Part cofig modification help request.

[gmiddlemass]

Firstly let me state that I am a complete modding noob and that I am just starting to dip my toe into the world of part modding with KSP via editing the config files.

So far I have successfully re-textured/modified the small  "Not-Rockomax Mocronode" into a working probe core/micro satellite and wanted to try something else.

My plan is to try and turn one of the ore drills into a surface sample collector which can be placed onto an unmanned probe. I know, it's disgusting that I want to do this rather than send a Kerbal and pick up the samples in person but I plan on making the transmission penalty so high that the sample will have to be returned to Kerbin anyway in order to gain any useful science from them. The way I look at it it's just going to be using an unmanned probe rather than risking the life of a Kerbal to get the sample and you can already use probes to mine for ore which basically is a surface sample anyway so this seems like a logical progression of that mechanic.

Anyway, that's enough of the starter now on to the main course...

I can resize/re-texture the drill fine and can get it to display the "Take Surface Sample" message and run the experiment OK but I can't figure out how the animation of the part works. Ideally I would like to use the stock animation to deploy, drill for the sample and then stow the drill again when the experiment is run but I don't know if this is possible? Could someone please point me in the right direction for a tutorial on how the animation commands of the config work? I can't find much information on the "ModuleAnimationGroup" "deployAnimationName" and "activeAnimationName" commands which I am assuming are what I need to use?

I should also point out that I intend to sue these parts purely in my own personal game and will not distribute other peoples code, I just want to learn and reverse engineering existing parts seems to be the logical starting point.

Thank you in advance for any help offered.

[SpannerMonkey(smce)]

Hi as i understand it (not being a great lover of animation group) the "deployAnimationName" is just the same as in animation generic and is the name of the animation that was created in unity and in this case being a multi part  animation it is the first animation played in the sequence, following that the "activeAnimationName"  animation  is played, with the drill that would be the rotary motion i presume, and on animation stop, it again plays the deploy animation but in reverse

[gmiddlemass]

Thank you @SpannerMonkey(smce) that seems to back up what little information I've been able to find so far. I'll carry on with the search though and continue to play around with the part, It's quite addictive once you get started!