EAS-4 Struts Coming Unstuck

[archiebald]

This is weird and driving me nuts.

Running 1.8.1 + BG + MH + about 70 mods.

When building a craft in the VAB, I am strengthening my SRB booster connections with EAS-4 struts.  But occasionally, without any apparent pattern, sometime the struts refuse to stick.  I connect the first end...no problem, then connect the second end....all appears well for a second or so, then the first end comes "unstuck".

I have tried removing and replacing boosters, turning symmetry on and off, moving the starting position of the strut, trying body to booster then booster to body but nothing seems to work.  Then on another craft build using the same components, I'll have no problem, and so on, which also makes me think it is not a mod problem.  I would be able to troubleshoot it if it was consistent - AAAAAAAAARGHHHH!!

Any clues??

[RoninFrog]

I have been having the exact same problem and it is a complete and total pain.  Here is a complicated and painful solution, but it works.

1. Place the first end of the strut on one of the parts you are trying to strut.
2. Place the other end on the opposite side of the other part. (When you are placing it, it should look like it is clipping through the part)
3. This should release the strut, and instead the cursor should grab onto the part you just click on.
4. Clear the place tool by clicking over in the part inventory.  Yes, you are temporarily destroying your rocket.
5. Do a Control+Z.  This should undo and put your rocket back together, but this time the strut should be attatched

Hope this long and complicated answer helps clear everything up. 

[archiebald]

Thanks for the detailed response - actually I have been finding the same workaround then using Ctrl + Z but with a large craft it is a REAL PAIN as it takes many seconds to recover each time and if you are placing 8 struts on 4 boosters you end up just wanting to smash things.

Just don't understand why it is so inconsistent.

Edited May 8, 2020 by archiebald

[AHHans]

A) I haven't noticed the issue myself, so my guess is that this has to do with one or more of the mods.

B) I believe that the struts work in the way that the first end is where the strut actually "lives" (I.e. also where the weight and drag of the strut is applied.), and from there the strut points into a direction saying "I connect to something in that direction". So whenever the craft is loaded the game checks which part is the first part that is hit there and attaches the strut there. So to resolve a "stuck strut" issue you need to trigger a re-evaluation of the strut. One way to do this in the editor is to remove and <CRTL>-<Z> the part it was attached to, another way is to switch the editor between the VAB and the SPH (and back). I can't say which is faster but it might be worth a try.

[archiebald]

Thanks for the input.  Yesterday I was finishing off the third of a fleet of craft going out to Duna.  The first two had this issue and all have similar part counts around 300+ and are using 5m main bodies with the Clydesdale booster so as I prepared to fit the lower struts, I gritted my teeth....

Struts went on perfectly with no issue at all.

This is why I am perplexed.  No changes in mods, almost identical craft builds but then it seems to be a gamble whether the struts will remain stuck.  One thing I did note is that when they won't work in one place, you can try all over the sip from the top to the bottom, trying to strut many different parts and the "coming unstuck" problem is consistent.  It is not just the boosters.

I have a fourth to build this evening so I'll try the VAB/SPH switch and see if that helps.

[jimmymcgoochie]

May I suggest using auto struts from the advanced tweakables menu? They can be set to form invisible streets to the heaviest part, root part or grandparent part (2 parts closer to the root) and don’t add mass or drag. For boosters, the best way I have found is to lock the boosters to the heaviest part to keep them stable,, any fuel tanks on top of that (if you aren’t doing that, why not?) are locked to the grandparent part which locks the booster stacks together tightly and the nosecones on top to the root part which prevents the boosters wobbling around as if they’re one single unit.

Adding fuel tanks to boosters gives you more range for your core stage with relatively low cost, if done right the fuel gets drained before the booster burns out and then the empty tanks get dumped with the empty boosters. Switch cross feed on on your booster decouplers so the fuel can actually get to your main engines, unless you’re using liquid fuelled strap on boosters in which case fuel ducts are required and not crossfeed.

Edited May 11, 2020 by jimmymcgoochie