Multipart ship help

[DocLangy]

I'm trying to build a multi part ship assembled in orbit for a grand tour. My issue is having multiple docking ports (for stability) to connect the sections I just can't get them to line up . Is there a superior design I'm missing or something that will help me get everything lined up.

For reference this is how I have it set up. X=port and G=girder

X

G

G

G

XGGG GGGX

G

G

G

X

[Mr Shifty]

Do you mean that you can't get them lined up in the VAB or in space? A screenshot (use imgur) would really help.

[MidwestB]

Multi-port docking is very tricky to get to work. You have to come in perfectly for all the ports to dock together otherwise only a couple might. I guess the trick for it is to take it slow and steady and really make sure you're lined up as you come in. Also, rather than using girders, you could use the tri or quad adapters and put ports on those, then you wouldn't have to worry about the girders flexing and causing the ports to move slightly out of alignment.

[espm400]

You might want to try Romfarer's Lazor Docking Cam. I figure, they get them in real life, why shouldn't we.

[CalculusWarrior]

If you find multi-port docking too hard, you can always try using the big docking ports; they're really handy.

[capi3101]

Temstar used to have a quad-port design that worked well...it was just four standard clamp-o-trons connected to the backside of a Rockomax Adapter 2 via BZ-52s, strutted down. It was a really stable design that I used exclusively until they came out with the senior ports (which to be honest, I never really got a chance to try out under thrust in 0.20). That port required Subassembly. With the advent of 0.21, you might be able to try to construct similar with one of the quad adapters. I obviously haven't tried this out myself yet...

The trick with the quad-port, as MidwestB indicated, is getting things aligned. That'll be a problem no matter how you go about doing a multi-port docking, but I find that if the target ports are closer in to one another things are easier in general. Being aligned first is important. It helps to have one craft pointed north and the other south when you're docking; then you only have to roll to get things lined up.