Docking Revisited

Tue Apr 29, 2003 3:52 am by giskard

Hello.

I have been trying some of the docking tricks posted in this forum and whilst they allow the ship to dock, I am still experiencing some problems.

I know the HpMount hardpoint is used to determine where the bottom of the ship is because changing it solved my ship sinking into the deck problems. However it appears to be important for docking too.

It looks like the HpMount hard point lines up with one of the docking hardpoints on the station cmps. When they meet, docking is completed. Lets look at Space_station01.cmp from solar/dockable.

If you open it up and look for the hardpoints you will find listed under manf_dock/hardpoints/fixed is the hardpoint names for dock locations on that station. If you next go to DATA\SOLAR\solararch.ini and do a search for space_factory01

You will be presented with this (ignore more my changes, eg the jump lines).

[Solar
nickname = space_factory01
ids_name = 60215
ids_info = 60216
type = STATION
DA_archetype = solar\dockable\space_factory01.cmp
material_library = solar\Solar_mat_tink.mat
material_library = fx\envmapbasic.mat
envmap_material = envmapbasic
LODranges = 0, 2000, 15000
mass = 10000.000000
loadout = space_factory01
open_sound = depot_open_sound
close_sound = depot_close_sound
docking_sphere = berth, HpDockMountA, 4.500000, Sc_open dock1
docking_sphere = berth, HpDockMountB, 4.500000, Sc_open dock2
docking_sphere = jump, HpDockMountC, 100.000000
docking_sphere = jump, HpDockMountD, 100.000000
docking_sphere = jump, HpDockMountE, 100.000000
docking_sphere = jump, HpDockMountF, 100.000000
docking_camera = 0
solar_radius = 600
shape_name = NAV_depot
hit_pts = 999999961690316250000000000000000000.000000
fuse = station_burning_fuse, 0.000000, -1

When the following lines are removed the station uses only the moors for docking and exiting of the station which is helpful for examining the issues here.

docking_sphere = berth, HpDockMountA, 4.500000, Sc_open dock1
docking_sphere = berth, HpDockMountB, 4.500000, Sc_open dock2

The sc_open_dock1 parts refers to a script which opens and closes the doors on the berths.

The way docking works, the docking seems to be regarded as completed once the ships HpMount reaches the docking hardpoint. This is when the docking ends. As you know the number after the HPMount off sets that a bit allowing docking to occure earlier than that.

However, the problem is when launching a large. The ship always starts at the docking hardpoint and this causes problems with larger ships as they leave the station because the ship extends back into the station walls.

Leaving via a moor fairs no better because the ship still extends back into some stations because it is pointing the wrong way for mooring. It should be reversing out but instead it treats it like a berth.

If we could change the default exit route from a station to a point of our choosing and control the rotation of the object leaving the station then we can make ships appear outside the station facing the mooring and thus allow them to reverse out and not get stuck.

I know this is not a solution, but i felt like adding my bit to the docking issue.

Giskard

Tue Apr 29, 2003 4:19 am by giskard

Just thinking of how this could solve the docking problem.

All stations are parts linked by parent objects. So, if somebody was to disable all the docking lines in the solararch.ini and build a new docking ring with the docking hardpoint outside of the station. That new docking ring could be positioned near all stations and act like a universe adaptor that would allow any ship to dock it.

It would work like docking rings (somebody already posted that docking rings work) on planets but could be made to look the part for spacestations. A good example would be the shipyard objects. Something similar to that parked alongside the stations. With a few variations to allow for different styles of stations it might be a cool little mod in it self and not as odd as it sounds given most stations are just the same parts rearranged. With one except that springs to mind.

Best of all, it wouldnt require all stations cmps be edited and distrobuted with any battleship mod. Though you would have to add the new ring to all stations you wanted big ships to dock with. Which is a system ini job and a big one.

Giskard

Edited by - giskard on 29-04-2003 05:19:17

Tue Apr 29, 2003 10:14 am by Cpt.Kazo

...change the location of the docking hardpoints (utf_editor). Much work, but I see no other solution so far. Turning the ship is even more complicate, imho this is hardcoded, like the whole docking thing.

Tue Apr 29, 2003 8:02 pm by giskard

I thought about that and decided rather than work on changing every station in the game id rather work on making a universal docking addon to stations. Then edit out the docking entries in the solararch.ini and add the new docking ring to the stations in the game.

It only has to work with the stations that would realistically be big enough to allow large ships to dock with them. The smaller mining stations and frontier depots wouldnt need them.

Im also running a test on making my own station to see how that fairs.

Basing it on the startrek space dock around earth. Not sure where its going but it should be interesting. I will be able to control where the ships exit the station at least.

Giskard

Wed Apr 30, 2003 7:58 am by jarmel

I don't know if this is possible but i'll suggest it anyhow.

Why don't you half the size of all ship models that way the larger ships will stop having docking problems.

just a thought

Sat Jun 07, 2003 10:13 am by Mirage

I know I'm way behind on this, but this was helpful to me. I'm already quite capable of adding a little combo docking mechanism to most bases quickly (it's 2 normal-size shipyards turned sideways next to each other with a docking ring on its end), and having ships dock and undock quite nicely. I'm curious about this UTF editing though, so I think I'll look that up too--is it possible to add new docking hardpoints to existing models? It would be great even to just get rid of the need for the dock ring & just let them dock on the shipyards.

Sat Jun 07, 2003 3:29 pm by Kendo THM

Gibberish to me!!

The ones who have havn't...
The ones who don't do...

Sat Jun 07, 2003 6:23 pm by SuBXeRo

ok guys the prob with docking in mp is that the server files have to say can_use_berths alos for your ships even though u chnage urs files it wont matter it will only work on ur server or in single player, so i am working on a mod now that enables all this and the good thing is if a server takes this mod u dont need the mod to play in the server

which is good therefore it would be advantageous for u to dl the patrch to get the xtra but doesnt matter if u dont have it

Mess With the Best Die lIke the Rest

Wed Sep 17, 2003 7:52 am by BlazeME

You guys arn't making any sense, write a tutorial or something

Wed Sep 17, 2003 6:18 pm by Victor

The answer to your original question is in the first post, and there is a tutorial already showing how to do it while adding the Liberty Dreadnought.

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