I make a lot of repetitive parts. I like to use stupid numbers of SRBs with parachutes and separating motors and struts, fancy external fuel tanks that get repeated, that sort of thing. Currently, the only way to edit all of them at once is if I limit myself to the built-in radial symmetry; I edit 1 SRB and the other 5 SRB groups update around my main rocket. But if I add a second layer of SRBs or something, so that I have 1 central rocket, 6 SRBs, and 12 secondary SRBs, I can't edit the entire secondary SRB pile at once. Symmetry will allow me to do 6 at a time, then I must duplicate my changes either by copypasting and realigning, or re-doing what I did step-by-step. I also can't update my secondary SRB subassembly on other rockets without ripping and replacing, and hoping I get my alignment just so... I would like to have the option of referring back to a "master" subassembly when building, such that changes to an instance of this subassembly affect all instances of the sub on my current rocket. If I update the stored sub in the parts browser, and load another rocket or plane that uses the subassembly I updated, I want to have the option to "swap out" the older instances for the new ones. I would still keep the existing every-part-unique relationship going too, so I could break the link between a referenced sub and my selected instance whenever. I understand there are mods available that combine groups of parts into a single part, but that unfortunately makes them a single part; ie, they can't flex, break, heat up independently, that sort of thing. It's fun when things fall apart, but it isn't fun tediously redoing the same build steps over and over. If I could instance groups of parts and maintain that link to the master subassembly, I could test and optimize with the freedom to have more than one active design, I could spend more of my time making fancy designs instead of reworking the same things, I could pretend to have little Kerbal corporations independently building and delivering contraptions, etc. It makes building a bit more engaging and approachable, without losing any of the challenge. Would this help anyone else? Is this planned?
