KSA's Part & Art Development Thread

Thought it would be a good idea to start a thread containing all the in-progress progression and WIP content I post to Discord. As the forums are a little more grounded and persistent compared to an endless scrolling list of short-form content; it might make for a better place to discuss ideas and the development of the game's parts, art style, scope etc as it happens. When things are resolved enough I'll post em as their own threads as usual

I'll kick things off with the first look of our initial docking port part - an androgynous system designed to be both passive and active inspired by the APAS75 port created collaboratively by the Soviet Union and the USA. This was to help facilitate docking between a Soyuz and an Apollo CSM, and represented one of the first instances of a universal design that the Cold-warring nations worked together on. It sits a bit ahead on the timeline of the OG Apollo docking parts (as they were probe and drogue systems) but is probably more appropriate for straightforward craft-to-craft attachment this early in dev. We might branch backwards to more complicated passive\active systems as time goes on.

 

[RileyHef]

While KSP2 had its problems, this is one thing it did well- IIRC it had transparent windows from the get-go.

Only for the parts that had an IVA built out. When it was applied it was awesome to see all the added Kerbal expressions. When it wasn't there they chose an ugly gold placeholder. Unfortunately that was on most parts.

Seems like if this becomes a standard to consider for future parts early enough I'm hopeful that it isn't too difficult to implement. Fingers crossed!

 

[Psycho_zs]

There is a cool KSP plugin Secondary motion, really adds dynamism to the scenes.

 

[CamVPro]

Yep! I had a bit of wobble in my first iteration of the solar panel animation, but got rid of it so the track could play forwards and backwards cleanly without looking odd. If we can assign multiple animation takes to a single part in the future, we could easily add a more busy, dynamic deployment

Solar panels looking gorgeous!
Multiple animations per part would be nice for stuff like artificial gravity rings, one animation for expanding the ring, another for spinning. Or drilling equipment, again for expanding and then another for the drilling animation. (Unless I'm misunderstanding that in which case ignore me )

 

[Daishi]

Blocking out some inline batteries and the first set of small mountable spotlights

 

[Kiwi Shark]

Say the line, lightjak!


I'm feelin electric!

 

[CamVPro]

View attachment 1500

Blocking out some inline batteries and the first set of small mountable spotlights

Is the space left in the center of the inline radial battery the same size as the cube truss piece?

 

[Daishi]

Is the space left in the center of the inline radial battery the same size as the cube truss piece?

You betcha (well, big enough so they stack nicely)

 

[Kiwi Shark]

The humble deep space navigational buoy.

I want to drop one of these with red/green lights in different orbits for the bit.

 

[Daishi]

Battery bankin'

Based on the earlier one, figured i'd approach the larger 2m wide battery (width of the single kitten capsule) using the cells to lead the design. Ended up with a battery bank concept that supports the player augmenting the part with four larger cells, or could potentially upgrade it down the line (maybe insert higher capacity variants, capacitors, RTG modules, etc).

Flat diffuse texture for now, full PBR soon:tm:

 

[Kiwi Shark]

It looks like each bay has its own indicator light, also a light on the top of the bank. Individual cell charge and total bank charge?

 

[Donkey]

View attachment 1520

View attachment 1521

Battery bankin'

Based on the earlier one, figured i'd approach the larger 2m wide battery (width of the single kitten capsule) using the cells to lead the design. Ended up with a battery bank concept that supports the player augmenting the part with four larger cells, or could potentially upgrade it down the line (maybe insert higher capacity variants, capacitors, RTG modules, etc).

Flat diffuse texture for now, full PBR soon:tm:

This image makes me want to ask if the smaller batteries are portable and rechargeable?
How cool would it be if a Kitten can recharge a smaller battery off of the larger one, then EVA that battery to a dead craft to re-awaken it? (or something similar)

This begs a new question. I use KAS/KIS in KSP. Love it. Will there be some kind of part swapping, etc, like KAS/KIS in the base KSA game?

 

[Zincboy]

View attachment 1520

View attachment 1521

Battery bankin'

Based on the earlier one, figured i'd approach the larger 2m wide battery (width of the single kitten capsule) using the cells to lead the design. Ended up with a battery bank concept that supports the player augmenting the part with four larger cells, or could potentially upgrade it down the line (maybe insert higher capacity variants, capacitors, RTG modules, etc).

Flat diffuse texture for now, full PBR soon:tm:

Have you considered adding handles on the batteries and/or battery covers ? Kittens could then theoretically change them out while on EVA (other modules could be stored in the ship or other dedicated cargo parts).

 

[Daishi]

It looks like each bay has its own indicator light, also a light on the top of the bank. Individual cell charge and total bank charge?

If that was a light it would be hidden most of the time - it's just a port that alludes to how the bank may connect to something stacked on top of it



Might not utilize those battery bays this early in dev so most likely they'll just be status lights for the battery bank as a whole

 

[Daishi]

This image makes me want to ask if the smaller batteries are portable and rechargeable?
How cool would it be if a Kitten can recharge a smaller battery off of the larger one, then EVA that battery to a dead craft to re-awaken it? (or something similar)

This begs a new question. I use KAS/KIS in KSP. Love it. Will there be some kind of part swapping, etc, like KAS/KIS in the base KSA game?

That would be pretty cool - loved KAS\KIS and playing around with things on the crew level in KSP. Watch this space!

 

[Daishi]

Have you considered adding handles on the batteries and/or battery covers ? Kittens could then theoretically change them out while on EVA (other modules could be stored in the ship or other dedicated cargo parts).

Yup, took them off because I thought decorating parts at the root level like that would probably make more sense with actual EVA handle subparts. I did add a little access door as an option though

 

[Kiwi Shark]

If that was a light it would be hidden most of the time - it's just a port that alludes to how the bank may connect to something stacked on top of it

That makes so much more sense.

Now that you mention it, it does remind me of some of the connectors I work with. These kinds of MS connectors:

These get used in aerospace/industrial electronics all the time.

And they get much bigger:

 

[notthebobo]

Finally got something together that works - first iteration of a folding, sun tracking solar panel. The design is based off the Soyuz-7K \ 7K-TM panels, nicely rectangular in the same aspect ratio of the existing panel; each an instance of itself so hopefully players can just expand the length as they see fit. The panels themselves are their own meshes and can be "unbolted" and replaced with something higher-tech later on down the tech tree,

The trusses (and hinges) are separate subparts and will live in the "structural" meshatlas, so ideally will be generic enough to use in a variety of other ways.

View attachment 1453

<snip>

Are you thinking of using the same truss structure for radiators, or something different?

 

[Daishi]

Are you thinking of using the same truss structure for radiators, or something different?

I'm thinking probably panel upgrades at this point, radiators have more of a cross-bracing mechanism that might require their own mesh\rig.

Legg. Just a stand-in animation with our new system (until we can detach the foot and have it align itself to the ground when collisions come in). Will replace the broken three in-game already, and will hopefully be a little more useful

 

[Kiwi Shark]

You can tell the lander was asleep by the way it rolls its ankle when waking up.

 

[Daishi]

You can tell the lander was asleep by the way it rolls its ankle when waking up.

Hah, yeah not too sure about that deployment now ><