How to Modify parts.

[Orion Kerman]

Hello!! I have made this to help people mod and also to let me learn how to mod too. I know a bit so I will explain how I modify parts. If you can add advice to this to help me and others mod because who doesn't want to mod or make the stock game more interesting without downloading mods.

Simple way to mod:

1. Choose a part you want to have, e.g an engine or heat sheild prevent not special parts. These are found in squad then parts.

2. Now I reccomend that you copy the part and put it in your own new folder in gameplay now open the part folder. Ignore the images for now since I cannot help with images, open the .cfg file and at the top should be part name: now rename it or problems occur. Then scroll down until you find title and stuff.

3.Rename title and manufacture to your programme name and definition.

4. Underneath should be cool stuff like:

min thrust, max thrust, heat production, propellant....... , gimbal range

these are the main ones I reccomend changing to your own choices but for propellant always copy and paste fuel types.... Keep ratio for propellant the same ratio. THESE ARE FOR ENGINES!!! but the cool thing with engine to change is down at the bottom called

Module

Name = .....

Animation name = fun, choose from another engine using copy and paste!!!!

 

If you find something wrong please tell me and please tell people new things to do. I am not responsible for breaking things. Keep a copy of your save always. Dont blame me. Have a good explosion on the pad...

 

 

Edited November 14, 2016 by Orion Kerman

[Vanamonde]

This thread has been moved to the Tutorials subforum. 

[Program Kerbal Space]

Sincerely I think people will think this is a tutorial on how to add a mod like "Chatterer," not add a part, so I think you should name it "How to modify a part," or "How to add a part."

Edited November 13, 2016 by Program Kerbal Space

[katateochi]

You can make changes to parts like this but it kinda the old way of doing things and has a couple drawbacks.  It makes it harder to share your craft (unless you also provide instructions to remake your changes, cos you're not supposed to redistribute parts) and if KSP gets an update that adds a change to a part you've modified then you'll have to redo your changes (and if you've modified an original part a steam update might just reset it).

The more standard way to do things now is make module manager patches (the does require installing the module manager mod, but it is kind of a staple for modding now). Module Manger lets you do the same things but you leave the original part unchanged and your patch just contains the changes you want.  It essentially just merges your changes into the part so if the part gets upgraded your patch is unaffected and you can keep all your patches in one place. It also handles applying multiple patches to a single part so you can keep different modifications discrete and enables you to write a single patch to apply to a whole set of parts, or just to one specific part.  
Here's the module manager wiki (won't lie, it's a bit confusing at first).
this thread has some good examples of how to do different things with it. 

[Galileo]

Doing it this way is just asking for trouble.. And really you would be creating more work for yourself in the long run. I would suggest Module Manager as well. It allows you to make changes to parts without actually editing the original file in squads part folder. 

[Orion Kerman]

22 hours ago, Program Kerbal Space said:

Sincerely I think people will think this is a tutorial on how to add a mod like "Chatterer," not add a part, so I think you should name it "How to modify a part," or "How to add a part."

Will do.

18 hours ago, katateochi said:

You can make changes to parts like this but it kinda the old way of doing things and has a couple drawbacks.  It makes it harder to share your craft (unless you also provide instructions to remake your changes, cos you're not supposed to redistribute parts) and if KSP gets an update that adds a change to a part you've modified then you'll have to redo your changes (and if you've modified an original part a steam update might just reset it).

The more standard way to do things now is make module manager patches (the does require installing the module manager mod, but it is kind of a staple for modding now). Module Manger lets you do the same things but you leave the original part unchanged and your patch just contains the changes you want.  It essentially just merges your changes into the part so if the part gets upgraded your patch is unaffected and you can keep all your patches in one place. It also handles applying multiple patches to a single part so you can keep different modifications discrete and enables you to write a single patch to apply to a whole set of parts, or just to one specific part.  
Here's the module manager wiki (won't lie, it's a bit confusing at first).
this thread has some good examples of how to do different things with it. 

Thanks for the advice I havent used module manager but if this turns into a thread of ways to make mods and modify things I think that would help me a lot as well as others. I will research how to use module manager then I will test it then post it.

P.S I am quite new to forums so do tell me what to do and what not to do if I do something wrong.

Edit: Why can't you create mods without mm because if you copy the part and go to the top of .cfg and edit part name you will have both parts. Like 2 mainsails but they are different parts.

Edited November 14, 2016 by Orion Kerman

[BaelRathLian]

  Really good information, but you left out one vital part.  The fuel.  For example switching an RCS thruster from using xenon gas to using electric.  I am still trying to figure that one out.