MidnightLightning

Almost a year later, but I dropped by for this exact reason too. Are there any options for inline storage in a 1.25m radius cylinder stack? As @Skylon ran into, the cubical containers are really bulky on a 1.25m stack. I found that Universal Storage has "wedges" that can be KIS containers, and they do fit in a 1.25m radius, but what you have then is four small containers each with their own small inventory (so can hold a bunch of small items, but no larger item). @Wadusher0 mentioned Modular Kolonization System (MKS) has one (the Flat Tank) as well: I don't run life-support mods, so that one's preety overkill for just adding in a container part. One that came up in a recent search but I haven't tried yet is Phoenix Cargo Resupply System, which looks like it has some smaller options, but isn't updated for 1.3: Anyone have experience with that one or have other options for small-size storage like this?

All right, thanks; I think I'm wrapping my head around the general intended progression of building an EL base now: Phase I: Get a station into orbit around the target planet with a Workshop, smelter, ISRU refinery, and an orbital launchpad. Build a mining ship capable of going to the surface, mining Ore and MetallicOre and bringing them back to the station. Station refines those into RocketParts and liquid fuel to replenish supplies. Phase II: Build a survey station, capable of getting itself to the surface of the planet safely. Phase III: Survey station builds a Workbench (so it can make its own RocketParts; getting resupplies of RocketParts from the orbital station until that's built) and places it directly on the surface of the planet (that "not trying to launch it on a rocket" comment you made?), with RocketPart storage attached to it. Phase IV: Survey station builds a permanent mining rig for getting Ore and MetallicOre out of the ground, and Smelter/Refinery for creating Metal and liquid fuel. Now it's self-sufficient; able to make RocketParts on its own without resupply from orbital station, and can create items at survey stake locations. Phase V: Upgrade ground station to be a Workshop for more efficient craft creation. That look about what's intended for a "tech tree" for EL? So, where would the LaunchPad2 device fit into this plan; a replacement for Phase II's survey station? I'm not using Infernal Robotics, so using survey stakes is how I am placing "permanent" items (without wheels or engines). I suppose using a LaunchPad2 device, the mining rig of phase IV could just be made as a rover and rolled off the pad to clear room for the next devices. And then using KIS the wheels could be removed and recycled for the cleanest result.

Oh, that's... an odd-looking part... What sort of configuration are you intending people to put that in? There's a literal workbench outside, but it's unmanned? Are you intending people to put an external command seat there for kerbals to work at that bench? And what is the intent of it being so tall; using the grated "landings" on the pole to hang storage containers from? Are the landings on the pole to make EVAs easier to move around the part? Side note; what is the purpose of the Mallet with survey stakes? When placing the survey stakes with KIS, I can grab them out of the kerbal's inventory and let them drop to the ground (which they do land point-first, and "settle" a bit into the ground), but that's without a mallet equipped. With a mallet, and using the "X" action, it says the ground isn't a valid target to attach them to (unlike a ground pylon from KAS, which can be bolted to the ground, not just dropped there). I can use the mallet to attach the stake to another part, but then it's not a valid target to build something at (I tried bolting it to a ground pylon, and then building a ship there). Is something glitched there, or am I doing it wrong?

Is the Workshop the only EL part that can create RocketParts? So a Survey-Station-based build area needs a constant resupply of RocketParts? Also, is it possible to get the parts that use the "EL Converter" module to show what they actually convert in the VAB right-click menu (like how the stock converters do)? That would be very helpful for me figuring this one out on my own. Thanks!

I've seen this asked a few times but never answered (as far as I can see), so I'll repost: How is volume calculated for parts? I see there's a VolumeOverride option to correct that value, but what's the default? I'm deducing it's from the actual part model itself, since there was a conversation about wheels expanded/collapsed affecting the volume of that part. Is it the true internal volume of the 3D shapes, or is it the 3D bounding box of the model? I was trying to do some planning out-of-game, and realized I couldn't find that calculation anywhere.