2 Docking Ports - Same Ship

[Pronoes]

This it not the same question as "Can I dock multiple ports at the same time?"

 

Is it possible to get 2 docking ports to clamp together (dock) if they're on the same ship? As in, if you can't set yourself as a docking target?

 

P.S. Not currently taking requests for my hawt paint skills.

[sardia]

People have done it where they used two ports as an infinite engine to push a ship one way. 

[Snark]

Any two compatible docking ports will pull towards one another and try to dock, if they're close enough to engage the docking field.  Shouldn't matter whether they're on the "same ship" or not.

For example, in the case of docking multiple ports at once:  I believe what actually happens is that just one of them will happen to make contact first, which establishes a connection and turns the two ships into a single ship as far as KSP is concerned.  Then the other ports (which are in very close proximity to each other) are pulled together by their docking fields, even though they're now part of the "same ship".

Could you explain what's the practical problem that you're trying to solve?

[Venusgate]

Yeah, I'm having trouble imagining the docking ports trying to dock in-situ without a mod like Infernal Robotics to move the ports closer to each other. Unless you're depending on the "flexibility" of parts?

Edited December 3, 2015 by Venusgate

[Pronoes]

Yeah I was using IR. I was just having difficulty. I've tried it with a basic set of parts and confirmed it does work. 

May be a design flaw on my part. More likely is that my creation is quite large and falls over on the launchpad no matter how many struts / clamps I put on it and subsequently hyper-editing it into space to test functionality breaks a few things. Not to worry. Where there's a will, there's a way.