SP-3.14 Circular Solar Panel v1.2

[KerbIndustries]

What is it exactly?

It's a solar panel which you have to attach in a simmetry of 3 or 4 and when it's deployed it goes around the vessel like a doughnut!

PARTS

• SP-3.14x3 Circular Solar Panel(simmetry of 3)
  
• SP-3.14x4 Circular Solar Panel(simmetry of 4)
  

It's working with TweakScale.

It's available in:

• 0.625m
  
• 1.25m
  
• 2.5m
  
• 3.75m
  
• and even in 5m
  

Therefore you need TweakScale to use it properly.

License: CC-BY-NC-SA

You can download it on Kerbal Stuff

I would like to hear some critics and ideas for improvement.

Make sure you make a copy of your save file before installing this mod.

Known issues:

• deleted kerbals
  

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Edited January 23, 2015 by KerbIndustries

[Nitrous Oxide]

Looks very cool, I have one suggestion judging by the screenshot though, and that looks like the panels are currently set to be symmetrical in groups of 3... I'd love to see quarter panels that work in sets of 2 and 4.

Also, are they collapsible?

[KerbIndustries]

1. yes, they are collapsible

2. there where in a symmetry of 4 but when they where retracted they clipped into each other. So i had to make them in a simmetry of 3. Maybe in the future

Edited January 4, 2015 by KerbIndustries

[Gaalidas]

Sounds like it's a case of having to not only change the symmetry, but also the model and animation to match. Looks interesting. Are the back-sides also functional? The way they retract, you couldn't just put another set on the other side or they'd clip through each other.

[RainDreamer]

So now I can put my rocket in little glittering tutus? Awesome.

[KerbIndustries]

yeah, I had the same thought.

I made it a polycrystalline panel and they look like this. Maybe I will change it to a monocrystalline panel

Edited January 5, 2015 by KerbIndustries

[MaverickSawyer]

yeah, I had the same thought.

I made it a polycrystalline panel and they look like this. Maybe I will change it to a monocrystalline panel

No, it's perfect as-is. It looks marvelous!

[KerbMav]

I only now saw a possible balancing issue.

Your panels become available in the same node as the small static stock ones, but they provide a lot more power/second - if I read correctly last night, than they provide even more power than those two tech tiers higher.

Just a thought.

[FreeThinker]

Nice solar panels, but could you remove the vertical lines of the solar panels, or replace them by horizontal lines?

[KerbIndustries]

@KerbMav

Will be changed in the next update. The problem is, I'm not really good at balancing a part but I will do my best

@FreeThinker

Yeah, I can try out. If it looks better it will be in the next update

also there will be very probably a another solarpanel.

[KerbMav]

Looking forward to it.

[SpeedyB]

Could you make a version of the mod that has a couple sizes and does not require Tweak Scale? Many people don't use Tweak Scale.

[Mecripp]

Could you make a version of the mod that has a couple sizes and does not require Tweak Scale? Many people don't use Tweak Scale.

If you have ModuleManager.*.*.* installed you can put this file anywhere in KSP/GameData untested but should work if you want more changes you can edit or post what changes you want and should add 3 more sizes. https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/72893034/Circular%20Solar%20Panel_SIZE_PATCH.cfg.zip

[StEligius]

If you have ModuleManager.*.*.* installed you can put this file anywhere in KSP/GameData untested but should work if you want more changes you can edit or post what changes you want and should add 3 more sizes. https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/72893034/Circular%20Solar%20Panel_SIZE_PATCH.cfg.zip

Lulz, tweaking the scale without TweakScale! Salute and a slow clap, bravo!

[SpeedyB]

Thanks! Downloading now!

[Beetlecat]

Sounds like it's a case of having to not only change the symmetry, but also the model and animation to match. Looks interesting. Are the back-sides also functional? The way they retract, you couldn't just put another set on the other side or they'd clip through each other.

This is a good question. My sense is that I'd not expect there to be photo cells on the bottom side of these panels, nor would I think to install a second ring immediately below this one (though I may do it anyway, I'm forgiving of a lot of clipping) -- It's a single-purpose kind of deployment. We still need to use the standard surface-attach panels and extendable panels to for most ships.

[KerbIndustries]

It's really nice that so many of you have ideas for improvement:D

and I will try to implement these.

But currently I have much to do for school until february. You may have to be a litte patient.

[Starwaster]

If you have ModuleManager.*.*.* installed you can put this file anywhere in KSP/GameData untested but should work if you want more changes you can edit or post what changes you want and should add 3 more sizes. https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/72893034/Circular%20Solar%20Panel_SIZE_PATCH.cfg.zip

Those rescale the size of the model but they don't increase power generation, which would logically happen when the panel surface area is increased.

@KerbIndustries:

Do the panels rotate to track the sun?

[KerbIndustries]

@Starwaster:

No, they don't. It would be weird if they would.

But the ones that I'm currently working on are tracking the sun

Edited January 15, 2015 by KerbIndustries

[Seeker89]

You should most likely add that the newest patch is game breaking.... R.I.P. deleted kerbals...

[Gaalidas]

I do not follow how that last statement applies to this mod.

I had an idea while thinking about sun-tracking rocket-wrapping panels. What they need is for each panel to be made up of smaller radially-vertical panels that can rotate independently. The effect of a wrapping panel would persist, but each slice would turn to try and get the best angle. Probably too much detail for this application, however.

[KerbIndustries]

@Gaalidas

that's actually a very good idea, but very complicated. I don't think I can make it.

Maybe a better mod-maker can make it.

[Nitrous Oxide]

I do not follow how that last statement applies to this mod.

> Have ship with 3.14SP panels

> Install 1.2 from 1.1.1

> Enjoy your ship being corrupt

Pretty easy really, Seeker89 lost some Kerbals because no one bothered to issue a warning...

[kiwiak]

This is certainly interesting design.

[iDisOrder]

I just found this browsing Kerbal Stuff.

Has anyone incorporated these into an existing, updated mod?