Magnetic Docking Port?

[Truth]

Yea Guys its me again, is there something like a "Magnetic" Docking port?

Im trying to set up a Space Station with lots of Docking Ports you know for docking, refueling something like a Space Station, but i want it to be "Automatic"

so you dont have to dock but instead just Rendezvous with the Space Station and the at that point everything will be automatic.

I tried it with the Robotic Arms but i am not satisfied yet, now i wanted to ask if there is something like a "Magnetic" docking port which you can activate that will use force to get the ship to the docking port.

I assume that magnetic stuff works in space..?

[Pursuedtank]

Can't you just use an automated docking mod that will dock to the station for you. That is what you are getting at, right?

[Truth]

If i would like an automated dock i would use mechjeb, but i want something like Magnetic Field or whatever, like in Starwars or something which would Drag your ship to the Spacestation at least.

Like Some Magical Field or something

[tuguley]

What you are looking for is an auto-pilot that docks for you. The docking ports are already magnetic.

I think mechjeb can do that, but i'm not sure. Someone who uses it can probably tell you more.

I assume that magnetic stuff works in space..?

Yes they do.

How do magnets work?

like in Starwars or something which would Drag your ship to the Spacestation at least.

EDIT: So you are looking for something like a tractor beam ?

Don't think there's a mod for that. Auto-pilot is the only thing close.

Edited May 19, 2013 by tuguley
tractor beam link

[Truth]

What you are looking for is an auto-pilot that docks for you. The docking ports are already magnetic.

I think mechjeb can do that, but i'm not sure. Someone who uses it can probably tell you more.

Yes they do.

How do magnets work?

no its not mechjeb what i am looking for, it dont have to dock automatically but some Magic Field or something that will Drag the Ship to the Spacestation like from 1km away or something

[nhnifong]

The docking port is already "magnetic" but only within 1 meter.

You're supposed to do the rest yourself.

However, the docking port module has a bunch of undocumented parmeters you can increase..... lolz may ensue

    undockEjectionForce = 1.0
    minDistanceToReEngage = 1.0
    acquireForce = 0.5
    acquireTorque = 0.5
    acquireRange = 1.0
    captureRange = 1.0

[Kerbol Prime]

The ports are magnetic. Once you get close they will pull together. As for the magic magnet thing how would it know which port to dock to?

Edited May 19, 2013 by Kerbol Prime

[Pursuedtank]

no its not mechjeb what i am looking for, it don;t have to dock automatically but some Magic Field or something that will Drag the Ship to the Space station like from 1 km away or something

There isn't anything like that but an automatic docking pilot does virtually the same thing.

[3_bit]

There are currently no "magnetic field" get-within-1-k-and-station-pulls-you-in mods. In Star Wars, there was no "magnetic fields" to pull you in, but there was Tractor Beams used by the Galactic Empire. Back on topic, I recommend watching some docking tutorials. It really is quite easy once you get the hang of it, similar to riding a bicycle.

[leax256]

no its not mechjeb what i am looking for, it dont have to dock automatically but some Magic Field or something that will Drag the Ship to the Spacestation like from 1km away or something

that's a pretty sizable magnetic field. it would have problems since newton says doing so wold alter the orbit of the station also. I guess you are looking for something that is really excessivly non work for the userish.

[Sir Nahme]

I thought lazor had a tractor beam as part of that system iirc

[austin4050]

Yea Guys its me again, is there something like a "Magnetic" Docking port?

Im trying to set up a Space Station with lots of Docking Ports you know for docking, refueling something like a Space Station, but i want it to be "Automatic"

so you dont have to dock but instead just Rendezvous with the Space Station and the at that point everything will be automatic.

I tried it with the Robotic Arms but i am not satisfied yet, now i wanted to ask if there is something like a "Magnetic" docking port which you can activate that will use force to get the ship to the docking port.

I assume that magnetic stuff works in space..?

Ever looked up Hyper-Edit? You can teleport within millimeters of an object in space. (you might blow up if you literally put it within millimeters.)

[Giggleplex777]

A docking port like that will destroy your station and your spacecraft.

[nhnifong]

Yessss set acquireRange to 1000 and aquireForce to 1000

it'll work fiiiiinnnnee

[SciMan]

Okay, the OP doesn't want the autopilot.

As a matter of fact, I think I have an example that will help explain what they DO want.

Take two ships 4 parts each: Clamp-o-tron JR, Mk1 pod, LV-T200, and LV-909 engine. Both ships have full fuel tanks, and are in orbit 1km from each other. Notice that I did not mention any kind of RCS. MechJeb would be totally useless to dock these two ships together, except for the orbital information displays. What the OP wants is something that will cause these two ships to be attracted to each other, and align their docking ports.

I think I've watched enough Star Trek and Star Wars to understand what you want: TRACTOR BEAMS!

Actually, I wouldn't mind a plugin that could modify (strengthen/weaken/eliminate) the "magnet" effect between docking ports, because sometimes the game's definition of "close enough" is 'too close', and sometimes it's NOT close enough after all, and those two situations can happen during the same mission in the same ship!

EDIT: It appears that I have been ninja'd several times. I guess I take too long to post.

[Truth]

There are currently no "magnetic field" get-within-1-k-and-station-pulls-you-in mods. In Star Wars, there was no "magnetic fields" to pull you in, but there was Tractor Beams used by the Galactic Empire. Back on topic, I recommend watching some docking tutorials. It really is quite easy once you get the hang of it, similar to riding a bicycle.

Yea thats what i looking for, TRACTOR BEAM!

I can dock by myself, i just want to Create a Big Space Station with that Tractor Beam to just "pull" the Rockets/Spaceships near the Space Station.

EDIT // and also it would still be realistic: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tractor_beam

Edited May 19, 2013 by Truth

[Viper_607]

Realism =//= tractor beam. It's a technology that does not exist beyond the basic implementation of magnetism.

[Doc Anderson]

Wait ... you want some kind of magical field (but you want it to be realistic) that will pull docking ports together from a kilometer away (but only the ones you specify) and that will not exert any undue stress on your space station that would tie it into a pretzel before it explodes ... a lot.

Just checking.

Okay, all kidding aside, a tractor beam would be cool. Romfar's Lazor mod (the magenta lazor I think) does a tractor beam function.

[CalculusWarrior]

Wait ... you want some kind of magical field (but you want it to be realistic) that will pull docking ports together from a kilometer away (but only the ones you specify) and that will not exert any undue stress on your space station that would tie it into a pretzel before it explodes ... a lot.

Just checking.

Okay, all kidding aside, a tractor beam would be cool. Romfar's Lazor mod (the magenta lazor I think) does a tractor beam function.

Yes, the purple lazor does indeed act as an attraction/repulsion beam. However, I don't think that it works at such long ranges, and besides; if it did you might end up with severe damage to your station from a ship accelerating towards it from 1 km away undergoing constant acceleration...

[Truth]

Yea just noticed that Lazor got Tractor Beam, already playing with it

And as i wrote before, i dont need something that "Docks" for me i want the Tractor Beam to Drag a Ship thats like 1 or 2 km away closer to them, yea like in starwars.

[jdmgto]

Docks for you, automatically docks, I'm not really seeing the difference unless you don't want to include RCS on your ships at all.

[wbcundiff]

The docking port is already "magnetic" but only within 1 meter.

You're supposed to do the rest yourself.

However, the docking port module has a bunch of undocumented parmeters you can increase..... lolz may ensue

    undockEjectionForce = 1.0
    minDistanceToReEngage = 1.0
    acquireForce = 0.5
    acquireTorque = 0.5
    acquireRange = 1.0
    captureRange = 1.0

where do you find this if you want to modify? I'm interested in lowering the attraction force for certain applications.