Lock down docking ports (permanently)

[Capt Snuggler]

Orbital construction is on the "what not to suggest list". fine, good.

BUT it happens now anyway, but with loads of docking ports. this usually leads to a big wobbly mess orbiting kerbin.

What if we could re-enforce docking port connections, permanently locking them together in the process?

a kerbal should do a space walk, get in range, then right click the ports "lock-down docking ports" the kerbal takes out welder, spanner or what tool you like and *zap* the ports become permanently attached. now your station or massive ship is slightly less wobbly.

*if its a welded, it could require vast amounts of power weld. some how. why not.

[crazyewok]

Orbital construction is on the "what not to suggest list". fine, good.

BUT it happens now anyway, but with loads of docking ports. this usually leads to a big wobbly mess orbiting kerbin.

What if we could re-enforce docking port connections, permanently locking them together in the process?

a kerbal should do a space walk, get in range, then right click the ports "lock-down docking ports" the kerbal takes out welder, spanner or what tool you like and *zap* the ports become permanently attached. now your station or massive ship is slightly less wobbly.

*if its a welded, it could require vast amounts of power weld. some how. why not.

The KAS mod does this really well. Really it should be core.

I support this.

Plus I hope the Orbital construction is on the do not suggest list as its just been noted by the devs not refused as I think its should be implemented as there are real life plans for this with OPSEK as well as ideas the line insitu resource utilisation with moon and mars bases

http://www.fosterandpartners.com/news/foster-+-partners-works-with-european-space-agency-to-3d-print-structures-on-the-moon/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orbital_Piloted_Assembly_and_Experiment_Complex

[Keymaster89]

They could instead add a new mechanical/hydraulic port, that allow sturdier definitive connection

[UnthinkableThinker]

I do like the concept of a stronger linkage between the docking ports, though welding it permanently isn't quite what I want, mostly because it is an irreversible action, which doesn't seem to fit under the whole "Kerbal vision", where "rewinding" a failure in order to correct it is an option.

[Kuldan]

Just to clarify, with "orbital construction" they don't mean putting stuff together in Orbit using Docking Ports - that is exactly what they are there for - they mean a mode in which you have a Space Station of sorts in Orbit, and spawn directly from VAB to Orbital (as if you built it in orbit)

[Kasuha]

In my opinion, of course you can get rid of problems by implementing stronger connections, but thee things can be usually avoided just by clever design.

Docking port connections are not any weaker than any other connections. The matter is that docking ports are rather short and people tend to dock things in all directions, then apply forces to it in directions perpendicular to them. Even if you built the thing in one piece in VAB and got it to orbit at once, it would wobble the same way.

[Atoning Unifex]

I used to always have lots of problems with wobbly stations, until the 2.5m Clamp-o-tron Sr came along. I immediately created a 2.5m version of the docking node (simply by adding a rescale factor of 2) and now use this and the clamp-o-tron sr as the basis for all my station parts. The whole structure is much sturdier than it's 1.25m counterparts.

I'd recommend the inclusion of a 2.5m docking node as stock.

Edited January 29, 2014 by Atoning Unifex
fixed size typo

[coolitic]

I believe "welding" is on one of the lists. Try using another word.

The only problem I have is not having low fps with many parts. Also ground stations are nearly impossible unless you send the whole thing at once due to uneven terrain.

Like others suggested, use kas.

[kiwiak]

The KAS mod does this really well. Really it should be core.

I support this.

Plus I hope the Orbital construction is on the do not suggest list as its just been noted by the devs not refused as I think its should be implemented as there are real life plans for this with OPSEK as well as ideas the line insitu resource utilisation with moon and mars bases

http://www.fosterandpartners.com/news/foster-+-partners-works-with-european-space-agency-to-3d-print-structures-on-the-moon/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orbital_Piloted_Assembly_and_Experiment_Complex

Can you elaborate about KAS

I didnt know that it can be used to re-enforce docking ports.

[tobjv]

it has several features, one of them lets you detach and attach non docking port stuff to a ship. Another feature lets you put these little clamps on your ship and then making said clamps become struts. There a few more things but those are what I remember off the top of my head.