Fuel Transfer Question

[OscarJade]

Is there a trick to transferring fuel between docked spacecraft? I've right-clicked and Alt-right-clicked the tanks I want to exchange fuel between, and instead of there being buttons saying 'in' or 'out' as transfer options (as older tutorials on YouTube show) I just have the words 'in' or 'out' there, and clicking on them does nothing. Am I missing something? Thanks in advance

[Red Iron Crown]

That's not the usual behavior. Is one of the tanks disabled, perhaps? Do both tanks hold the same type of fuel? Can you share a pic of the vessel in question with the two tanks selected?

[Jimbimbibble]

If you're in career mode the R&D building must be sufficiently upgraded to transfer fuel. maybe that's it.

[bdito]

Another possibility. Make sure you're not in time warp. I get caught with that from time to time.

[OscarJade]

My R & D is maxed out in the research tree. It's standard rocket fuel between two identical Rockomax tanks. I've got a simple station in Munar orbit with 600+ gallons of spare fuel, and want to transfer it to a lander for descent & return. The only possibility is that I shut down the engine on station to prevent accidental activation (station has been in orbit for 169 game days and nearly a month in real-time, so I can't remember, LOL, and I'm at work away from the game, so I won't be able to check for a few hours). That's the only possible issue as far as I know. Would that prevent transfer? Seems it would be the safest time to do it.

Edited January 29, 2015 by OscarJade

[Sirrobert]

Can you show us a screenshot? That should help us help

[OscarJade]

Good call on the time warp; don't think I am but naturally not 100% sure. Will check that too...in 8 hours. Grr.

EDIT: Embarrassed to admit I don't know to do & share a screenshot...

- - - Updated - - -

Standard clamp-o-tron docking ports; 3-man command pod on lander side attached to 1 hitchhiker module & then the tank I want to transfer to. On station side: 1-seat lander can, hitchhiker module, mobile processing lab and other fuel tank in question at far end.

Edited January 29, 2015 by OscarJade

[bdito]

EDIT: Embarrassed to admit I don't know to do & share a screenshot...

Press F2 to hide/unhide the GUI. You don't want to do that in this situation but it's just an FYI incase you want to do so in the future. Press F1 to take a screen shot. It puts the pictures into your Screenshots folder inside the main Kerbal Space Program folder.

From there you have to upload the picture to an image hosting site like imgur, photobucket, etc. Find the picture there and copy its URL. Then when making a post click on the icon that looks like a painting. It will say "Insert Image" when you hover over it. Click it and paste the URL. Click ok and voila! Picture posted.

[Sirrobert]

Alternatively, if you are on steam you can take a screenshot with F12. Than when you close the game, you have a window open with all the screenshots you took, and for each one the direct option 'upload'

Than 'view online', (opens a new screen), click on the picture (opens a new window), rightclick the picture, 'copy URL'

Than paste that here

[OscarJade]

Just had a thought: I *might* have the other kind of docking port on the space station side, between the Rockomax decoupler and the tank with the spare fuel. Wondering if the different brand docking port is an issue? Also need to check that crossfeed is enabled on that one...

[Sirrobert]

No, docking ports should not matter. Ships are either docked, or not.

Crossfeed also doesn't matter for manual transfer, that only defines weither fuel drains from tanks above the docking port when an engine below the port is consuming fuel

[OscarJade]

I think so as well, but my tank with the surplus fuel has a Rockomax decoupler currently mated to the other brand docking port, so was just grasping at straws until I can get back to the game tonight and check things such as whether I'm in time warp, or whether the engine for the surplus tank is shut down. I guess it could be a bug of some kind.

[OscarJade]

As a side question: on the fuel transfer windows that pop up (or any ship part window that pops up when right-clicked), you can choose between a green triangle/arrow or what looks like a tiny red clock when you click on it. What is this function? Or what choice is being asked?

[Red Iron Crown]

As a side question: on the fuel transfer windows that pop up (or any ship part window that pops up when right-clicked), you can choose between a green triangle/arrow or what looks like a tiny red clock when you click on it. What is this function? Or what choice is being asked?

That disables that particular resource for that part and prevents it from being consumed. Handy for making sure your payload's fuel tanks don't get depleted when ascending and making an emergency battery for if you forget to deploy solar panels. (The latter is a lesson learned from hard experience. )

[bdito]

As a side question: on the fuel transfer windows that pop up (or any ship part window that pops up when right-clicked), you can choose between a green triangle/arrow or what looks like a tiny red clock when you click on it. What is this function? Or what choice is being asked?

The red circle with a slash trough it means no fuel can leave that tank when an engine is in use. It doesn't prevent fuel being transferred when using the alt-click menu.

EDIT: ninja'd

[OscarJade]

Good to know! Will try to post screen shots when I get home tonight. Really want to solve this fuel transfer mystery.

- - - Updated - - -

Well, took a screenshot...but also made sure that crossfeed was enabled on the Attach-a-tron...and got a message in yellow across the screen:

"This docking port does not permit fuel transfer."

So the 637 gallons of fuel in Munar orbit is going to be wasted. But lesson learned.

Thanks all. Cheers.

- - - Updated - - -

Well, here it is anyway. On the right is the space station 'Independent' in Munar orbit. On the right is CTV (crew transfer vehicle) - 2, used for shuttling crew. My hope was to descend to the Mun and retrieve six Kerbonauts from my Mun base...

EDIT: Will not paste from Steam url. Oh well.

Edited January 30, 2015 by OscarJade

[OscarJade]

MISSION UPDATE: Decided to send my lander down to the surface to retrieve my Kerbonauts anyway; CTV had just enough fuel to make it back to Munar orbit, where it is now stranded, LOL. What better excuse to launch a fuel transport? I'm going to put a red tank into Munar orbit, refuel/rescue the CTV, and then dock with the space station Independence. Going forward, I'll have a gas station in Munar orbit. Will come in handy for random 'in flight' science contracts around the Mun.

[Red Iron Crown]

Well, took a screenshot...but also made sure that crossfeed was enabled on the Attach-a-tron...and got a message in yellow across the screen:

"This docking port does not permit fuel transfer."

Is that a mod part or something? All the stock ones permit both crossfeed and transfer.

[bdito]

Is that a mod part or something? All the stock ones permit both crossfeed and transfer.

It's part of the Station Science mod.

I just looked at the mods thread. It says:

This mod also adds a new "prototype" Attach-O-Tron docking port. This port is placed early in the tech tree (same node as struts) to facilitate building space stations early on, but has several limitations. The most important is that it does not permit fuel transfer of any kind. Even manual pumping cannot pass through the Attach-O-Tron. It also has more mass and bulk, less strength than the standard Clamp-O-Tron, and can't be surface attached. It is, however, compatible with the standard Clamp-O-Tron.

[OscarJade]

Didn't think it was a mod part, but it could be, as I do have a few mods. Should have just gone with another clamp-o-tron there to be safe. The attach-o-tron is useless to me. Of course, I guess I can expand the station at that point eventually with another one...as long as I don't want to transfer fuel from that end :/

An Attach-O-Tron cautionary tale, folks.

EDIT: I do have the station science mod, which is cool. I have a zoology lab in LKO. Should have read the fine print

Edited January 30, 2015 by OscarJade