Making some struts to use with robotics

[RocketSquid]

So, after realizing that struts can have their angular and linear strengths adjusted independently, I realized that a strut with linear but no angular strength could be useful for piston engines, robotic linkages, and the like. I then realized that a strut with angular strength but no linear strength would pair exceptionally well with a piston. I threw together some quick module manager patches to create both, then opened the game and began testing. Note: all robotic parts were operating with ten times their normal force, simply because I forgot to remove an earlier patch.

0 angular, 150 linear (like the tie rods in a car or train):
Remarkably difficult to use. Unless you're extremely good at eyeballing the relative positions of the strut endpoints, you're probably going to end up with some unwanted linear force, causing your mechanism to grind to a halt. The offset tool can help, but in all likelihood you'd need some sort of alignment indicator addon to figure out precisely where the thing is free to rotate and where it isn't. I might try lowering the linear strength a bit, but sooner or later there's no real point.

0 linear, 150 angular (Like a telescoping piston): 
This one turned out somewhat better, although this might just have to do with the robotic parts rather than the actual struts. When tested with a piston, it could extend, albeit with some resistance. When tested with a hinge, it could barely even wiggle. Have a few screenshots here. This one is a bit more niche than the other one, but would be good to cut down on wobbliness in a piston. Again, alignment is an issue. If there was a way to get both ends of the strut to angle snap it would be a lot less of an issue for this part.

Next steps: 

• Try to find the ideal linear strength for the tie rod part, so as to get more freedom of motion without compromising function too much.
• Try to create a shock absorber part
• See if there's a use for these in legs
• See what happens if I extend one beyond its maximum length
• See if it's possible to create some sort of fancy end bit that will give them limits to their range of motion
• See if it's possible to use an extremely short version of the tie rod as a weird hinge

[Geschosskopf]

42 minutes ago, RocketSquid said:

So, after realizing that struts can have their angular and linear strengths adjusted independently, I realized that a strut with linear but no angular strength could be useful for piston engines, robotic linkages, and the like. I then realized that a strut with angular strength but no linear strength would pair exceptionally well with a piston. I threw together some quick module manager patches to create both, then opened the game and began testing. Note: all robotic parts were operating with ten times their normal force, simply because I forgot to remove an earlier patch.

You are the maddest of mad scientists!  I drink to your experiments

[OHara]

Share your patch, if you would.

A few months ago I tried the following, hoping to make struts that pivot at their endpoints in a flexible (non-robotic) craft.  
At the time I concluded that angularStrength and linearStrength were leftover variables no longer have any effect.

@PART[*]:HAS[@MODULE[CModuleStrut]] {
  @MODULE[CModuleStrut] {
    %angularStrength = 0
}}