Help with construction

[tranenturm]

So I'm trying to build a space station on the ground before I lift it. My starting point is the cupola with the science center next. I then connect an I-beam (200) to the science just below the side hatch. But then I'm unable to connect a hitchhiker module to the end of the i-beam. What gives? I did manage to connect a mk-2 fuel tank. Similarly, I can't attach a fuel tank onto the BZ-52 radial attachment point in an intelligent manner. It never wants to snap onto the connection point, rather it attempts to attach the tank sideways. Suggestions?

[Starhawk]

If you hold the mod key (Alt in Windoze) while attaching, it forces node attachment rather than surface attachment.

Happy landings!

[tranenturm]

Great! That helps for the radial!

I was able to connect a Rockomax X200-8 Fuel tank to the end of the I-beam and place the hitchhiker on top of it. So it appears to be specific to the hitchhiker. Bug or WAD?

[FancyMouse]

Sounds weird. The difference between fuel tank and hitchhiker is that fuel tanks can be surface attached while hitchhiker cannot. Did you surface attached the fuel tank?

[tranenturm]

I surfaced attached the tank. I could not surface attach the hitchhiker. I don't know why that should work that way.

[Sharpy]

and that's the moment Cubic Octagonal Strut becomes invaluable.

You clip it (rotate) into the part and it creates a node at that point.

If you save the part as subassembly with the strut leading to the root, you can attach that part by it radially to anything.

[Snark]

I surfaced attached the tank. I could not surface attach the hitchhiker. I don't know why that should work that way.

Yeah, that's by design. Some parts allow surface-attach, others don't.

Here's the config for the hitchhiker:

http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Parts/Command/hitchhikerStorageContainer/hitchikerStorageContainer.cfg

...note the line that says:

attachRules = 1,0,1,1,0

Per the config file documentation, it's that 0 in the second slot that's the smoking gun here-- it says "do not allow surface attach."

Sharpy has pointed out a way to do this with a cubic octagonal strut.

Another approach would be to attach something that is surface-attachable, and then attach your hitchhiker vertically above or below that.