Adjustable height lift to allow for aligning with surface outpost docking ports

[ianyikos]

From my experience it's difficult to impossible to dock with a surface outpost, because the docking ports have to be the same height above the ground.  And they have to be axially aligned, so if there was a way to control the orientation and raise it up it would be easier to dock.

[Gargamel]

Flexible docking ports and the self leveling base legs from SSPXr Are probably what you re looking for.

 

 

 

 

[KerikBalm]

Well, I've got a lot of practice making surface bases with stock parts, and I test extensively before use with a standard docking bay height (the distance from the middle node of a mk3 cargobay, to the floor of a mk3 cargobay, so all modules can deploy and recover from mk3 cargobays)... so first I will say that it's not necessary in stock, but it could still be useful.

*Making history allows for even better testing, I spawned the whole thing on the launchpad, then drove each module down and redocked them together as a test.

There is a stock solution that can be implemented for misaligned docking ports: action grouped landing gear/landing struts

My earliest mk3 deployable surface modules date back to 1.1 or 1.2, whenever it was that wheel autostrutting was introduced, and when they also had that "wheel blocked" thing if wheels were clipped... so all my 2.5m diameter mk3 deployed rovers used the smallest wheels to avoid that (I have since made other designs that would have avoided that back then)... these early designs I had plane landing gear on the front and back (or drills) linked to action groups so that I could raise the front or back (and at the end lift the whole thing off the tiny wheels to prevent some mishaps with exploding small wheels when loading the craft )

Even if undeployed had the port too low, and fully deployed had it too high, all I needed was a moment in between when the ports were the right height to make the connection, then I could retract everything, or deploy everything

In my quest to improve performance by reducing part count, I got rid of these wheels for height adjustment, and just got more precise with docking port heights.

Also... you can always use claws, I haven't had bugs due to claw use in a long time, but i haven't tried them on large high part count bases/craft using multiple claw connections

 

[DoctorDavinci]

Simple solution to a complex problem ....

Just add some vernier engines underneath each of the ground vessels pointing down, when you pull up to dock turn on RCS and use the jets to lift the docking vessel ever so slightly (or if the base is the one with the lower docking port use it's RCS)

Example in the video below

 

[Rocket In My Pocket]

Airbrakes can act as impromptu lifting devices, just slap them on the bottom. Use the authority limit slider to tweak the height as desired. They will lift your craft up as they push off the ground.

This is often my quick and cheap solution to ground docking issues.

(Added picture of my Kerbin fuel miner/tanker as an example.)

Edited July 4, 2018 by Rocket In My Pocket

[0something0]

On 7/3/2018 at 7:29 AM, Rocket In My Pocket said:

Airbrakes can act as impromptu lifting devices, just slap them on the bottom. Use the authority limit slider to tweak the height as desired. They will lift your craft up as they push off the ground.

This is often my quick and cheap solution to ground docking issues.

(Added picture of my Kerbin fuel miner/tanker as an example.)

Unrelated but what visual mods?

[Rocket In My Pocket]

I'm at work right now, but I'll get the list for you when I'm in front of my computer.

The most noticable one though is def KS3P however my config for that is slightly tweaked from the default. (I mostly just turned off the Depth of Field and the Vignette.) 

Here's the rest:

• Distant Object Enhancer
• Sci-Fi Visual Enhancements
• Indicator lights
• Planetshine
• Enginelight
• And a custom 6k skybox you can't see here.

4k resolution, all in game graphics settings maxed.

Edited July 5, 2018 by Rocket In My Pocket

[KerikBalm]

ah, airbrakes, that's a great idea, I had done some stuff with the adjustable slider of the mk3 cargo ramp, but airbrakesare a much smaller and low mass soultion

+1 for that idea

[Wjolcz]

Stock Kerbal Attachment System. That way kerbals wouldn't be just dead weight and there would be a reason to bring crew instead of landing just a probe.