Align parts in sky direction

[kspchef]

How do I align my side booster to the west for exampel? So when I start the rocket and make a gravity turn the are exactly horizontal.

[Blaarkies]

On 4/26/2019 at 12:03 PM, kspchef said:

How do I align my side booster to the west for exampel? So when I start the rocket and make a gravity turn the are exactly horizontal.

Build the rocket like normal.
After you are done, then hold down the SHIFT button, click on any part of the rocket. The entire rocket should now be "picked up" by your mouse cursor
Next, press the Q or E button. This will rotate your rocket.

For reference, the big open door in the VAB is due East (The direction you want to do your gravity turn towards). Rotate the rocket until it is oriented in that direction

 

Edited May 6, 2019 by Blaarkies
FloppyRocket picked up how i confused "Q or B" instead of "Q or E"

[Zhetaan]

@kspchef:

To add to @Blaarkies's excellent answer, to get the side boosters exactly horizontal, you will need to use angle snap when attaching them.  This is activated by pressing 'C' on PC, though I admit I don't know the console controls.  The button you want is the one that looks like a dot in a circle; it's in the lower left, next to the symmetry indicator and the centre of mass/thrust/lift toggles.  When you activate angle snap, the image changes to a dot in a hexagon.

Without mods, you will need to judge by eye whether you have your side boosters aligned correctly, but so long as you use angle snap and position the camera so that you are looking out the door with your rocket centred in it (and have not moved the rocket side to side), then you can accurately judge an east-west line.  Set everything else relative to that and you can get most of the alignments that you might like.  If you prefer, you can use this technique along with a small part (such as an RCS Thruster Block, or, if you're in early career, the Basic Fin) and 4x symmetry to establish a kind of compass reference for boosters and other side attachments.  Just remember to remove the reference when you no longer need it.

[FloppyRocket]

On 4/26/2019 at 4:18 AM, Blaarkies said:

Next, press the Q or B button. This will rotate your rocket.
 

Is it Q and B, or Q and E?

[Mikenike]

Angle snap is a button on the left side below the mass, lift thingies on the left hand side. Pick park and drag cursor and press on Xbox.