Residue-free decouplers

[Crown]

With the update to KSP 1.0.5, some parts changed and now some of my constructions don't work anymore (how could it be any different ).

I used the Structural Pylon to attach Strut Connectors to spacecrafts inside the fairing to have them stable without any remnants after staging. Now that the design changed from structure to wing all rockets that use this method are messed up.

The TT-38K Radial Decoupler and directly attached struts leave traces and I don't like this because it disturbs the plain view on ships.

Do you have any tips for residue-free decouplers?
btw: Is there a way to change from WYSIWYG editor to BB code?

[RA3236]

Simple answer: no there isn't.

Long Answer: It is actually something that happens IRL sometimes. Just stick with it. If you hate them that much when you get to space quick save and reload. The remnants are not save able.

[Tex_NL]

2 hours ago, Crown said:

With the update to KSP 1.0.5, some parts changed and now some of my constructions don't work anymore (how could it be any different ).

I used the Structural Pylon to attach Strut Connectors to spacecrafts inside the fairing to have them stable without any remnants after staging. Now that the design changed from structure to wing all rockets that use this method are messed up.

If you are not against using mods try KerbalJointReenforcement and you will not need to strut your payload anymore.

2 hours ago, Crown said:

btw: Is there a way to change from WYSIWYG editor to BB code?

Sadly no.
People stopped complaining about it long ago. Not because they got used to it or like it this way (far from it to be honest) but because they realized complaining doesn't help.

[Snark]

By the way:  decoupler residue is ephemeral.  It only lasts during the current flight session.

So if you switch away to KSC (or to another ship outside the current physics bubble) and back again, or if you just do a quicksave-then-quickload, then all the decoupler residue evaporates.

So it may not be as big of an issue as you feared-- you can scrub it off with a couple of keypresses. 

(Yes, it's a wart, but at least it's one you can work around.)

[Vim Razz]

As Snark noted, the portion of the radial decoupler that's attached to the main body will disappear when the scene is reloaded.

So will the secondary attachment nubbin left behind by struts (the one placed 2nd in the VAB/SPH ). 

So if you want to strut your payload to a disposable bracing assembly, attach the struts to the brace first then run the second end to your payload.  After staging, the nubbins will then only remain until you save/reload or visit another ship or the KSC.

[Snark]

3 hours ago, Vim Razz said:

So if you want to strut your payload to a disposable bracing assembly, attach the struts to the brace first then run the second end to your payload.  After staging, the nubbins will then only remain until you save/reload or visit another ship or the KSC.

Another important reason to strut them from the disposable thing to the non-disposable one:  the strut's mass is applied to the source (i.e. the first place you click when placing it, not the second).  So if you strut from the disposable thing, you also dispose of the strut's mass when you stage.  If you had placed the strut so that it goes outwards from the center, then you'd keep the stub (and the mass) permanently.

[Geschosskopf]

On 3/6/2016 at 5:22 AM, Crown said:

With the update to KSP 1.0.5, some parts changed and now some of my constructions don't work anymore (how could it be any different ).

I used the Structural Pylon to attach Strut Connectors to spacecrafts inside the fairing to have them stable without any remnants after staging. Now that the design changed from structure to wing all rockets that use this method are messed up.

The TT-38K Radial Decoupler and directly attached struts leave traces and I don't like this because it disturbs the plain view on ships.

Do you have any tips for residue-free decouplers?

YES, there are residue-free decouplers in 1.0.5.  And they're in the Structural tab.  They are now called "Hardpoints" and come in 2 sizes, big and little.  They look like angled wing sections but as far as I can tell, produce no lift (other than body lift like all parts now--just no extra wing lift).

Also, these Hardpoints have a cool feature.  You can right-click on them and disable their decoupling on the staging menu, so you can only do them with action groups or not at all if desired.  Very handy, not only as decouplers but also as simple, inert structural members.

As proof, I offer this pic.  This gliding Tekto mobile base had all its aerodynamic parts attached with the Hardpoints, big ones on the wings and small ones on the tail and airbrakes.  Once safely on the ground, I fired them all and no residue left on the vehicle.

And here are some more used strictly as inert structural elements due to their ability to have the radial tanks mounted lower in relation to the central stack.

 

[Crown]

40 minutes ago, Vim Razz said:

the portion of the radial decoupler that's attached to the main body will disappear when the scene is reloaded.

So will the secondary attachment nubbin left behind by struts (the one placed 2nd in the VAB/SPH ). 

Perfect.
If no debris is left when I use decouplers and attach the second strut node to the payload, my problems are solved.

Thank you all!