General Question How to Change Docking Angles in Spacecraft ini's

[Trekkie]

Well the title already asks my question, could someone explain how i could get that to work?

 

[gattispilot]

docking ports list (maximum 16 docking ports per vessel)
• POS=(0,2.44,10.44) : the docking port position
• DIR=(0,1,0) : the docking port approach direction
• ROT=(0,0,-1) : the docking port longitudinal rotation alignment vector

 

[Donamy]

If you use AC3D you can load a mesh and find the vectors for docking and attachment points.

 

[gattispilot]

I think Meshwizard does that also

 

[GLS]

It's pretty much like putting a key in the door:
1) first you have to know where the door is, that's what the position vector is for, and you put in there the 3D coordinates of the location;
2) once you are at the door you need to know where to point the key, and for that you specify a direction (in 3D) in the direction vector;
3) and finally you need to know which way the "teeth" of the key have to be so the key goes in, and that rotation, about the direction vector, is specificied in the rotation vector;

 

[Trekkie]

docking ports list (maximum 16 docking ports per vessel)
• POS=(0,2.44,10.44) : the docking port position
• DIR=(0,1,0) : the docking port approach direction
• ROT=(0,0,-1) : the docking port longitudinal rotation alignment vector

Alright! now my next question

The Red Circle is the Straight forward Docking port.. but now at the Green Circles i need to have them dock at an angle.. is that possible in orbiter?

 

[Donamy]

Yes, Just need to know the point cordinates and the vector to make the rotations 120 degrees difference. The directions would be the same.

 

[gattispilot]

So on the rotation try (-0.5,0,0.866)

 

[Trekkie]

So on the rotation try (-0.5,0,0.866)

Okay not quite the angle, but its getting closer!

so now i got this issue.. this is the situation when docked

And this is the ship after you press undock

:facepalm::rofl:

 

[gattispilot]

So what is the dock spec on the ship

 

[Trekkie]

So what is the dock spec on the ship

[DOCK_0]
POS=(0.0000,0,700.000)     
DIR=(0, 0, 1)
ROT=(0, 1, 0)

 

[gattispilot]

And what did you make the dock of the station?

 

[Trekkie]

And what did you make the dock of the station?

[DOCK_0]
POS=(000.000000,000.000000,000.000000)     
DIR=(0,0,1)
ROT=(0,1,0)

[DOCK_1]
POS=(-300.601887,300.002930,-300.740082)
DIR=(0,1,0)
ROT=(-0.5,0,0.866)

[DOCK_2]
POS=(-300.601887,300.002930,-300.740082)
DIR=(0,0,-1)
ROT=(0,1,0)

====> 

[DOCK_3]
POS=(-300.740356,300.002808,300.601925)
DIR=(-1,0,0)
ROT=(0,1,0)

[DOCK_4]
POS=(-300.601883,-300.002563,300.740234)     
DIR=(0,0,1)
ROT=(0,1,0)

[DOCK_5]
POS=(300.740356, -300.002930,-300.601772)
DIR=(1,0,0)
ROT=(0,1,0)

[DOCK_6]
POS=(300.601887,-300.002930,-300.740082)
DIR=(0,0,-1)
ROT=(0,1,0)

[DOCK_7]
POS=(-300.740356,-300.002808,-300.601925)
DIR=(-1,0,0)
ROT=(0,1,0)

[DOCK_8]
POS=(0,-100,5)
DIR=(1,0,0)
ROT=(0,1,0)

[DOCK_9]
POS=(0,-100,-5)
DIR=(1,0,0)
ROT=(0,1,0)

ill just post everything here its about the dock 1 atm

 

[Donamy]

The used to be an addon, "Attachment revealer " or something. Don't know if it works for 2016 though. It would show arrows for the attachment point. Blue arrow for parent and red for a child.

 

[Trekkie]

Okay i seem to succeed now with the Direction, but somehow when i dock the ship it really shrinks all of the sudden

 

[dgatsoulis]

Remember that the ROT vector needs to ALWAYS be perpendicular to the DIR vector.

Here is a little tool to help: Online tools - vector rotation in 3D


Example:
Your Dock0 has a dir (0,0,1) and rot (0,1,0)

You want Dock1 to be rotated by 120° clockwise along the Y axis, relative to Dock0

Step 1 (DIR vector)

Enter 0 0 1 in the starting vector
Enter 0 1 0 in the rotation axis
Enter 120 in the rotation angle

Result: 0.866025,0,-0.5

Step 2 (ROT vector)

Enter 0.866025 0 -0.5 in the starting vector
Enter -1 0 0 in the rotation axis
Enter 90 in the rotation angle

Result: 0.866025,-0.5,0

So here are your Dock 1 specs
[DOCK_1]
POS=(-300.601887,300.002930,-300.740082)
DIR=(0.866025, 0, -0.5)
ROT=(0.866025,-0.5,0)

For Dock2 you can either use 0, 0, 1 as the starting vector and and rotate 240° in Step1 or use 0.866025,0,-0.5 and rotate by 120°. The result will be the same.

 

[Trekkie]

You my sir are the best thanks for the explaination!