DStaal

Just launched a second test craft - unfortunately, your fix for this doesn't appear to have worked. I launched, clicked 'undock', and... Nothing. Well, the 'undock' button is gone, but other than that, nothing. Using the castelated dock.

Good to hear. Tell me what you think of the craft, once you get a chance to use it.

Out of curiosity, try toggling the water production off and the back on. (I’m noticing that your water is exactly *half* full, and you have a logistics center. It's possible that for an instant it was full, and the agricultural module checked to see if it could store - and found it full. Then PL kicked in, and transferred half of it away, but the agricultural module didn't get notified, so things are stuck. A simple solution if that's the case is to re-init the check - which should be done by turning it off and back on. Either that or reloading the vessel into physics.)

GameData/UmbraSpaceIndustries/LifeSupport/CTT.cfg Sure looks like there's a file for that. And it works in my install.

Both. Ground Construction models a bit more near-term options for construction: You have to ship a portion of whatever you're building from Kerbin, although you can refine some of the materials in-place. Basically, any parts beyond 'a bar/sheet of metal' get shipped up in a kit. Also, you can only build while landed. (It models your Kerbals going out and assembling the kit they've been sent.). Think of it as IKEA for spaceflight: You get the flat-pack box from the store, then assemble in-place. Extraplanetary Launchpads is a bit more far-future: It models you being able to set up an entire production chain off-world, so you don't have to send anything from home, although you can. You can build on planets or in-space, wherever you want, as long as you get the materials to your launchpad - and again, those materials don't have to come from Kerbin. To me, starting with Ground Construction and building up the capability to do EL makes sense. (Though it should be a longer process between the two than it is at the moment.). Both have strengths and weaknesses, and they compliment each other well. One thing to note: Ground Construction is in the process of being integrated to work with MKS - as a part of that, it's building resource is going to change in the next release.

What I'd think is useful is to have (at least) one of each: Duna-class lander Tundra-class lander Karibou lander Building supplies delivery Konstruction equipment delivery. (Which probably includes some Konstruction equipment designs.) It might also be nice to have a 'Mining outpost', and a 'science outpost' craft. And if anyone has an idea for a two/three piece space station (that can be used to demonstrate construction ports and welding) that might be nice as well. I plan to do up my Karibou lander as well as the Duna lander I've done, and likely a science outpost. My favored solutions to the rest are heavily dependent on other mods, so if anyone has better ideas I'm more than open.

Ok... Then I don't know what was going on with my ship. (It crashed into the launchpad the moment the docking clamps were released without an antenna, I added a stock antenna and it launched easily. I'd tried everything I could think of to activate the engine - but it wouldn't let me do it until I added an antenna.)

Quick comment: The fairing hanger could really use an antenna built-in, so you can control it to launch...

Freight Transport Technologies.

If you want to, go ahead. I've uploaded my craft file for my proof-of-concept entry, and a couple of basic versions of the pics. (Mostly so that you have some idea of what the base would look like.) I created a bit of a folder structure in the github repo (inside the MKSWiki folder), feel free to change it if you think something else would be better.

I am using a the test part on the test version of my probe - which I recovered to Kerbin once deployment testing was complete. My Kerbals wanted to learn the characteristics of the port, as well as to verify the working capabilities of the probe. The test went successfully - though lessons learned included 'needs more RTGs', and 'needs more Xenon'.

The rescale factor trick he's trying to point out wouldn't help you, because it scales *all* dimensions equally. For rovers, check out the Buffalo mod - it has some rover-optimized structural parts. BTW: Docking works fine on the second attempt: No issues with docking, I didn't try undocking again. The one thing that still worries me is that 'initial launch needs a separator in between' thing: I'm guessing each time I take it out of the Hanger that'll be an 'initial launch', and there's no good way to put a separator in between between deployments. Oh, and because I'm amused by the fact that *none of the scanners were destroyed*:

I believe you can transfer Machinery via traditional methods as well - it's just not auto-transferred by logistics, because that would cause issues. 'Perform Maintenance' will auto-transfer it to where it's needed for use, but you need traditional methods to do things like transfer it to a container in a ship next to your ground production facility, for launching to your orbital facilities. (This is unlike EnrichedUranium which *requires* a Kerbal on EVA.)

Machinery is deliberately omitted IIRC, because auto-transfer of it can lead to bad things, like your base's production shutting down.

I thought that might be the case, but I haven't tested it since warehouse distribution was a thing. Actually, what @RoverDude should look at there is how WildBlueIndustries handles distribution: Each part can be set to push, pull, both, or neither from local logistics. It makes a lot of this *much* simpler to set up.

I was using my initial take on the scanner probe design - total mass of both bodies involved is about 2.9, with the lighter probe section (the one I've shown images of) about .7. And I'm glad that you knew which thread I was referring to - I just wanted to make sure you'd seen it. But yes, the scale is good. It fits my probe fairly well. As I said in my initial post: Yes, I know I could do this with MM. (Simpler, but equivalent to, your method - it can be about three lines of text.) I was wondering if there was something designed to look like it actually fits. The intended deployment of my initial probe goes like this: My expedition ship pulls into orbit around a planet, say Jool. From it's hangers, it disgorges one or more unmanned scanner probes - we'll follow the one to Laythe. It transfers over into a polar orbit, then splits into two probes: A low-orbit scanner, and a high-orbit scanner. They separate to their respective orbits, and preform the planetary scans. They then re-dock to each other, and rendezvous with the expedition ship. (Probably back in Jool orbit.) Once there, they re-enter the hanger for refit and refurbishment, as the expedition heads off to the next planet on the list. So yes, I've considered those options. Yep, sounds good to me. The one thing I'd comment on is your naming: I'd consider castellated the 'basic' part, and the uncastellated the 'plus'. It's far easier to design (in real life) a gendered, orientation-specific docking port than an ungendered non-orientation specific part, especially at these sizes. So, the 'plus' should be the 'advanced' part - the un-gendered, un-castellated. (Though if you wanted to do a full-on cheap dock: gendered *and* orientation specific, I wouldn't stop you. What you have at the moment looks like it should suit what I need, but I can see it being developed that way.)

Well, I'll vote for separate packs, because I want those RCS ports, but I don't mind overpowered reaction wheels.

zabieru's got it. The one thing I would add for your scenario is that you might want to think about splitting your 'main base' into two parts: A logistics section, and a processing section. If you get the logistics section within 2km of the closer mining base, that base doesn't need a logistics module, as you'll be able to scavenge from it. But note that then *both* the logistics section and the processing section will need storage for exotics. (The logistics to pull from PL, and the processing to run it's processor.) So, what you'd need: Far Miner Drills Storage for ~12 hours of output from the drills. A logistics module, either Duna or Tundra. Near Miner Drills Storage for ~6-12 hours of output from the drills. Processing section Your processing plant. Storage for ~6 hours of *input* for the processing plant. Logistics section A logistics module. Storage for ~6 hours of input to the processing plant from the Far Miner. Note I'm saying 12 hours for some of the storage - it's done in 6-hour batches, but PL will typically only half-empty a storage unit. So for the storage that's being sent to PL, you want 6 hours to be half your storage, or a bit less. (If you run out of storage, your drills will stop or you'll lose materials. Best to have an hour or so leeway.) Inputs you'll run out to empty, so you want at least 6 hours worth (again give yourself a bit of padding), but you don't need to over-do it. How much you need in the near miner depends on what order you visit things in - if you visit it directly, it will need more storage than if you visit the logistics section. (Which likely would mean both your miner and your processing plant will be within 2km.) And of course I haven't touched the output - you'll want to have enough space to put it as well. If your logistics section is directly connected to your processing section, it'll automatically put excess into PL, of course. I'm not entirely sure what the best way to handle it is if they aren't connected - mostly because I'm a bit uncertain on if the logistics can pull it across and put it into PL automatically, or if you'd want to have a huge warehouse on the processing plant so it can accumulate, and then transfer it using local logistics manually. However, the MKS resource chain is several steps, and I am sure that if the *final* step ends on the same building as the logistics module than it can put the result into PL, so you could start with a refinery with a large storage and add further steps later. (And you can add on to the miners later on, adding in habitation for Miners to improve efficiency, and possibly a quartermaster to pull supplies back out of storage.)

Ok, when I separated my probe into two, it immediately magneted back together - catching the separator in between. I pushed off, but when I came back it didn't magnet. (After thinking about it, maybe I didn't get far enough away - I only got about 80m.) Wasn't able to re-dock; I may try again. One comment: Those flanges (or whatever they're called), do they have any space between them? Because I know from some other thread where they made docking ports with orientation and a modeled interlock, that they needed just a bit of space between parts for things to actually work smoothly.

That depends a lot on what you think you mean by a starter base... To me, a starter base is a Pioneer module, with some Ranger attachments - likely an agroponics, for instance, and then storage for whatever resources you're going to need on that. Then add more modules, depending on your base design and goals, until it's self-sufficient or producing whatever you need it to produce.

Your problem is that your mental model is incorrect. You can tell this by one simple experiment: Remove Bill from your discussion above. Does any transfer still take place? It does in MKS - stuff can get transferred to PL from the only base on the the planet, and will stay there until it gets requested from someplace. So, therefore Bill is not talking to Jeb. He's talking to someone else (probably a comptroller on Kerbin) who is keeping track of 'excess' materials that can be moved around. Jeb is talking to the same person - when his warehouse gets full, he calls in to the comptroller and they tell him how to send the excess to some longer-term storage. *That's* what Bill is pulling from, not from Jeb's warehouse. So your job as the base designer is to make sure no one base is hording excess materials that need to be considered in the excess by the comptroller. 2km is the limit of what ships are loaded by KSP - so that's a game engine limitation.

Yep, no tweakscale. Most of the parts (as I've said) are Coatl Areospace, which are parts inspired by real-world probes.

I will say it looks gorgeous. (And, before you get into trouble: It is a forum requirement to list your license in the OP.)

Here you go: Admittedly, if the Octosat had a version of the terrain scanner in it's form factor, it'd be close. But for the use I'm looking for I'd have to mount that scanner on the side of the octo, making it even bigger. Oh, and just to mention: The part on the bottom (which I've tilted a bit so you can see better) is a KSO small docking port, round version. Which is actually the same size as the Jr, in cross-section... I am planning on having on this same grand-tour mission a set of octo-sat comm satellites which I'll leave behind as my comm-net, using the large antenna dish. I could probably do a bit smaller than that, but not much with an equivalent relay.

Actually, this mechanic works suspiciously like real life... Warehouses tend to be kept fairly full, no matter the size of the warehouse. If you have a smaller one, you tend to ship stuff in/out of it more, all else being equal. There's all kinds of programming and gameplay reasons why it is the way it is, but it's actually *realistic.*