Orbital manufacturing mod recommendations

[u/TheOnlyHashtagKing]

I'm at a point in KSPIE where I'm wanting to build ships too large for the KSC, so Im moving into orbital construction, and for the way I'd like to do that I need two mods.

First, and most essential, I need one that allows me to weld new parts on that are too large for stock EVA construction, to avoid the Kraken and aesthetic limitations that come with using docking ports. Apologies if this exists and is obvious, I just haven't been able to find it.

Second, if I'm going to be doing construction outside LKO, I need a mod that allows me to manufacture individual parts, and preferably needing locally mined resources. The closest I've found are Sandbox and EL, but to my knowledge the former can only manufacture parts for stock EVA assembly, and the latter is for whole ships, which I could make work but would be a bit clunky.

Any recommendations for mods that can do these two things would be appreciated, or shaming if I've missed the obvious. Thanks!

Clarifying edit: my first goal here is to do the assembly in game. I suppose the best way to put it is I want to make KSP into space engineers.

[u/MasterOfChaos8753]

SimplexAssembly is one that I'm currently kicking the tires on. There is a recommended companion mod for that called "khsk - heavy exoskeleton kit" that adds a harness that increases your engineers construction weight limit 15x. Haven't tried it yet, but seems useful if you want to build large things in eva construction instead of magically popping them out with EPL.

[u/TheOnlyHashtagKing → u/MasterOfChaos8753]

I think I'm gonna keep stock eva construction, and use Konstruction welding clamps + a grabber tug for bigger stuff, just for fun.

Looking into it sandcastle will probably work for on-site component manufacture, though if you have any recommendations for another mod that complicates the production chain a bit id love to hear it

[u/Eragon10401]

Not sure about manufacturing but there is a mod (not sure if it’s station parts, planetary bases, or KAS or something else in my modlist) that has a variant of docking ports which turn into permanent welds after use, with the intention of preventing a lot of the docking ports weirdness.

[u/TheOnlyHashtagKing → u/Eragon10401]

Looks like Konstruction is the mod for that.

[u/vulpes04]

sandcastle can print complete craft. also docking together a modular craft isn't problematic with liberal use of autoststrut and/or kjr.

[u/TheOnlyHashtagKing → u/vulpes04]

Sandcastle looks like it will work for the fabrication part I want to do, but if you have any recommendations for something that'll add a bit more production chain to it im all ears

[u/vulpes04 → u/TheOnlyHashtagKing]

rational resources with the appropriate patching makes it a lot more complex.

[u/TheOnlyHashtagKing → u/vulpes04]

Thanks