How to put a deployed science part into container in VAB?

[Kazkar]

So, here goes the story:

I'm on KSP 1.10.1.2939 with several (not that many) mods. A possibly relevant ones are KIS 1.26 and KAS 1.7 (both listed by CKAN as the most recent).

My other mods are: AT Utils, Chatterer, Chatterer Extended, Community Category Kit, Community Resource pack, Easy Vessel Switch, Environmental Visual Enhancements (with its Stock Planet Config files), Final Frontier, Firespitter Core, Global Construction Core, KAC, Konstruction, kOS, Module Manager, ReCoupler, Surface Mounted Lights, TextureReplacer, TriggerAu Flags, USI Asteroid Recycling Technologies, USI Core, USI Kolonization Systems (MKS/OKS), USI Life Support, USI Tools.

In the VAB I add the part "SEQ-6 Cargo Storage Unit" to my ship.

Now I want to put the "Probodobodyne Experiment Control Station" into that container.

And here the problem is: HOW?

KSpedia page "Breaking Ground / Deployed Science / Cargo System - VAB/SPH" says: "You can drag a cargo item from the build menu to a container/storage unit to add it to the inventory, or put it in its opened menu"

So, I try:

- Dragging the control station part simply does not work. There is no dragging, my mouse just moves alone.

- Then let's try the old way: I click the part in the build menu, move to the construction area (just as we do with any other parts - tanks, engines, etc.). I try to "attach" it to the container, and even that the container gets highlighted, a click leaves the deployed science part unattached, somewhere at the floor of the VAB. The same happens when I click (as if wanting to attach the part) over the opened menu of the container (over one of these 6 large square places, where the unit is expected to be displayed when inside)

- Then I remember that KIS/KAS has also something to do with "dragging" parts. So I open the command module, click on the option "Seat 0 inventory", and try to drag the deployed science unit. Now the dragging works! A miniature of the part is following my mouse cursor. So far, so good. Just to test, I drag the part into the opened inventory window of the command module, in exactly the same way as we are dragging there the electric screwdriver and beer bottles. So far, so good - I get the message "Use stock game abilities to handle this part". I kinda expected that. Now, I try to drag the part into the opened window of the SEQ-6 container. Aaand... nothing happens. Also dragging the science unit over the container itself does not change anything. The part just disappears. Dragging a screwdriver (a KIS/KAS part) into the inventory of the command module works OK, but the screwdriver disappears when dragged over the opened menu of the SEQ-6 container. This is not surprising.

So, in short: by default, dragging parts does not work. Dragging parts works when the "Seat X inventory" window is opened, but that does not handle the non-KIS parts.

From some older times I remember that I was able to pack the deployed science units, because in KSP 1.9 I had a working deployed science location on Mun. However, I also remember that I have some deep fear of doing that. It may be that it never worked intuitively.

In that older game I had also the same set of mods. This game is a newly started career after upgrading my KSP to 1.10.

Is it that I forgot how to pack the deployed science units, or has it been changed in 1.10, or maybe there is some conflict with the mods in that new KSP version? Can you pack a deployed science unit into a container?

 

--------- Update:

Some boring entries from my KSP.log file: They show that there were no errors before I've encountered the problem. There is a NullPointer exception, but it happened already after I started to do various crazy experiments.

...

Spoiler

[LOG 11:46:01.266] mediumCargoContainer added to ship - part count: 20
[LOG 11:46:01.266] mediumCargoContainer added to ship - part count: 21
[LOG 11:46:01.266] Clearing undo states from #32 forward (1 entries)
[LOG 11:46:52.402] [Pre-Flight Check]: Checking for FacilityOperational: PASS!
[LOG 11:46:52.402] [Pre-Flight Check]: All Checks Complete. Go for Launch!
[LOG 11:46:52.408] Saving Achievements Tree...
[LOG 11:46:52.408] Saving Achievements Tree...
[LOG 11:46:52.408] Saving Achievements Tree...
[LOG 11:46:52.425] [MessageSystem] Save Messages
[LOG 11:46:52.459] Game State Saved to saves/Hagaro 1_10_1/persistent
[LOG 11:47:25.335] deleting part DeployedCentralStation
[LOG 11:47:53.069] deleting part DeployedCentralStation
[WRN 11:51:05.023] KSPediaController: Fix broken dependencies!
[LOG 11:51:05.024] KSPediaController: Compiling KSPedia databases
...

(this marks the point where I was already desperate enough to look for info in KSPedia)

[LOG 11:52:05.947] deleting part DeployedCentralStation
[LOG 11:52:18.514] deleting part DeployedCentralStation
[LOG 11:52:42.516] SnapMode
[LOG 11:52:49.483] deleting part DeployedCentralStation
[LOG 12:33:40.828] deleting part DeployedCentralStation
[LOG 12:34:22.784] KSPediaController: Loading screen CargoSystem-PlaceableParts

[LOG 12:34:25.429] KSPediaController: Loading screen CargoSystem-VABSPH
[LOG 12:35:23.100] deleting part DeployedCentralStation
[LOG 12:35:27.365] deleting part DeployedCentralStation
[LOG 12:56:15.895] Start pickup in mode Move from part: [Part:DeployedCentralStation (id=C4294781616)]
[LOG 12:56:23.491] Start pickup in mode Move from part: [Part:DeployedCentralStation (id=C4294781616)]
[LOG 12:56:41.673] deleting part DeployedCentralStation
[LOG 12:56:49.908] deleting part DeployedCentralStation
[LOG 12:56:58.093] Start pickup in mode Move from part: [Part:DeployedCentralStation (id=C4294781616)]
[LOG 12:57:21.494] Start pickup in mode Move from part: [Part:DeployedCentralStation (id=C4294781616)]
[LOG 12:57:27.261] Start pickup in mode Move from part: [Part:DeployedCentralStation (id=C4294781616)]
[LOG 12:57:34.528] Start pickup in mode Move from part: [Part:DeployedCentralStation (id=C4294781616)]
[LOG 12:57:49.244] mediumCargoContainer added to ship - part count: 20
[EXC 12:58:23.181] NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object
    KIS.KISAddonPickup+EditorClickListener.OnBeginDrag (UnityEngine.EventSystems.PointerEventData eventData) (at <b1c5be4518ce42c0b0702019006d0ec3>:0)
    UnityEngine.EventSystems.ExecuteEvents.Execute (UnityEngine.EventSystems.IBeginDragHandler handler, UnityEngine.EventSystems.BaseEventData eventData) (at <99c70f3212f546f499a5c598b1663bb9>:0)
    UnityEngine.EventSystems.ExecuteEvents.Execute[T] (UnityEngine.GameObject target, UnityEngine.EventSystems.BaseEventData eventData, UnityEngine.EventSystems.ExecuteEvents+EventFunction`1[T1] functor) (at <99c70f3212f546f499a5c598b1663bb9>:0)
    UnityEngine.DebugLogHandler:LogException(Exception, Object)
    ModuleManager.UnityLogHandle.InterceptLogHandler:LogException(Exception, Object)
    UnityEngine.EventSystems.EventSystem:Update()
[LOG 13:12:30.202] Start pickup in mode Move from part: [Part:DeployedCentralStation (id=C4294781616)]
[LOG 13:25:46.306] Start pickup in mode Move from part: [Part:KIS.electricScrewdriver (id=C4294866452)]
[LOG 13:25:50.506] Start pickup in mode Move from part: [Part:KIS.electricScrewdriver (id=C4294866452)]
[LOG 13:27:24.045] Start pickup in mode Move from part: [Part:DeployedCentralStation (id=C4294781616)]
[LOG 13:27:38.977] Start pickup in mode Move from part: [Part:DeployedCentralStation (id=C4294781616)]
[LOG 13:28:36.112] Start pickup in mode Move from part: [Part:DeployedCentralStation (id=C4294781616)]
[LOG 13:28:41.512] Start pickup in mode Move from part: [Part:DeployedCentralStation (id=C4293721270)]
[LOG 13:28:42.212] Start pickup in mode Move from part: [Part:DeployedCentralStation (id=C4293721270)]
[LOG 13:28:42.296] deleting part DeployedCentralStation
[LOG 13:28:43.312] Start pickup in mode Move from part: [Part:DeployedCentralStation (id=C4294781616)]

 

---------- Edit 2:

It seems that I might have suffered a once-in-a-lifetime personal Kraken attack.

KSP behaves actually quite nice (unless during Kraken attack), and as soon as you click the deployed science unit and hover over the suitable container, it even opens an inventory window, so that you can see what has already been placed inside.

I probably have started placing the units by opening (and pinning) the inventory windows, and that may have started the problem. I may have also started from dragging the units onto these windows, and that also might be what awakens Kraken.

So, friends, when you want to place a deployed science unit in the container, then: 1) place the containers on the ship, 2) click once the deployed science unit in the build menu, 3) observe that the containers highlight in green, 4) hover over one of these containers, 5) observe that the inventory window gets opened somewhere nearby, 6) click and enjoy having the unit inside of the container.

But if something starts to behave weirdly, then in my case simply putting the ship on the launchpad, verifying that the "invisible" units were actually in the containers, and aborting the flight helped. The VAB now behaves quite well.

Edited September 19, 2020 by Kazkar

[Okhin]

The KSP stock inventory is weird, and is something different from the KIS inventory system, for historical reasons I suppose, meaning, forget about putting deployable science in Seats inventory. You need to use parts form the Cargo categories, which are the SEQ 3 and SEQ 9 cargo units from stock (I suppose the SEQ 6 is from KIS, but it should work as the stock inventory system).

Then, in the VAB/SPH, you open the container by clicking on it. It should opens up a layout of what's inside (6 little empty boxes in your case, since I assume the SEQ 6 has 6 slots). Then you click on your deployed science parts to grab it, and you click again in one of those empty boxes, which should now not be empty. No drag and drop involved.

And while I'm at it, it works the "same" way to unload them in game. You open the cargo, click on one part, hover over the destination (say, Bill), which should open the menu of action for Bill, which showcase one slot for deployed science, and then just click the part into the empty box. Of course, there's a range (10m for a Kerbal to reach the cargo box). And to deploy it, once your kerbal is in position, you open their menu, and click on the white arrow on the Deployed science. Not on the part itself (you'll just try to transfer it), the little arrow in a white circle in the bottom left corner.

[Kazkar]

16 minutes ago, Okhin said:

The KSP stock inventory is weird, and is something different from the KIS inventory system, for historical reasons I suppose, meaning, forget about putting deployable science in Seats inventory. You need to use parts form the Cargo categories, which are the SEQ 3 and SEQ 9 cargo units from stock (I suppose the SEQ 6 is from KIS, but it should work as the stock inventory system).

Then, in the VAB/SPH, you open the container by clicking on it. It should opens up a layout of what's inside (6 little empty boxes in your case, since I assume the SEQ 6 has 6 slots). Then you click on your deployed science parts to grab it, and you click again in one of those empty boxes, which should now not be empty. No drag and drop involved.

And while I'm at it, it works the "same" way to unload them in game. You open the cargo, click on one part, hover over the destination (say, Bill), which should open the menu of action for Bill, which showcase one slot for deployed science, and then just click the part into the empty box. Of course, there's a range (10m for a Kerbal to reach the cargo box). And to deploy it, once your kerbal is in position, you open their menu, and click on the white arrow on the Deployed science. Not on the part itself (you'll just try to transfer it), the little arrow in a white circle in the bottom left corner.

Yeah. What you describe is what seem to remember how it worked before.

This time I have tested the SEQ-3 container part (I'm almost sure that SEQ-6 is also stock, but better safe than sorry). I've removed the old SEQ-6 ones, and attached a single new SEQ-3 (just in case the symetry would be significant).

I clicked on the science part (I've tested both "Control Station" and "Go-ob ED Monitor").

This time I noticed that as soon as I select the part, the container (or all suitable containers) highlight green at the same moment. Previously I was also opening their inventory windows, so I haven't noticed them being highlighted also when the window was closed. They may have been, I just weren't observing that.

I've tried to place the parts as you have described (even that I have tried that before), and initially I had no luck. However! After a few tries (because you never know what could happen the third or tenth time) I have noticed that even that the opened window of the container does NOT show the science units inside, the container highlights YELLOW and not GREEN as before. I recall that it means that it is full. I was lucky trying the SEQ-3, so it needed just 3 successful tries.

I have added one more container to the ship, and tried to place the parts in that one. The first few times the part was "disappearing" or being found on the floor of the VAB.

But one time it suddenly became visible in the inventory! I guess that it might require some specific angle of view and/or specific point on the container where I click.

Now the state is that I have 2 containers, both highlighting YELLOW, and in their opened windows only one of them shows only one "Go-ob ED Monitor". Hovering over that Monitor I see the normal description pop-up. Hovering over the other empty "boxes" they behave like really empty.

I was never able to place (visibly) the unit using the opened container window. After some practice (or purely because of luck) I can place the unit if I click over the green-highlighted container, but it seems to heavily depend on some area of the container.

This may probably explain why I have that feeling of danger when adding deployed science units. It was probably failing the same way in 1.9 (or even before), but maybe I used to have more luck more often.

 

Anyway, now I am sure that this is a bug of KSP, or some mod error, and not PEBKAM. Thanks @Okhin!

[Okhin]

Well, I do not run KIS and I have no issue with filling the stock container, so there might be some mods interaction involved at this point.