Overstrutting

[Klajan]

So lately I decided to build a lifterstage for my enormous fueldepo. And it just keept falling apart during the ascend. And I added more Struts. And the I reached a point, where everything keept failing. Fueltanks where just dropping down the instant the pysics loaded or things randomly exploded.

So I was wondering, if adding to many struts can actualy bug out the physics and caus structural failiure out of nowhere?

[EndlessWaves]

Yes, the physics will try and keep running at an acceptable rate even if it has to drop calculations.

[MDBenson]

I believe that, because each item is treated with it's own physics, it is possible to overwhelm the physics engine with too many objects or objects that interact badly. If that happens some or all items in your stack will freeze. If this is happening on the pad it's possible some items are losing there physics and others are not and it's causing the ship to fall apart.

[georgTF]

Screenshots?

Usually struts are the way to go but it depends on the g-force the craft is expected to take. Mainsails will rip apart unstruted rockets easily but just because you strut up a few tanks it doesn't mean the rocket is safe. That energy is transfered further up to the next weak connection so you can still have some wobble/breakage.

A good base for a fuel depot would be an actual center core of the lifting rocket with docking ports to add more stuff later. This station was initially just the orange/RCS tanks rocket before i removed the engine and added the docks and hab module. Lifting the whole thing would be impossible or at least ridiculously difficult. And yes, that is way too many RCS tanks.

[Klajan]

No screenshot from me, as I decided to rebuild my 220t lifter from scratch. Works now perfectly, as I reduced the strutcount by ~70%.

But if you want to know, my old desing had around 250 struts. And 1200 parts total.

[Klajan]

I believe that, because each item is treated with it's own physics, it is possible to overwhelm the physics engine with too many objects or objects that interact badly. If that happens some or all items in your stack will freeze. If this is happening on the pad it's possible some items are losing there physics and others are not and it's causing the ship to fall apart.

This seems to be a plausible explanation, as the radial attached fuelltank just dropped dead down, as if it was not part of the craft.

...

A good base for a fuel depot would be an actual center core of the lifting rocket with docking ports to add more stuff later. This station was initially just the orange/RCS tanks rocket before i removed the engine and added the docks and hab module. Lifting the whole thing would be impossible or at least ridiculously difficult. And yes, that is way too many RCS tanks.

IMG

Well, thats a cute little station. Mine is actualy constructed in orbit aswell, but currently constists out of 12 oragne fuelltanks. Mainly beacause I am to layzy to refuell it every time I refuell one of my interplanetary crafts. And I tend to do everything overkill style. But i like the idea of using the rocket itself as a fueldepod, never occured to me, I just build large lifters to get it into orbit.

Also for the curious, my working 220t laucher, with a simple payload for testing attached:

[Rjhere]

I constructed a lifter wich ended up at 770t... should probably mention that kwrocketry was used...

[sjwt]

Try smarter strutting; not necessary more strutting..

Also you get more structural integrity when connecting struts to the larger structural struts/beams.. Even the Cubic strut helps a lot.

[Klajan]

I constructed a lifter wich ended up at 770t... should probably mention that kwrocketry was used...

Well this lifter lifts a Payload of 220t and weights about 2077t total

Try smarter strutting; not necessary more strutting..

Also you get more structural integrity when connecting struts to the larger structural struts/beams.. Even the Cubic strut helps a lot.

IMG

I usualy try to strut as little as possible, but once you reach a certain size, there is only one way to go: More Struts.

Or you redesign your craft completly, as I did.

Never seen such a system and I did use the small structural hardpoint for this purpose. But I will try it out.

[Macenzie]

I find building a scaffold with the cubic struts and then connecting them to the main body using the strut connectors can drastically improve even the most wobbly-explody designs

Edit: A little bit like this

Edited May 29, 2013 by Macenzie