Place-able Doors

[Ultraflight]

Basically the idea would be to have a part that would function as a door if placed on a command pod, giving you the option of exiting and entering that way. This would allow space shuttles to have intra-cargo-bay hatches.

What do you guys think?

[Giggleplex777]

Interesting idea. This would make exiting out of vehicles a lot easier, and we wouldn't have to worry about blocking the hatches for the cockpits.

[Tex_NL]

Indeed an interesting idea. The 'door' part should easily be able to 'recognize' the pod it is attached to. But what if you attach it to a fuel tank? Where does out precious Kerbal go to?

Easier perhaps would be an airlock part that can contain a single Kerbal. Think command pod without the command abilities. Through the hatch menu options you can either EVA or transfer the occupant. This way it should be incredibly easy to mod.

[Red Iron Crown]

This wouldn't even require new parts, just allow kerbals to EVA from docking ports (if that is possible).

[Tex_NL]

Brilliant. And so simple. Make docking ports airlocks. Absolutely brilliant. Why has nobody modded this before?

[kenbobo]

I know LLL has the airlock part, and it gains functionality with the Vanguard Technologies Plugin.

[Master Tao]

I don't think docking ports have been modded that way, but I imagine you could use the same trick dtobi used with the wet workshop. Have a radially attachable part with a larger IVA, then use the Transfer function to move in and out of the airlock. That would require new models, since the colliders need to be edited for use as hatches.

[Starwhip]

Indeed an interesting idea. The 'door' part should easily be able to 'recognize' the pod it is attached to. But what if you attach it to a fuel tank? Where does out precious Kerbal go to?

Kerbals can squeeze through struts and fuel lines, no reason why they couldn't phase into the fuel tank as well.

Interesting idea. The docking port implementation seems smart as well: if you can transfer stuff through ports IRL, like PEOPLE, then couldn't you open it to space?

[Tex_NL]

Kerbals can squeeze through struts and fuel lines, no reason why they couldn't phase into the fuel tank as well.

Interesting idea. The docking port implementation seems smart as well: if you can transfer stuff through ports IRL, like PEOPLE, then couldn't you open it to space?

It's not that the Kerbal can or can not be transferred 'through' a fueltank or girder. It's how the 'door' determines where to send him/her.

[Whirligig Girl]

Indeed an interesting idea. The 'door' part should easily be able to 'recognize' the pod it is attached to. But what if you attach it to a fuel tank? Where does out precious Kerbal go to?

Easier perhaps would be an airlock part that can contain a single Kerbal. Think command pod without the command abilities. Through the hatch menu options you can either EVA or transfer the occupant. This way it should be incredibly easy to mod.

*immediately imagines wet workshops*

[sgt_flyer]

Doesn't the mk3 cockpit already work that way ? If you clic on the door behind the cockpit (like you would for evaing) the kerbal spawns on this specific door. (And yes, the 'painted' door which would give access to the cargo bay is already a door )

[dryer_lint]

Indeed an interesting idea. The 'door' part should easily be able to 'recognize' the pod it is attached to. But what if you attach it to a fuel tank? Where does out precious Kerbal go to?

ERROR! Docking port not connected to cockpit. Cannot exit/enter this way.

Just display that message

[Tex_NL]

Doesn't the mk3 cockpit already work that way ? If you clic on the door behind the cockpit (like you would for evaing) the kerbal spawns on this specific door. (And yes, the 'painted' door which would give access to the cargo bay is already a door )

All those months. Those countless hours. And nobody ever mentioned this before you.

At first when I read this I thought you were joking but I have just tested this out myself and it does indeed work.

Edit:

This sadly does not work for Mk2 parts. Hopefully it will in 1.0.

Edited April 26, 2015 by Tex_NL

[Roxette]

Devo already did it :-

Unfortunately his site is down at the moment, but these parts still work.

[sumghai]

Personally, I don't like the idea of place-anywhere airlocks / doors, because I always felt that from a common-sensible engineering standpoint, you don't want to cutting hatches in random locations that could potentially compromise the structural integrity of a fuselage / fuel tank.

I also don't like making docking ports into airlocks - airlocks are not merely doors, but consist of a separate lockout compartment, suit storage, environmental subsystems etc., none of which can fit in the limited volume of a docking port. And if every hatch on every command pod had a dedicated airlock, this would quickly reduce the effective non-airlock internal volume available.

Devo already did it :-

http://www.devogeninteractive.com/picup/image.php?id=3467_51C06F4C&jpg

Based on my examination of that add-on, the place-anywhere hatch is actually a command pod in its own right - one would need to transfer the crew from the original command pod to the dummy pod definition inside the hatch first, and then disembark the Kerbal.

[Roxette]

Based on my examination of that add-on, the place-anywhere hatch is actually a command pod in its own right - one would need to transfer the crew from the original command pod to the dummy pod definition inside the hatch first, and then disembark the Kerbal.

Correct, you'd need to use Connected-Living-Space or something to move kerbals between the hatch and other spaces within the craft. The limitations of the part models and the hatch transforms on command pods impose that limitation.

[LABHOUSE]

This wouldn't even require new parts, just allow kerbals to EVA from docking ports (if that is possible).

It is, my stock soyuz replica did that.

[Yukon0009]

[Ultraflight]

Well.

I think that the little "too small for kerbals" blurb for the Jr. docking port could come into play should the docking port idea be implemented.