Request for Variable cargo bay

[mikerl]

With the new part variants, is it possible to make all the Mk3 cargo bays into a single part and switch between them?  Or the mk2 cargo bays?

[Shadowmage]

1 hour ago, mikerl said:

With the new part variants, is it possible to make all the Mk3 cargo bays into a single part and switch between them?  Or the mk2 cargo bays?

AFAIK - no.  There is more involved than simple model switching, and the rest of the stock PartModules (animation, airstream shielding) are not likely to work properly if their model gets switched out from underneath them.  That isn't even touching on the rest of the part stats (mass, cost, drag, attach-nodes) which would also need to be adjusted between the various models.

I fully appreciate the desire, but have come to accept that it is not the 'stock way' to have modular parts in that fashion.

On the other hand (and if you are okay with mods), the main mod I develop (SSTU, see link in sig) -does- have the ability to manipulate parts just as you suggest (at least for cargo bays, fuel tanks, structural or animated only type parts).  I don't currently have configs for the stock cargo bays, but the plugin code would support it if the configs were written.