How do I force a merged component to respect saved orientation?

[Geoclasm]

In attempting to create a new component I'm having a nightmare of a time getting the component to respect it's saved orientation when I merge it into another component.

 

I.E.: I have it rotated (QWES Rotation, not "3" Rotation) such that the it should face a certain way.

However, when I merge the component in, it always loads facing the "default" direction.

When I try and rotate it after merging it in, it %&*!s up the radial orientation so it ends up inside the component I'm trying to mount it to.

 

Help?

[Snark]

Can you include some screenshots to illustrate your specific problem? i.e. "Here's the component, now here's my ship, now here's what happens when I try to put the component on the ship."

[swjr-swis]

I recognize this issue. It's caused by subassemblies not respecting/saving the orientation, the center-of-gizmo (as I like to call it), and sometimes even the correct attachment node of the one part that was connected when you 'plucked' it to make the subassembly.

So trying to place it back exactly as it was before, especially when it was a radially attached part, sometimes becomes impossible, because the transforms (rotate/offset) you need to get the exact same placement do not leverage around the same points.

What I do nowadays when I want to make a subassembly, I never pluck the actual set of parts from the craft... I mod-click it to take a copy only and leave the original in place. Then save as subassembly, then test how it saved and whether it works as I need it to. Sometimes it plain refuses to save in a workable state and I have to rethink how to attach those parts in a different way so when I 'pluck' the set it will save in a usable state.

Also, avoid making subassemblies starting with a part that is radially attached or rotated in a non-cardinal angle (0,90,180,270). That is practically a guarantee your subassembly will not radially attach the same way, ever.