Can't Undock Bug, How To Fix

[MisterFister]

Can someone please reexplain the OP here? I totally understand the theory behind it, and the root part tracing that's necessary. My problem is that the OP just throws partIDs around without explaining where he got them, and without explaining the before and after. I totally get tracing the problem with disabling crossfeed and searching for the false flag. (Does it matter that my problem involves a string of no fewer than seven inline pairs of docking ports that won't unmate, including a refusal to unmate from the station entirely?)

[Claw]

Can someone please reexplain the OP here? I totally understand the theory behind it, and the root part tracing that's necessary. My problem is that the OP just throws partIDs around without explaining where he got them, and without explaining the before and after. I totally get tracing the problem with disabling crossfeed and searching for the false flag. (Does it matter that my problem involves a string of no fewer than seven inline pairs of docking ports that won't unmate, including a refusal to unmate from the station entirely?)

If you get the part about disabling crossfeed and searching for the false flag, I'll assume that means you're able to find the docking port's part structure in the save file. I think it would be easier to actually disable the crossfeed of the working port, then search for that one. Once you find the working port, you're looking for this section (from the OP).

Docking port that shows "Undock" button (and you disabled crossfeed):

MODULE
{
	name = ModuleDockingNode
	isEnabled = True
	[I]state = Docked (docker)[/I]
	dockUId = [I][COLOR="#FF0000"]4018712963[/COLOR][/I]
	dockNodeIdx = 0
	EVENTS
	{
		Undock
		{
			active = True
...... <---(indicates my own truncation)
DOCKEDVESSEL
	{
		vesselName = [I]Thatsnomun RCS Spindle[/I]     <----name of docked vessel (not a unique vessel in the save file, part of the mother vessel that is the conglomeration of docked vessels where you'll find these docking ports) 
		vesselType = [I]2[/I]
		rootUId = [I]4159860481[/I]
	}

That Red dockUId (4018712963) is the ID of the broken port. You need to copy that port UId because you're going to search for that next. But before you do, you need the ID of the working port. You find that at the top of the PART structure. It looks like this:

PART
{
	name = dockingPortLarge
	uid = [COLOR="#008000"]3497032429[/COLOR]
	mid = 864520882
... }

So the green UID (3497032429) is the number of the working port. Write that down because you need it.

NOW, go search for the broken port (4018712963) and you should end up at the top of the PART structure for the broken port.

PART
{
	name = dockingPortLarge
	uid = [COLOR="#FF0000"]4018712963[/COLOR]
	mid = blahblahblah
... }

Here is where you scroll down and fix the broken docking port's state and docking UId.

MODULE
{
name = ModuleDockingNode
isEnabled = True
state = [COLOR="#FF8C00"]Docked (dockee)[/COLOR]
dockUId = [COLOR="#008000"]3497032429[/COLOR]
dockNodeIdx = 0

Now the hell part, where you have to find the root ID for the ship with the broken docking port. The "mid" of the broken docking port might help you here, but this is where you need knowledge of how the ship went together. It sounds like you understand that part. Once you find the root part, you want to grab the ID of that, just like you did for the docking ports (from the top of the PART structure). Then you build this piece of code for the BROKEN docking port after the ACTIONS block (again from the OP).

ACTIONS
{
	UndockAction
	{
		actionGroup = None
	}
	DecoupleAction
	{
		actionGroup = None
	}
}
DOCKEDVESSEL
{
	vesselName = Big Rig 1
	vesselType = 5
	rootUId = [COLOR="#EE82EE"]975741807[/COLOR]
}

Hope that helps.

Also realize I think there is some other docking problems going on. I'm still trying to figure it out, but the only save game I have to work from is modded with parts I don't have (as you saw on the other thread).

Good luck.

Edited April 27, 2014 by Claw

[MisterFister]

Yeah, for those others following, I've given up. There seem to be too many permutations of the symptoms with this problem, and debugging the savefile is ludicrous, especially since I have a caterpillar chain of more than seven pairs of malfunctioning docking ports.

[iDan122]

Does the bug from one ship with a faulty port "infect" the ship and others that dock to it? Because after my ship got one, all ports except for one became like that, and the station it docked to got the bug too....

[JayCheetah]

The amount of save file editing is ridiculous.

It has been almost a year since the OP posted this solution, meaning it is taken Squad at least that long to fix this bug.

I know bug fixing can be hell, but in this case there is quite some feedback and even this post is clearly showing what and where the problem is.

Fix this Squad....

[Kaa253]

The same thing as described in post #25 happened to my main LKO station. My install has around 60 mods and the station had about 7 vessels docked to it so I don't think my save file would be much use to Squad. I was eventually able to sort through this brain teaser and fix it.

[Claw]

The same thing as described in post #25 happened to my main LKO station. My install has around 60 mods and the station had about 7 vessels docked to it so I don't think my save file would be much use to Squad. I was eventually able to sort through this brain teaser and fix it.

I found a new way to deal with this problem for v0.23.5, and I think it's slightly easier. The fix also works for the problem described in post #25.

If it happens again, give the "Super quick and dirty" instructions a try: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/78863-FIX-Dock-Undocking-Bug-in-0-23-5?p=1136991&viewfull=1#post1136991

[coldblade2000]

I have a problem, I don't see the disable crossfeed option.

[Claw]

I have a problem, I don't see the disable crossfeed option.

Then you'll have to dig through the VESSEL structure and see if you can figure out which ports are the ones you're after. Hopefully you don't have too many ports on your ship. Try to find the right starting spot by searching for your ship's name.

If you do have a lot of ports, you can try to narrow it down by decoupling everything else from your ship that's broken. (Keep a copy of the original save.) Then with the correct UIDs, you can fix your original save and decouple the ship.

Also, if you're using KSP v0.23.5, I recommend trying the thread link directly above your post. There is some other unusual docking behavior in 0.23.5.

[loserwill]

I'm getting this bug but it doesn't seem to be as cut and dry as seeing "docker" and "dockee". I have two different connection points that instead are labeled "same vessel". Anyone have any insight?

name = ModuleDockingNode
					isEnabled = True
					state = Docked (same vessel)
					dockUId = 3583467347
					dockNodeIdx = 0

[DevL]

I'm getting this bug but it doesn't seem to be as cut and dry as seeing "docker" and "dockee". I have two different connection points that instead are labeled "same vessel". Anyone have any insight?

Yes, I ran into that exact thing a day or teo sgo. Claw's excellent "quick and dirty" solution did the trick for me.

[Claw]

I'm getting this bug but it doesn't seem to be as cut and dry as seeing "docker" and "dockee". I have two different connection points that instead are labeled "same vessel". Anyone have any insight?

name = ModuleDockingNode
					isEnabled = True
					state = Docked (same vessel)
					dockUId = 3583467347
					dockNodeIdx = 0

Yes, I ran into that exact thing a day or teo sgo. Claw's excellent "quick and dirty" solution did the trick for me.

Yes indeed. It's okay that it says "Docked (same vessel)" instead of "docker" and "dockee" but you'll have to use my thread: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/78863-FIX-Dock-Undocking-Bug-in-0-23-5?p=1136991&viewfull=1#post1136991

This particular thread covers a slightly different docking problem. If you try my thread above it should fix you up a little easier in v0.23.5.

[Wanderfound]

The parts of it you need are as follows, the bits that will have to be changed are bolded, the bits that you need to pay attention to are italicized:

I'm getting repeatedly hit with the can't undock bug, but whatever my issue is, it isn't that one. In my files, the "docked vessel" section isn't missing from the subsidiary ship. However, instead of being referred to as "docker"and "dockee", in the equivalent places in my file it reads "same vessel" (in the entry for both ships).

Jiggling ships about on other docking ports doesn't seem to do anything useful; it usually just results in more flies stuck on the web. When it strikes, it hits hard: I just had it lock up every port on an orbital facility that had five smaller ships and a three-part in-transit space station parked at it. They're all now orbital sculpture unless I can fix the bug.

Anyone have ideas? Should I just go in and substitute "docker"and "dockee" in assorted places?

[Wanderfound]

Yes indeed. It's okay that it says "Docked (same vessel)" instead of "docker" and "dockee" but you'll have to use my thread: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/78863-FIX-Dock-Undocking-Bug-in-0-23-5?p=1136991&viewfull=1#post1136991

This particular thread covers a slightly different docking problem. If you try my thread above it should fix you up a little easier in v0.23.5.

...and I noticed this ten seconds after posting my question. Of course.

Sorry folks...

[GoNzOTW]

Does anybody have a current way of fixing this problem? My persistant fil;e structure does not in any way match the OP.

[tengumai]

The fix:

Kalizec's fix as described in http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/35777-Can-t-Undock-Bug-How-To-Fix?p=902003&viewfull=1#post902003 worked very well for me. Thank you!

[Schoenuff]

Thank you! my docking port was in acquire mode and would not dock. Now I have a functioning mun base!!

[Maars]

this is one of those bugs that ruins your entire game and makes you loathe ksp - you know, the same kind of weird repulsion you feel when a loved one steals from you or something akin to that.

Like a virus, from zero bugged ports to EVERY ONE OF MY ports bugged all of the sudden. EVERY PORT ON EVERY VESSEL THATS DOCKED TO SOMETHING! and "no", the fix doesn't work for me because all of my DOCKED modules have the supposed missing DOCKED VESSEL part in them. i have no idea what to do

SQUAD - we all love you but Y O U N E E D 2 F I X T H I S !!!

EDIT : ok, blew off some steam. just an edit to apologise for the tirade

but Squad, you still need to fix this

500th EDIT : for anyone stumbling upon this dead-end alley and crying like I did, here's a link to Ferrams fix as the latest version of this bug is caused by KJR

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/106780-Clamp-o-tron-Sr-won-t-undock

and sorry Squad for shooting the wrong guy

Edited January 19, 2015 by Maars

[Leszek]

KJR was the cause? Well glad to know! This bug was killing me. Dead.

Just knowing where the cause is makes me want to jump for joy.

[Sandworm]

Ok, I ran into this again and googled for an answer, which pointed me here. I'll try the KJR dev build but for now here is my INGAME solution...

Undock the ships, but they remain stuck.

Roll/twist and RCS backwards hard.

While doing above, start time warping.

The two ships should now drift/clip through each other.

If you stop time warp at this point both ships will explode, so DON:T.

Keep time warp high until one is out of physics range (3+km)

You should now be able to return to normal time.

[ShakeNBake]

Oh joy, so Kerbal can get confused by excessively complicated docking schemes huh??

Welp:

Fully broken down, this would be 31 sub-assemblies, only 6 of which actually have a control part, and there are multiple loops in the flying scaffold. At this point, none of the docking ports on the station will release. Guess I'll be spending some time breaking down the save files.

Lol, my persistent file is 12MB. Notepad hangs for a couple minutes trying to open it. I don't think I'll actually be able to do this...

Edited February 23, 2015 by ShakeNBake

[Cellus]

Shake, you can just use N++ to Find and Replace all the ports to the correct status. As you can see, I successfully used this method to undock my lander from its refueler:

I also lost some unnecessary weight from the lander, which will surely aid it on future missions.

Ed: For the sake of Science, I re-tested this scenario and undocked with somewhat fewer (zero) explosions after removing KJR from my mod list.

Edited March 3, 2015 by Cellus
new info

[Flow]

Thank you Claw for that Workaround - the quick and dirty method worked for me. At first I thought it was a KJR issue (I had to reinstall 3.1.1 a couple of weeks ago and forgot to add the dev dll) but after I installed 3.1.2 the issue persisted. It seemed as if only one module of my Space Station was "infected", so I sent up a new Science Lab, docked it with the old one, transferred all my crew to the new Lab, then used your workaround to undock both the old Science Lab from the rest of the station and the new Science Lab from the old one, then deorbited the old one and happily watched it burn up on reentry. Now I'll just wait if the problem reoccurs with the new Lab. Crossing my fingers.

Edit: Nope, still the same bug with the new Lab. Some ports on the Station are working, others are not. It's definitely not KJR-related. The fix works, but I don't want to tamper with the quicksave every time I have to undock a ship. This bug is really sucking a lot of fun out of the game.

Edited April 1, 2015 by Flow

[edrobotguy]

Claw, I can't tell you how many times this has helped me. Thanks.

[[email protected]]

Well, finally this bug occured to me on my mun Station.

Unfortunately i was not yet able to get the save game editing working.

I guess i will have to deorbit the munn Station and build a new one.

Very sad. This bug is really gamebreaking and sucks the fun out. Just imagine this would happen to your Jool Expedition...