Broken Struts

[Duck McFuddle]

So I have actually had this problem for a while now but have never asked it. As an example situation, let's say I'm going to Duna and want to have some detachable boosters on the side of the first stage. If I just attach them to the side of the ship by the side decouplers, they will wobble all over the place because they are attached by a very small point. That's not an issue, right? Just go back into the VAB and attach some struts going from the booster's nose cone to the first stage fuel tank. Easy. But then something strange happens when I am placing the struts - I'll stick the first point onto the nose cone, and then the second point on the fuel tank. But when I place the second point, it just teleports right next to the first point. Then I'll have to try over and over again to find a spot where this doesn't happen. It's starting to bug me. I have some mods installed, but this problem started before I had installed any of them so that's not the issue. I thought it might be that the struts were clipping through the nose cone, but it still happens if there is no possibility of clipping. Is this a bug or am I just doing something stupid?

[Geonovast]

Pics, pics, pics!

Are you sure you're attaching to the fuel tank, and not an engine shroud?  Also, it's usually much easier to attach to the fuel tank first, in the same symmetry as you attached the boosters, then pull it out to the nosecones.

You can have too extreme an angle, and you may also be trying to pull them too far.  It's impossible to say what's going on without seeing what you have.

[Pecan]

20 minutes ago, Geonovast said:

... it's usually much easier to attach to the fuel tank first, in the same symmetry as you attached the boosters, then pull it out to the nosecones ...

Are you sure of that?  Not at my computer today but I always go from nosecones to tanks because - maybe it's just an old thing that got changed - struts would never attach to nosecones, only from them.

[Geonovast]

16 minutes ago, Pecan said:

Are you sure of that?  Not at my computer today but I always go from nosecones to tanks because - maybe it's just an old thing that got changed - struts would never attach to nosecones, only from them.

I've never had problems either way.

[bewing]

And anyway, autostruts are always easier than struts to "attach" (since you only have to click a button).

 

[Plusck]

I haven't checked this recently, but I'm pretty sure the "mass" of the strut attaches to the first part you click.

It isn't a huge difference, but if you're trying to get rid of excess mass by ditching boosters, you really want to ditch the strut mass too. Therefore struts should always be attached, first,0 to the bit you're jettisoning.

Right?!?

 

Of course, there is the added complication that struts don't want to snap properly for the second click, but I've found that the offset tool (with snap on) does work fine on them. You just need to get a "good grip" when you first place them, so be careful to have a good line-of-sight between the two strutted parts.

[Superfluous J]

I know exactly what's happening. But first let me agree with @bewing that you should be using autostruts. They are almost always the better option.

Imagine the process of strutting to be having a "strut gun" that's like a laser gun. You place a guy on your nosecone and say "shoot your laser gun this way" and he does. But the thing you told him to shoot at is being blocked by something. In fact it's being blocked by the curve of the nosecone itself. All you need do is make sure you start from a point that can "see" the destination point, or pick a destination point you can "see" from your start point, so Strutter McStrutface (that's his name. Don't look at me I didn't just make that up right now and say it as fact) can shoot his strut-gun correctly.

[magnemoe]

7 hours ago, bewing said:

And anyway, autostruts are always easier than struts to "attach" (since you only have to click a button).

 

Had the same issue with struts on this rocket. 

The problem was the adapter between the chemical stage and the intestage adapter with 9 LV-N inside, this tended to break then launching the tug into orbit. 
The top part is an Laythe base who was launched independently, but I was also afraid the stack should collapse doing the Jool injection burn. 
Had problems with struts breaking because they had to go from 3.75 to MK3 tanks and passing through the fairing. 

Solution was 4 struts extended a bit away from the surface, I used making history parts but anything should work here. 
Looks like the interstage bend easy and that heaviest part will change as fuel get used. 
This worked perfectly and the stack is an standard for sending bases to other planets.