Kanama Kanal... Can it be done?

[Slam_Jones]

Good afternoon,

So I've been considering undertaking a project that may prove beneficial to those who prefer and/or enjoy ground or water-based navigation.  Basically, I wish to make a lock, in the style of the Panama Canal or the Suez Canal.

Modelling it after the Suez Canal would be easier, theoretically, since it stays at sea-level the entire time.  However, this seems kinda like just digging a big ol' trench in the side of the planet... pretty low-tech IMO.  So, I'm considering a Panama Canal-style system of locks to effectively raise ships up and over the stretch of land that prevents true circumnavigation.

Now the first issue I've already got a decent idea for.  I plan to use Kerbal Konstructs to make the physical walls and such that would make up the lock.

The big issue is getting water in there.  Now I first believed water was only present at Sea Level, however I remember that there is a small pool in the T3 Space Center (at the Admin Building, I believe), and through testing I have determined it acts (as near as I can tell) the same as sea-level water, in that you can float stuff on it.  Also it's clearly above sea level, being that it's a part of KSC.  What this tells me is that somewhere in their, water is coded in, and not just as a global, sea-level entity.  So, in theory, one may be able to place it in defined areas.  In theory.

However the next question is a big one... even if I can make a lock, and have water in it, is it possible to raise/lower that water level without A.) crashing the game, or B.) causing anything floating in it to suffer a Kraken attack?

The actual physics of flowing water is something I doubt we can emulate properly within the game environment, however I imagine it's not entirely necessary, for the scope of the mod.  My first thought is that the water could actually be a part with modified physics, that is able to attach automatically to the ship (through a context menu for sake of user-friendliness) and hold it, suspended, at the proper level as the water level ebbs and flows.  This does sound, admittedly, rather complicated.  The other idea is to have the water with its standard physics present, but simply raise/lower it as needed.  However, I have a strong feeling that this will really screw with anything floating on it.   I imagine you could alter water levels on a per-lock basis through file manipulation, but I doubt that could be handled effectively at run-time.

So, even if it is a very rough start, is it even something that is possible to do within the game environment?

Thanks!

[Fengist]

Well, my first thought is, you don't really need water... maybe.  If you can determine whether a vessel is in the locks or not, or even in the vicinity of the locks, you can kill stock buoyancy code and write your own.  Have a look at firespitter's buoyancy code to start. But warning, it doesn't work well in 1.1.3.  But it'll show you the basics of how to apply forces to emulate buoyancy.

And you don't need a part on the ship if you can put a partmodule on your locks.  As long as a partmodule is in range (2.5km) you can find it.

Edited July 31, 2016 by Fengist