[PLUGIN, PART 0.16] AutoStrut

[Tosh]

"...Lemme strut it for ya", said little green VAB Kerbal...

Okay, autoStruts. Automatically link symmetrical parts together (and un-link when symmetry goes off). Links are quite strong, I gotta say; way stronger than a stock strut.

Usage is quite tricky, and the part must be modelled in a special way.

Here's how it works. This partModule:

• Finds a gameObject named "strut{id}" ("{id}" being any string, e.g. "strut1"),
  
• Locates the nearest part with the same module installed,
  
• Rotates the strut towards receiving part with strut's local Z axis ("Y" in 3D modelling program),
  
• Scales the strut along Z,
  
• And establishes a physical link (FixedJoint Unity object).

Those links are automatically rebuilt during the game when symmetry changes (other parts are added, or some part breaks off).

Optionally, a strut may have

• An "anchor{id}" ("{id}" being the same as for strut itself): a small object, located in the same point as corresponding strut, which becomes visible when establishing a link,
  
• An "anchor" may be rotated along with its strut if "rotateAnchor" parameter is true,
  
• Strut's texture may be automatically tiled along its horizontal axis to accommodate strut's length ("tileStrutTexture" parameter),
  
• And a tricky one: if "detectManInTheMiddle" is true, autoStrut will detect other autoStrut parts placed in between of symmetry counterparts, and try to connect to them.

Well, [thread=18321]floats[/thread] on the wings were placed with symmetry. The one on the hull was not, and now it's, errr, "in the middle".

Warning! This may glitch.

See autoStrut.dae and autoStrut.png for an example on how to model and texture an auto-strutted part.

Download 32 Kb from Google

Here are the .CFG parameters:

      MODULE 
      {
        name = autoStrut
        rotateAnchor = true | false  (default: true)
        tileStrutTexture = true | false (default: true)
        detectManInTheMiddle = true | false (default: true)
      }

Known Issues:

• It's highly recommended to have only 2 "strut" objects in your model. The code's currently not very good in supporting any other strut count,
  
• "detectManInTheMiddle" may glitch badly,
  
• Strut orientation may be a bit off when assembling a craft in the VAB. Not a big deal as it generally works O.K. during the subsequent flight...

[table][tr][td][/td][td]CC-BY license:

Do whatever you wish with the code (view, distribute, modify in any possible way...),

as long as its original author is referenced.[/td][/tr][/table]

w00t it's going fast

Edited August 27, 2012 by Tosh

[tom2018]

This will become very useful, thanks for another great mod.

what mod is that gear from?

[Dani-Sang]

Good Job Tosh, keep up with development of these little plugins that we can use for our own mods. These bring more then you think, sadly this one I can't use.. but keep it up.

[tom2018]

can we enable / disable it

[The Destroyer]

I.... Dont get it?

[kahlzun]

If we add this code to another mod we've downloaded, will it work?

(no idea how to code, sounds like an awesome tool but. )

[Tosh]

If we add this code to another mod we've downloaded, will it work?

No. Part's model must be changed too.

[colmo]

These work well on the new pontoons. One issue is they get in the way of Kerbals and rovers trying to exit from underneath the craft having been decoupled/disembarked.

[Andorian Blues]

Crazy question... could something like this be used to automatically generate fairings?

[Tosh]

These work well on the new pontoons. One issue is they get in the way of Kerbals and rovers trying to exit from underneath the craft having been decoupled/disembarked.

Those struts don't have collision mesh, so they don't interfere with parts attached at the bottom.