Docking question

[rav]

Hello, its me once again having some more questions :D

So i wonder, are kerbals able to move through ALL parts of a ship into another ship as long as they are docked? Or How exactly does it work
For example i could place a docking port on a science Jr. module will they be able to move through it?
Or when a pod is only connected to the docking port via struts ?
If not what are the limitations? Which parts i must not use?

I kinda have the same question for fuel. I flew a fuel tank to my space station to refuel it and this worked fine BUT i also connected the fuel tank which was used to propulse my refuel vessel to the refuel part with a yellow fuel pipe but i wasnt able to drain the fuel of that part. what did i do wrong here?

And lastly, i tried to let a Kerbal on EVA enter through a small docking port, i assume it is the same for the bigger docking ports but why cant kerbals enter and exit through them? Or was i just too stupid?
Also is there a placeable part that allows my kerbals to enter and exit into a ship or are the premade doors on the specific parts the only option?

Thanks guys :)

[andylaugel]

By default, you can transfer crew from any pod to any other pod with room for a kerbal. I think the game assumes you the player can imagine a way that the transfer is possible. Perhaps you believe that there is a tube that runs though that fuel tank that a kerbal can fit through, for example. If you don't like it, you can simply choose not to transfer crew and instead engage in a spacewalk.

I believe to enable resource transfer (like fuel between tanks), you need to have a certain building in KSC upgraded to a certain level.

Docking ports aren't designed to hold kerbals, so they don't function as hatches. The game wouldn't know where to put them inside the craft.

[rav]

Originally posted by andylaugel:

By default, you can transfer crew from any pod to any other pod with room for a kerbal. I think the game assumes you the player can imagine a way that the transfer is possible. Perhaps you believe that there is a tube that runs though that fuel tank that a kerbal can fit through, for example. If you don't like it, you can simply choose not to transfer crew and instead engage in a spacewalk.

I believe to enable resource transfer (like fuel between tanks), you need to have a certain building in KSC upgraded to a certain level.

Docking ports aren't designed to hold kerbals, so they don't function as hatches. The game wouldn't know where to put them inside the craft.

Thanks, i dont mind the "unrealistic" transfering i just wanted to be sure i dont mess up somewhere in the future :)

Do you know which building that would be? so far i have at least 1 upgrade on every building i believe. edit: i think i still have ressource transer because i can transfer fuel between the stations but i wasnt able to transfer the fuel which was only connected through a yellow fuel pipe

Do you know any part that i can attach that functions as a hatch?

[Jupiter3927]

For the first question, Kerbals can move from any part of your ship to any other part of your ship as long as the source and destination parts can hold some crew.
Realism isn't there so you can transfer your Kerbal through an engine or one of those I-beams if you really wanted to.
I just assumed kerbals could de-materialize themselves and take the form of electricity and run through the power lines and re-materialize on the other end and that causes the static on their portrait in the corner when they transfer.

For your second question, those yellow fuel lines are 1-way so you need at least 2 lines, 1 going to and another coming from the 2 parts, to transfer fuel freely between the 2 fuel tanks.
The external fuel ducts can be connected to any part that has fuel crossfeed enabled.
Fuel tanks will always have this enabled but some structural parts don't and the part will always tell you if fuel crossfeed is disabled.
You also need the research building upgraded to at least level 2 before fuel transfers will do anything.

Docking ports are not hatches so you can't have your Kerbals go through them into space.
All parts that hold crew have hatches.

[rav]

Originally posted by Jupiter3927:

For your second question, those yellow fuel lines are 1-way so you need at least 2 lines, 1 going to and another coming from the 2 parts, to transfer fuel freely between the 2 fuel tanks.
The external fuel ducts can be connected to any part that has fuel crossfeed enabled.
Fuel tanks will always have this enabled but some structural parts don't and the part will always tell you if fuel crossfeed is disabled.
You also need the research building upgraded to at least level 2 before fuel transfers will do anything.

Hello, im aware that the fuel pipes are only one direction and i also just wanted to put the rest of the fuel i had from flying into my space station so i had only one connection with the arrows on the pipe pointing into my space station, away from the left over fuel.
I could transfer all the other fuel fine and as intended but not this one.

[ray.mcdonough]

Originally posted by Jupiter3927:

For the first question, Kerbals can move from any part of your ship to any other part of your ship as long as the source and destination parts can hold some crew.
Realism isn't there so you can transfer your Kerbal through an engine or one of those I-beams if you really wanted to.
I just assumed kerbals could de-materialize themselves and take the form of electricity and run through the power lines and re-materialize on the other end and that causes the static on their portrait in the corner when they transfer.

I assumed that they could EVA over to another part, which they can do, as long as the hatch isn't blocked. It just saves you the tedium of doing the routine EVA.

[rav]

Also i have another question:
Is it possible to have a reserve battery that wont get drained so incase the vessel ever goes out of energy i can activate the reserve?
for example this could be useful to turn the solar panels towards the sun.
If yes, how?

[Azunai]

i think the context menu of batteries has an option to lock the battery, similar to how you can lock fuel from fuel tanks. the vessel will not drain resources from locked tanks/batteries (until you unlock them)

[Jupiter3927]

You can lock batteries but if it's a probe and the available electric charge is 0, you won't be able to unlock any charge you have locked.
I lock my fuel tanks on my new rockets and drop them when they're empty and unlock a new one to make them slightly more efficient but it does throw them off balance.

[rav]

thanks guys really helped me out a lot ! :)

I do have one more question though, how do i control thrusters going in multiple directions?
for example if i build a rocket that i want to land sideway instead of upwards how can i control the sideway thrusters instead of the "main" engine.

[Jupiter3927]

Like RCS thrusters?
They're not really meant for landing but you can use I,J,K,L,P, and ; (check your keybinds in the main menu settings because I'm sure some of these are wrong) to move your stuff in pretty much any direction.

If it's a legit engine mounted on sideways, don't do that unless it's a really special case.
It adds extra mass at the cost of not having to rotate your ship 90 degrees.
You'll have to shut down your first engine and activate your sideways engine.

[rav]

Originally posted by Jupiter3927:

Like RCS thrusters?
They're not really meant for landing but you can use I,J,K,L,P, and ; (check your keybinds in the main menu settings because I'm sure some of these are wrong) to move your stuff in pretty much any direction.

If it's a legit engine mounted on sideways, don't do that unless it's a really special case.
It adds extra mass at the cost of not having to rotate your ship 90 degrees.
You'll have to shut down your first engine and activate your sideways engine.

its only for minmus and really tiny engines :)