Need specific kind of docking port.

[Vaporized Steel]

TLDR: Docking port with preset attachment conditions. Either dock per 1 increment on the clock. 1,2,3,4,5........12 o clock positions. Or a square shaped docking ports that only enables docking in 3,6,9 or 12 o clock positions.

Before I request what I want to request. I already tried docking port alignment indicator. I won't say it's impossible to achieve my design with this mod but it's hard enough to conclude that I would be wasting my time on getting to fit everything correctly to achieve my goal. Actually I conclude it is "Impossible" but I never say never. In actuality a simple part mod would solve all the problems.

I'm not a programmer myself, so that's why I come here to request my desire, hoping that other people would see use for my desired part mod aswell.

What I want is a docking port that only allows a docking connection when the rotation of your own and the target docking port are at a exact identical symmetrical match.

Why?

I'm trying to create a ring station, a very large one. See this post > http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/index.php?/topic/127988-part-for-symmetry-docking/

Scroll down there for a pic. Basically I got around the problem and my project is somewhat finished, apart from it having to be launched LOL.

I solved my Dilemma by symetrically installing 2 docking ports per module with the use of the rotate and offset tools and some minor part clipping unfortunately. This adds parts.

I would ideally want it like this. (not in terms of how it looks haha)

Now there are 2 dockings port per module instead of 4 on the picture from the other post (see above). The top module is the main module with the root part, the 2 modules underneath are to be docking in space. It has alot less parts because of the 2 docking modules (2 per module instead of 4)
But I rotated the secondary docking port with one increment (Hold Shift + Q or E) You can see the lower module is already offset sideways because of the misalignment effect. Imagine installing 9 more modules and you don't get a ring station but a slide from the swimming pool.

Obviously my design is a bit poking at the part limit that KSP is designed for.

NOTE: the station example still needs 4 rcs thrusters per module, solar panels and preferably be under XXX amount of parts with a secondary vessel in physics range. Also docking itself is hard, because RCS is almost uneffective due to the weight per module and the fact that the docking port is rotated which must function as my "Control from here" part. So docking at all is difficult (not impossible) regardless of the initial problem.

I could save up to 100-200 parts if their were docking port parts that operate under my criteria.

Also I'm pretty sure that the attachment of 2 docking ports isn't incremented into 360 degrees but works on the amount of pixels. If I can't match rotation of one module to another to the pixel and connect anyway I keep connecting one module after another. In the case of this ring station it has 12 modules within a ring. What happens is that if the first module isn't attached completely parralel it offsets the last module by such a margin that the end result is a spiral rather then a ring.

So a square shaped docking port that only allows docking from a 3, 6, 9 and or 12 o clock position relative to the target docking port would be a major help. This halves the amount of docking ports, halves the amount of structural elements the ports are attached to and also halves my work.

Docking port alignment mod doesn't work for this. It cant dock with 100% accuracy in terms of rotation, + the RCS thrusters operate at ridiculous conditions and by the time I can tell I've done it wrong is after i further build the ring because only then will I get visual confirmation that their is a docking offset. Also, when 2 docking ports get close to one another (1-2m) the docking port magnets kick into action. That's when they attract each other. When 2 docking ports connect they don't care about relative rotation and they usually rotate slightly before they fit and dock even if you had everything ligned up correctly in the first place.

Obiously there are next to none people that would like this mod for the exact same purpose.

But I have much more simpler, mainstream station design that wouldn't necessarily require such a mod for funcitonality. But in any case such a part mod would be ideal if a user cares for aesthetics. Consider 2 identical modules for a station you wish to dock together. Yes you can use Docking alignment mod in most cases but it's rather nice to have this part and just dock in the proper relative rotation without fiddling with controls, quiksaves and quikloads. Or undock and redock and thumbs up to youself hoping you've done it correctly

 

Hopefully there is some fervour for such a thing. I'll be awaiting your response.

 

Edited December 22, 2015 by Vaporized Steel

[wasml]

I haven't used them myself so I'm not sure what the tolerance is but Kip Engineering has some

Quote

== Non-Androgynous Docking Port Set ==

An early set of docking ports that only work with the opposite gender and only when aligned.

 

 

[theJesuit]

Can I add to the fervour please.  Simply a docking node that is able to be rotated to ticks of the clock would be great - perhaps via a tweakable and maybe something like Nils' Kerbal Planetary Base Systems corridors.

 

Peace.

[cxg2827]

New parameters have been added in 1.0.5 to allow the angle snapping of docking ports. the CBMs in my mod pack have this functionality so you can check those out (snap at 90 degree increments).

[Vaporized Steel]

This is very cool, didn't know there were docking ports like that within those modpacks. I'm gonna try the one from KIP and hopefully it's just what I need.

 

[artwhaley]

 

5 hours ago, cxg2827 said:

New parameters have been added in 1.0.5 to allow the angle snapping of docking ports. the CBMs in my mod pack have this functionality so you can check those out (snap at 90 degree increments).

I hadn't realized that was an option!  I'll be looking at those new parameters as well!  

 

The OTHER way to solve the OP's problem, though it's got it's own potential for mishaps, so save often, is to put a couple of Infernal Robotics parts at key points in the ring so you can adjust the geometry to correct for some errors when you get close to finishing your ring.

[FalseKing]

I know that KAS does not have actual docking ports, but if you need practicality, the plugs in that mod could do the trick.

 

[Superfluous J]

12 hours ago, cxg2827 said:

New parameters have been added in 1.0.5 to allow the angle snapping of docking ports. the CBMs in my mod pack have this functionality so you can check those out (snap at 90 degree increments).

Would you be so kind as to describe exactly how it's done? I looked at your docking ports and tried copying the 2 lines:

        snapRotation = true
        snapOffset = 90

into the ModuleDockingNode on the Clamp-O-Tron (without first installing your mod, as I want this in stock) and the docking ports still docked at whatever angle they felt like.

I'm trying ultimately to make a modulemanager config that will add this functionality to the stock docking ports with no other mods needed.

[cxg2827]

8 hours ago, 5thHorseman said:

Would you be so kind as to describe exactly how it's done? I looked at your docking ports and tried copying the 2 lines:

        snapRotation = true
        snapOffset = 90

into the ModuleDockingNode on the Clamp-O-Tron (without first installing your mod, as I want this in stock) and the docking ports still docked at whatever angle they felt like.

Add captureMinRollDot to give it a constraint as to how close to those offset snaps they need to be in order to capture.

Otherwise it is assuming that there is no cosntraint as to how close you are to those angles, so it captures at any angle at that point.

[monstah]

20 hours ago, cxg2827 said:

New parameters have been added in 1.0.5 to allow the angle snapping of docking ports. the CBMs in my mod pack have this functionality so you can check those out (snap at 90 degree increments).

 

8 hours ago, 5thHorseman said:

Would you be so kind as to describe exactly how it's done?

 

2 minutes ago, cxg2827 said:

Add captureMinRollDot to give it a constraint as to how close to those offset snaps they need to be in order to capture.

Treasure Trove! Really, thanks a lot for this guys!

Just a question: does it add torque to force an alignment, or does it just deny a docking until they're aligned to satisfaction?

[cxg2827]

28 minutes ago, monstah said:

Just a question: does it add torque to force an alignment, or does it just deny a docking until they're aligned to satisfaction?

Check this comment I left in the Tantares thread:
Link

Short answer: It denies a docking until they're aligned to satisfaction. But, it will capture when you are still in the capture range.

 

[Superfluous J]

1 hour ago, cxg2827 said:

Add captureMinRollDot to give it a constraint as to how close to those offset snaps they need to be in order to capture.

Otherwise it is assuming that there is no cosntraint as to how close you are to those angles, so it captures at any angle at that point.

You got 2 likes from me today. Thanks for this! I'll also credit you when I post the config, not that many people download my configs but still

[FungusForge]

I forget where I saw it (I'll come back when I find it), but somewhere I saw some soft-docking ports, so you could link up, but still re-orientate your ship before actually joining them.

Found it!

Edited December 23, 2015 by FungusForge