New Release Interplanetary Modular Spacecraft RC9

[jedidia]

I just read your documentation introduction, thanks a lot.

Here's a few corrections:

IMS does not actually need Orbiter Sound. Sure no sane man uses orbiter without sound anymore, but still, only list dependencies that are actually necessary. Mention SSBB in the same paragraph, if there's already one about dependencies, all of them should be in there.

Next paragraph right at the beginning, I think it should be staple, not stable? I guess stable would work too...

end of same paragraph, end of second-last sentence, scratch the "on". It doesn't seem grammaticaly incorrect, but it's really confusing and you need to backtrack the sentence to eventually get why it is there, and the sentence is just as correct without it.

---------- Post added at 06:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:05 PM ----------

Well, the idea I was suggesting was for a flywheel without an axle

I wonder how you are going to get the energy back without an axle. Not to mention that you will get heat the momnet you take energy from it, so there's really not much of a point...

but if it could happen, that changes the probability from 100% going to heat, to 99.999999999%. There is a difference.

The "heat-death of the universe" is not actually all energy turning to heat. It is all energy in the universe equalising, so no energy can be tranfered anymore. Heat is the form of energy transfer by which this happens (don't forget, heat is not actually energy... it's energy transfer). So the heat-death is indeed not everything turning to heat, but no heat being exchanged anymore. Since all energy doing something useful turns to heat at one point or another, this means that the universe will be completely static.

Hmmm, yeah. It seems to me though, that no matter how fast or how far it expands, its never going to outrun gravity

As I said, I'm not currently up to the topic, but last time I checked there was ample suspicion that it indeed will just do that. The expansion seems to be accelerating rather than slowing down.

 

[BruceJohnJennerLawso]

I just read your documentation introduction, thanks a lot.

Here's a few corrections:

IMS does not actually need Orbiter Sound. Sure no sane man uses orbiter without sound anymore, but still, only list dependencies that are actually necessary. Mention SSBB in the same paragraph, if there's already one about dependencies, all of them should be in there.

end of same paragraph, end of second-last sentence, scratch the "on". It doesn't seem grammaticaly incorrect, but it's really confusing and you need to backtrack the sentence to eventually get why it is there, and the sentence is just as correct without it.

Hmmm, fixed those, heres the document in word format

View attachment IMS Documentation v1.0.zip

Zipped, cause OF doesnt like docx filename.

If you want to take care of that document, I can work on the rest of the stuff, & have it to you soon. Im about 5 pages into the user guide, so I should be done that relatively soon.

Next paragraph right at the beginning, I think it should be staple, not stable? I guess stable would work too...

No, I meant stable



:lol:. On a more serious note, I did take a crack at producing my own modules recently. I just cant seem to get the right look for it though...

 

[PeterRoss]

The issue reported by Furet is confirmed. When trying to assemble his second vessel I found that CG shift isn't happening when integrating two upper fuel tanks, hence incorrect CG. I think it's connected somehow with non-standard CM (container-type). Will see what I can find.

 

[BruceJohnJennerLawso]

The issue reported by Furet is confirmed. When trying to assemble his second vessel I found that CG shift isn't happening when integrating two upper fuel tanks, hence incorrect CG. I think it's connected somehow with non-standard CM (container-type). Will see what I can find.

Hmmm, Ill check the config on that for anything unusual.

By the way, would you mind posting that awesome spacedock part you created earlier? I would love to try that out.

 

[PeterRoss]

You mean this one?

http://ge.tt/6XYfhtd/v/0?c

It's not finished yet and it takes quite much time to assemble the thing, mind you :lol:

 

[Furet]

The issue reported by Furet is confirmed. When trying to assemble his second vessel I found that CG shift isn't happening when integrating two upper fuel tanks, hence incorrect CG. I think it's connected somehow with non-standard CM (container-type). Will see what I can find.

Thanks for your input. One possible clue: the CM is rotated 270° before being integrated. It seems to be OK when the CM is not rotated (but then the engine is 90° from prograde direction, not a good deal...).

 

[PeterRoss]

Here is IMS RC 2.3. It includes fixes for four issues listed in IMS Sources thread of IMS development group as well as fix for module duplication when autosaving. The latter remains a mystery for me, API insists that a vessel is being destroyed at the end of the current frame, but in fact I have to wait for the end of the next frame for it to be destroyed.

http://ge.tt/5xxvjwd/v/0?c

The build needs testing to find if these issues really fixed.

What to do next:

- fix the issue found by Furet:

One possible clue: the CM is rotated 270° before being integrated. It seems to be OK when the CM is not rotated

This is correct, seems like some bug in SetCenterOfGravity() in its most complex part. Will need time just to understand how it works.

- fix CM issue, at least I can try
- add some in-game user interface for touchdown points.
- finish my Lunar Lander and fly it to the Moon :shifty:

---------- Post added at 00:23 ---------- Previous post was at 00:20 ----------

By CM I meant Composite Module. Boy, Forum is acting weird today...

 

[Furet]

Here is IMS RC 2.3.

:tiphat:

fix CM issue, at least I can try - add some in-game user interface for touchdown points. - finish my Lunar Lander and fly it to the Moon.
By CM I meant Composite Module. Boy, Forum is acting weird today...

You might need to sleep as well.

Thanks...

 

[PeterRoss]

Added IMS RC2.3 sources download link in IMS source code thread.

---------- Post added at 23:06 ---------- Previous post was at 07:36 ----------

Seem like these two tiny radiators are well enough to cool the whole thing:

 

[BruceJohnJennerLawso]

Here is IMS RC 2.3. It includes fixes for four issues listed in IMS Sources thread of IMS development group as well as fix for module duplication when autosaving. The latter remains a mystery for me, API insists that a vessel is being destroyed at the end of the current frame, but in fact I have to wait for the end of the next frame for it to be destroyed.

http://ge.tt/5xxvjwd/v/0?c

The build needs testing to find if these issues really fixed.

What to do next:

- fix the issue found by Furet:
This is correct, seems like some bug in SetCenterOfGravity() in its most complex part. Will need time just to understand how it works.

- fix CM issue, at least I can try
- add some in-game user interface for touchdown points.
- finish my Lunar Lander and fly it to the Moon :shifty:

---------- Post added at 00:23 ---------- Previous post was at 00:20 ----------

By CM I meant Composite Module. Boy, Forum is acting weird today...

PeterRoss, you are my Hero!!! :hotcool:

Not a glitch in 50 parts, where modules were integrating buggy all the time. It looks very stable, although I still havent tried out the landing legs feature. At the moment, Im setting up an Orbiter install where I play as an alien species taking its first steps into the Cosmos. Basically, its just the SSBB4.1 modules with gibberish text in place of the old logos :lol:

Still cant seem to find a really nice system to use, HD 28185 is nice, but too sparse for me, I want lots of real estate to explore. Donatelo200 really creates some nice stuff though. :thumbup:

You mean this one?

http://ge.tt/6XYfhtd/v/0?c

It's not finished yet and it takes quite much time to assemble the thing, mind you :lol:

Could I bug you to do me a quick favour? Could you label the parts in a screenshot of the partially finished drydock, like you posted earlier? The part descriptions arent really clear enough for me to get a good idea of what goes where.

 

[MaverickSawyer]

OK, just downloaded RC 2.3, and tried to run a craft I built on RC2.0 with the new .dll.
No dice. The RCS was all wonky, and the CoM was just behind the command module. Did I miss something in the posts about how to perform the conversion?

 

[BruceJohnJennerLawso]

OK, just downloaded RC 2.3, and tried to run a craft I built on RC2.0 with the new .dll.
No dice. The RCS was all wonky, and the CoM was just behind the command module. Did I miss something in the posts about how to perform the conversion?

Can you define "wonky" for us? I take it that the CG was not supposed to be right behind the CM then?

Shame that, I found the new version great, hopefully we're only a few fixes away from real stability.

 

[MaverickSawyer]

Correct, CoM should have been about 35 meters aft of the CM.
As for "wonky" RCS, the thruster plumes were in the correct location compared to the CoM, however, the mesh was not in the right spot. :shrug:

 

[BruceJohnJennerLawso]

Correct, CoM should have been about 35 meters aft of the CM.
As for "wonky" RCS, the thruster plumes were in the correct location compared to the CoM, however, the mesh was not in the right spot. :shrug:

Did a reload/second try help matters at all?

 

[MaverickSawyer]

No, it didn't. I went back to the older .dll and it's running fine. However, I'm going to make a new ship under the new .dll and see what happens.

 

[PeterRoss]

PeterRoss, you are my Hero!!! :hotcool:

I'm not a hero, I'm just a warranty man, remember?

Not a glitch in 50 parts, where modules were integrating buggy all the time. It looks very stable

Uh, I'm not sure if my fixes are really have something to do with integration stability, it was mainly about CG and autosave/finalization...

Could I bug you to do me a quick favour? Could you label the parts in a screenshot of the partially finished drydock, like you posted earlier? The part descriptions arent really clear enough for me to get a good idea of what goes where.

Modules on the picture are little older than the version I uploaded so some of them should look different abit.

OK, just downloaded RC 2.3, and tried to run a craft I built on RC2.0 with the new .dll.
No dice. The RCS was all wonky, and the CoM was just behind the command module. Did I miss something in the posts about how to perform the conversion?

I'm not sure if any conversion is possible actually. It's quite incompatible with RC 2.0, especially in the matter of CG. I'm afraid you have to rebuild the vessel from scratch under RC2.3.

 

[MaverickSawyer]

Ok, figured as much. Gives me a chance to improve on the designs!

 

[PeterRoss]

Note about integration stability:

I'm getting quite frequent CTD when integrating RCS, especially when there are several RCS modules attached at the same time. You integrate them one by one and sometimes it crashes out of no obvious reason. You load last save and then integrate them again and no crash occures - or it occures on another RCS module integration. It helps if there are only one RCS module attached and integrated at the same time.
There are another bug connected with RCS modules integration: Orbiter crashes when you try to integrate RCS requiring propellant which tankage is not integrated into vessel yet. I mean you have to integrate fuel tank first and only then RCS.

Adding these two to the bug list.

 

[MaverickSawyer]

That's odd... I had no issues with the RCS not having propellant. I added four BRCS2 blocks in a row without the LOX_LH2 tanks on the ship yet. No CTD at all. :shrug:

 

[jedidia]

Orbiter crashes when you try to integrate RCS requiring propellant which tankage is not integrated into vessel yet.

That would be a new one. I know for sure this problem wasn't around at RC 2 stage, although I can't quite say from the top of my head how this could creep in because of what you worked at...

Anyways, it's exciting to see this moving on. Great going!