KAS / KIS and EAS-4 Strut attachment

[Wobbly Av8r]

I've been attempting to make an EAS-4 Strut attachment on an EVA in Kerbin orbit. Any KAS / KIS experts out there wanna give me some hints at how to be successful in this endeavor?

I've tried...

• ...to carry the Strut in seat inventory but was informed there is not enough volume/space to put it - even if I don't place a drill/wrench it will not allow it to be put there (I don't want to attach a separate container).
• ...to place the pre-place the Strut with two obvious points of contact that appear to look normal in the VAB but once I send the ship out to launch one of the two connection points has disappeared - only one point, the strut which terminates in mid-air roughly where the *now* missing connection point WAS...
• ...to unattach/reattach an existing EAS-4 Strut but can't figure out how to only move ONE of the attach points - even though I only select one side of the strut, it moves the whole unit and then only allows one attach point.

The reason this needs to be connected during EVA is because the reinforcement is between two ships that are docked and need to be reinforced to perform repeated landing maneuvers.

While I do realize there are different ways to accomplish the overall task, does anyone out there know what it takes to make Strut attachments on an EVA using KAS / KIS ?

[Rhomphaia]

Been a long time since I tried KAS so I can't help much. but the stock struts don't really have 2 ends. what is actually happening is you place the first end then when you place the second you are actually just telling the strut which direction it is supposed to look in to attach.

[Manwith Noname]

Originally posted by Wobbly Av8r:

I've been attempting to make an EAS-4 Strut attachment on an EVA in Kerbin orbit.

Isn't there a specific KAS strut?

Edit: Yeah...

https://github.com/ihsoft/KAS/blob/master/LEGACY/Parts/strut1/part.cfg

You probably want those.

[Wobbly Av8r]

Okay - that kinda' makes sense, Rhomphaia. At least it explains the behavior I'm seeing - thank you.

Thanks for that link, Manwith GreatInfo - I had read there was some "specialized" strut - I'll have to explore it.

[Ogre420]

these might help...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28wI8mEFffY

[Wobbly Av8r]

Thanks, Ogre420, after looking things over, those Quantum Struts are the logical extension of the humble EAS-4 sans connection nodes... it appears they may have the ability to be "pre-installed" on one ship which will then instantly become a strut once they're docked, saving an EVA.

[Eekhoorn]

I use the fixed joints to strut in space. I know the quantum struts, but I haven't seen them in this install of KAS. Could be on my end but because the mod has changed a lot since I last used it, I assumed they had replaced them with the joints.

[Wobbly Av8r]

Yeah, Eekhoorn - for anyone else coming here looking for similar information I've been trying to figure out how such a 'critical' part such as a strut (space duct tape) could just 'go away' over time with such a popular (and sometimes necessary) mod like KAS / KIS.

The best answer I could come up with centered mainly on the stability of the part given the [continually changing] physics handling of KSP - I guess there were stability problems.

The solution is to use two *new* parts (that can be attached in EVA), one part being a JS-1 socket and then choosing one of several other options including telescoping parts that will attach to the placed socket. From what I could ascertain from various conversations, this configuration is much more stable, especially given the troublesome nature of the robotic parts.

https://github.com/ihsoft/KAS/wiki/Legacy-parts-destiny

[Manwith Noname]

Heh, I knew when I had to dig in to a Legacy folder on GitHub I should have investigated further.

[Eekhoorn]

I like it better how KAS works now. The joints look more pleasing too.
So far, I've only tested the fixed joints. Gonna try the telescopic ones soon to see how those work out on a spacestation.

[Wobbly Av8r]

No apologies necessary, Manwith... made me dig a little deeper and I still appreciate both your level of knowledge and willingness to share it.

After mucking with the original struts (trying to make them work) and the then using the newer method, it is IMHO superior now - much more straight-forward, at least when you have pre-planned and pre-configured the strut locations, although in my sandbox trials, when I had to relocate the [new JS-1 and TJ-1 combination] strut position it was still easier than the original [EAS-4] strut grab-and-replace experience.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2117020590

[Manwith Noname]

As another option, I used robostruts from Infernal Robotics in the past to fix cargo in an airplane while keeping them separate craft which meant the wheels didn't poke through the hull.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=626476676

Not the greatest picture but I think it's a similar concept, you have two different parts, one is like a target and the other is the source.

[Ogre420]

Just remembered another type of connection, This might help in FUTURE builds (Not much use with stuff in orbit)

Multi-Ports (Multiple Docking ports for added stability)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPSk4aaTY7k

[Wobbly Av8r]

It's a great idea but that multi-port stuff makes me a little wary of using it! But thanks for the reminder...