Major Update

-Added support for enabling NPCs to embark shuttlecraft
-Added support for NPC Co-Pilots, including AI weaponfire
-Crewmembers that are following you will now try to board a shuttlecraft you are piloting
-Added support for NPC Pilots, shuttlecraft with npc pilots have very basic pathing and may get stuck in complex/obstructed terrain
-Using your shuttlecraft controller on its shuttlecraft flown by a non-hostile NPC will now force the shuttlecraft to land and the pilot to disembark
-Hostile NPCs can hyjack your unattended shuttlecraft and use them against you
-Added New Feature: Flight Control Station and Landing Pads, allows scanning orbit for shuttlecraft piloted by NPCs and invite them down to the planet. Some of these shuttlecraft are/can become hostile.
-Added Short-Range Teleporter module to Recon, Passenger Liner and Medivac frames, which allows beaming up any nearby NPC to the shuttlecraft
-Added Support Craft module to all frames, crewmembers will attempt to pilot shuttlecraft with this module and provide air support/escort. Boarding a shuttlecraft flown by one of your crewmembers will make them try to fly back to and land at the point they took off.
-Added Emergency Rations module to Recon and Passenger Liner frames, which staves off hunger and distributes canned food to passengers.
-Changed the name of the Auto-Headlights module to Automatic Headlights
-Added additional vanilla soundfiles to the Dancebound and Jukebox External Loudspeakers, which can be toggled between
-Added Flare Launcher module to all Frames (Thanks to Horvack's suggestion)
-Added Deployable Twigun and Deployable Omnicannon modules to Bomber frame (Thanks to Quack's suggestion)
-Added Recon Drones module to Recon Frame (Thanks to Horvack's suggestion)
-Added Healing Nanites Discharge to Medivac Frame (Thanks to Horvack's suggestion)
-Added Small- and Large Transport Frames which are currently only used by NPCs and cannot be built by players, this may change in a later update
-Added cargo, junk and dropship styles to Transport Frames
-Added 6 new pilot and passenger NPCs
-Added script hook system for shuttlecraft modules
-Added support for shuttlecraft modules to set parameters on vehicles
-Created scripts to generate shuttlecraft with NPC crews
-Lots of other scripting work on new and existing scripts
-Added 2 protectorate decals (thanks to Armok for suggesting this)
-Minor alterations to the artwork on the Mark II styles for large frames, shortened the engine light so that it doesn't overlap with the loudspeaker attachment
-Added additional checks in the UI to replace outdated modules, styles and frames without refit cost. Must still press 'Confirm' to finalize.
-Tried to fix NPCs sometimes temporarily loosing their weapons after disembarking from a shuttlecraft, should happen less but can still happen
-Fixed shuttlecraft becoming lost when colliding with the bottom of a world (Thanks to Matt Smith's bug report)
-Fixed a bug where Ex Machina in the co-pilots alt slot would use the firing rate of the pilots alt slot (thanks to Tothetix Offical's bug report)
-Changed all shuttlecraft seats "maxprotection" status effect to "invulnerable" status effect
-Changed pilot and copilot cursor type for all shuttlecraft

-Created the Shuttlecraft Deployment add-on module, which allows for deployment of shuttlecraft instead of mechs. Read the mods description for more information.

Notes: This update enables NPCs to board shuttlecraft as passengers, copilots or even pilots. If a crewmember is following you they will try to board any shuttlecraft you are flying, but they must be near the shuttlecraft in order to board. NPC copilots will fire any installed weapons at targets they deem hostile.
If you have a shuttlecraft with the 'Support Craft' passive module installed, crewmembers that are standing near it will try to fly the shuttlecraft and provide air support/escort. Keep in mind that the pathing of shuttlecraft flown by NPCs is very basic and they will get stuck in complex/obstructed terrain. Crewmembers will also teleport out of their shuttlecraft when they get too far behind, so make certain if you have a crewmember following you in a shuttlecraft to stay relatively close. This feature is far from perfect, but it is the best I can offer at this moment.
You can force a shuttlecraft piloted by an NPC to land by using its shuttlecraft controller on it. If you hop in as a passenger they will try to fly back to and land at the point where they took off.

A new feature that has been added is 'Flight Control'. You can use the wiring station to build a Flight Control Station and Landing Pads. The Flight Control Station allows you to scan orbit for shuttlecraft flown by NPCs and call them down to the planet. It may take a while, depending on certain variables (such as how many landing pads are nearby or if there is a capital ship in orbit), for shuttlecraft signals to show up on the radar. Some of these shuttlecraft are/can become hostile and will result in them attacking you or try to land and commence a ground assault. Be CAREFUL when calling down Bomber shuttlecraft even if they are not hostile, their bombs WILL destroy your base.
You can also craft Landing Pads from the wiring station and NPC shuttlecraft will always try to land at these pads. Landing Pads can be wired numerous ways. On the left there is one input and one output node. The output node gives out a signal when the landing pad is blocked (for example when there is a shuttlecraft parked on it) and the input node allows you to set the pad to a blocked status (meaning that NPCs will not try to land on that pad). On the right there is one input node that TOGGLES a Launch order to NPC shuttlecraft parked near that pad when the wire signal changes, this node is best used with toggle buttons.
Please do keep in mind this feature is a bit experimental and that the pathing of NPC shuttlecraft is far from perfect. A lot of open and unobstructed space is needed for this feature to work properly so planet surfaces are the best place to play around with this. Using this feature in space stations doesn't work well because of the small horizontal entrance and I have yet to figure out how to deal with this. Another important note is that shuttlecraft in general have a heavy impact on performance, and shuttlecraft piloted by NPCs even more so. So my advice is to use this feature in moderation. NPC shuttlecraft will always despawn when you leave the area to prevent clutter and cause performance issues.

Some new modules have been added as well and most of them can only be used by specific frames. The short-range teleporter for example, allows you to beam up any nearby NPC to your shuttlecraft but can only be used by the recon, passenger liner and medivac frames. This makes those frames extremely useful when doing quests to escort NPCs anywhere. I'd like to make each frame more unique and give it advantages over other frames for certain tasks and I'll continue working on this more. Some of the new modules, such as the deployable turrets for the bomber, were last minute additions and may need further tweaking.
Two new frames, the small- and large transport, have been added but at this time they are only used by NPCs spawned through the Flight Control System and cannot be built by players. This may change in a later update, after I have decided on what specific features I want these new frames to have.

Major Update

- Massive overhaul of paintjobs. Paintjobs are replaced by Styles, which use a replaceble color system which allows for vastly increasing customization options.
- Created replaceble color system for Styles which supports up to 6 different customizable colors (depending on the Style)
- Added color configuration with 28 different colors to choose from
- Recreated all shuttlecraft artwork to support replaceble colors
- Removed all old paintjob assets
- Added standard, camo, dirtycamo, striped, mark2standard, mark2camo and mark2dirtycamo Styles for all frames
- Added observer Style to Passenger Liner frame
- Added racer and observer Style to Recon frame
- Added cannibal Style to Fighter frame
- Added replacement color reference chart for use by modders when creating artwork for new styles/frames
- Added support for unique background assets for Styles
- Added customizable decals system, allowing you to choose up to 3 different decals (depending on the frame) for your shuttlecraft
- Added 35 standard decals
- Added 2 decals for large frames
- Added 6 decals for Medivac frames
- Added support for 'flipdecals' to prevent letters/numbers to become mirrored
- Added support for alternative/multiple decal lists to frames
- Increased the size of the UI to give a better view of (large) shuttlecraft
- Created new icon for the UI
- Shuttlecraft backgrounds now show up in the UI
- When no shuttlecraft is selected the 'clear' button changes to 'new', which toggles the 'Build' button which allows you to construct additional shuttlecraft controllers.
- Added 6 color options to the UI
- Added 3 decal options to the UI
- After this update frames, styles and installable modules should no longer have refit costs when they need to be updated to accomodate changes to these items in future updates. Won't work in this update yet because of fundamental changes.
- Shuttle Maintenance Bay now performs a check for invalid frames, styles/paintjobs and modules and removes them before it shows the shuttlecraft in the UI. You still need to press 'Confirm' to make the changes permanent.
- Lots of alterations to the shuttle maintenance bay and shuttlecraft scripts to accomodate all the changes

- Massive overhaul to configuration system to support modders in adding new content/creating add-on modules, it should be relatively easy to add new decals and styles if you're familiar with Json patching.
- Created master config system, in which modders can add their own config files to a master list which is merged into a single configuration used to determine what frames, styles, special slots etc. can be used in the shuttle maintenance bay. Might still need further tweaking/expanding/testing.
- Created a main config file and seperate config files for styles, frames, installable modules, default lists, decals and color configuration
- Provided detailed commentary in each config file to explain how the config system in the mod works and what all entries and parameters means.
- Config system is still a work in progress but should work well for adding new styles and new decals. Adding new frames is possible but something I recommend doing if you're experienced in vehicle modding.

Notes to players:
This update is a massive overhaul of the paintjob system and other fundamental changes to the mod. As such your current shuttlecraft controllers will not function properly and must be redesigned at the shuttlecraft maintenance bay. Your installed weapons should still be there however.
Paintjobs are replaced with Styles, which allow for greatly increasing customization options. Styles can alter cockpit styles, have patterned paintjobs etc. and there are up to 6 different color options to choose from. You can now also choose what decals you want on your shuttlecraft, allowing for even more customization. I believe this update really puts the 'Customizable' in 'Customizable Shuttlecraft'. However, with a huge systematic change to the mod like this update there will undoubtely be bugs here and there.

Notes to modders:
I have worked on creating a new configuration system which should hopefully make it easier for modders to create new styles, decals etc. through Json patching. I have put detailed commentary in each of the config files and tried my best to explain how new content can be added. Its still a work in progress but hopefully it will help people who are interested in creating add-on modules.
Note that image assets for shuttlecraft now use a replaceble color system, which means that if you want to make use of customizable colors your assets need to use the EXACT color values associated with the color option (there are 5 values, ranging from light to dark, for each option). The "/vehicles/shuttlecraft" folder contains a reference chart for these colors. Note that color option 5 is currently used as a transparant color (for cockpit windows and such).
When creating new decals make sure the assets have 4 frames (one for each damage state) called "move.undamaged", "move.scratched", "move.dented", "move.wrecked". If your decal's filename contains "flipdecal" it will be marked as a decal that does not become mirrored when the shuttlecraft is turned (useful for making sure that letters/numbers don't get mirrored).
I suggest you start by unpacking the mod and going to the "config_mainconfig.config" file and read the commentary, each other config file should have detailed commentary as well. If the comments are unclear or if there are any bugs/issues I'll gladly hear about it and do my best to clear things up.

Small Hotfix
- Turned off some debug options that were accidentally left on (Thanks to Meo's bug report)

Update
- Fixed minor scripting errors (Thanks to AsPerrUsual's bug report)
- Added checks on installable weapons to avoid unsupported weapons being installed such as beam-, charge weapons etc. (Thanks to Phoenix Wolf's bug report)
- Any weapon with the "ranged" tag and with a primary ability of the "GunFire" class can now be installed.
- Added support for weapons with multiple projectileTypes defined (such as the fireworkgun)
- Added support for weapons with custom parameters set (for example those spawned in with admin commands)
- Added support for weapons with multiple projectiles (such as shotguns)
- Removed replacement effect for installed shotguns
- Firing rate of installed weapons are now based off the weapons themselves instead of using default values, may need further tweaking
- Installed weapons now use their own sounds instead of default sounds
- Did some work on secondary weapon systems but it still needs alot of attention
- Made some changes to External Loudspeakers to make it easier to mod in new ones, External Loudspeakers installed before this patch are incompatible and must be reinstalled
- Created a seperate config file with data regarding shuttlecraft design, part of an effort to make it easier for other modders to make add-ons for this mod, this is a first step and nowhere near finished

Notes to players:
Your old shuttlecraft (controllers) will be incompatible with this patch, its best to reinstall all items (especially the External Loudspeakers) and press the 'Confirm' button before using them.

Installable weapons should now be strictly limited to projectile based weapons. Most weapons with special behavior or different firing mechanisms (beam-, charge weapons etc.) should no longer appear on the list. Weapons should now also fire at a rate that approximates their own firing rate instead of being based on what type of weapon it is. Firing rates may be tweaked in the future.
Weapons that fire multiple projectiles, such as shotguns, should also work now. Shotguns had a replacement effect, which is unncessary now and is being removed.
Weapons spawned in with admin commands that have custom parameters set should also be supported now, provided they meet the regular criteria. So in theory you could spawn a rocket launcher that fires meteors and put it on your shuttlecraft.
I did some work on Secondary Weapon Systems that hopefully improves a few abilities, but since many of these abilities use some sort of special behavior that doesn't translate to a vehicle, I'll end up having to create replacement effects. I didn't get around to work on the replacement effects in this patch, but I will look at them later.

I cannot guarantee full compatibility with every weapon mod out there, so use them at your own risk. I do, however, believe that these changes will improve how the shuttlecraft handles these weapons.
If you notice any (new) bugs with this update, please do report them.


Notes to modders:
I want this mod to be a solid foundation for which modders can easily create add-ons for. I have begun laying the groundwork for this but there is alot to do before we're there. Also, how things in this mod are fundamentally handled may change during the early development process. I may, for example, decide to completely overhaul the way paintjobs are handled. Because of this, it would be very unfortunate if you started working on additions to this mod, only to have them become useless when changes are made. So for now I'd recommend either waiting for a while, or accepting the fact your work may become incompatible.

At some point, when I feel the foundation of the mod is better suited for handling add-ons, I will probably create an example module showcasing how new paintjobs, frame types and installable items can be added.

That being said, I have created a seperate config file in the mods main directory called "shuttlecraftyardConfig.config" which handles most of the configuration data regarding shuttlecraft design. If you want to add new paintjobs, frames or installable items that is a good place to start. Also take a close look at the .vehicle files, the vehicle image- and animation files if you want to create new shuttlecraft types. It may be best to keep in mind that during the early development of this mod, many things will fundamentally change from how they are handled now.

Small hotfix
- Removed Aegisalt Pistol from the list of installable items, beam weapons are currently not supported and break the shuttlecraft controller when installed. Thanks to HyperFrieza for reporting this.
- Tried to put in a small safeguard when weapons with no ProjectileType are installed to prevent the loss of shuttlecraft controllers.