Blender to KSA models?

[Captain Paul]

Hi,

Has anyone heard if KSA will allow spacecraft and parts models made in Blender to be imported into KSA like KSP 1 allows?

Cheers, Paul.

 

[mc-nerd :)]

KSA uses GLB files, which you can import/export in blender

 

[Captain Paul]

KSA uses GLB files, which you can import/export in blender

Ok thanks, guess there would need a similar config.cfg file to go with the GLB file for the spacecraft part to tell KSA the mass and specs?

 

[Spaceman3d]

Suggestion: maybee someone can make a plugin for blender that will allow the export of model from Blender to KSA. I magine you have to set things like RCS positons manually in some config file. would be great if proceses like this can be automated. For example you Place empties in blender werever you want RCS thrusters to be and have the pugin automatically asing RCS fuction to those locations.

 

[Spaceman3d]

OK just looked a bit into the config file for the extisting crafts. yes RCS has to be set manually in the file. also it seams like parts only support one material currently. hope the devs add mult material support in the future. When moddeling I assing differnt materials to parts of the same mesh (like heatshield material on the underside of a capsule)

 

[Captain Paul]

Suggestion: maybee someone can make a plugin for blender that will allow the export of model from Blender to KSA. I magine you have to set things like RCS positons manually in some config file. would be great if proceses like this can be automated. For example you Place empties in blender werever you want RCS thrusters to be and have the pugin automatically asing RCS fuction to those locations.

Sounds like a great idea, perhaps this could be done via Python script in Blender.

 

[GhentZ]

How are the config files formated? Could someone post one here?

 

[GhentZ]

I found the XMLs defining the rockets with the subparts and engine/thuster settings.

How would this be nice to be implemented in blender from a "user" point of view? All the parts have many properties like specific impulse, on which input they are bound etc.

My initial idea would be to add abstract entities in blender like special cones, that mimic thrusters and have properties that the "real" thursters have. Then in the export it would be possible to automatically translate this to the xml files.

 

[Spaceman3d]

I suggestde using emptys to mark the location of the RCS and main engines. and the contol assingment wold be done by naming the empty like the thruster id

Example: a up fireing RCS thruster would have its empty be named "thruster_TranslateUp.003" (third RCS thruster for up translation)

Attached example screenshots

 

[GhentZ]

I suggestde using emptys to mark the location of the RCS and main engines. and the contol assingment wold be done by naming the empty like the thruster id

Example: a up fireing RCS thruster would have its empty be named "thruster_TranslateUp.003" (third RCS thruster for up translation)

Attached example screenshots

I'm currently trying to create a custom empty for thrusters and engines that directly have the relevant properties for ksa. I will share it when I got a working prototype. It will be basically the same but hopefully a bit more elegant.

 

[GhentZ]

Here https://forums.ahwoo.com/threads/blender-exporter.494/ I posted an initial implementation to handle engines and thruster in blender.
If I get feedback from the part creaters, I will improve it.