixed drag....

I wish I still had my fixes. I had several test installs that I finally dumped at some point but that work was among them or wasn't made into patches.

2 hours ago, AmanitaVerna said:

There's an outstanding pull request from two years ago to fix a different cfg error, so I don't think Nertea is maintaining this anymore.

I had chosen not to offer my fixes since I got the impression that Nertea wasn't around anymore (being drafted for KSP2 and keeping that information to himself).

[Rakete]

22 hours ago, JadeOfMaar said:

I had chosen not to offer my fixes since I got the impression that Nertea wasn't around anymore (being drafted for KSP2 and keeping that information to himself).

I would guess, that he doesn't monitor github and the forums anymore. But if we asked him politely and directly he might accept a PR - as long he has no real work to invest into it. 

So if someone has a fix, that is completely verified by multiple testusers, we might ping Nertea directly and ask him to adopt the fix into his repo... I am pretty sure, he would react at least.

Unfortunately I am too incompetent in modding to assist in repairing the configs for the drag issue.

[Krakatoa]

Dropping straight up fixes in as PR's on Nertea's github is an option that can at least help people. With the PR right there, a slightly more involved user could at least fix their own install, even if it doesn't come perfectly out of the box, and it serves as a good repository of those little catches, like the extra } in that one PR.

[Awesomesauce1337]

I wonder if using FAR would help with the drag problems as IIRC, it uses the shapes of the parts themselves instead of whatever KSP itself uses and one of the biggest draws to it was that it fixed fairings not protecting parts. Just my 2 cents.

[damerell]

Using FAR sorts this out, yes.

[miklkit]

I really hope Nertea comes back to this and fixes the drag issue.  I just got this mod and it is very draggy, but I did manage to get a passenger version into orbit. 

I dl'ed FAR and it changes everything.  Not sure if it is for me.  Tried 2 different MK2s first and they both exploded around 1200m/s.  Tried a MK2.5 rover carrier and it made it to orbit but then flipped over just before touching down again.  Tried a MK4 and it went into the ocean 4 times.  There is a steep learning curve there. 

[JadeOfMaar]

I found my fixes and made them into a patch on my sandbox repo for anyone to try out and report on.

In short, the crew cabin needed a dummy animator module to present as a sealed cargo door and the drone core (for those who use it) also need a dummy sealed cargo bay setup or it will also be what makes your plane into a brick.

[miklkit]

Was searching for FAR instructions and saw this post.  Clicked the link and went to Github.  Got stuck, so started a Github account and still nothing.  When I say I'm a professional noob I mean it.  There is no way I can try this patch.  Sorry.

[theJesuit]

6 minutes ago, miklkit said:

Was searching for FAR instructions and saw this post.  Clicked the link and went to Github.  Got stuck, so started a Github account and still nothing.  When I say I'm a professional noob I mean it.  There is no way I can try this patch.  Sorry.

In your Gamedata folder create a text document, copy and paste what is in the spoiler here:

Spoiler

@PART[mk4cargo-1]
{
    @MODULE[ModuleCargoBay],0
    {
        @lookupRadius = 4
    }
    @MODULE[ModuleCargoBay],1
    {
        @lookupRadius = 4
    }
}
@PART[mk4cargo-2]
{
    @MODULE[ModuleCargoBay]
    {
        @lookupRadius = 4
    }
}
@PART[mk4servicebay-1]
{
    %emissiveConstant = 0.87
    !missiveConstant = nope
}
@PART[mk4cockpit-1]
{
    %emissiveConstant = 0.9
    %thermalMassModifier = 2
}
@PART[mk4cockpit-2]
{
    %emissiveConstant = 0.9
    %thermalMassModifier = 2
    %bulkheadProfiles = mk4
}
@PART[mk4crewcabin-1.cfg]
{
    MODULE // a module of type IScalarModule to report the cargo bay open/closed state
    {
        name = ModuleColorChanger
        toggleInEditor = false
        toggleInFlight = false
    }
}
@PART[mk4drone-1]
{
    %emissiveConstant = 0.87
    !missiveConstant = nope
    
    MODULE // a module of type IScalarModule to report the cargo bay open/closed state
    {
        name = ModuleColorChanger
        toggleInEditor = false
        toggleInFlight = false
    }

    MODULE
    {
        name = ModuleCargoBay
        DeployModuleIndex = 0
        closedPosition = 0
        lookupRadius = 2
        nodeOuterForeID = top
        nodeOuterAftID = bottom
    }
}

Then change it's name from whatever.txt to whatever.cfg

[JadeOfMaar]

1 hour ago, miklkit said:

When I say I'm a professional noob I mean it. 

Hah.

In the toolbar that begins with the "Code" and "Blame" buttons, look to the right. There's a set of 3 buttons to the right: "Raw," Copy raw (has Copy icon), Download raw file (has Download icon). Click Download. This will give you a .cfg file. Put that .cfg in GameData

[miklkit]

Thanks!  That appears to have worked.  Now to see if that brick can make orbit. 

[miklkit]

Nope, no joy.  Still draggy, but it did eventually make orbit.  Not enough fuel left to do anything but return. 

Your patch is in gamedata.  Just wondering if it should be in MarkIVSystem -->  Patches folder?    EDIT:  nope.

Edited June 29 by miklkit

[Nertea]

Release 3.2.1

• KSP 1.12.5
• Updated ModuleManager to 4.2.3
• Updated NF Props to 0.7.2
• Updated B9PartSwitch to 2.20.0
• The Mk4 Crew Cabin should now shield its contents from airstreams
• The Mk4 cargo tail should now shield its contentes from airstreams when closed vs open
• Fixed an issue with Mk4 cargo tail localization
• Fixed an error in an old DRE patch
• Tailpieces can now have cryo storage
• Support VABOrganizer

[miklkit]

Thank you!  May you do well in all your future endeavors. 

This fix turned one MKIV from barely landing on the Mun to being able to land on Ike.  I did not realize the cargo bay drag made such a large difference.

[miklkit]

Never realized before how heavy the MK IV is on my system.  Average fps drops to 34-37 from over 100 with other smaller planes.  The big OPT planes are heavy too, but not like this. 

[Nertea]

It really shouldn't be, it is fairly light and low detail compared to other things - e.g. NF Solar has a bigger memory footprint and this has no code involved either. Perhaps something else is going on? Something writing to log a lot, etc. 

[miklkit]

Not that I know of.  When getting into orbit after making the AP and then drifting up to it before burning to lift the PE to circularise the orbit, the numbers on the top left usually flicker orange and maybe some red.  With the MK IV they are almost solid red while warping until it hits 70k,and the fps is lower.  Currently one is on Ike where I was testing the MK2 based rover it carried up and then getting it refueled and the average fps is 43. 

I have built rockets up to 4500 tons that did not load my rig this much.  I am not complaining but am just commenting in surprise.  I just looked in the KSP folder and found a ksp.log of 4109kb.  Is that large?

[Nertea]

You can post a log in here and I can peruse it for red flags. 

[miklkit]

I have looked into this some more and the MK IV seems to have a 20fps hit when parked at Ike.  I tried to post the log here and managed to get it here unzipped, but then it crashed the site with a "bad gateway" error.   Nothing happened when I tried to post it 7zipped. 

[DeadJohn]

24 minutes ago, miklkit said:

I have looked into this some more and the MK IV seems to have a 20fps hit when parked at Ike.  I tried to post the log here and managed to get it here unzipped, but then it crashed the site with a "bad gateway" error.   Nothing happened when I tried to post it 7zipped. 

Don't try to paste or attach the log here. Zip it, then share it somewhere online (Google Drive, etc.), then paste the URL here to your shared file.

[Ace76inDC]

Boy was I happy to see an update to this mod, great work!  

My go-to interplanetary servicer spaceplane is from this mod, can swallow almost anything in its cargo bay

On 8/18/2024 at 6:33 PM, Nertea said:

Release 3.2.1

• KSP 1.12.5
• Updated ModuleManager to 4.2.3
• Updated NF Props to 0.7.2
• Updated B9PartSwitch to 2.20.0
• The Mk4 Crew Cabin should now shield its contents from airstreams
• The Mk4 cargo tail should now shield its contentes from airstreams when closed vs open
• Fixed an issue with Mk4 cargo tail localization
• Fixed an error in an old DRE patch
• Tailpieces can now have cryo storage
• Support VABOrganizer

 

[miklkit]

Welp, let's see if this works.

 

Documents

[Rakete]

Is it possible to get waterfall configs for the RCS modules of the MK4 pack to bring them inline with other parts e.g. from SSPXr ? Right now, they do the old particle stuff and not the beauty of waterfall.

Edited October 1 by Rakete

[miklkit]

It turns out that I built the MK IV badly and that caused the heavy CPU loads and more importantly microstutters.  They were so bad that the clouds were jerking.  I built a new one and the microstutters are gone and fps is a little better.