Using KAS to transfer fuel

[CheftonUTD]

I've just started playing KSP this week, within the last day I got the KAS and Kethane mods as I enjoy the manufacturing and logistics elements of these sort of games.

I'm trying to work out how to use KAS to transfer fuels/kethane properly. Currently on the Mun I have 1 small lander for Kethane drilling (drill and a tank), and another one for converting (a tank and converter). I've connected them using a horizontal winch, to connector, to connection port on the other ship. My problem is, in 'undocked' mode I can't transfer anything, and in 'docked' mode the ships lift up, start drifting/rotating and all sorts of bad things.

Is this how I'm supposed to transfer using KAS (without the need of physically clamping the ships using ports) or am I doing something wrong?

If anyone knows what I should be doing or any good tutorials/documentation please let me know

[EmissionGeneration]

You need to be in Docked Mode with the Connectors, but it shouldn't be lifting anything up, so sounds like yours is bugging out. Delete KAS out of your Folders, and stick it back in there and try again [backup your Files first just incase]. If it happens again, post which Version of KAS your using.

Hope this can be sorted for you, cause KAS is definitely a must have Mod!

[CheftonUTD]

It's 0.3.1 of KAS and 0.7.4 of Kethane.

It seems like the winch is putting tension on the line and slowly pulling them over even though I'm not using the winch's 'movement' options (eg retract). I'm thinking maybe since the landers are both quite light (5.5t and 3.2t) combined with the low grav it's causing them to be unstable? Might try to put up a few larger units and see what happens if that sounds plausable?

[Sean Mirrsen]

It could be a reincarnation of the old docking bug, wherein some parts (like strut connectors) would cause docked vessels to experience phantom torque.

[CheftonUTD]

Yeah it does seem like torque is being generated when there shouldn't be, any solution to this? Would my idea of building larger landers with more mass make this torque negligible?

[whaaw]

Yeah it does seem like torque is being generated when there shouldn't be, any solution to this? Would my idea of building larger landers with more mass make this torque negligible?

no.

I have only kethane mechjeb and kas installed and everything is buggy. mechjeb dont start thrust at right time. KAS has the exactly bug like your KAS, and the Kethane grid is somwhere but not there it should be.

i suggested to make fueltransfer enabled in undocked mode in the KAS Thread but they wont do that

we have to wait for versions without bugs

[lammatt]

well...

thats why u want to F5 right after you docked

[dave4002000]

I get the phantom torque with the KAS winches every once in a while. It's not 100% repeatable though, so i have no idea what causes it. The fix i use is to hit F5 immediately after i connect a winch. If the ship starts rotating i hold F9 to load the quicksave and reset the physics.

[CheftonUTD]

Just tried the F5/F9 trick and it stopped the movement, thanks for the help

[Rufus Callahan]

I installed the latest version of KAS today along with the latest version of Kethane, and KAS was completely wonky. the game crashed no less than 3 times in 10 minutes, two attached craft spun wildly out of control (and exploded when disconnected), sent my spacewalking Kerbal randomly careening off 7 and a half kilometers, and made "F5" non-responsive. This is the first time i've used KAS since .18... i was highly disappointed.

[TBryson2]

Today I discovered that you have to "RELEASE" the cable before walking it over and plugging it in. There are 3 options. "Release", "Retract" and "Extend". I kept trying "Extend" but it put so much tension on the line that my solar array kept falling over. When I used "Release" and then "grab" it worked wonderfully.

TB

[CheftonUTD]

Hmm that's interesting too, most of the time I was just walking over to it and telling the Kerbal just to grab the cable/connector, I'll try that next time.

[Tyren]

Hmm KAS works fine for me. In case of "weirdos", i have several additional "anchors" around my vehicle, those get shot to the ground to stabilize the vehicle right before attaching to another vehicle. rock-solid if done so (i recommend using Action Groups to release all 4-x anchors/clamps at once).

[poma]

[deleted]

Edited November 3, 2016 by poma
wrong thread

[Sharpy]

Connect in docked mode, switch the winch to 'Release', and everything should work if you remain there. If you go to a different vessel and then switch back to your base, nasty things tend to happen - that's a KAS and Unity physics problem - all joints start as rigid, only later becoming flexible, and a bunch of phantom forces appear.