action groups?? how?

[sam1133]

Hi, i cant figure out how this works...could someone please explain it to me, and how to setup keys to trigger actions.

please some kind heart...help

thank you

sam

damn, just realized posted in wrong part of forum.

Edited October 6, 2014 by sam1133

[sal_vager]

They aren't too hard thankfully

There's a tab in the editor (VAB, SPH) near the craft name box, between the Parts tab and the Crew tab, that tab is for the action groups.

Click it and you'll see three columns on the left , then click a part of your craft that has context menu options such as a light.

The left column lets you select a number key (Custom01 is key 1, use that for now) or another control, the right column shows the light and its options, when you click an option it moves to the center column, it will now be activated when you press 1.

You can add as many things as you like to a single button this way, for example it makes opening loads of solar panels much easier

[Aethon]

Ok I don't have KSP open, this is from memory.

In the VAB hit the icon at the top which opens the action group screen. Now click on custom 1 on the left of the screen. Then click on the main engine of your craft, a blue highlight will appear on the engine and a menu will open with different engine options. I always click 'toggle engine'. Now anytime I hit the number 1 key in the flight screen, the engine will toggle on or off. You can put all your ladders in number 8 by clicking each ladder and 'clicking toggle ladder'. All my science exps run when I hit 0, and all my solar panels fold or unfold when I hit 9.

Hope this helps.

[sam1133]

Thank you all, your very kind...now i understand.

[Friend Bear]

Thank you all, your very kind...now i understand.

It does not come as intuitively at first so I want to mention...Remember you can do things like:

Keypress 1:

Turn on jet engine 1

Turn off rocket 1

Turn off rocket 2

(in the case of a SSTO)

But it is important to mention that an action group is universal. If you say to a satellite you built that "1" makes the solar panels extend, then you install that satellite in a shuttle where you have already programmed the shuttle's "1" action group to turn off all engines, pressing "1" will both extend the satellite solar panels AND turn off the engines. (while separated, "1" will still do as planned, per craft; the aforementioned is in the instance both craft are as one)

This happens at any point where the multiple craft combine into one (e.g. docking).

Just be aware.

Edited October 7, 2014 by Friend Bear

[sam1133]

ok...will remember, thanks Friend Bear