Project Interplanetary modular spacecraft

[jedidia]

This is a revival of Vchamp's and mine's project back in 08 that never saw the light of day, as discussed in the add-on request thread.

The aim of this project is to get the add-on to the market with stable core functionality, but without the advanced physics and systems simulation we had originally planned and which were the main cause the project never saw a release. I will probably be removing more code from the original project than add to it, just to make it all stable. There's of course also the chance that someone else will pick it up after I'm done with it, which would be cool.

This add-on will enable you to assemble a fully functional ship, with animations and UMMU support, on Orbit, and then fly wherever with it. The add-on can also just as well be used for common station building, where every station in the end is one single vessel, not a huge assembly of them.

planned features:

-Stable!
-merge modules together into a ship that is a single Orbiter vessel and can be flown as any normal orbiter vessel.
-Full UMMU support
-Food and Oxygen reserve
-support for the most popular station building modules

planned project duration was a ridiculous 2 months, with the goal of release before my twins were born and eat up all of my time. Alas, my twins came 2 months early, which prolongs development significantly. Still, we're almost feature complete. I hope to release by end of August.


To do:

Completed
Being worked on
Not yet started

-Creating project and compile the old code
-Bug elimination and removal of non-essential features
-2-d Panel implementation for Orbiter 2010
-adding support for additional docking ports
-Support for some additional module types
-find out how to best convert an animation from a spacecraft3 ini-file to an IMS config file.
-Write configs for Greg Burch's [ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=3177"]SBB 4.1B[/ame]
-Write configs for Greg Burch's [ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=2337"]SBB 2006[/ame]
-Write configs for [ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=560"]Voyager's module pack[/ame]
-Write config files for piper's [ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=2857"]space station modules[/ame]
-Write documentation on how to write configs
-make a nicer command module
-make a few thrusters and engines for diversity
-coarse power managment
-heat managment
-finish 2-d panel
-failure modes
-finishing up

Tasks:

Project Lead & Coding: Jedidia
Modelers: xx_mortekai_xx, MaverickSawyer, lassombra, Hurricane
Config Writers: Jarod, PhantomCruiser, PeterRoss
Testing: MaverickSawyer, PeterRoss, Nexiss
Graphic designer: Jedidia (damn, how did I get myself into that?)

 

[Jarod]

I volunteer to write config files.

 

[jedidia]

That's the spirit, thanks a lot. I'm currently setting up the basic project documentation in a social group, you'll get an invitation once I'm done. Should be within the next 48 hours. In the meantime, you can take a look at the station building add-ons I posted above and decide which one you'd like to tackle most (I sure hope we'll get some more people for this job, so you won't have to do a complete one all by yourself) :thumbup:

 

[Jarod]

I have Greg Burch's SBB 4.1B and 4.0 (needed for 4.1B) installed.

 

[jedidia]

I have Greg Burch's SBB 4.1B and 4.0 (needed for 4.1B) installed.

Huh? I only have 4.1B, and it says it completely replaces 4.0... Oh well, there's certainly no harm in redundancy.

 

[vchamp]

Hopefully this time the project will be finished. Honestly, I think it deserves to be at OrbitHangar in a complete form. Jedidia, if you find difficulties in understanding particular parts of the code, I am ready to help.

the advanced physics and systems simulation we had originally planned and which were the main cause the project never saw a release

Yeah, and the awful command module:facepalm:

As an example of IMS possibilities, Descartes built from modules:

It even was finished and flew to Jupiter...

 

[PhantomCruiser]

I'll sign up for config file writer as well.

 

[Izack]

I can make configuration files for Piper's modules.

 

[jedidia]

Great, thanks a lot guys. Project documentation is comming along, let's see if I can finish it somewhen today between screwing furniture together, so everyone can start working! :thumbup:

I have first testing done too, looks like the VC-code is making trouble in Orbiter 2010 at loadup. Not sure why yet, but it only re-inforces my tendency to switch the whole thing to 2-d pannels, it would be easier on several levels. Except that I have to write a 2-d panel first... :shifty:

While writing the thing is certainly something I can do, making it look good is an entirely other thing. Common to coders in an early stage of development, vChamp took a very function-oriented design for his screens, that are tough to look at. THat's why I decided to extend one more job-offer: A graphic designer (not a modeller, although there certainly are people that do both) would be just the thing for a nice panel design and the graphics for it. Anyone here who wants to put something gaming-related in his portfolio?

As an example of IMS possibilities, Descartes built from modules:

Hey, cool! Do you still have those centrifuge parts?

 

[vchamp]

Do you still have those centrifuge parts?

I'm afraid they are lost. Or maybe still reside on my old computer. I can unpack and plug it in to check, if you really need them. Models are probably there, but configs are most certainly gone.

 

[jedidia]

I'm afraid they are lost. Or maybe still reside on my old computer. I can unpack and plug it in to check, if you really need them. Models are probably there, but configs are most certainly gone.

I'm gettng really fast at writing configs these days... Really needing them is not the right way to put it. If it's not an inproportional effort they would be nice to have.

One question, have you ever used IMS with Orbiter 2010? There's a nasty CTD seemingly connected to the VC when loading a scenario, I wonder if you ever encountered and maybe fixed it. The version on sourceforge seems to be pretty recent, but maybe it's not the most recent?

Anyways, project documentation is finished, invites for the signed up are out. I do hope we get one more modeler, and a few testers would be nice too, although they'll be more direly needed in later project stages.

 

[jangofett287]

I can test. I'm pretty good at doing things I'm not supposed to do.

 

[jedidia]

That's great, you'll get an invitation shortly. There's not that much work for you currently, but that will likely change very rapidly.

 

[MaverickSawyer]

I can test. I'm pretty good at doing things I'm not supposed to do.

I can completely relate to that. Count me in!

 

[jedidia]

Two testers, great. That should get us some way!

---------- Post added 01-19-12 at 08:52 AM ---------- Previous post was 01-18-12 at 11:22 PM ----------

@vChamp: It's ok, I got the bug. mainDisplay wasn't initialised, and then conditionally alocated if it was NULL. Talk about undefined behaviour... :lol:

 

[Luke Skywalker]

Can i be a tester?

 

[jedidia]

Yes, having three testers won't hurt. You'll get an invite. :hello:

 

[Artlav]

Nice.

You want to make a bunch of modules, which when docked would merge into a single vessel, like KSP but with on-orbit assembly?

Or, a module to merge arbitrary station modules into a single vessel?

Can't quite make it out.

 

[jedidia]

You want to make a bunch of modules, which when docked would merge into a single vessel, like KSP but with on-orbit assembly?

Or, a module to merge arbitrary station modules into a single vessel?

Kind of both. The code I currently have from vChamp is capable of taking a module and integrate it into the main vessel, complete with animations, if they are properly defined in the config files.

Since modeling takes a lot of time and we already have so many great modules for stations that could just as well be used in a ship, It's the smartest move to make config files for the already existing modules. The modules won't have to be included in the download, config file packages can be made available as seperate downloads, so if someone wants to build a spacecraft out of Greg Burch's SSBB 4, he can download the core add-on, the config package for SSBB 4 and SSBB 4 itself.

So yes, it's more or less arbitrary modules, but not so arbitrary to not need a compatible config file. I think the manner of distribution I described above is acceptable to all original authors, as their add-ons still have to be downloaded, although we do a bit of copy-pasting from their config files...

The core package will need a few modules of itself, especially drives, as there are no drives anywhere in station building packages, so we have to do those ourselves.

---------- Post added at 10:47 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:43 AM ----------

A call to the public, we are looking for a bit of web-space to host our project files. There won't be much space needed, I very much doubt we'll exceed a hundred MB, and everything can be removed when the project is done, which should'nt be too long. I'll have other trouble than webspace if this takes too long... :shifty:

 

[Scruce]

If you need webspace, I would recommend using SourceForge.