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I still do not understand docking ports


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I've been trying to create a mobile refueling rover. However, I cannot get the ports to work to attach my craft for refueling. I figured maybe I attached them incorrectly or something, so I went back to the sandbox and pulled up the prefabricated crater crawler, which have built-in docking ports. As a test, I have two of them (with extra fuel tanks) just off the Kerbin runway. My plan was to test the concept and see if I could transfer fuel from one to the other.

However, I cannot for the life of me get the ports to work. They just bounce off each other. I have set one as a target; I have tried "control from here" and no luck.  Earlier, I had played around in a different scenario, where the ports would attach but upon decouple, would explode. This time around, they won't even go together. I am very confused. 

Interesting, as well. It says they are 5.8 meters apart, but they are touching.  Is that distance figure based on the command modules and not the ports themselves?

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If you're making a rover for refueling purpose, use grabber claw (the one used to grab asteroids) instead. It's much easier and simple. Just arm the claw, get close to rocket and grab it (it'll attach to object on contact), then transfer the fuel before releasing it again. You can grab and refuel the rocket from any direction instead being limited to a docking port. Docking ports is kinda hard to use when attached to rover since you only have 2 axis adjustment while the usage of docking port needs 3 axis adjustment to be effective. The grabber claw can also be used in orbit to refuel spacecraft

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32 minutes ago, Klapaucius said:

However, I cannot for the life of me get the ports to work. They just bounce off each other. I have set one as a target; I have tried "control from here" and no luck.  Earlier, I had played around in a different scenario, where the ports would attach but upon decouple, would explode. This time around, they won't even go together. I am very confused. 

OK, so the first thing to understand is that docking ports have a "reset distance". Once they undock from each other, you need to get them about 10 meters apart before they will reactivate and you can dock them again.

But the major point is probably clipping and colliders. That is almost always the cause of explosions, and it also prevents docking. If you have other parts near your docking ports, and those other parts bump into each other before the docking rings fully touch and dock -- then those other parts bumping into each other will prevent the docking. Now, when I look close at your image, below your docking ports I think I see a couple of parts bumping into each other. Make absolutely sure that your docking ports touch each other first, and that they have a lot of clearance.

Additionally, it seems unlikely that you want to be using docking ports for this at all. To attach for refueling, you almost always want to be using a Klaw, and not a docking port.

 

32 minutes ago, Klapaucius said:

Interesting, as well. It says they are 5.8 meters apart, but they are touching.  Is that distance figure based on the command modules and not the ports themselves?

When you are in control of vessel A, and you doubleclick on vessel B, you will target the CoM of vessel B. If you want to target the docking port of vessel B instead, you have to be very very careful that it is highlighted when you doubleclick it. So, you say that you are controlling from one docking port and have the other targeted? Your image above says clearly that's not true. The distance displayed is from the control point on your current vessel to the target point on the target vessel. From the image, it looks like your current control point on your current vessel is not your docking port.

 

 

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4 hours ago, bewing said:

So, you say that you are controlling from one docking port and have the other targeted? Your image above says clearly that's not true. The distance displayed is from the control point on your current vessel to the target point on the target vessel. From the image, it looks like your current control point on your current vessel is not your docking port.

Thanks for the help. I got it to work.  I deleted the two little tanks on the front, and that seemed to do it.    I noticed when I click "control from here" there is no indicator that it has been engaged. And the button does not change to some indicator saying, for example, "now on docking control".  

Again, thanks so much :)

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