Get a working Docking Bay on a model

Dr. Nil · Post by **Dr. Nil** » Sat Nov 04, 2006 12:18 pm

Hi

Does anybody have some additional advice on how to get docking to work on a model?

https://bb.oolite.space/viewtopic.php?p=20007#20007

I've followed the instructions given in the link above 4 times or so. I just can't dock. I have had docking bays that I could fly into turn around and fly out of and docking bays that killed me on touching the face but no dockable docking bay.

I have noticed some entries in plists for stations which are not documented in the wiki. Eg. port_radius. What should this be set to? Could leaving it out be a part of the problem? How about IsCarrier? This is supposed to be like a station and the IsCarrier also only affects the role (or so the Wiki says) so there should be no problem leaving it out - actually I just make sure that it doesn't show up when a carrier is called for, eh right?

ANY suggestions on getting my dock to work would be welcome since a week of returning to this model with no success and re-reading and following advise from different threads before asking has left me without any ideas. Even the silly advise since I might have done something stupid - and a good laugh is always nice to save a keyboard, a monitor or a lump of hair. Anything

Murgh · Post by **Murgh** » Sat Nov 04, 2006 12:59 pm

hm. tough one without looking thoroughly into it. are you using Aegidian's standard dock?

isCarrier or carrier(0.0001) [of some or no denomination] is crucial for the entity to act like a carrier. don't leave it out.

port radius, IIRC, determines the aegis, the protective boundary, and not anything to do with a docking zone.

sorry I cant be of any more help. maybe when some spare time appears I could look deeper into it. good luck.[/i]

Dr. Nil · Post by **Dr. Nil** » Sat Nov 04, 2006 1:54 pm

Thank you for your quick response.

I'll try docking it again with IsCarrier on - as soon as I find the version I could fly into again. The current version kills me when touching the front panel (which is hole material and is facing z). The dock I use is build using Aegidian's instructions point by point (a couple of times).

But I don't understand why it should be necessary. This is not a moving ship. and eg. the Rock Hermit has no IsCarrier set. Are you sure that port_radius determines the aegis? I just discovered that Rock Hermits has one set to the magical 250 - I better try that too.

Thanks for the input.

Dr. Nil · Post by **Dr. Nil** » Sat Nov 04, 2006 3:58 pm

Of course it would also help to assign the role station to the model...

CaptKev · Post by **CaptKev** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 10:09 pm

I'm sure this is a silly question, but how do you get a _hole_ texture in 3DS Max or MilkShape 3D for a docking bay? I had a play with Wings3D but didn't get on too well with it!

JensAyton · Post by **JensAyton** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 10:22 pm

The “hole” texture in Wings is really a workaround for the fact that Wings represents shapes as closed manifolds, i.e. objects without holes. In most 3D editors, you should be able to simply delete a face to achieve the same effect.

CaptKev · Post by **CaptKev** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 10:30 pm

Thanks Ahruman, your a life saver (or should that be sanity saver!)

ramon · Post by **ramon** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 10:31 pm

CaptKev wrote:
how do you get a _hole_ texture in 3DS Max

Make a box.
Convert to Editable Mesh.
Pick a face.
Delete.

Then I think you may need to add a Normal modifier and then flip normals.

Hope that helps.

CaptKev · Post by **CaptKev** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 8:27 am

Thanks ramon, what actually defines it as a docking port, do you have to specify a X,Y,Z point somewhere?

Killer Wolf · Post by **Killer Wolf** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 9:29 am

doesn't it need a "docking-slit" role??

i asked about the 0-0-0 thing in another thread. it seemed from the tute that you needed alignment on the origin for the docks to work, but other threads suggest you can have slits anywhere. i'm still chopping up and DATing/PLISTing my station so i've not actually got round to playtesting her yet.

CaptKev · Post by **CaptKev** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 9:32 am

@KW, I've tried roles='docking-slit', isCarrier=true, the only time I've managed to dock was when the docking bay sat out from the ship.

this is the subentities for the right docking bay:
<string>rdock 0 0 0 1 0 0 0</string>

Dr. Nil · Post by **Dr. Nil** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 9:45 am

perhaps 'r-dock' will work better (but you may want to call it something more unique than that unless you're sure that no other oxp has already taken that name for a dock).

Also your station needs to have 'station' as one of it's roles as mentioned earlier in this thread.

There might be other issues. I suggest that you stick with the exact size from Giles' tutorial (linked to earlier in this thread) - the game seems to prefer that

CaptKev · Post by **CaptKev** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 11:19 am

This works (slightly sticks out):
<string>bsg_dock 496 -127 -753 1 0 0 0</string>

This doesn't (flush):
<string>bsg_dock 496 -127 -713 1 0 0 0</string>

Think it might be time to give up!

Killer Wolf · Post by **Killer Wolf** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 12:04 pm

did you sort the _hole_ stuff? if you crash when the thningy's flush, it sounds like maybe you're colliding w/ the front wall? in my model (in Milkshape) i created the front panel at the right size etc etc, modeled the dock separately and positioned it, then i've deleted the panel that would be the front wall, so my dock is now an open box aligned w/ a gap in a wall. but like i say, i've not had a chance to test it yet ~ this approach was simply cos i don't use Wings and didn't have the _hole_ available.

CaptKev · Post by **CaptKev** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 12:58 pm

Hi KW, Yes, I did exactly as you've just described. Intrestingly if I press Ctrl+C the computer docks through the front of the ship!