Credible Clipping

[Godit]

Inspired by real world F-15E Conformal fuel tanks.

Issue: Clipping parts allows more flexibility when building craft, especially when concerned with aesthetics. However, the fact that the parts are not actually affected by clipping makes it feel a bit like cheating to some. Example: If I want to clip a tank inside a larger one to give a more streamlined look, the total volume of both tanks remains the same as if they were not taking up the same space.

Proposal: A mod that limits the resource capacity of objects based on the volume of that object that is currently being clipped inside of another object. For example a fuel tank clipped halfway into another tank could only hold 50% of their normal volume. This would have the effect of bolting on a conformal fuel tank of that shape that remains outside the clipped volume.

Rather than believe that Kerbals have acquired Timelord technology and can somehow make volumes bigger on the inside, this allows designers to clip objects to achieve a custom shape in a credible manner that offers a tradeoff in the volume you can actually use.

There are other details to consider such as object weight or cost but the mod could make some simplifying assumptions and keep them constant. The idea is that Kerbal engineers are building a custom shaped tank Orange County Chopper style by modifying an existing standard tank so the actual cost would not change. Weight could use the same ratio of volume clipped to subtract the mass of the container that is not really there.

Ideally the mod would be able to handle fuel tanks, RCS tanks, batteries and other resource containers in the same way. I do not have any suggestions for what to do with other parts like engines, probes, landing gear, etc..

The time has come for guilt free clipping and Credible Clipping Mod is the answer!