Part clipping - you have some 'splainin to do...

[hobbez]

So, i know what part clipping is and how to activate it, but i can't see the difference it makes during my rocket builds. From my experience, i can overlap most parts with part clipping deactivated. I just recently tried activating it, but i can't see the difference. What am i missing?

I can place as many rockets as i want stacked inside the other without part clipping acitaved, and i can place metal girders through fuel tanks and this, to me, feels like some serious clipping, so i wanted to know what passes for clipping in the forum challenges.

Thank you.

[Superfluous J]

I believe what is now allowed in the debug menu is for you to clip multiple parts onto the same attachment node. All other part clipping is just enabled in the game.

I do not suggest having multiple things attached to the same node, though. It's just asking for a visit from Mr. Kraken.

[SubzeroSpartan7]

It is helpful sometimes when you have parts that should attach that the game refuses to attach. Such as when making clusters of engines that visually have space between them but the gme for whatever reason wont allow you to attach them there. Before the offset and rotate buttons there was a lot more use for it though.

[NathanKell]

That's because in .90, part clipping was made "allowed" across the board.

See, back in the day, the "part clipping" option did two things:

1. It ignored part colliders when placing parts; otherwise you couldn't easily (yes, there were bugs/workarounds) clip one part into another.

2. It allowed you to use an attach node more than once.

In .90, colliders were disabled across the board, so (1) is now the default (and unchangeable) behavior. Now the toggle only does (2).

[hobbez]

That's because in .90, part clipping was made "allowed" across the board.

In .90, colliders were disabled across the board, so (1) is now the default (and unchangeable) behavior. Now the toggle only does (2).

Not sure how i feel about this. I mean, sure it's fun to make a small jet plane with tons of stacked intakes, or a rocket with 20 engines stacked on top of the other (which does work without the clipping option), but it feels off for standard gameplay. I guess it's left up to the players discretion to choose how much he wants his parts to intersect.

Thank you for the answers, guys.

[Starwhip]

Not sure how i feel about this. I mean, sure it's fun to make a small jet plane with tons of stacked intakes, or a rocket with 20 engines stacked on top of the other (which does work without the clipping option), but it feels off for standard gameplay. I guess it's left up to the players discretion to choose how much he wants his parts to intersect.

Precisely.

[Mister Dilsby]

I guess it's left up to the players discretion to choose how much he wants his parts to intersect.

You've got it. I think for challenges the important thing is to read into the OP's intent as much as the 'letter of the law'--this is KSP not Space Munchkin! For example if the challenge is "make the highest flying air-breathing ship you can", there is a huge difference in capability between ships that attempt a realistic-looking air system and ones that stack 60 radial intakes on top of each other...inside a cargo bay...with a nuclear engine embedded in the center. Of course if the challenge seems aimed to encourage abuse/clipping, and that's what makes the challenge fun, then by all means go nuts.