New Release Interplanetary Modular Spacecraft RC9

[Loru]

Suggestions: heat shield modules for aerobraking and "paws" for vertical landing.

Since I'm waiting for final release I have 1 question. Can custom vessel be added as module if it has correct docking/attachment point defined? If so, what properties are passed to main vessel? PMI, mass, thrusters etc. but what about aerodynamic properties (airfoils)??

Adding aerobrake heatshields may be solved that way, but I'm not sure it's possible at this stage of developement.

 

[PeterRoss]

Since I'm waiting for final release I have 1 question. Can custom vessel be added as module if it has correct docking/attachment point defined? If so, what properties are passed to main vessel? PMI, mass, thrusters etc. but what about aerodynamic properties (airfoils)??

It can. Properties to be translated are mass, size, pmi, maxfuel, propellantresource (specific fuel mass), docking ports and attachment points (if specified by IMS markers) and all the specific IMS parameters you can find in manual.

Adding aerobrake heatshields may be solved that way, but I'm not sure it's possible at this stage of developement.

I had my first contact with the addon last night. It is AMAZING. Congratulations to everyone involved in the project.

Suggestions: heat shield modules for aerobraking and "paws" for vertical landing.

Aerodynamics and touchdown points are in 'to-do-in-some-post-release-update' list.

 

[jedidia]

Aerodynamics and touchdown points are in 'to-do-in-some-post-release-update' list.

Aerodynamics will be extremely rudimentary, though. Just enough to allow for a rough atmospheric heating model. aerodynamic control surfaces aren't planned at any stage in any foreseeable future.
Truth is, I don't know jack about aerodynamics, and how they are exactly handled in orbiter. Integrating aerodynamic properties of a module should be possible, but I have no Idea yet how complicated it's going to be...

Can custom vessel be added as module if it has correct docking/attachment point defined?

Anythig that has an appropriate config can be added. However, all its properties will be derived from the IMS config, not from the original module.
This might seem useless at first, but it actually has some applications. For example, someone could make a module that has to be inflated before integration into IMS, so that someone can make a dll that handles the inflation and anything else one might want to do with a module pre-integration.

 

[Loru]

1 more thing. Will it have some sort of payload manager so I can carry cargo (or inactive crafts) not integrated with main vessel?? For example: unmanned probes, orbiters, cargo drop pods etc.

 

[jedidia]

It is currently possible to dock cargoes (and even transfer consumables between them and the vessel), but yes, a payload system is planned. There was just no chance in hell to do it for this release

 

[Furet]

...Although I suspect that your major problem here was that you didn't watch your alignment and had your radiators facing the sun.

Would it make sense, in a later release, to design some radiator panels that are able to align themselves in the best way with respect to the sun (same principle as for solar panels, but with the minimum surface toward the sun)?

 

[jedidia]

I'm not sure about that one, it takes a bit of rewriting, that's the problem. I might be able to solve it a lot easier by clever use of composite modules, but I have no idea yet if it's going to work.

 

[PeterRoss]

OBS under construction:

 

[jedidia]

What does OBS stand for?

 

[PeterRoss]

It's Operations Base Station by Reaction Engines Ltd, the Skylon developer. It is a 'wet dock' for building modular martian ships of Troy project (I intend to make them too). Standard panels are meant to be covered by a transparent film, but transparency works not very well in the inline client.
By making panels 15 cm longer I made them compatible with SBB41B.

 

[jedidia]

Troy project, huh? Heard of it for the first time. I don't know what is more crazy, reusing a stage that already flew to mars and back for another go or having the landers in space for over two years and expect them to be perfectly functional when you need them... :shifty:

 

[cosmonaut2040]

Hi,
your add-on is something I was waiting for in Orbiter for a long time. It looks very impressive. I tried it out but it doesn't work for me unfortunately.

First, the button "attach closest" doesn't work for me neither in "sealed" nor "unsealed" state. But I figured out that I can attach the modules with the Attachment management MFD, so this is not really a problem.

I started integrating my spaceship, at some point I got some CTDs when integrating some modules, but from reading the forum threads I understand that this is to be sometimes expected.

The problem is that I can't load the auto-saved scenarios. It actually loads the scenario with the camera set to either external looking from several 100 km or to internal mode, but when I try to zoom in or go to external mode from the internal mode it immediately does a CTD (even if I have just a single module installed).

This is written at the end of the Orbiter.log:

Finished initialising world
Module IMS.dll ............... [Build 120902, API 100830]
**** WARNING: Mesh file name not provided
Finished initialising status
Finished initialising camera
Finished initialising panels
Finished setting up render state
**** WARNING: Mesh not found: .\Meshes\.msh
**** WARNING: Mesh not found: .\Meshes\.msh
**** WARNING: Mesh not found: .\Meshes\.msh
**** WARNING: Mesh not found: .\Meshes\.msh
**** WARNING: Mesh not found: .\Meshes\.msh
**** WARNING: Mesh not found: .\Meshes\.msh

I used clean Orbiter 100830 with only IMS RC2, SBB41B, dockportshow-080706, and AttachmentMFD installed. Operating system is Windows 7.

Any idea about where can be the problem?

Thanks a lot!

 

[astrosammy]

One of my sidemount engines is starting to rotate as soon as I hit the attach button :lol:. I fixed it by adjusting the rotation vector in the scenario after integrating the part.

Here is the scenario before attachment of the engine (named "a6"):

BEGIN_DESC

END_DESC

BEGIN_ENVIRONMENT
  System Sol
  Date MJD 56175.5290774150
END_ENVIRONMENT

BEGIN_FOCUS
  Ship Explorer_1
END_FOCUS

BEGIN_CAMERA
  TARGET Explorer_1
  MODE Extern
  POS 1.14 -9.14 13.64
  TRACKMODE AbsoluteDirection
  FOV 50.00
END_CAMERA

BEGIN_HUD
  TYPE Orbit
  REF AUTO
END_HUD

BEGIN_PANEL
END_PANEL

BEGIN_SHIPS
ISS:ProjectAlpha_ISS
  STATUS Orbiting Earth
  RPOS 938716.50 6353790.28 -1982612.13
  RVEL 7491.082 -1446.629 -1053.488
  AROT 118.45 -47.65 -107.67
  AFCMODE 7
  IDS 0:588 100 1:586 100 2:584 100 3:582 100 4:580 100
  NAVFREQ 0 0
  XPDR 466
END
Explorer_1:IMS\SBB41B\BM201_CONTROL_MODULE
  STATUS Orbiting Earth
  RPOS 937617.50 6354492.01 -1982589.52
  RVEL 7491.317 -1444.424 -1054.151
  AROT 107.89 -11.41 -100.82
  AFCMODE 7
  PRPLEVEL 0:1.000000 1:1.000000 2:1.000000 3:1.000000
  DOCKINFO 9:0,a6
  NAVFREQ 0 0
  COMMAND 0 1
  MODULE SBB41B\BCP01_Cupola 0,0,6.2408 0,1,0 0,0,1 0
  MODULE SBB41B\BN200_Big_Node 0,0,-7.276 0,1,0 1,0,0 0
  MODULE SBB41B\BM001_Habitat 0,0,-11.8517 0,0,1 0,1,0 0
  MODULE SBB41B\BCPLR_UniCoupler 0,0,-14.4272 0,0,-1 0,-1,0 0
  MODULE Truss_15m 0,0,-22.1272 0,-1,0 1,0,0 0
  MODULE Truss_1to3 0,0,-31.7273 0,0,1 0.87,-0.5,0 0
  MODULE SBB41B\BTank104_LOX_LH2_LFuelTank -4.0702,-2.3497,-33.9678 0.5,-0.87,0 -0.86,-0.5,0 0
  MODULE SBB41B\BTank104_LOX_LH2_LFuelTank -0.0002,4.6997,-33.9678 -1,0,0 0,1,0 0
  MODULE SBB41B\BTank104_LOX_LH2_LFuelTank 4.0703,-2.35,-33.9678 -0.5,-0.87,0 -0.87,0.5,0 0
  MODULE SBB41B\BHVE_Sidemount_Rocket_Engine 6.8695,-3.9587,-34.7558 0,0,1 -0.87,0.5,0 0
  MODULE SBB41B\BHVE_Sidemount_Rocket_Engine 1.2712,-0.7413,-34.7558 0,0,1 0.87,-0.5,0 0
  MODULE SBB41B\BHVE_Sidemount_Rocket_Engine 0.0043,1.4712,-34.7558 0,0,1 0,1,0 0
  MODULE SBB41B\BHVE_Sidemount_Rocket_Engine -0.0046,7.9282,-34.7558 0,0,1 0,-1,0 0
  MODULE SBB41B\BHVE_Sidemount_Rocket_Engine -1.2754,-0.7333,-34.7558 0,0,1 -0.87,-0.5,0 0
  DELETEPOINT 2
  DELETEPOINT 1
  ATTPOINT IM 2.2,0,-7.276 1,0,0 0,0,1
  ATTPOINT IM -2.2,0,-7.2761 -1,0,0 0,0,1
  ATTPOINT IM 0,2.2,-7.2761 0,1,0 0,0,1
  ATTPOINT IM 0,-2.2,-7.276 0,-1,0 0,0,1
  ATTPOINT IM 0,-0.8,-22.1273 0,-1,0 1,0,0
  ATTPOINT IM 0,0.8,-22.1272 0,1,0 1,0,0
  ATTPOINT IM 0.8,0,-22.1272 1,0,0 0,0,-1
  ATTPOINT IM -0.8,0,-22.1272 -1,0,0 0,0,-1
  ATTPOINT IM -4.0702,-2.3497,-36.2083 0,0,-1 0.4983,-0.867,0
  ATTPOINT IM -6.0083,-3.4738,-33.9678 -0.8645,-0.5026,0 -0.0043,-0.0025,1
  ATTPOINT IM -0.0002,4.6997,-36.2083 0,0,-1 -1,0,0
  ATTPOINT IM 4.0703,-2.35,-36.2083 0,0,-1 -0.4983,-0.867,0
  DELETEPORT 1
  DELETEPORT 0
  CONSTRUCTIONPORT 2.2,0,-7.276 1,0,0 0,0,1
  CONSTRUCTIONPORT -2.2,0,-7.2761 -1,0,0 0,0,1
  CONSTRUCTIONPORT 0,2.2,-7.2761 0,1,0 0,0,1
  CONSTRUCTIONPORT 0,-2.2,-7.276 0,-1,0 0,0,1
  CONSTRUCTIONPORT 0,-0.8,-22.1273 0,-1,0 1,0,0
  CONSTRUCTIONPORT 0,0.8,-22.1272 0,1,0 1,0,0
  CONSTRUCTIONPORT 0.8,0,-22.1272 1,0,0 0,0,-1
  CONSTRUCTIONPORT -0.8,0,-22.1272 -1,0,0 0,0,-1
  CONSTRUCTIONPORT -4.0702,-2.3497,-36.2083 0,0,-1 0.4983,-0.867,0
  CONSTRUCTIONPORT -6.0083,-3.4738,-33.9678 -0.8645,-0.5026,0 -0.0043,-0.0025,1
  CONSTRUCTIONPORT -0.0002,4.6997,-36.2083 0,0,-1 -1,0,0
  CONSTRUCTIONPORT 4.0703,-2.35,-36.2083 0,0,-1 -0.4983,-0.867,0
  EMPTYMASS 28250.000000
  MASSCENTER 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000
  PMI 46.430000 56.010000 54.090000
  PROP LOX_LH2 119280 119280
  ENGINE 9 0 -1
  ENGINE 10 0 -1
  ENGINE 11 0 -1
  ENGINE 12 0 -1
  ENGINE 13 0 -1
  CONSUMABLES 0.0001 0.0001 0 0.0001 0.0001 0 0.0001 0.0001 0
  TEMPERATURES -1:298.00:273.03 0:298.00:298.04 2:298.00:298.02 9:700.00:700.00 10:700.00:700.00 11:700.00:700.00 12:700.00:700.00 13:700.00:700.00
  HEATING -1
  THGROUPLEVELS 0 0 0 0 
  CREW 3 0
  ENERGY 594000000.000000
  MFC 0 0 0 -1 -1 -1 -1
  MFC 0 0 0 -1 -1 -1 -1
  MFC 0 0 0 -1 -1 -1 -1
  MFC 0 0 0 -1 -1 -1 -1
  MFC 0 0 0 -1 -1 -1 -1
  MFC 0 0 0 -1 -1 -1 -1
  MFC 0 0 0 -1 -1 -1 -1
  MFC 0 0 0 -1 -1 -1 -1
  MFC 0 0 0 -1 -1 -1 -1
  MFC 0 0 0 -1 -1 -1 -1
  MFC 0 0 0 -1 -1 -1 -1
  MFC 0 0 0 -1 -1 -1 -1
  MFC 0 0 0 -1 -1 -1 -1
  MFC 0 0 0 -1 -1 -1 -1
END
a6:IMS\SBB41B\BHVE_Sidemount_Rocket_Engine
  STATUS Orbiting Earth
  RPOS 937615.28 6354461.46 -1982572.81
  RVEL 7491.317 -1444.424 -1054.151
  AROT -149.28 -47.79 -107.08
  AFCMODE 7
  DOCKINFO 0:9,Explorer_1
  NAVFREQ 0 0
END
END_SHIPS

BEGIN_ExtMFD
END

 

[Furet]

One of my sidemount engines is starting to rotate as soon as I hit the attach button :lol:. I fixed it by adjusting the rotation vector in the scenario after integrating the part.

I think you can rotate any attached component directly from IMS as long as it is not integrated. I've no Orbiter/IMS at the moment, but it's something like "Rotate" or "Rotation" in the "Construction" Menu.



---------- Post added at 15:09 ---------- Previous post was at 14:42 ----------

...The problem is that I can't load the auto-saved scenarios. It actually loads the scenario with the camera set to either external looking from several 100 km or to internal mode, but when I try to zoom in or go to external mode from the internal mode it immediately does a CTD (even if I have just a single module installed).

Perhaps SSBB41B is not installed properly? Are you certain that relevant *.msh files are located in "[Orbiter Directory]\Meshes\burchismo"?

 

[jedidia]

First, the button "attach closest" doesn't work for me neither in "sealed" nor "unsealed" state. But I figured out that I can attach the modules with the Attachment management MFD, so this is not really a problem.

Well, the attach closest button only works for modules with an attachment point that are closer than 1 meter to an available attachment point. People usually dock stuff together first and attach and integrate afterwards.

The problem is that I can't load the auto-saved scenarios. It actually loads the scenario with the camera set to either external looking from several 100 km or to internal mode, but when I try to zoom in or go to external mode from the internal mode it immediately does a CTD (even if I have just a single module installed).

There can be problems related to the length of the dockinfo line, but that usually has other consequences. I'll need that autosave, the log doesn't tell me much useful at this point.

One of my sidemount engines is starting to rotate as soon as I hit the attach button .

This happens if docking port and attachment point don't have the same rotation vector and is a config error. Please tell me what module you where trying to attach the engine to.
That said, it is nothing game breaking. You can rotate any module around the attached axis before integration using the rotate button, as Furet pointed out. Otherwise you would be too restricted and unable to build certain configurations.

 

[TerraMimic]

The problem is that I can't load the auto-saved scenarios. It actually loads the scenario with the camera set to either external looking from several 100 km or to internal mode, but when I try to zoom in or go to external mode from the internal mode it immediately does a CTD (even if I have just a single module installed).

I used clean Orbiter 100830 with only IMS RC2, SBB41B, dockportshow-080706, and AttachmentMFD installed. Operating system is Windows 7.

Any idea about where can be the problem?

Looks like the same problem I had initially. You need to install SBB40 first, then SBB41B on top of it. The 41B update doesn't include all the mesh files from the original.

Here's the link in case you need it: [ame="http://orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=3062"]Space Station Building Blocks 4.0[/ame]

 

[jedidia]

Looks like the same problem I had initially. You need to install SBB40 first, then SBB41B on top of it. The 41B update doesn't include all the mesh files from the original.

Those modules are noted on the scenario editor image, though.

 

[cosmonaut2040]

Hi, thanks for your replys.

Perhaps SSBB41B is not installed properly? Are you certain that relevant *.msh files are located in "[Orbiter Directory]\Meshes\burchismo"?

Looks like the same problem I had initially. You need to install SBB40 first, then SBB41B on top of it. The 41B update doesn't include all the mesh files from the original.

Here's the link in case you need it: Space Station Building Blocks 4.0

the modules appear properly when I load them with Scenario Editor before integrating them into my spacecraft, so I don't think there are any missing meshes. I didn't use the modules on which it was noted that they require SBB40

Well, the attach closest button only works for modules with an attachment point that are closer than 1 meter to an available attachment point. People usually dock stuff together first and attach and integrate afterwards.

Yes, that's what I do too. But the button doesn't work anyway.

There can be problems related to the length of the dockinfo line, but that usually has other consequences. I'll need that autosave, the log doesn't tell me much useful at this point.

Even autosave with just 1 or 2 modules integrated crashes. Here is the one with 2 modules integrated:

BEGIN_DESC
MJD:51982 2 modules installed
END_DESC

BEGIN_ENVIRONMENT
  System Sol
  Date MJD 51982.0425934104
END_ENVIRONMENT

BEGIN_FOCUS
  Ship IMS_power_station
END_FOCUS

BEGIN_CAMERA
  TARGET IMS_power_station
  MODE Cockpit
  FOV 50.00
END_CAMERA

BEGIN_HUD
  TYPE Docking
  NAV 0
END_HUD

BEGIN_PANEL
END_PANEL

BEGIN_SHIPS
IMS_power_station:ims\sbb41b\bm201_control_module
  STATUS Orbiting Earth
  RPOS 6284538.41 -111.99 3099151.46
  RVEL -3339.850 -0.769 6762.685
  AROT 0.00 -0.77 -0.00
  AFCMODE 7
  PRPLEVEL 0:1.000000 1:1.000000 2:1.000000
  DOCKINFO 0:0,w1
  NAVFREQ 0 0
  COMMAND 0 1
  MODULE ims\sbb41b\bcp01_cupola 0,0,6.2408 0,-1,0 0,0,1 0
  MODULE ims\sbb41b\bn301_trussed_node 0,0,-7.276 0,1,0 1,0,0 0
  DELETEPOINT 2
  DELETEPOINT 1
  ATTPOINT IM 0,0,-9.476 0,0,-1 1,0,0
  ATTPOINT IM 2.2,0,-7.276 1,0,0 0,0,1
  ATTPOINT IM -2.2,0,-7.276 -1,0,0 0,0,1
  ATTPOINT IM 0,2.2,-7.276 0,1,0 0,0,1
  ATTPOINT IM 0,-2.2,-7.276 0,-1,0 0,0,1
  DELETEPORT 1
  DELETEPORT 0
  CONSTRUCTIONPORT 0,0,-9.476 0,0,-1 1,0,0
  CONSTRUCTIONPORT 2.2,0,-7.276 1,0,0 0,0,1
  CONSTRUCTIONPORT -2.2,0,-7.276 -1,0,0 0,0,1
  CONSTRUCTIONPORT 0,2.2,-7.276 0,1,0 0,0,1
  CONSTRUCTIONPORT 0,-2.2,-7.276 0,-1,0 0,0,1
  EMPTYMASS 14000.000000
  MASSCENTER 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000
  PMI 11.150000 11.150000 5.400000
  CONSUMABLES 0.0001 0.0001 0 0.0001 0.0001 0 0.0001 0.0001 0
  TEMPERATURES -1:298.00:273.26 0:298.00:298.00
  HEATING -1
  THGROUPLEVELS 0 0 0 0 
  CREW 2 0
  ENERGY 396000000.000000
  MFC 0 0 0 -1 -1 -1 -1
  MFC 0 0 0 -1 -1 -1 -1
  MFC 0 0 0 -1 -1 -1 -1
  MFC 0 0 0 -1 -1 -1 -1
  MFC 0 0 0 -1 -1 -1 -1
  MFC 0 0 0 -1 -1 -1 -1
  MFC 0 0 0 -1 -1 -1 -1
  MFC 0 0 0 -1 -1 -1 -1
  MFC 0 0 0 -1 -1 -1 -1
  MFC 0 0 0 -1 -1 -1 -1
  MFC 0 0 0 -1 -1 -1 -1
  MFC 0 0 0 -1 -1 -1 -1
  MFC 0 0 0 -1 -1 -1 -1
  MFC 0 0 0 -1 -1 -1 -1
END
wfefgdh:ims\sbb41b\bt201_truss_to_module_adapter
  STATUS Orbiting Earth
  RPOS 6284538.12 -111.99 3099129.59
  RVEL -3339.850 -0.769 6762.685
  AROT 90.00 0.00 -0.77
  AFCMODE 7
  DOCKINFO 0:4,wfefgdh1 1:5,wfefgdh2 4:1,w1
  NAVFREQ 0 0
END
wfefgdh1:ims\sbb41b\bt101_truss
  STATUS Orbiting Earth
  RPOS 6284538.11 -101.91 3099128.53
  RVEL -3339.850 -0.769 6762.685
  AROT -90.00 -0.00 90.77
  AFCMODE 7
  DOCKINFO 4:0,wfefgdh
  NAVFREQ 0 0
END
wfefgdh2:ims\sbb41b\bt101_truss
  STATUS Orbiting Earth
  RPOS 6284538.11 -122.07 3099128.53
  RVEL -3339.850 -0.769 6762.685
  AROT -90.00 -0.00 90.77
  AFCMODE 7
  DOCKINFO 5:1,wfefgdh
  NAVFREQ 0 0
END
w1:ims\sbb41b\bm222_cooling_system
  STATUS Orbiting Earth
  RPOS 6284538.22 -111.99 3099136.91
  RVEL -3339.850 -0.769 6762.685
  AROT 0.00 -0.77 -0.00
  AFCMODE 7
  DOCKINFO 0:0,IMS_power_station 1:4,wfefgdh
  NAVFREQ 0 0
END
END_SHIPS

BEGIN_ExtMFD
END

It loads ok and crashes immediately when I press F1 to switch to external mode.

---------- Post added at 12:47 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:08 AM ----------

OK, I figured it out!

Indeed it was all not properly installed... I use [ame="http://orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=1411"]Orbiter Addon Installation System V1.1[/ame] for installing my addons, and I already noticed in past that when it unpacks a zip file it changes all file names to lower case. (actually I even re-packed the IMS and SBB archives from rar to zip just for the convenience of installing it with the installer, because it doesn't support rar :facepalm

When I unpack the zip files manually, the case is preserved and everything seems to work

Sorry for the confusion, I never encountered such issue before. It seems it's time for me to look for another installer :lol:

Finally I can start bringing my spaceship designs to life! Thanks for your great addon

 

[PeterRoss]

... and I already noticed in past that when it unpacks a zip file it changes all file names to lower case. ...

It's good to know this, thanks. :tiphat:

---------- Post added at 15:27 ---------- Previous post was at 10:16 ----------

One of my sidemount engines is starting to rotate as soon as I hit the attach button :lol:.

NOW I see what you mean :blink: Jedidia, you should have a closer look at astrosammy's scenario. Seems like another gremlin here.

 

[jedidia]

When I unpack the zip files manually, the case is preserved and everything seems to work

That is a bit weird... I'd understand it if you were running on Linux, but windows 7 doesn't care about cases in filenames...??

oh, but IMS does... :facepalm: Seeing if a vessel was spawned from the IMS folder is the first compatibility check. If not, it doesn't even check the attachment points (saves on cpu cycles). So yeah, that would lead to the attach button apparently not working. Maybe I should make a self-extracting .exe...

EDIT:

NOW I see what you mean Jedidia, you should have a closer look at astrosammy's scenario. Seems like another gremlin here.

What the bloody schnitzel?? I don't even know where I could start looking for a cause even slightly related to such behavior. This has got to e about the weirdest thing I've seen through the whole testing :blink:

What's more, it's damn near impossible. It would have to perpetually call the rotation function, but there's only one single reference to that in the whole code, which is executed when you push the button. The only possible reason coming to mind is the thing getting called by an unhandled access violation, but the probability that this would be a reproducable phenomenon that never causes a ctd is really, really, really, really close to zero. Also, it should definitely crash when run in the debugger. This is gonna get interesting...

EDIT2: Well, the rotation function doesn't get called at all. That thing just... rotates. Without any apparent cause. Maybe a normalisation problem, that's the only thing that comes to mind.