Problem setting docking port as target, from far away

[GeorgeG]

I have returned to playing KSP after a few months away. I last used 0.19, now using 0.23.

I've been catching up on the changes. But ran into a problem that somehow I managed to work around before, but have not been able to solve, so far.

It's in preparing to dock, to set the target. As I know from before, I have to visually "see" the ship and click on its docking port to set it as the target.

But the ship is a few hundred meters away, and I can't get close enough to be able to click on the docking port. One thing that is contributing to the problem is that the ships have clamp-o-tron JR's. Previously I used the regular sized (1 meter) docking ports. So with these being half the size, they are twice as hard to try to click on when the intended target ship is visually far off.

Now, in map view. I can set the SHIP as a target, which works for the rendezvous. But to dock, I have to manually click on the docking port of the other ship to set it as a target.

I seem to recall from months ago there may have been some add-on to help with setting the docking port as the target. Or if not that, some trick.

- GeorgeG

One of my old missions, a 2 Kerbal ride into orbit from Eve.

Edited December 30, 2013 by GeorgeG

[Taki117]

NEar as I can tell (And I have only done this with the Regular docking ports) is you must be withing 180ish meters to be able to select it as a target.

[Superfluous J]

If you can't get close enough to see the port, how are you going to dock?

Set the ship as a target. Get close enough to start caring about docking. Then set the dock as a target.

[UnthinkableThinker]

What I normally do is I zoom out from my ship and try to get the camera to catch your target ship in a way you can easily click the port. Works for me .

[LameLefty]

You have to be <200m to set the docking port specifically as the target. There is an add-on mod called "Targetron" that gives you a list of all ships/crafts on screen that you can use to set as the target, and for whichever ship you select, you can target docking ports individually if they have more than one.

[BlackBicycle]

If you can't get close enough to see the port, how are you going to dock?

I also don't quite understand why the OP needs to be able to click the docking port from so far away.

[Pecan]

I find it a pain with small ships and ports as well - from 100m it's not easy to click on a small port. My solution comes from switching to the target ship to turn it so the port faces the incoming one ... 1) get incoming ship within docking distance, 2) 'control from here' on its port, 3) switch to target ship and turn it's port so it's facing AWAY from the incoming ship, 4) switch back to the incoming ship, zoom view out and rotate to see target ship, port will be right in front of you and easy to 'set as target', 5) switch to target ship again and turn the port towards the incoming ship to make docking easier, 6) incoming ship one more time and carry out the docking.

[Sirrobert]

Just get close to the ship first. Until you are right ontop of it, it doesn't matter what exactly you have targeted anyway.

And if you need it linged up: Make sure ship 1 is floating directly towards ship 2. Switch to ship 2. Control from docking port. Point towards ship 1

[Vanamonde]

When docking was new, it was a common misconception that it was necessary to target a ring first. I thought so, too, but it turned out that this has never been necessary. If you get close enough to any ring, the magnetism will be activated and draw the ships together, whether or not any rings or even the other ship have been targeted. The rings merely need to be the same size.

[Tokay Gris]

3) switch to target ship and turn it's port so it's facing AWAY from the incoming ship, 4) switch back to the incoming ship, zoom view out and rotate to see target ship, port will be right in front of you and easy to 'set as target'

This is BRILLIANT!

So easy, yet I never thought of that. I always zoomed around, trying to catch the port, but of course, it was always on the wrong side to click it...

Thanks!

[GeorgeG]

Thanks everyone for your comments. I was less than 200 meters, but the JR docking port is such a tiny target.

LameLefty, Targetron was what I was thinking of, though it only targets ships and not docking ports. Still, it is useful, thanks for pointing it out.

I have shaken off the rust and have gotten back to being able to rendezvous well enough to be able to select the port.

Pecan, that is a GREAT idea for being able to get the desired docking port in view close enough (message #7).

Reason why I needed to be able to select the docking port from such a distance is the way I prefer to dock is to use Mechjeb's Target Parallel feature, which holds the ships parallel to each other, then I carry out the docking maneuvers manually.

I've now finally gotten around to resetting my avatar and sig.

- GeorgeG

Edited December 30, 2013 by GeorgeG

[BlackBicycle]

Reason why I needed to be able to select the docking port from such a distance is the way I prefer to dock is to use Mechjeb's Target Parallel feature, which holds the ships parallel to each other, then I carry out the docking maneuvers manually.

"Target parallel" works with the core bodies too, no need to select docking ports. It is enough to select the main body from the Map View and do "Set Target". That's how I do it all the time.