Fuel Transfer

[horndgmium]

Is there ever going to be a way to transfer all of my resource(s) of one kind from one ship to another while docked?

Currently I have to click on each tank, which can get pretty annoying quite quickly since I sometimes have a bunch of smaller tanks.

I'm thinking of Kethane for this, obviously because it involves fuel transfer, but I'd use it for really any orbital meet up. Clicking on each tank is way too obnoxious.

[technicalfool]

Could be interesting. Click a button and have resources drain into the receiving vessel as if it were an engine attached to the docking port.

[horndgmium]

Could be interesting. Click a button and have resources drain into the receiving vessel as if it were an engine attached to the docking port.

I like that. Perfectly simple, and quite useful.

[Atoning Unifex]

Yeah I definitely love this idea. I had assumed it would be something that was planned for later. I also vaguely recall seeing a fuel balancer mod, but not sure.

I have a number of 'cool' looking designs with radially mounted tanks but which are a ***** to transfer fuel into. I've been biding my time waiting for a solution, however your question makes me wonder if it is in plan or not!

[Kasuha]

Since when docked it's just one ship, you'd need to specify drained and filled tanks anyway. And if the drained amount is not enough or you decide to stop it in the middle, it would need to fill target tanks proportionally to prevent unbalancing your ship.

Personally I would be quite happy if I was able to select a few fuel tanks and then click a "balance" button and it would make sure they're all filled to the same proportion (e.g. 66%). Or if there was a button to transfer liquid fuel and oxidizer at once at the right proportion.

[mc8888]

Maybe you could have a 'Resource Transfer Mode' with a schematic of the station/craft, which allows you to transfer fuel/monopropellant/electric charge between parts?

Also, doesn't the game remember the names of the original ships that form a station when you undock them? Would there be some way to use that to specify part of a station as an individual craft?

Like the idea of balancing fuel between parts as well.

[Atoning Unifex]

Since when docked it's just one ship, you'd need to specify drained and filled tanks anyway. And if the drained amount is not enough or you decide to stop it in the middle, it would need to fill target tanks proportionally to prevent unbalancing your ship.

Personally I would be quite happy if I was able to select a few fuel tanks and then click a "balance" button and it would make sure they're all filled to the same proportion (e.g. 66%). Or if there was a button to transfer liquid fuel and oxidizer at once at the right proportion.

True, and I like your solution to the problem, perhaps if the existing fuel transfer mechanic worked on multiple tanks, with the inclusion of your balance button, it might be best. We could select say 5 tanks + 1 source, choose 'Out' from the source tank which would pull from that tank and auto fill & balance the others.

I also wonder whether it would be possible to use docking ports as a focal point for transfers; Select a docked port and have a transfer out/in option which would pull or push fuel from one side of the node to the other. We would not need to worry about selecting any number of tanks, it would just fill & balance from one side to the other.

[DoomHawk]

Something you can try is this:

TAC Fuel Balancer

I haven't tried it yet, but I found it browsing the SpacePort today and it at least looks to be helpful in this process even if it doesn't make it one easy step.

Back to Squad implementing it, I'd be happy if fuel lines were respected when transferring fuel (also allowing 'backward' flow for the fuel lines on the 'destination' craft), not just when an engine is consuming the fuel. All the fuel tanks in a given stage are almost ALWAYS aspargused in my rockets, so that would solve the problem by just transferring out of the middle tank.

[Depth]

A workaround for the two docked ships = one whole ship is to have fuel transfer options in the context menu of the docking ports.

I.e. "Transfer liquid fuel from craft" "Transfer oxidizer to craft"

Something you can try is this:

TAC Fuel Balancer

I haven't tried it yet, but I found it browsing the SpacePort today and it at least looks to be helpful in this process even if it doesn't make it one easy step.

I've used it for a while, works great. Even with modded resources like Kethane.