New Release Interplanetary Modular Spacecraft RC9

[NukeET]

As long as you don't attach it to the IMS vessel, no. If you attach it to the IMS vessel, it'll be floating freely after SQL.

SQL?

Please explain further. I attached the Universal RMS arms after finalizing and unsealing. Isn't the IMS ship, and its attachment points, stable after that?

I've seen random instances of the arms floating out of position just as Orbiter finishes booting up the scenario (and I start up paused). After un-pausing, the arms snap back into their assigned positions.

 

[Michael_Chr]

Have tested URMS with a finalized and spawned ship. It seems to work OK. At least it seems that URMS will preserve its values (relative position and orientation) from scenario save and to scenario open.

 

[PeterRoss]

Second revision of SBB41B config files:

http://ge.tt/8L5pR7m/v/0?c

This revision is meant to be fully compatible with previous revision included in IMS RC2 package. It is being unpacked into SBB41BRev2 folder and will not overwrite any older config files, so your existing vessels built with old configs will not be affected in any way. You're free to use old configs together with Rev.2 configs if you will.
It will overwrite preview pictures, meshes and textures, but this shouldn't be a prblem too.

What's new:
- Modules now sorted by function folders as was proposed by BruceJJLawson. I found this way much more convenient than the one we used before. I'd like to know your opinion on this matter, gyus;
- Included all the additional modules I released separately, except of OBS pack;
- Oxygen container is working as intended now;
- Hydroponics modules now have new specs, be careful when assembling a hydroponics array - you may find it to be little too heavy ;
- Big Nodes and Ring Segments now have some storage capacity (being spawned empty), Big Thrussed Node has battery embedded;
- Small food container isn't just food container anymore. It's Emergency Supply now, i.e. just a common container with all three kinds of consumables stored enough to support ten people for 33 days;
- Sidemount engine now works on LOX/Methane instead of LOX/LH2, its thrust is decreased. You can still use old configs if you wish;
- Solar panels' previews now shows power output at LEO;
- Two propellant tanks refitted to hold LOX/Methane;
- RCS working on LOX/Methane added;
- Some minor things I can't remember.

What's not finished:
- Some engines' previews still shows efficiency of 95%. It's not true anymore;
- XR5 previews now may show obsolete data;
- Some new modules can be incompatible with XR5 payload system;
- BR200 Radiator is still said to be NTR-Secific on its preview. This has no sense anymore since NTR now doesn't need external radiator;
- These new configs were never properly tested.

---------- Post added at 00:26 ---------- Previous post was at 00:25 ----------

SQL?

Save/Quit/Load

 

[Dantassii]

I was wondering if there was going to be some LOX/Methane RCS thrusters out there. LOX/LH2 RCS thrusters just don't sound efficient as the LH2 will boil off too quickly.

'Some' modules may be incompatible with the XR5 system? Hmm... this may be a problem since that's what I'm using to build my Lunar Repair/Refuel/Construction station. Guess I'll have to try them out 1 at a time.

 

[jedidia]

Please explain further. I attached the Universal RMS arms after finalizing and unsealing. Isn't the IMS ship, and its attachment points, stable after that?

Ah, yes... after finalisation there is a good chance for it to work. As soon as you stop adding and subtracting attachment points like a madman... :shifty:

If orbiter could talk, this is what it would say while running IMS:

"Yes, right, fine... what? no, wait... no... DON'T... what are you... look, this wasn't supposed to be used like this, ok? No, you can't... AARGH! ...ok, I guess you can, but see what happens? now what? WHAT? No way... no, you're not going to abuse that to fix this... nononoNOOOOO! Damn you, are you even listening to me??

 

[Dantassii]

.. And the answer that IMS would give to Orbiter's last question (Damn you, are you even listening too me??) would be:

Yes.. now can you do this and this and this for me, and while you're at it, do this other thing and this other thing... and don't tell me you can't do them.

 

[PeterRoss]

Actually, this is what IMS was originally intended for: to do what others said is impossible in Orbiter.

 

[BruceJohnJennerLawso]

Second revision of SBB41B config files:

http://ge.tt/8L5pR7m/v/0?c

This revision is meant to be fully compatible with previous revision included in IMS RC2 package. It is being unpacked into SBB41BRev2 folder and will not overwrite any older config files, so your existing vessels built with old configs will not be affected in any way. You're free to use old configs together with Rev.2 configs if you will.
It will overwrite preview pictures, meshes and textures, but this shouldn't be a prblem too.

What's new:
- Modules now sorted by function folders as was proposed by BruceJJLawson. I found this way much more convenient than the one we used before. I'd like to know your opinion on this matter, gyus;
- Included all the additional modules I released separately, except of OBS pack;
- Oxygen container is working as intended now;
- Hydroponics modules now have new specs, be careful when assembling a hydroponics array - you may find it to be little too heavy ;
- Big Nodes and Ring Segments now have some storage capacity (being spawned empty), Big Thrussed Node has battery embedded;
- Small food container isn't just food container anymore. It's Emergency Supply now, i.e. just a common container with all three kinds of consumables stored enough to support ten people for 33 days;
- Sidemount engine now works on LOX/Methane instead of LOX/LH2, its thrust is decreased. You can still use old configs if you wish;
- Solar panels' previews now shows power output at LEO;
- Two propellant tanks refitted to hold LOX/Methane;
- RCS working on LOX/Methane added;
- Some minor things I can't remember.

What's not finished:
- Some engines' previews still shows efficiency of 95%. It's not true anymore;
- XR5 previews now may show obsolete data;
- Some new modules can be incompatible with XR5 payload system;
- BR200 Radiator is still said to be NTR-Secific on its preview. This has no sense anymore since NTR now doesn't need external radiator;
- These new configs were never properly tested.

Good stuff. Seeing as we are at this turning point in IMS development, can you take care of the configs & previews while I take care of the docs? I apologize for taking such a horrendously long time to get back at it, but Im absolutely swamped with things to do right now. Would you be okay with taking care of the new configs that Ive developed as well? Some of them are quite useful:

If orbiter could talk, this is what it would say while running IMS:

"Yes, right, fine... what? no, wait... no... DON'T... what are you... look, this wasn't supposed to be used like this, ok? No, you can't... AARGH! ...ok, I guess you can, but see what happens? now what? WHAT? No way... no, you're not going to abuse that to fix this... nononoNOOOOO! Damn you, are you even listening to me??

I prefer to think of it as

"That Tickles!!!"

Ummm, 2 things:

-Jedidia, I know that it might not be relevant anymore, but were you able to take a look at the scenario I posted regarding the recurring issue Ive been experiencing with IMS? Even if we cant fix it, I was hoping that we might be able to caution users about what causes it.
-On the topic of docking ports, I agree with your decision to scrap them, I suspect we will have more luck with a different prototyping solution.
-I lied, three, things. If IMS 2.3 is officially curtains for the original IMS, what is the consensus on finishing the docs, configs, and doing a beta release on orbithangar for the time being? Even if it wasnt completely satisfactory, IMS 2.3 will still be a nice treat for all of the orbinauts out there.

I think the new version should be called IMS 3.0, just to avoid confusion.

 

[jedidia]

-I lied, three, things. If IMS 2.3 is officially curtains for the original IMS, what is the consensus on finishing the docs, configs, and doing a beta release on orbithangar for the time being?

"Consensus", as in "I think it would be best", is to wait for the finished documentation and upload the complete package to the hangar.

-Jedidia, I know that it might not be relevant anymore, but were you able to take a look at the scenario I posted regarding the recurring issue Ive been experiencing with IMS?

oops, no, I should run that at least once to see if the crash happens in IMS code or if there's a memory leak.

 

[PeterRoss]

Good stuff. Seeing as we are at this turning point in IMS development, can you take care of the configs & previews while I take care of the docs? I apologize for taking such a horrendously long time to get back at it, but Im absolutely swamped with things to do right now. Would you be okay with taking care of the new configs that Ive developed as well? Some of them are quite useful:

Why, sure. But it's gonna take time
A whole lot of precious time
It's gonna take patience and time
To do it, to do it, to do it, to do it, to do it
To do it right

(damn they got me with this song playing it on the radio)

 

[goaowonk]

Jedidia have you updated the OP here with PeterRoss' revission?

I don't remember who made a .xls with module properties. Can I update and post it here?

P.S.:

Get RC2 here
RC2.3 update
Update requires RC2 to be installed. Overwrite old IMS.dll orbietr/modules folder. Fixes several bugs.

Orbietr?

 

[Dantassii]

Short update on the Lunar Repair/Refuel/Construction Station:

Just finished XR5 Mission 70. The first repair/refuel/construction bay is coming along nicely. I'm also finishing up construction work on the 1st secondary solar truss (adding all the BCCH's and the radiators) as well as building up the truss work for the 2nd secondary solar truss. I hope to have all the solar arrays complete by the time the first repair/reful/construction bay is finished.

I also spent about 10 missions swapping out the RCS thruster tanks. Turns out I can't use the space along the BM230's for anything useful, so I might as well go with the larger SSBB tanks instead of the smaller ones. Plenty of RCS thruster fuel now.

I also think I've come up with someplace to put all the refueling tanks I want to put on this thing. I'm going to do an analysis of the various fuel tanks that are available in IMS and use a whole mess of the most efficient. Efficient meaning they hold the most fuel by mass per unit space they take up on the station. I think the non-SSBB tanks are the most efficient but I can only lift 1 per XR5 flight. If I end up using them, I estimate it will be around mission 100 before I get the first repair/refuel/construction bay finished.

I've also figured out that I'm probably going to need to build some temporary extensions for my docking ports so that ships with large appendages (fins on the Arrow, centrifuges on other ships) will be able to dock at my station. I think those extensions will be the first 'ship' that I build at the station. I'll make them self installable so I don't have to use the URMS or an EVA to put them into place. That means they'll need a control module, and solar arrays, and radiators, and an RCS system with fuel tanks of their own. I'll build them in IMS so they can transfer fuel from the main station to the docked spacecraft.

I'm having intermitant problems with Orbiter when I shut down the scenario. It just locks up trying to create the 'current condition' file. Luckily for me, I always do a Quicksave prior to shutting down a scenario and if I copy the last Quicksave into the main scenario folder and rename it, it loads just fine.

Found that something doesn't like similarly named BM202 files above 10. Just changed my naming convention a bit and kept going. Same issue that I've found with other modules. It's a really weird error in that the maximum number of similarly named modules seems to vary between modules (between 8 and 30+) and if I add 1 more letter somewhere in the middle part of the module name, it stops crashing. I suspect this is an Orbiter problem, not an IMS problem, so no need to worry about tracking it down and fixing it. I'm just reporting it here to document it someplace so that when the new version of IMS comes out, I'll remember to exercise this a bit to see if this will need to be a documented 'do not do' action in the user's manual for the new IMS. Adding 1 letter somewhere in the middle of the module name (not the first or last letter) resolves the issue every time. It only crashes when you load the scenario. It will let you add modules forever, and let you save the scenario, but as soon as you try to reload it.. BOOM.

------------ Update to the update ----------
Now that I'm off my summer vacation and back to my normal work schedule, it's back to 1 mission per day during the week and a handful of missions every weekend. I jumped from mission 46 to mission 76 during my vacation even though I spent the first 7 days recovering from vertigo. Want to really mess with your inner ears? Try landing an XR-class vehicle when your inner ear says the world is spinning one way, the seat of your pants says it isn't moving at all, and your eyes say it's spinning... in the other direction.

I'm still on track to have Initial Repair/Refuel/Construction Capability (IRRCC) by around mission 100 although I probably will have a LOT more fuel tanks to bring up. Each stack of tanks will consist of 6 of the non-SSBB H2 or LOX_LH2 tanks, the ones that you can only bring up 1 at a time in an XR5. I'm estimating a total of 6 stacks per refueling area (36 tanks total), but I'll only need 1 stack of each fuel type for IRRCC. After I finish off the tank stacks, it's on to building the 2nd Repair/Refuel/Construction area (along with its 36 tanks) and then the 2nd hab ring and the associated hydroponics and life support modules. Somewhere around flight 250-300 I should have Initial Construction Complete. I'm aiming for Christmas 2013 for that to happen.

Then I'll decide if I want to add 4 more Hab Rings, 4 more Repair/Refuel/Constuction areas, or just leave it as-is.

 

[goaowonk]

- Hydroponics modules now have new specs, be careful when assembling a hydroponics array - you may find it to be little too heavy

What the **********?! Which material are those plants made? Pb? :O

Battery is now doubled

Almost finished the .xls update, If I've got Furet's permission I'll post it here.

 

[PeterRoss]

What the **********?! Which material are those plants made? Pb?

Mainly water. Lots of water. :lol:

 

[goaowonk]

Mainly water. Lots of water. :lol:

After a couple quick calculations I can say that those modules are 7% volume only H2O (no structure). Not bad :lol:

---------- Post added 07-24-13 at 08:22 AM ---------- Previous post was 07-23-13 at 12:39 PM ----------

Here it is the update to Furet's spreadsheet, including last PeterRoss' config revission: http://www.mediafire.com/?w58j6d7bw3kqs2x

Dimensions for BTDL_Landing_Leg, DAAPAS_Docking_Adapter and BP010_Solar_Panel are in blue because I don't know how to measure them (BTDL_Landing_Leg's were measured via rule on the screen and comparing to BM201's dimensions).

If you could tell me how to do it I'd be very grateful :3

 

[Dantassii]

Lunar Station under construction with an Arrow next to it

Here's my station with an Arrow Freighter next to it for size comparison.

 

[Dantassii]

Latest update on my space station

I've just completed mission 87 and I've mapped out through mission 92. Mission 95 will finish the first batch of HUGE LOX-LH2 tanks and then I'll start on the 2nd batch of the HUGE LH2 tanks. Each of those puppies holds 50+tons of LH2, which means I 'only' need 15 of them to fill up an empty Arrow Freighter. I have 8 so far on the manifest, but I've figured out how I can easily put 24 more on w/out using any space already allocated for other things.

Last time I integrated, I discovered that I suddenly had a maxed out cooling system. Probably all those Habitation modules I added for a path from the docking area to the centrifuge area. Anyway, I'm going to use the small BM013 cooling modules as my offsets for my additional refueling tanks and those should help that problem out.

I've also discovered that my secondary truss network can handle extra BCCH's so I'm going to add another 96 of them (to the 20 I already have). That should give me plenty of attachment points for supply modules and so on.

I've also discovered a problem with the permanent docking ports. They aren't as easy to line up and dock with as the 'connection' ports I've been using. I hope that's just a problem when they are 'unintegrated'.

After I build the 2 self-flying extensions that I need for my docking ports (so the Arrow's fins and any ship with a centrifuge clear the station structure), I've decided to try and build a ship that can fly from the Lunar Station to Jupiter with 8 passengers and maybe a few cargo pods. My subconscious has been working on the design of the spacecraft and I think I can build it so that the only expendable is fuel for the engines and RCS system. Using the Arrow Freighter as a guide, I think 6 Hyper Engines and ~700 tons of LH2 fuel might do the trick. We'll see.

 

[Dantassii]

Mission 90 Module count

I don't know if anyone is still watching this thread now that IMS 2.0 construction has started, but I just did a overall module count on my Lunar Station and here's what I have so far after 90 missions:

12 Centrifuge Arms
34 BCCH
8 BCP01
12 BM011
34 BM202
2 BM203
16 BM204
2 BM211
4 BM215
50 BM216
2 BM222 (need more)
32 BM230 (that's 32 MW of nuke power)
22 BN200
26 BN201
7 BN301
18 BR200
20 BRCS2
12 BT100
117 BT101 (most popular module by far)
8 BT102
4 BT201
1 Centrifuge Adapter
1 Centrifuge Core
4 DADG
48 Centrifuge Habitats
8 HUGE (non-SSBB) LH2 tanks
32 FuelTank_LOX_LH2 (large SSBB tanks)
3 HUGE (non-SSBB) LOX_LH2 tanks
1 BM201 (control center)
12 Centrifuge Rings
60 Solar Array Rect (non-SSBB rectangular solar array)
-----------------------
612 Total modules.

And yes.. It STILL runs...

Based on how the scenario file looked when I integrated it at 80 missions, I think it's REALLY going to be neat (odd definition of neat) to see what the ship file looks like when I do the final integration.

You guys did good work... over 600 modules and it's still holding together.

 

[PeterRoss]

:thumbup:
Dantassii, what's your framerate in the outer view as for now?

 

[Dantassii]

In full daylight with just the station in view, I get between 18 and 35 FPS depending on if I'm moving the view or just looking at it. At night it looks like a Christmas tree all lit up and I get between 27 and 65 FPS under the same conditions.

Toss in an XR5 in the picture, and I loose 2-4 FPS for some odd reason.

If I hit F9 while in external view... my frame rate goes down to 1 FPS (although I suspect it's much lower).