[1.12.x] Konstruction! Weldable ports, servos, cranes, and magnets!

[intrepidly insignificant]

Hey, @RoverDude!

Firstly a big whole-hearted thank you for all your hard work and secondly I'd like to ask why exactly construction ports don't mate with their regular counterparts?

There doesn't seem to be a good game-balance reason for them not too, not to mention (and I'm surprised more people aren't complaining about it) it is very confusing since they look FREAKING IDENTICAL. I almost ruined a couple perfectly good (and rather expensive) missions because I didn't realize at the time that regular and construction docking ports won't interlock. Also, space stations.

Let's say I want to add new module to my space station at some point in the future thus I leave a construction port at the end. But in the meantime I can't use it to dock anything. And no, switching all my vessels to construction ports doesn't exactly solve the problem since I still can't dock anything that has shielded/inline/mk2 clamp-o-tron.

Frustrated I decided to look at the part.cfg's of regular and construction docking ports. I decided to try simply copy-pasting "ModuleDockingNode" part from regular port to construction one like so:

Spoiler

    MODULE
    {
        name = ModuleDockingNode
        referenceAttachNode = top
        nodeType = ConSize1
        stagingEnabled = False
        snapRotation = true 
        snapOffset = 90     
        acquireForce = 2
        acquireTorque = 2
        acquireTorqueRoll = 2    
    }
    MODULE
    {
        name = ModuleDockingNode
        referenceAttachNode = top
        nodeType = size1
        stagingEnabled = False
    }

    }
    MODULE
    {
        name = ModuleWeldablePort
    }    

Without much hope I launched my game. To my surprise not only did my game not crash, but IT ACTUALLY FREAKING WORKED!

Everything that should dock docks. Everything that should weld welds. Everything that shouldn't - doesn't. No crashes, no error messages.

Turns out you can add as many "ModuleDockingNode" blocks as you like to a single part without causing any apparent problems (so I immediately abused this fact to turn "3.75m docking adapter ring" from KW Rocketry into an actual adapter ring as opposed to absurdly heavy size2 docking port. Good times.)

 

Anyway... With all that in mind, my question is: unless I'm missing some important detail, can this pretty please be added to the next release? Thanks. 

[dboi88]

@intrepidly insignificant doesn't that completely break the snap angle feature?

[intrepidly insignificant]

54 minutes ago, dboi88 said:

@intrepidly insignificant doesn't that completely break the snap angle feature?

Oops. Apparently so. I never even tried the snap option since "force roll" from mechjeb's smart A.S.S. gave me all the precision I need for docking in orbit. But it obviously doesn't replace it for ground operations. I'll try and test it some more later.

[Overland]

train couplings Thankyou roverdude, you saved my KTP

[metl]

I've developed a strange bug where the construction ports will not connect to each other or other ports. The magnets will pull slightly on the first attempt, but it never finishes the connection and stays as two ships. The magnets only work on the first attempt. If I back away and try again, the magnets won't even work.

Even more strange, I took the Explore Kerbin contract to dock two vessels to see what would happen. I sent up a new ship and It completed the contract even though the vessels never docked. I have not yet tried two completely new ships, but I have used KAS/KIS to attach new construction ports, which also did not work. Normal ports still work. Are there any known compatibility issues with KSI/KAS, ExtraPlanetary Launchpads, or the EL conversion Simple Construction?

[GrubbyZebra]

2 things,

1) Is there an easy way to make the rover be able to "launch" with a kerbal in it? I love the rovers and want to use them around KSC as well.

2) I keep having issues with the rovers not loading fully (they load, but are uncontrollable). The stock rover parts don't seem to have and issue, but the USI ones have this happen a lot and to varying degrees. Some load with no control, some load and are controllable but aren't making contact with the ground, thus they don't go anywhere, and sometimes they work as intended. Thoughts?

[Zoso14892]

On 22/11/2016 at 11:15 PM, metl said:

I've developed a strange bug where the construction ports will not connect to each other or other ports. The magnets will pull slightly on the first attempt, but it never finishes the connection and stays as two ships. The magnets only work on the first attempt. If I back away and try again, the magnets won't even work.

I had that problem too, tried everything I could think of and nearly asked during on of RD's live streams...

I had one last look and if you right click on a port you will see 'snap' which is on by default. You can turn that off and it will dock. I guess it's a feature so you can build whatever you want, line up all the docking ports and don't need to worry about manually lining up. I was just too stupid to notice

[DStaal]

1 hour ago, fwdixon said:

2 things,

1) Is there an easy way to make the rover be able to "launch" with a kerbal in it? I love the rovers and want to use them around KSC as well.

2) I keep having issues with the rovers not loading fully (they load, but are uncontrollable). The stock rover parts don't seem to have and issue, but the USI ones have this happen a lot and to varying degrees. Some load with no control, some load and are controllable but aren't making contact with the ground, thus they don't go anywhere, and sometimes they work as intended. Thoughts?

There's a mod around here someplace - I'm not sure if it's updated to 1.2 - that would allow Kerbals to spawn in command seats.  (Or tricked KSP into doing it.)  It's got a few odd side-effects though.

My normal solution is to grab the avionics module from the Sounding Rockets pack.  It fits quite nicely on the side of the Akita command module, and then you've got unmanned command. 

[GrubbyZebra]

2 minutes ago, DStaal said:

There's a mod around here someplace - I'm not sure if it's updated to 1.2 - that would allow Kerbals to spawn in command seats.  (Or tricked KSP into doing it.)  It's got a few odd side-effects though.

My normal solution is to grab the avionics module from the Sounding Rockets pack.  It fits quite nicely on the side of the Akita command module, and then you've got unmanned command. 

TakeCommand works with the USI rovers? Thought it was only for the stock seat. Will look in to it, thx.

[DStaal]

13 minutes ago, fwdixon said:

TakeCommand works with the USI rovers? Thought it was only for the stock seat. Will look in to it, thx.

Well, not by default - but it's an extremely simple MM patch.  Just copy the MM patch in TakeCommand that applies it to the stock seat, and replace the part name with the name of the seat you want it to apply to.

[hatterson]

17 hours ago, fwdixon said:

2 things,

1) Is there an easy way to make the rover be able to "launch" with a kerbal in it? I love the rovers and want to use them around KSC as well.

I've found it easiest to simply launch the rover, drive it off the lauchpad, then launch a command pod, eva, and walk over to the rover.

 

On 11/21/2016 at 7:48 PM, intrepidly insignificant said:

Let's say I want to add new module to my space station at some point in the future thus I leave a construction port at the end. But in the meantime I can't use it to dock anything. And no, switching all my vessels to construction ports doesn't exactly solve the problem since I still can't dock anything that has shielded/inline/mk2 clamp-o-tron.

My solution to this is to basically duplicate the docking ports.  The part hard attached to the module is a construction port, but then attached to that is another normal docking port.  Yes it adds some more parts and loses a bit of stability, but it gives you the ability to dock to it normally and when you want to construct things you just remove the doubled port and deconstruct it in space (getting some materials back).

Yes the construction port and docking port are back to back (which makes the editor say it's an error, but who cares).

Spoiler

Edited November 25, 2016 by hatterson

[DStaal]

4 hours ago, hatterson said:

I've found it easiest to simply launch the rover, drive it off the lauchpad, then launch a command pod, eva, and walk over to the rover.

If you can drive an Akita rover freshly launched without a probe core attached, I'm impressed.  After all, without a Kerbal in the seat it doesn't have any command control. 

[hatterson]

10 hours ago, DStaal said:

If you can drive an Akita rover freshly launched without a probe core attached, I'm impressed.  After all, without a Kerbal in the seat it doesn't have any command control. 

Err, I was thinking of a different part, the probe core.  Either way the concept works if you launch the command pod first and EVA off the launch pad, then launch the rover and walk back up to it.

[RoverDude]

Short version.  Construction ports are a separate port type by design.  Use them when you intend to expand something.  Use regular docking ports when you do not.  Construction ports are also a brighter white than the stock dark gray.

[mikerl]

Way I found around that was to use the AES pod from USI exploration pack instead of the Akita Chair, so perhaps an idea for another part.  Curiously though, many of the parts in this pack have a low crash tolerance of 6m/s, about the lowest in stock.  Real construction equipment is made to be tough to withstand impacts.  It should be more like 10 m/s or higher.

[DrScarlett]

@RoverDude, is there any way to know which side is "up" on the construction ports? Or which way to mount them so that the up direction is zero degrees on the snapping?

[RoverDude]

The offset rectangular dark patch on the face should cover that (it's how I align them).

[DrScarlett]

Noticed that, but do you happen to know if the patch is at 12 o'clock or at 6 o'clock (at 0 degrees or at 180 degrees)?

[MerlinsMaster]

Hey Roverdude, I'm trying to dock two construction ports, and they won't connect.  They just keep bouncing off each other.  What am I doing wrong?

[dboi88]

1 minute ago, MerlinsMaster said:

Hey Roverdude, I'm trying to dock two construction ports, and they won't connect.  They just keep bouncing off each other.  What am I doing wrong?

You've probably got one of two issues. Either your trying to dock a construction port with a stock port or you've got angle snap turned on. Angle snap stops the dock disengaging until the two ports are properly aligned.

[MerlinsMaster]

Just now, dboi88 said:

You've probably got one of two issues. Either your trying to dock a construction port with a stock port or you've got angle snap turned on. Angle snap stops the dock disengaging until the two ports are properly aligned.

I turned off the snap on both, and I'm certain they are construction ports.  So it must be something else.

[dboi88]

I'm not aware of any known issues, try recreating with a save that only has stock and usi parts used and see if the issue is still present, if it is get a copy of your save game and log file uploaded and linked here and we can take a look for you.

Cheers

[MerlinsMaster]

2 hours ago, dboi88 said:

I'm not aware of any known issues, try recreating with a save that only has stock and usi parts used and see if the issue is still present, if it is get a copy of your save game and log file uploaded and linked here and we can take a look for you.

Cheers

I did a simple test with two rovers, and the ports worked in that test, and I did another test with a duplicate of my ship, and they still worked, so I'm completely baffled.  Here's a link to my output log : https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bx3hKjl8V814Nk1TbWZ0UVctcFE/view?usp=sharing

Thanks.  

edit:  I backed out of the game, reverted to an earlier quick save and tried again, and it worked.  Must have just been a glitch.

Edited November 28, 2016 by MerlinsMaster

[dboi88]

The MKS wiki has been updated to include the Konstruction side of the mod. There's a basic guide to the parts, the controls for the docking ports and servos and some craft examples. If any of you have any useful information that's not included please feel free to update the wiki.

Parts: Konstruction

Konstruction Guide : Servos, Magnets & Docking Ports

Konstruction Guide : Vehicle Examples

Hope some of you find this useful.

[szaybus]

@RoverDude or anyone else for that matter - any idea why one of the construction port suddenly became the root part of my station?

Now i can't use the compress function (because the root part can't "disappear"?)

Scheema: Tundra Pioneer - Tundra Hub - Tundra Habitat - Construction port (docked) Construction port - Tundra hub - Construction port

I started with the tundra pioneer module with one port on the end, added a 6 way hub with 2 ports, merged - was ok.

Added a tundra kerbitat with 2 ports and merged again - still i thought was ok.

Hauled another 6 way hub with 2 ports to orbit, docked and tried to "compress" the ports between kerbitat and hub - error - one of the ports is the "root' part...

Any way to fix this without disassembling the station?

I tried to blow the last port with KIS Explosive to force change the root part for the vessel but i cant attach it to the port.

Any other mod that allows you to destroy the root part of a vessel in flight?