Things I hate about the editor

[ibanix]

1) Want to attach an elevon to a wing segment? The elevon will attach vertically. You've got to attach it and then rotate it to fit. Why attach in a default way that is *exactly opposite* to how it should typically attach?

2) Got a piece exactly where you want it? Oops, you clicked on it by accident when you wanted something near it. Now you have to put it back into the right place all over again.

3) Trying to get a camera angle to see something in a tricky position? Good luck, you'll be moving the camera around all day long. Free move isn't possible on your camera.

[Deutherius]

2) ctrl + z

[cantab]

1) I believe it's a workaround for symmetry issues with the swept elevons, but it shouldn't be needed I agree, hopefully Squad can fix it.

2) Ctrl+Z is undo. Hopefully 1.1 will fix the clickhtough bugs and lag spikes, but plain old misclicks will still happen.

3) Agreed. The SPH has free camera movement, why not the VAB?

[sal_vager]

3) In the SPH hold the middle mouse button to pan the camera.

The VAB constrains the camera because it's supposed to focus on vertical builds.

[LordFerret]

1) I believe it's a workaround for symmetry issues with the swept elevons, but it shouldn't be needed I agree, hopefully Squad can fix it.

2) Ctrl+Z is undo. Hopefully 1.1 will fix the clickhtough bugs and lag spikes, but plain old misclicks will still happen.

3) Agreed. The SPH has free camera movement, why not the VAB?

I've never gotten CTRL-Z to work properly. I'll have to try it again (it's been a while). My solution was saving frequently while building.

[FlipNascar]

I'm sure you can do it in stock and it's not EditorExtenstions that allows it... But you can use the keyboard to rotate parts while placing them... So take your elevon... place at wing use "AWSDQE" to rotate as you would your craft.

[Hagen von Tronje]

I've never gotten CTRL-Z to work properly. I'll have to try it again (it's been a while). My solution was saving frequently while building.

That's a better practice anyway. A lot of things can come out a little wrong with ctrl+z so I don't really use it unless it's a purely structural, preferably singular, part involved. Typically I just save any time I'm satisfied with the work I just did.

At least during building phase. Once I'm in bugtesting phases I never use it, I change one thing at a time and save/launch each time, any mistakes result in a full reload of the verfied working model.

[Val]

1) Want to attach an elevon to a wing segment? The elevon will attach vertically. You've got to attach it and then rotate it to fit. Why attach in a default way that is *exactly opposite* to how it should typically attach?

This has bugged me a lot, too.

Press D and S, in that order, before attaching, to get the Elevon oriented correctly. Or press S twice more, if root and tip were reversed. (I use the phrase "Dammit, Sit Straight" to remind me which buttons to press)

2) Got a piece exactly where you want it? Oops, you clicked on it by accident when you wanted something near it. Now you have to put it back into the right place all over again.

Click-through is very annoying. Especially the staging interface. Because often, it will also undo all your staging changes when you Ctrl+Z to undo the parts that got clicked.

3) Trying to get a camera angle to see something in a tricky position? Good luck, you'll be moving the camera around all day long. Free move isn't possible on your camera.

Sometimes I'll move the craft if I can't get the right angle in VAB. In SPH that usually isn't needed unless it's a really big craft. Camera and trying to attach parts, can be odd near the edges of SPH. Edited August 28, 2015 by Val

[Superfluous J]

The thing about the elevons (and other rotated things) that chaps me is that after you have them all set up, you alt-click them to copy the correctly rotated thing right next to itself, and the newly copied one is somehow magically EVEN WORSE than if you had just picked a new one from the parts list.

[ibanix]

This has bugged me a lot, too.

Press D and S, in that order, before attaching, to get the Elevon oriented correctly. Or press S twice more, if root and tip were reversed. (I use the phrase "Dammit, Sit Straight" to remind me which buttons to press)

This doesn't work for me. I can't get the elevon oriented to the ship before attaching, because it changes orientation once you get it close enough to attach.

[samiamthelaw]

1) Trying to build anything involving a cargo bay is infuriating.

[ibanix]

Perhaps even more annoyingly, if you orient something and then take it off (eg, need symmetry), it forgets the orientation you made and you have to do that all over again!

[xtoro]

As mention, the SPH has free movement. If you're having trouble in the VAB, save, go to SPH and open your rocket there. On the open menu there's a button that says SPH and one that says VAB. Press the VAB button to access your rockets. Now you have free movement. If parts try to attach with mirror symmetry, press R to switch to VAB style symmetry.

[Warzouz]

4- When I have very tall ships, I have a VERY HARD time to set long fairings. The editor refuses to climb higher even the camera can. I usually manage to get it done but I'm fighting it...

-> A "auto" fairing feature could be nice.

5- Sometimes I can't select parts on my ship. I have to quit and return. I think this is related to KER though...

6- Accessing to parts which are covered by others (tanks surounded by other tanks) is hard (even more in flight...).

-> There should be a menu of some kind to access any part (as some mods do).

7- Sub-assemblies can't be reaffected to another category. You have to delete/recreate them and retype name and descirption.

8- "Utility" tab is too big and too various. There should be more categorization. More generaly, no tab should have more than 30 parts. Why reactions wheels have their own tab and decoupler and docking don't ?

9- Tanks and other tabs should not be simply sorted by names by also by type (all 1.25 tanks in order, all 2.5, all 3.75...) finding parts would be much easier. Same for engines : air breather should be around each others, decouplers, docking, adapters...

10- Craft files listing should have subfolders, should display more data and should be sortable on criteria. Finding ships is hard if you don't delete old creations. Again, there are mods... Maybe integration such a sub assemblies would be better and more coherent.

11- Editor should allow different symmetry. When you do a 4x symmetry, you can't do x2 afterwards.

12- I would like to have x5 and maybe x7 symetry.

[LordFerret]

That's a better practice anyway. A lot of things can come out a little wrong with ctrl+z so I don't really use it unless it's a purely structural, preferably singular, part involved. Typically I just save any time I'm satisfied with the work I just did.

At least during building phase. Once I'm in bugtesting phases I never use it, I change one thing at a time and save/launch each time, any mistakes result in a full reload of the verfied working model.

Something I wouldn't mind seeing in the VAB (or rather - out back of the VAB) is a test-bed; That way, you wouldn't need to "launch" to test out ladders, solar panels, other parts etc. Some of them do work inside the VAB, some don't. It would be nice to be able to test (or set default state) for action group part assignments inside too... for example, you can toggle RCS thrusters on/off, but when you launch they're always in a default 'on' state - unlike, say, SAS, which can be set off in the VAB and it remains so at launch.

[Val]

This doesn't work for me. I can't get the elevon oriented to the ship before attaching, because it changes orientation once you get it close enough to attach.

Strange. It has never failed me.

I'll try to clarify in case my meaning was not clear.

• This only works for wing edges (other key-sequence will be needed when attaching to other surfaces)
  
• It will look wrong until the mouse cursor hovers over the wing edge, and if you move the mouse away from the wing edge.
  

1. Pick a fresh Elevon from the part catalog.
   
2. Hover the mouse over the wing edge you intend to attach it to.
   
3. Press D, then S.
   
4. Observe the Elevon is now correctly orientated.
   

• Doing Step 3 before Step 2 can also be done.
  

Edited August 28, 2015 by Val
More clarification

[sal_vager]

Just how high do you need fairings to be anyway?

[Majorjim!]

1) Want to attach an elevon to a wing segment? The elevon will attach vertically. You've got to attach it and then rotate it to fit. Why attach in a default way that is *exactly opposite* to how it should typically attach?

2) Got a piece exactly where you want it? Oops, you clicked on it by accident when you wanted something near it. Now you have to put it back into the right place all over again.

3) Trying to get a camera angle to see something in a tricky position? Good luck, you'll be moving the camera around all day long. Free move isn't possible on your camera.

1) so what? It takes a second to position it.

2) Save often, try not to use control+z it's kraken bait. Either reload the craft or just build more carefully.

3) It is possible to move the craft into any position you want man, its easy, just press shift to grab the whole craft or grab the primary part and move it.

My suggestion would be, practice more.

MJ

[ibanix]

Horray for useless "help"!

[Majorjim!]

Horray for useless "help"!

I see plenty of replies that would genuinely help you mate. mine included. There are some things you have to get used to with the editor. I and others here know it like the backs of our hands. Our answers, if listened to and acted upon will help your building.

[ibanix]

Yes, others here were helpful. Your post amounted to "your problems don't exist" ... despite others also noticing the same problems.

If you don't have anything useful to contribute, please find another thread to post in.

[V8jester]

Yes, others here were helpful. Your post amounted to "your problems don't exist" ... despite others also noticing the same problems.

If you don't have anything useful to contribute, please find another thread to post in.

ibanix, don't take this the wrong way. Majorjim is one of the more helpful people on this forum. Barking "Hurray thanks for useless help" is no way to get anyone on your side. you only have 68 posts so I will chalk that up to a noob mistake. Just take it easy and communicate what you're looking for. We're all here to help. Just try and remember.... Its just a game.

[Majorjim!]

Yes, others here were helpful. Your post amounted to "your problems don't exist" ... despite others also noticing the same problems.

If you don't have anything useful to contribute, please find another thread to post in.

Charming..

these two answers of mine WILL help you..

2) Save often, try not to use control+z it's kraken bait. Either reload the craft or just build more carefully.

3) It is possible to move the craft into any position you want man, its easy, just press shift to grab the whole craft or grab the primary part and move it.

[Starwhip]

The thing about the elevons (and other rotated things) that chaps me is that after you have them all set up, you alt-click them to copy the correctly rotated thing right next to itself, and the newly copied one is somehow magically EVEN WORSE than if you had just picked a new one from the parts list.

Oh, god yes. To no end is this irritating.

[Superfluous J]

The fact that you can kludge your way around problems doesn't make them not problems.

Oh, here's one that started some time around 1.0 coming out:

Small parts (for me it seems the smallest decoupler and the okto 2 more than anything else) sometimes just refuse to attach to node points. They snap to the point, I drop them, and they're sitting there, greyed out, right exactly where they should be to be attached, but not attached. Mocking me.

Usually if I try to attach them 4-6 times, eventually it will work.