KAS/KIS-alike?

[Guest]

Is there a mod like KIS/KAS that works more like the older KAS funcationality, without the fiddley inventory system that just lets you attach fuel lines and struts as needed?  KAS was fiddley enough back in the day but inventory management just kills it.

Thanks.

[Superfluous J]

What I use K[AI]S for the most - fuel lines - is available in one of DMagic's Modlets named EVA Transfer. I've also thought about making a mod that allowed you to just transfer fuel between landed ships that were X meters apart, but I'm still learning to crawl and that's more of a light jog.

I've never found a strut mod that worked well enough for me, and as far as I know nothing allows you to assemble or disassemble a ship or even parts of a ship, other than KAS/KIS.

[Guest]

Yeah, saw DMagic's mod (and highly approve) but what I'm really missing is adding struts.

Thanks.

[Superfluous J]

I was very excited about ActiveStruts but it never worked great, and then they stopped working on it.

[Guest]

God, if only I had the energy to mod beyond updating my RP-0 requires...

E: Huh, looking at DMagic's code, seems like Squad already has a class for that sort of thing, might be possible to easily add a SpaceTape action to Kerbals.  Must look into this.

Edited April 21, 2016 by regex

[Superfluous J]

While we're wishing...

If I were to magically grow whatever brain parts modders have that I don't, my strut mod would work with stock strut nubs. And it would work essentially like it does in the VAB, but in space and via right click menus to detach and attach.

[DMagic]

Making a strut that is added like my fuel line should be pretty easy.

The CompoundParts classes take care of all the tricky parts, the only thing that's left really is to handle the Kerbal interaction, disable the standard strut function in the editor, and manually show/hide the strut parts when something is connected or disconnected.

Most of EVA Transfer's complexity comes from the resource transfer parts.

I can look into adapting the EVA Transfer code to work as a strut. I always thought that there were a few of these EVA strut mods lying around, but I guess they are all out-dated.

Edited April 21, 2016 by DMagic

[Guest]

What I'd like to see is a right-click option for a Kerbal, or Engineer if we're getting "gamey", that says something like "Attach Strut", and then you place the start point and go to the end point.  No need for parts or inventory or whatever, only between parts on one ship.  I'll probably look into this myself tomorrow, your code has been very helpful though, @DMagic.

E: Man, just looking at that code it would probably be super simple to make a "strut start point" part you attach in the VAB/SPH then have a Kerbal finish later.  Probably the easiest way to go about it and would fit the bill for strengthening orbital construction.  All I'd wonder about is how it would handle vehicle separation...

Edited April 21, 2016 by regex

[DMagic]

I looked at setting this up. It took about ten minutes to rip out the fuel transfer parts, and then a few hours to figure out a half dozen minor little things... 

Most of the problems seem to have their root in the fact that fuel lines have a little cap that sits in front of the root of the part, whereas struts don't. It turns out that little cap is in front of the collider, which makes raycasting so much simpler. With the strut you have to cast through the collider, which has a ton of knock-on effects.  

Anyway, I'm setting up a release now, it should be ready soon.

 

[Guest]

12 minutes ago, DMagic said:

I looked at setting this up. It took about ten minutes to rip out the fuel transfer parts, and then a few hours to figure out a half dozen minor little things... 

Most of the problems seem to have their root in the fact that fuel lines have a little cap that sits in front of the root of the part, whereas struts don't. It turns out that little cap is in front of the collider, which makes raycasting so much simpler. With the strut you have to cast through the collider, which has a ton of knock-on effects.  

Nice work!

12 minutes ago, DMagic said:

Anyway, I'm setting up a release now, it should be ready soon.

I had actually hoped you'd take that on because I was having some serious modding blues today (probably the sugar crash from break-room-induced-sweets, but whatever).  Thanks!

[Superfluous J]

51 minutes ago, DMagic said:

Anyway, I'm setting up a release now, it should be ready soon.

8 hours from "I wish..." to an available download that solves the problem. THIS is what makes KSP awesome.

Well done DMagic!