Tristack Coupler won't "stick"

[davidpsummers]

OK, so I'm making a module for my "space station". I figure I would make it an "upgrade". A single docking port at one end and a tri-port at the other (suggested someplace, have 3 docking ports for strength). After all, I might stick it on a big ship going someplace far one day. (At the moment I'm just using it as a orbiting tanker with a can to keep for astrounauts as long as I can).

So at the top of my booster I put in an upside down tristack coupler. Then I put a port on each one. Then a port facing the other way on top of that, and then I want to put a tristack coupler to get back to a single stack. But the think just won't "stick". I put it here and click, but it wont' place it.

Am I doing something wrong?

Edited May 31, 2014 by davidpsummers

[G'th]

No, its a limitation of the game. Can't connect more than one node at once.

Only real solution is to just strut up the parts that aren't connecting.

[Kasuha]

If you have docking ports on both facing surfaces, they should stick together on launchpad unless you have some substantial weight on the upper tricoupler. In such case, some struts are needed.

[Pecan]

You are doing something wrong, but it's understandable as the way to get it to work is not at all obvious. There is a pictorial guide to how to do it somewhere here in the tutorials but I can't find it at the moment so you'll have to put up with ASCII art, if I can draw it in the first place ^^.

/===\  Is a bi-coupler (work with me here, this isn't easy!)


 # #     And you have one 'upside down', with docking ports, right?
\===/



/===\   Building it like this won't work, as you say
 # #
 # #
\===/


/===\    First build this
   #
   # #
  \===/


/===\    The add the extra top docking-port hanging off the side (and others if using more than a bi-coupler)
 # #
   # #
  \===/



/===\     Disconnect
 # #

   # #
  \===/


/===\    And re-connect 'properly'.  Only one
 # #      pair of ports will connect in the VAB
 # #      or SPH but at launch the others
\===/     will automatically dock themselves.

[Kasuha]

It's easier to just install docking ports first, then add an I-beam, install the top docking port, the tricoupler, docking ports on the tricoupler, and finally remove the I-beam.

[cantab]

Yeah. Once you have placed the three lower docking ports, place one upper one, the multicouple, then then other two upper ones. Using a part as a temporar spacer helps.

[davidpsummers]

Thanks. That has done it. Thought I'm not sure what the one person meant by and "I beam"? I'm in career mode, I don't suppose it is something I don't have yet?

[Padishar]

Thanks. That has done it. Thought I'm not sure what the one person meant by and "I beam"? I'm in career mode, I don't suppose it is something I don't have yet?

An "I beam" is a metal girder with a cross section shaped like the letter I.

[davidpsummers]

I would mark this as "answered", but I don't see a button for that. :-)

[Padishar]

I would mark this as "answered", but I don't see a button for that. :-)

You edit the first post and hit "Go advanced", then you can choose it from a list...

[Kasuha]

Thanks. That has done it. Thought I'm not sure what the one person meant by and "I beam"? I'm in career mode, I don't suppose it is something I don't have yet?

I beam is this part. It is useful for these purposes because it is long and thin. If you don't have it yet, any other part will do, such as fuel tank.

[Pecan]

Since the ASCII art seemed to make sense, this is the way Kasuha recommends:

                /===\   /===\
                   #     # #    /===\
           I       I       I     # #
 # #     # #     # #     # #     # #
\===/   \===/   \===/   \===/   \===/

However you do it you have to first add one upper docking-port, then the bi-, tri-, quad- coupler, then the other upper docking ports, then disconnect and re-connect 'properly'.

[cantab]

In career you get the girder at the start, so use that instead.