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

[WuphonsReach]

So to answer my first question -- no, the forklift part does not need to be deployed to help with lifting, it just has to be within 6m of what is being manipulated.  It also lifts a nice 22t, which is helpful.

However, on my next Malemute "helper" rover, I think I'll use a pair of the PAL Magnets instead.  Less moving parts and they're easier to position on the top of the Malemute.

[dboi88]

2 minutes ago, voicey99 said:

If that's the case, then how did I dock two ports, one of which is a root (and then had to use the KIS rerooting trick to compress)?

I've no idea but if you can reproduce and upload a save i'd love to take a look at and work it out.

3 minutes ago, Jebs_SY said:

What is the KIS rerooting trick?

 

[Jebs_SY]

I wonder how it is determined, which part will be the new overall root when docking 2 vessels... is this predictable?

[Merkov]

10 minutes ago, dboi88 said:

I've no idea but if you can reproduce and upload a save i'd love to take a look at and work it out.

Possibly useless story alert, but I have once before managed to get a station to have two construction ports docked while one was a root part (which caused an error message to appear when I tried to compress the two ports: the game warned me that I couldn't destroy a root part). The thing is, I had always assumed that I had caused that port to become a root part AFTER docking because of the way that I tend to make stations (I'll often fly up a station expansion or two docked to a tug of some sort, so there are lots of instances of docking to my station core, undocking a piece of my expansion, re-docking to the core, undocking the tug, etc.). I had assumed that at one point, the game decided the probe core on my tug was the root part, and when I undocked that from my station/expansion, it caused one of the construction ports to become the root AFTER it was already docked.

I don't know for sure if that's what happened, but that was the only time I've ever had a construction port docked while a root part.

[voicey99]

@Merkov That's exactly what happened-one of the ports on the previous base module was the root part of the entire launch vehicle, so when I docked another module onto the root end of the first module (after docking the first module onto the base via the non-root port end), it docked but refused to compress until I moved the root to another part. In any case, @dboi88 here is a save with two vessels docked with both ports being root parts and another save with only one of the ports (the one facing west) being a root part. Both vessels were launched separately and then docked on the Runway.

[Merkov]

3 minutes ago, voicey99 said:

@Merkov That's exactly what happened-one of the ports on the previous base module was the root part of the entire launch vehicle, so when I docked another module onto the root end of the first module (after docking the first module onto the base via the non-root port end), it docked but refused to compress until I moved the root to another part. In any case, @dboi88 here is a save with two vessels docked with both ports being root parts and another save with only one of the ports (the one facing west) being a root part. Both vessels were launched separately and then docked on the Runway.

See, in my case, I think my construction port became a root part AFTER it was already docked. I docked it to my station, then undocked my tug which was at the other end. I'm pretty sure the root part of the tug/expansion vessel was on the tug and the root part of the station core was somewhere deep inside the station, so the only thing I could think of was that undocking the tug might have changed the root part of the expansion even though it was already docked to the station core...? I'm really not sure.

[voicey99]

Also got a bit of a bug here: The PAL Counterweight can be filled and unfilled with rock anywhere (even in orbit-is this intended?) and acts as a fuel tank for rock, meaning you can get infinite rock anywhere i.e. infinite fuel for the Mass Driver and Extraction Modules when using this mod with USI ART. Maybe make it so it can only be filled when on the ground?

(pls don't remove its fuel tank functionality! It makes sense to be able to fill it on the ground and I have a 2M, 1.5kt asteroid mining base relying on them since I haven't invented the proper rock tank yet)

Edited January 22, 2017 by voicey99

[Mandella]

22 hours ago, dboi88 said:

Look here you can see the settings for weight and distance. The parts just have to be in that range of what your picking up. https://github.com/BobPalmer/MKS/blob/master/FOR_RELEASE/GameData/UmbraSpaceIndustries/Konstruction/KIS.cfg

Wait what? You mean the Konstruction gear adds a bonus to an individual kerbal's lift capacity?

 

*Rubs eyes.* Well that changes things. And I was getting so good at working that crane too...

[DStaal]

The concept is that if you're doing assembly or something with the construction equipment around, you can use the equipment to do the heavy lifting.

Note of course that if you want to actually *transport* something (instead of just move it within a small area), it's usually easier to use the parts directly, as they can hold things while moving, while doing that with KIS requires an exploit or two.

[Lord_inter]

On 22/01/2017 at 7:38 PM, DStaal said:

The concept is that if you're doing assembly or something with the construction equipment around, you can use the equipment to do the heavy lifting.

Note of course that if you want to actually *transport* something (instead of just move it within a small area), it's usually easier to use the parts directly, as they can hold things while moving, while doing that with KIS requires an exploit or two.

Can kerbals carry things on there backs using this method?

[DStaal]

1 hour ago, Lord_intet said:

Can kerbals carry things on there backs using this method?

No.  That takes support in the being carried itself.

[Skalou]

hi @RoverDude, i've added a compatibility patch for the lovely akita seat to my mod:

Please let me know if you change something in this part that need an update

[Thetaobera]

Apologize for this basic question, but I cannot see the Akita parts in the SPH. I see the konstruction parts fine under their specific tab. Have I put it somewhere dumb? Also there is no rover tab in the SPH.

[RoverDude]

Tabs should not care whether you are VAB or SPH...  Are you running any mods that mess with categories and such?

[DStaal]

1 hour ago, Thetaobera said:

Apologize for this basic question, but I cannot see the Akita parts in the SPH. I see the konstruction parts fine under their specific tab. Have I put it somewhere dumb? Also there is no rover tab in the SPH.

Just to mention so that it's clear where to look: They should be under the new 'Rovers' tab provided by CCK.

[Thetaobera]

47 minutes ago, DStaal said:

Just to mention so that it's clear where to look: They should be under the new 'Rovers' tab provided by CCK.

Looked in the CCK icon folder and there was no rover. Just downloaded a newer version. All fixed. Thanks for pointing me in the direction of CCK

[supersaiyan3]

I'm having the same issue that a few other people are having with a construction port not attracting.  I made a station with four construction jr. ports all radially symmetric.  I sent up four identical probes to attach to the station.  The first three attached perfectly, and I welded the first two already.  But when I try to attach my last probe to the station, it simply will not attract at any distance or angle.  I undocked the 3rd probe and moved the last probe to the 3rd port and it worked fine, so the problem is clearly with the 4th port on the station specifically.

I've tried to re-root the station by undocking the 3rd probe and changing the type so that it's a higher priority than the station and then redocking, but it had no effect on the 4th port.  I've even opened up the sfs file and confirmed that the root part is still the probe core on the station anyways.  I think I've tried everything I can within the game, like turning snap on/off and adjusting all of the various force and range settings.  I've also removed KJR and then tried docking again, but still no effect.

I could really use some help.  If anybody was able to solve their issue with docking ports, I would appreciate advice.  If you need any more information about this bug, I'll provide all the info I can.  I'm going to attach a picture, the part info from the sfs file and my mod list if that helps.

Spoiler

Spoiler

KSP: 1.2.2 (Win64) - Unity: 5.4.0p4 - OS: Windows 10  (10.0.0) 64bit
000_AT_Utils - 1.4.1
Filter Extensions - 2.8.1.2
USI Tools - 0.8.14
AtmosphereAutopilot - 1.5.9
B9 Animation Modules - 1.0.5
B9 Part Switch - 1.7.1
B9 Aerospace - 6.3.1
Color Coded Canisters - 1.5.1
Community Category Kit - 1.2.2
Community Resource Pack - 0.6.6
CommunityTechTree - 3.0.3
Connected Living Space - 1.2.4.2
Firespitter - 7.5.1
Interstellar Fuel Switch - 2.3.3
RasterPropMonitor - 0.28
Kerbal Engineer Redux - 1.1.2.8
Kerbal Joint Reinforcement - 3.3.1
kOS - 1.0.3
KSP-AVC Plugin - 1.1.6.2
KWRocketryRedux - 3.1.1.1
Lithobrake Exploration Technologies - 0.4
Infernal Robots - 2.0.2
Modular Rocket Systems - 1.13.1
ModularFlightIntegrator - 1.2.3
PlanetShine - 0.2.5.2
Precise Node - 1.2.4
SpaceY Expanded - 1.3.1
SpaceY Lifters - 1.16
TAC Fuel Balancer - 2.12
Trajectories - 1.6.6
Kerbal Alarm Clock - 3.8.4
TweakScale - 2.3.4
USI Core - 0.3.8
Freight Transport Tech - 0.6.7
Konstruction - 0.1.11
USI-LS - 0.5.22
Malemute Rover - 0.2.7
MKS - 0.50.16
USI Alcubierre Drive - 0.5.4
KSP Interstellar Extended - 1.12.5

Spoiler

PART
            {
                name = ConstructionPort0
                cid = 4290313400
                uid = 2355038430
                mid = 2471108121
                launchID = 204
                parent = 23
                position = 4.0277163293467311E-07,4.6724343299865723,4.7563403313688468E-06
                rotation = 0,-1.00000012,-1.84094141E-17,0
                mirror = 1,1,1
                symMethod = Radial
                istg = -1
                resPri = 0
                dstg = 0
                sqor = -1
                sepI = 2
                sidx = -1
                attm = 0
                srfN = srfAttach, -1
                attN = top, -1
                attN = bottom, 23
                mass = 0.0199999996
                shielded = False
                temp = 155.72440573914864
                tempExt = 156.25774063165363
                tempExtUnexp = 4
                expt = 0.5
                state = 0
                attached = True
                autostrutMode = Off
                rigidAttachment = False
                flag = Squad/Flags/09
                rTrf = ConstructionPort0
                modCost = 0
                EVENTS
                {
                }
                ACTIONS
                {
                }
                PARTDATA
                {
                }
                MODULE
                {
                    name = ModuleDockingNode
                    isEnabled = True
                    crossfeed = True
                    stagingEnabled = False
                    state = Ready
                    dockUId = 1601248918
                    dockNodeIdx = 0
                    EVENTS
                    {
                    }
                    ACTIONS
                    {
                        UndockAction
                        {
                            actionGroup = None
                        }
                        DecoupleAction
                        {
                            actionGroup = None
                        }
                        EnableXFeedAction
                        {
                            actionGroup = None
                        }
                        DisableXFeedAction
                        {
                            actionGroup = None
                        }
                        ToggleXFeedAction
                        {
                            actionGroup = None
                        }
                    }
                    UPGRADESAPPLIED
                    {
                    }
                }
                MODULE
                {
                    name = ModuleWeldablePort
                    isEnabled = True
                    portForce = 2
                    portTorque = 2
                    portRoll = 0
                    portRange = 2.5
                    portAngle = 90
                    portSnap = True
                    stagingEnabled = True
                    EVENTS
                    {
                    }
                    ACTIONS
                    {
                    }
                    UPGRADESAPPLIED
                    {
                    }
                }
                MODULE
                {
                    name = ModuleDockingHatch
                    isEnabled = True
                    hatchOpen = False
                    docNodeAttachmentNodeName = top
                    docNodeTransformName = dockingNode
                    stagingEnabled = True
                    EVENTS
                    {
                    }
                    ACTIONS
                    {
                    }
                    UPGRADESAPPLIED
                    {
                    }
                }
                MODULE
                {
                    name = USI_ModuleRecycleablePart
                    isEnabled = True
                    stagingEnabled = True
                    EVENTS
                    {
                    }
                    ACTIONS
                    {
                    }
                    UPGRADESAPPLIED
                    {
                    }
                }
                MODULE
                {
                    name = KOSNameTag
                    isEnabled = True
                    nameTag =
                    stagingEnabled = True
                    EVENTS
                    {
                    }
                    ACTIONS
                    {
                    }
                    UPGRADESAPPLIED
                    {
                    }
                }
            }

 

 

Edited February 9, 2017 by supersaiyan3

[Jebs_SY]

I can only say that I've tested a little bit with angle snap. And often I need to toggle angle snap fast to get attraction of the ports.

The second observation is, after undocking, reset aquire and redocking 2-3 times while tesing I got regulary in a situation, that I could do what I want, I never was able to get attraction again. Solution for me was to quickload.

However, I have to say that I play a highly modded install.

[supersaiyan3]

So I kind of went crazy and just randomly changed values in the part listing in the save file, and somehow fixed it.  I'm not sure exactly what did it, but this is the combination of changes that worked.

Set all the "stagingEnabled" to False.

Set "hatchOpen" to True.

Set "portSnap" to False.

Set "portRoll" to 1.

[Tybot]

I can only get them to snap if the two docking ports are rotated to be aligned relative to each other (ie, both ports' "up" is pointing in the same direction). I currently have a station that has parts rotated at wrong angles. User error is a possibility but I've tried maybe 20-30 times while changing settings around but try as I might I can't seem to get anything to align 90 degrees to the right with snap on.

[Vince_K]

this mod conflicts with infernal robotic?

[WuphonsReach]

My little 2-magnet rover to help with KIS construction (it gives an extra 20t to the mass limit for a KIS grab/attach).  Park it within 12m of the EVA'd kerbal and I can easily move things around.

I'm not actually using the magnets to lift things, so RTGs to run the wheels and lights is all it needed for power.

[RoverDude]

16 hours ago, Vince_K said:

this mod conflicts with infernal robotic?

Nope, it supplements it if anything

[Temeriki]

Hey @RoverDude, ever think about adding the range and weight limit increases for KIS assembly into the part descriptions?  If its a matter if you not wanting them its your mod its your mod, if its a matter of time any way someone could help?

[Tybot]

Do we know if construction ports are working as intended? I consider myself to be a fairly smart person and yet I for all I try can't get these things to snap to any non-0 angle, if at all. It makes me frightened and confused and my poor masterpiece (read: marginally above average) science station is suffering. If this winds up being a mod conflict of unknown origin I may cry. As I start yet another save and neuter my modlist. I'd actually be most happy if it was due to my own mere incompetence.