Using a radially attached structural fuselage to connect two science labs

[space_lorax]

So, I'm trying to build small surface station featuring a central vertical tower, and radially attached fuselages connecting to smaller vertical towers.

Its easy to build a vertical structure, stick radial attachment points or cubic struts, and attach the horizontal fuselage sections. However no matter what I try, I cannot get it to connect to the second vertical tower structure. I have tried: radial attachment points, docking ports, cubic struts in various configurations, and screaming at the screen in frustration.

This is the connection I want to make. Is there some clever technique that will let me do this?

Edited October 1, 2014 by space_lorax

[Geschosskopf]

Yeah, that won't work too well in the VAB but it should work in gameplay if you dock it that way. I don't know the technical term for the problem in the VAB but it boils down to things that allow radial attachment of other parts to them sometimes don't themselves like to be radially attached to other parts.

To build parallel towers in the VAB, you either need to connect the towers at the top or bottom instead of side by side (if using parts that won't radially attach) or make the side-to-side connections with parts that WILL radially attach AND have stack connectors as well (like fuel tanks), then stack the parts that won't radially attach on these.

[juanml82]

Maybe you could build the lab as a subassembly, making sure the docking port is the root part. If you can't build it starting from the docking port, build it as you can and use the select root mod to change the root part. Be careful with it, though, as abusing it can corrupt the ship.