How To Build A Jansen Omni-dock From Just 3 Common Parts Using Precise Editor

[Hotel26]

The following picture depicts a Jansen Omnidock:

It consists of a Papa Dock, Mama Dock and Baby Dock, in one assembly, such that it can participate in docking with any other kind of dock, including another Jansen Omnidock.

It is a very useful choice of equipment for e.g. a space station.

Please NOTE that it is NOT possible to exactly construct the Jansen Omnidock in the SPH or VAB, due to the following, highly-technical detail:

Spoiler

There is no provision in the SPH/VAB to radially-connect one dock to another.  This is necessary if we wish to preserve all docking nodes (open) without obscuration.

The objective is shown here:

Kraft 1.3.1.3
Enter abbrev for craft: Jansen
Reading /home/kmk/env/games/KSP/1.11.2.3077/Ships/VAB/Jansen Omnidock.craft
   1    0   dockingPortLarge_4294609932
   2    1     dockingPort3_4294605824
   3    1     dockingPort2_4294607144

The minor docks are linked to the major dock.

For ease, downloading the Jansen Omnidock sub-assembly for merging with your target craft (e.g. space station) may be the simplest procedure.

                                                                                                              

With Precise Editor (pictured) however, an alternative, direct approach is feasible.

In the picture, the Papa Dock (Senior) has a Y-axis displacement of 10.  The Mama Dock (Ordinary) has a displacement of 9.9953 (-0.0047 relative) and the Baby Dock (Junior, shown in Precise Editor) has Y=10.1346 (+0.1346 relative).

When, therefore, the Papa Dock is placed in connection with a 2.5m tank, for example, it is possible to radially attach the minor docks to the same tank (part) and then use Precise Editor to move them to the desired displacement/orientation, vis-a-vis the Papa Dock.  This works easily when the Papa Dock is aligned in any plane orthogonal to either X, Y or Z: one can then simply adjust one co-ordinate (X, Y or Z) to effect the desired offset.

To finish off, it is strongly recommended to:

1. null out the port Docking Acquire Force as undocking sometimes otherwise leaves craft magnetically-bound (use the Thrust, Luke!)
2. if staging, set them all to stage toegether; if using a key-binding for separation, similarly: "all together"

Final note.  The picky constructor will often desire a combination of two docks, not three.  Entirely possible!  (Lessee (improvising)... in the case of Mama + Baby, the relative offset would be 10.1346 - 9.9953, which is +0.1393.)

(Or, you could just download Jansen Omnidock, the "Swiss port" of space stations.)

Edited July 10, 2022 by Hotel26

[Tony Duhon]

wow you just wrinkled my brain man

[DancesWithSquirrels]

I haven't done triples, but I've done double ports in the past by placing them without 'snap to symmetry', then turning on symmetry and dragging them to the same location. Seems to work for me. But usually I just place them separately - as per the magnetic issue...

History note: I was so glad when the Docking Port Sr. came into the game - prior to that, I had to use something like a triple adapter with 3 ports on it for the needed strength on large missions...

Duna 0.25