Recently Changed Docking Ports?

[funkcanna]

Hi, ive been away from KSP for a while and since im back ive noticed that the docking ports are slightly different.  The now have a yellow handle and green lights that flash.  They may have been there before but ive just noticed them.  Are these to aid with alignment and if so what do they mean?  Previously I could dock with the ports in any alignment but im not sure thats still the case.

[Invader Jim]

I have not noticed any lights.  I dock the same as always.

[Tex_NL]

If you're talking about the yellow handle in the clamp-o-tron, It has always been there (since 0.18).

Any flashing green lights must come from a mod.
Oh, and have you actually TRIED docking at an angle? Stock you can still dock at ANY angle. If you can not, that too must be mod related.

Edited November 22, 2016 by Tex_NL

[bewing]

There were some builds during 1.2-pre that enforced docking clamp orientation, but AFAIK all of that got removed again. It's not supposed to do it in stock, currently.

[funkcanna]

Cool thanks guys, must be a mod!

[Snark]

15 hours ago, funkcanna said:

Cool thanks guys, must be a mod!

By any chance, does it look like this?

...if so, this is the mod that's adding them:

(FWIW, if that's the mod you're using:  it doesn't do anything whatsoever to the actual operation of the docking ports, it just adds the LEDs as visual indicators.  Just informative eye-candy, nothing more.)

[funkcanna]

5 hours ago, Snark said:

By any chance, does it look like this?

...if so, this is the mod that's adding them:

(FWIW, if that's the mod you're using:  it doesn't do anything whatsoever to the actual operation of the docking ports, it just adds the LEDs as visual indicators.  Just informative eye-candy, nothing more.)

That's the mod for the lights definitely! However, when I right click a port I have options showing the maximum connect angles so they don't dock if the rotation angle is greater than say 90° - not sure what mod that is!

[Sharpy]

On 22.11.2016 at 9:33 PM, Tex_NL said:

Oh, and have you actually TRIED docking at an angle? Stock you can still dock at ANY angle. If you can not, that too must be mod related.

Nope, the angle is currently a parameter of the docking port. It won't activate until the two ports are within the defined angle from each other, although once it does, you can fly circles around it and it won't deactivate unless you move out of attraction range.

Note that's angle of parallel alignment (pitch/yaw), not rotation (roll). 1.2 has a parameter for that too, but none of the stock ports use it.

*shrug* in 1.1.3 MK2 Expansion had a "keyed docking port" for MK2 profile, which would not clamp unless the roll was right. The 1.2 version doesn't have the "key" on the port anymore.

Edited November 24, 2016 by Sharpy