Docking magnet stopped working!

[nothke]

I made a robotic arm with Damned robotics and tried docking two "modules" with it.. While I was docking it, the magnet worked correctly pulling the "child" module into the "parent". but when I released the module from the arm the magnet just wont work anymore.. Strangely enough, I can join the "child" to any other port on the station. The arm is not really the problem, I have been trying to connect it with RCS and the "parent" dock just doesn't work. As if the magnet on that particular docking port has "worn out".

I am looking into the "persistent.sfs" file and I don't see anything unusual about the port. Or I just don't know what to look at =( reloading doesn't work as well, the port is just dead!

[DMagic]

You need to find the docking port in question and check its "state = " value. If it is undocked it should be "state = ready", but there is a docking bug floating around that can screw things up. I have had this issue with all 3 regular docking port types. Sometimes broken docking ports will be either "state = acquire" or "state = docked (dockee)" or (docker).

Make sure you are looking at the right docking port in the persistence file. It can get tricky when you have multiple docks / vessel, or if you're not sure which vessel has the broken dock.

[nothke]

Thanks!! It works now! I was looking into a wrong port xD I searched "acquire" and guess what.. There was one dock with that state. I changed it to ready and it works! I think that this happens when you quickload while the "magnet" is working (maybe I did), or maybe when "administration" changes as I unplugged the arm while the magnet on the other port was working. So the state stays somehow frozen to "acquire"

I hope the devs know about this bug

[DMagic]

Yep, I think it's the quickload. That does it to me everytime. There is a thread about this in the support section, so I think they know about it. I'll see about making a bug report later today; it should be easy enough to quickly recreate this on a stock save.

[nothke]

Oh god, I have an even worse problem now! One port won't undock now! It has an "undock" button but it won't work.. The module just stays there attached. It shouldn't be connected to the previous problem cause the previous one was another port type (now it's clampotron jr.) so I didn't change it.. =(

How can I see what port am I dealing with?? Is there a way to see the part ID from the debug or some way??

[DMagic]

This is a much thornier problem that is probably unrelated to the first issue (and as far as I know, any size docking port can be affected by the won't-dock bug). You can try undocking other sections of the craft if that's an option. This usually unsticks the broken port, but it doesn't always work.

There is a possible solution here, but it's not as simple as the first problem's fix.

[bilson]

Hello all,

Newly registered here to state that this problem is still in the game with v0.24.2.559 in September 2014. Very disappointed. I just spent two hours trying to redock from a quick-save before googling to see if this was a bug. It's absurd that this was first reported a year ago and hasn't been fixed yet.

[Panch]

nothing is fixing it for me on .25.

[Claw]

Yes, it is in fact still present. The cause is still unknown so it's difficult to fix the bug.

In the mean time, you can see here for ways to fix your save: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/78863-FIX-Dock-Undocking-Bug-in-0-23-5

Although this thread is still somewhat relevant, I'm going to close this so that further discussions/questions can move to the more current thread. Please let me know if it's unclear or if you have questions.

Cheers,

~Claw

[Panch]

anything look fishy with my ports? i cannot get them to connect, even from reloading/relaunching/rebuilding.

PART

{

name = dockingPort2

uid = 4021002929

mid = 2407270059

launchID = 71

parent = 0

position = 0,1.19319152832031,0

rotation = 0,0,0,1

mirror = 1,1,1

istg = 0

dstg = 0

sqor = -1

sidx = -1

attm = 0

srfN = None, -1

attN = None, -1

attN = bottom, 0

mass = 0.05

temp = -167.1494

expt = 0.5

state = 0

connected = True

attached = True

flag = Squad/Flags/default

rTrf = dockingPort2

modCost = 0

EVENTS

{

}

ACTIONS

{

}

MODULE

{

name = ModuleDockingNode

isEnabled = True

state = Ready

dockUId = 2897652910

dockNodeIdx = 0

EVENTS

{

Undock

{

active = False

guiActive = True

guiIcon = Undock

guiName = Undock

category = Undock

guiActiveUnfocused = True

unfocusedRange = 2

externalToEVAOnly = True

}

UndockSameVessel

{

active = False

guiActive = True

guiIcon = Undock

guiName = Undock

category = Undock

guiActiveUnfocused = True

unfocusedRange = 2

externalToEVAOnly = True

}

Decouple

{

active = False

guiActive = True

guiIcon = Decouple Node

guiName = Decouple Node

category = Decouple Node

guiActiveUnfocused = True

unfocusedRange = 2

externalToEVAOnly = True

}

SetAsTarget

{

active = True

guiActive = False

guiIcon = Set as Target

guiName = Set as Target

category = Set as Target

guiActiveUnfocused = True

unfocusedRange = 200

externalToEVAOnly = False

}

UnsetTarget

{

active = False

guiActive = False

guiIcon = Unset Target

guiName = Unset Target

category = Unset Target

guiActiveUnfocused = True

unfocusedRange = 200

externalToEVAOnly = False

}

EnableXFeed

{

active = False

guiActive = True

guiIcon = Enable Crossfeed

guiName = Enable Crossfeed

category = Enable Crossfeed

guiActiveUnfocused = False

unfocusedRange = 2

externalToEVAOnly = True

}

DisableXFeed

{

active = False

guiActive = True

guiIcon = Disable Crossfeed

guiName = Disable Crossfeed

category = Disable Crossfeed

guiActiveUnfocused = False

unfocusedRange = 2

externalToEVAOnly = True

}

MakeReferenceTransform

{

active = True

guiActive = True

guiIcon = Control from Here

guiName = Control from Here

category = Control from Here

guiActiveUnfocused = False

unfocusedRange = 2

externalToEVAOnly = True

}

}

ACTIONS

{

UndockAction

{

actionGroup = None

}

DecoupleAction

{

actionGroup = None

}

}

}

MODULE

{

name = ModuleDockingNodeNamed

isEnabled = True

portName = Port 2

initialized = True

EVENTS

{

renameDockingPort

{

active = True

guiActive = True

guiActiveEditor = True

guiIcon = Rename Port

guiName = Rename Port

category = Rename Port

guiActiveUnfocused = True

unfocusedRange = 2000

externalToEVAOnly = False

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

}

PART

{

name = dockingPort2

uid = 2897652910

mid = 992345179

launchID = 72

parent = 153

position = 0,1.75,0

rotation = 0,0,0,1

mirror = 1,1,1

istg = 1

dstg = 1

sqor = -1

sidx = -1

attm = 0

srfN = None, -1

attN = None, -1

attN = bottom, 153

mass = 0.05

temp = -108.757

expt = 0.5

state = 0

connected = True

attached = True

flag = Squad/Flags/default

rTrf = dockingPort2

modCost = 0

EVENTS

{

}

ACTIONS

{

}

MODULE

{

name = ModuleDockingNode

isEnabled = True

state = Ready

dockUId = 4021002929

dockNodeIdx = 0

EVENTS

{

Undock

{

active = False

guiActive = True

guiIcon = Undock

guiName = Undock

category = Undock

guiActiveUnfocused = True

unfocusedRange = 2

externalToEVAOnly = True

}

UndockSameVessel

{

active = False

guiActive = True

guiIcon = Undock

guiName = Undock

category = Undock

guiActiveUnfocused = True

unfocusedRange = 2

externalToEVAOnly = True

}

Decouple

{

active = False

guiActive = True

guiIcon = Decouple Node

guiName = Decouple Node

category = Decouple Node

guiActiveUnfocused = True

unfocusedRange = 2

externalToEVAOnly = True

}

SetAsTarget

{

active = True

guiActive = False

guiIcon = Set as Target

guiName = Set as Target

category = Set as Target

guiActiveUnfocused = True

unfocusedRange = 200

externalToEVAOnly = False

}

UnsetTarget

{

active = False

guiActive = False

guiIcon = Unset Target

guiName = Unset Target

category = Unset Target

guiActiveUnfocused = True

unfocusedRange = 200

externalToEVAOnly = False

}

EnableXFeed

{

active = False

guiActive = True

guiIcon = Enable Crossfeed

guiName = Enable Crossfeed

category = Enable Crossfeed

guiActiveUnfocused = False

unfocusedRange = 2

externalToEVAOnly = True

}

DisableXFeed

{

active = False

guiActive = True

guiIcon = Disable Crossfeed

guiName = Disable Crossfeed

category = Disable Crossfeed

guiActiveUnfocused = False

unfocusedRange = 2

externalToEVAOnly = True

}

MakeReferenceTransform

{

active = True

guiActive = True

guiIcon = Control from Here

guiName = Control from Here

category = Control from Here

guiActiveUnfocused = False

unfocusedRange = 2

externalToEVAOnly = True

}

}

ACTIONS

{

UndockAction

{

actionGroup = None

}

DecoupleAction

{

actionGroup = None

}

}

}

MODULE

{

name = ModuleDockingNodeNamed

isEnabled = True

portName = Port 1

initialized = True

EVENTS

{

renameDockingPort

{

active = True

guiActive = True

guiActiveEditor = True

guiIcon = Rename Port

guiName = Rename Port

category = Rename Port

guiActiveUnfocused = True

unfocusedRange = 2000

externalToEVAOnly = False

[Claw]

Yes, try setting the dockUId to 0. Off hand I don't see anything else that looks amiss. Seening as how I forgot to actually close the thread, I'm going to do that now. If setting the dockUId doesn't work, feel free to post in the thread linked above.

Cheers,

-Claw