A rope or cord that keeps your kerbal from drifting to far from your vessel

[Raccoongamer]

I always find my self getting left behind by my ship when I attempt a EVA spacewalk and would like to have a optional teather that can be increased and decreased in length like a winch from the KAS mod.

[gmpd2000]

Try KAS (Kerbal Attachment System), Not sure if updated, though.

[slumpie]

Try KAS (Kerbal Attachment System), Not sure if updated, though.

It is updated for .25

[Raccoongamer]

yeah but something that is attached to the EVA suit from the vessel. like real life astronauts use.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simplified_Aid_for_EVA_Rescue like the SAFER

Edited October 10, 2014 by Raccoongamer
wiki link

[Alshain]

yeah but something that is attached to the EVA suit from the vessel. like real life astronauts use

I don't think the game would support anything that fluid.

[lajoswinkler]

Modelling ropes would mean modelling lots of small joined objects which isn't an elegant solution. The best thing you can use is KAS. It works in 0.25.

[Cydonian Monk]

Kerbals need a supply of retractable dog leashes....

Is this something KAS does naturally? Or would you need to click on the EVA suit to attach an anchor, click on the ship to attach another, and then connect a tether between the two? (Must admit I've only ever used KAS to strip mod parts from ships just before I uninstalled the mod they were from.)

[CaptainKipard]

Modelling ropes would mean modelling lots of small joined objects which isn't an elegant solution.

Why not?

10

[ArcFurnace]

Apparently ActiveStruts has the ability to tether Kerbals to your ship, among various other uses.

[Capt. Hunt]

yeah but something that is attached to the EVA suit from the vessel. like real life astronauts use.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simplified_Aid_for_EVA_Rescue like the SAFER

I think you're misunderstanding what SAFER is.

SAFER is a compact version of the manned maneuvering unit that plugs into the bottom of the Primary LifeSupport System backpack, to allow an astronaut to jet back to the station if he becomes untethered. Kerbals automatically come with maneuvering jet packs by default. Which, by the way, probably have way more delta-v then SAFER.

[lajoswinkler]

Why not?

10

If the number of elements is fixed, a large rope would look like a weird chain upon extending. If the number is growing, it would have the potential to crash the game (unless there's a limitation) because that's like having a vessel with lots of parts.

Such mod would be ok if the rope had a limited length, such as 5 m, so that the number of elements is tolerable. It would be cool, I admit it.

[drtedastro]

How about an 'invisible' rope.... Just put something in that determines the max distance that the little sprout can go before he is stopped, and then an emergency REWIND button to zap him back to eva door....

don't mess with the little mesh type parts that cause grief... We are playing a space game with short vegetables, so why not invisi-rope?????

[S1gmoid]

If the number of elements is fixed, a large rope would look like a weird chain upon extending. If the number is growing, it would have the potential to crash the game (unless there's a limitation) because that's like having a vessel with lots of parts.

Such mod would be ok if the rope had a limited length, such as 5 m, so that the number of elements is tolerable. It would be cool, I admit it.

I'm still learning about the ins and out of unity, but ropes generally ceased being a problem in 3d games around the time the Voodoo 2 card came out...

Or is it the physics modeling you're worried about?

Edited October 11, 2014 by S1gmoid

[CaptainKipard]

Didn't Lara croft have a braid that would sway and float?

[OrbitusII]

KAS is the best option for this kind of functionality- Kerbals can grab the cable from a winch and control it from there while being constrained by the maximum length of the rope (50m is what you usually get) so unless you need something more complex, you'll want to use KAS.

[Tygroux]

KAS is the best option for this kind of functionality- Kerbals can grab the cable from a winch and control it from there while being constrained by the maximum length of the rope (50m is what you usually get) so unless you need something more complex, you'll want to use KAS.

This. You add a winch right beside your EVA hatch in the VAB, then when the time comes: EVA->Right click on the winch-> grab (it actually attach the cable to your backpack), then you're good.

I need to test if it works with time warp...

The only issue is that I don't believe it allows you to transfer EVA fuel, so if you run out, you're still stuck. Just... Not far from the ship.

But I don't know if even RL safety allow an astronaut to come back without help.

If you put the winch and ladder parts at the right places, you can probably manage it though. Or try to push the kerbal with another kerbal. And/or move the ship to the kerbal...

(I did that once. You what is harder than trying to get a kerbal to the hatch of a spinning ship? Trying to get a hatch to a spinning kerbal...)

[Raccoongamer]

I just wish i knew how to code my own mods so I could make what Im talking about a reality

[lincourtl]

Tethers would be nice for a variety of reasons, not just EVA.

Here's a rope physics asset for Unity 4.3+ which is pretty slick. I don't see why something similar couldn't be integrated into KSP.

http://u3d.as/content/reverie-interactive/quick-ropes-rope-physics/2Rh

Check out the crane demo. Notice how fluid it is when you perform complex motion -- rotating the crane, moving the crane, and adjusting rope length at the same time.

Edited October 11, 2014 by lincourtl

[Ruedii]

Fluid ropes aren't supported by Unity3D, the engine that KSP is based on. They also aren't supported by PhysX the physics engine that Unity3D uses.

The closest you can have is a straight anchor line to a reel that will pull taunt at a certain point. This often will mess with the camera as it will consider you and the craft one object.

[lincourtl]

Fluid ropes aren't supported by Unity3D, the engine that KSP is based on.

That's just not true. See my post immediately above yours.

[OrbitusII]

I just wish i knew how to code my own mods so I could make what Im talking about a reality

But you don't need to, it already exists. LINK to KAS

[Raccoongamer]

Then I don't see why my Idea could not be implemented .... I think it would be nice to have

[lajoswinkler]

I'm still learning about the ins and out of unity, but ropes generally ceased being a problem in 3d games around the time the Voodoo 2 card came out...

Or is it the physics modeling you're worried about?

Physics, yes. Every element of the chain is an object with collision properties so that the rope interacts with everything, including itself. Just imagine using such larger rope (lots of elements) on a more complex station. FPS would drop down like mad.

[Tex_NL]

Didn't Lara croft have a braid that would sway and float?

Yes. But in Tomb Raider your PC didn't have to simulate physics on a 1000 part space station at the same time.

[CaptainKipard]

Yes. But in Tomb Raider your PC didn't have to simulate physics on a 1000 part space station at the same time.

I think my point is that even if back then the braid was a major resource hog, computers are so much more powerful now that a physically simulated rope made up of about 10-20 segments would be a very minor inconvenience. Half-Life 2 simulated multiple electrical cables which would slack and sway in the wind.