Parts overlapping

[jirka828]

Hello everybody!

I've just discover a very strange feature. When I build some rocket and use move gizmo I can place some part to the place, where it partly or fully overlap another part of the vehicle. Even the rocket built in this manner is sometimes fully operable (in other cases it explodes  ). But it isn't so important because I don't want to build such ship.

So I've searched for some explanation and found many forum threads about "part clipping" what seems to be somehow connected with the behaviour I described above. Unfortunatelly after reading this threads I am still confused, because some of them seem to be outdated and also full of opposing opinions.

So I have theese questions:

1) Is parts overlapping also called "part clipping"? Or it is something diferent?

2) If it is "parts clipping" then why after checking and unchecking "Part Clipping in Editors" in game console doesn't change anything on this behaviour (I didn't notice any diference)?

3) Why is this even possible in this game which tries to simulate many physics effects (I mean building a ship which breaks physics laws)? Is it possible to disable it?

Thank you for all helpful answers!

[HvP]

Hello @jirka828

1) Yes, overlapping parts so that they intersect and/or occupy the same space (partially or entirely) is what people mean by "part clipping."

2) The check box for "Part Clipping in Editors" doesn't have as much effect as it used to. As I understand it, the KSP editor was much more stringent about how much overlap it would accept when you attached parts together. I believe this was before the rotate, and translate editor gizmos were introduced. At the time there was a good reason to restrict part placement since it was harder to correct their alignment afterwards and the game wouldn't let you place parts near each other that overlapped significantly. Now, you can attach parts and then move them out of each other's way with the editor gizmos if you want to. If I remember correctly, checking the box to allow part clipping may allow you to attach multiple parts to the same attach node.

3) As a single player sandbox environment game your play style is mainly dependent on the rules you want to enforce on yourself. Adding more player control over part placement opened up greater opportunities for designers of custom and replica builders to experiment with. Some also cite instances where the density, weight distribution, or other properties of stock parts could be considered unrealistic or otherwise too restrictive compared to the options available to real-world craft designers. Consider that in the real world it would be easy to just use a structural girder that's half the size of the small one in the game if that's what you needed for your craft. But in the game the only solution might be to attach the girder provided and hide half of it inside the fuel tank or somewhere it won't be seen.

It's still entirely possible to build craft without relying on part clipping/overlapping, but the game is simply not as restrictive as it used to be. I am unaware of a way to enforce the restrictions against part clipping - except by sheer willpower.

Edited January 18, 2020 by HvP

[jirka828]

Hello @HvP

Big thanks for your extensive answer!

 

8 hours ago, HvP said:

Consider that in the real world it would be easy to just use a structural girder that's half the size of the small one in the game if that's what you needed for your craft. But in the game the only solution might be to attach the girder provided and hide half of it inside the fuel tank or somewhere it won't be seen.

I definitely agree. In this case (and many others of course) it makes possible to build something what is technically possible. On the other hand is placing e.g. two fuel tanks to the same space. Because it would be dream of all engineers in the world to have twice more fuel in same space 

But I understand that it makes possible to build some futuristic/sci-fi ships and generally I have no problem with this although it's not way I want to go.

[Klapaucius]

On 1/18/2020 at 8:58 PM, jirka828 said:

Hello @HvP

Big thanks for your extensive answer!

 

I definitely agree. In this case (and many others of course) it makes possible to build something what is technically possible. On the other hand is placing e.g. two fuel tanks to the same space. Because it would be dream of all engineers in the world to have twice more fuel in same space 

But I understand that it makes possible to build some futuristic/sci-fi ships and generally I have no problem with this although it's not way I want to go.

It depends what you are trying to do. In real aircraft, you can mould wings into a fuselage. In KSP, a bit of clipping allows you to set a wing  or tail into a partly curving surface.  For example, on this flying wing, the intakes are clipped into the fuselage, as are the wings themselves. It just looks better to me.  But I don't allow myself to stack engines on top of each other or get bonus fuel by sticking tanks inside each other.

 

Edited January 19, 2020 by Klapaucius
typo

[jirka828]

On 1/18/2020 at 11:07 AM, Klapaucius said:

It depends what you are trying to do. In real aircraft, you can mould wings into a fuselage. In KSP, a bit of clipping allows you to set a wing  or tail into a partly curving surface.  For example, on this flying wing, the intakes are clipped into the fuselage, as are the wings themselves. It just looks better to me.  But I don't allow myself to stack engines on top of each other or get bonus fuel by sticking to takes inside each other.

Yes, you're right. For me, personally, it's matter of how much it breaks laws of physics. So this plane looks good from this point of view (however I don't know details). I don't like when it dramatically changes properties of some part (e.g. engine power, fuel tank size, etc.). However anybody can choose his own way, of course.

Btw very nice plane! I like it