Multi-part connection

[Michael232]

Hello! It would be nice to be able to connect not only one part to another, but one part to many parts. For example, if I place 4 beams parallel to each other, I can't then place structural panel on top of them, I can only connect panel's center to one of the beams. In some cases it is possible to make something close enough to original idea using struts, but some constructions are impossible even this way.

Hope there wasn't ton of suggestions like that. Well, that's a minor issue anyway, the game is awesome and it's still possible to build almost anything if you have enough struts

[Kimberly]

It would surely be a popular thing, but the whole way the current system is set-up goes against it. There is a strict parent-child relationship of parts; a part can have multiple children, but not multiple parents. As a result, it's not possible to make loops, or to connect a part to the common center of several different parts. (Docking is an exception--ships are allowed to dock to themselves, outside of the ordinary part tree.)

Edited September 4, 2013 by Kimberly

[Michael232]

Kimberly, I don't know the internal mechanics of the vehicle editor, but there's always a workaround

Like treating group of details as one whenever any child-details attached to them. It will need some code to manage detail groups though.

But even more challenging appears adding this function to the editor, looks like it works with nodes now, no idea how could it handle multi-point connection. Btw, if I am not mistaken, there's one more thing you can't do in the editor: you can't connect tank to other part (other tank, maybe) if the center of the tank is lower then the end of the part. Well, it would be much more clear with an image: a is possible, b is not.

[Michael232]

Oh my, found it on "already suggested" list under name "Multi re-couplers" by chance. I would never guess what "Multi re-couplers" means otherwise