Lining up docking ports on multiple part ground based stations.

[ruxpin_exe]

Sorry if this is answered somewhere else, any search for docking just comes up with piles of links for docking in space, which I have no troubles with.

Take a look here..

http://imgur.com/935cGAT

I can't seem to get these docking ports to line up. Tho they seem fairly close, those docking ports aren't lined up and won't dock.

Does anyone have any tips as to getting two ships to line up in a method like this, but obviously one that was sort of built straight up where the other was built sideways, if that makes sense..

I'm sure it's all in the positioning/height of the legs, but short of moving something 5 pixels, retesting, moving 3 pixels, retesting I can't seem to find a way. Is there an easier way that that?

It should I guess be pointed out that I'm using zero mods or addons, just pure stock program.

TIA.

[stupid_chris]

Not really. It's just trial and error. Lower the dockingport, doesn't work, move the legs, lower the dockingport more, retry, still doesn't work. Rinse and repeat, etc. There's no quick and easy way to do it :l

[ruxpin_exe]

Not really. It's just trial and error. Lower the dockingport, doesn't work, move the legs, lower the dockingport more, retry, still doesn't work. Rinse and repeat, etc. There's no quick and easy way to do it :l

F.. M.. L.

So annoying. Wondering if maybe I'm just better off building them all sideways or all straight up if you get what I'm saying.

Fingers crossed that some KSP super hero comes to this threads rescue and proves you wrong, but this really sucks if you're right. Theres no mod that like.. shows you the exact height of a part in relation to the ground as you're building or something, right?

[falofonos]

Make a 2 girder stick on one of your modules, Put the docking port on one end of the stick.

The wobble of the girder connections will allow the ports to match up. Probably.

[stupid_chris]

F.. M.. L.

So annoying. Wondering if maybe I'm just better off building them all sideways or all straight up if you get what I'm saying.

Fingers crossed that some KSP super hero comes to this threads rescue and proves you wrong, but this really sucks if you're right. Theres no mod that like.. shows you the exact height of a part in relation to the ground as you're building or something, right?

Well, you said zero addons, so I guessed you wanted pure stock.

There isn't any mod that tells you the height from ground, but, if you consider mods, Damned Robotics has parts that, if used as legs, could allow you to lower/raise your module. Like some sort of hydraulic pistons

[DMagic]

It's pretty much trial and error. Flexible connections like falofonos suggested work pretty well when you can use them, but sometimes that's not really an option. It is possible sometimes to dock together the two parts with subassembly loader. You can launch both parts already docked, lower the landing legs, then undock. If the ports are lined up correctly then their position shouldn't change much, but if they no longer line up then you need to move one of them.

And you don't necessarily have to drive both components off the launch pad, like you show. I usually just drive one off, and then dock them right on the launch pad. This doesn't work with really big crafts or more than 2 or 3 parts though.

You also have to keep in mind that your mass on the launch pad might be different from the final mass. If you have a bunch of full fuel tanks they will push down on the landing legs a little bit affecting the position of the docking ports.

[NoMrBond]

I think the TouhouTorpedo Modular Wheels pack has a 'jack' system built into it so you can lower/raise your vehicles

[mr_grr2]

if they really are the same Height, it may come down to Weight.

the one on the right is much heavier. so would obviously sit lower by flexing the leg joints pushing the feet to the sides more and lowering it marginally.

[stupid_chris]

I think the TouhouTorpedo Modular Wheels pack has a 'jack' system built into it so you can lower/raise your vehicles

Yeah but then you have to keep the vehicle sitting on the wheels, not on legs. Not useful if you just want to leave it on legs afterward and return the vehicle you used to move it around somewhere else.

[NoMrBond]

Yeah but then you have to keep the vehicle sitting on the wheels, not on legs. Not useful if you just want to leave it on legs afterward and return the vehicle you used to move it around somewhere else.

Not really sure what functional difference there is between jacked up wheels with the brakes on, and lander legs?

I haven't gotten around to playing with the 0.6 release of TT-MW myself, I just remembered reading about the functionality on a similar question

[stupid_chris]

Oh there isn't, but it just means that if you plan onto moving and connecting your base modules with a rover, you can't disconnect it after and have to send another rover for each new module.

And personally (but that's just my opinion), a base on just wheels looksweird a bit. But that's none of my business in the end lol.