Move, rotate, place, and re-root tools: How do you turn them off?

[MetricKerbalist]

Hi KSP colleagues,

I understand well enough how to use the move and rotate tools.  I don't yet understand the place and re-root tools, but that is not my question here.

Could someone please tell me how I turn off these tools.  Once one gets lit up, I cannot figure out how to disengage them.

Thank you.

Stanley

[Geonovast]

One of the tools will always be active, so to disengage one of them you will just need to click on another. 

Place is just the mode to grab more parts from the left side of the screen and place them onto your ship.

If you have Rotate or Move selected, you can also go back to Place by just grabbing another part to put on the craft.

 

[MetricKerbalist]

Thank you, @Geonovast.

Actually, while we are on the subject, what is the re-root tool, please?

[Geonovast]

It allows you to change the root part of the craft.

The craft files are organized in a tree structure.  By default, your root part will be the first one you select when starting to build a new craft.  As you attach more parts, they will be added to the tree.  Each part will have exactly one part above it (except the root part) called the parent, and can have any number of parts below it (called children).  This is why, when you grab a part in the middle of your craft and pull it off to the side, more than just the one part is moved.  All the parts that are under that one in the tree go with it.

The re-root tool allows you to change which part is the root.  This is typically used when dealing with subassemblies and merging crafts and not needed when building a one-off rocket or using the stock crafts.

[MetricKerbalist]

Thank you, @Geonovast.  Most informative.

[FleshJeb]

If you're a hotkey user, you can switch modes with 1 through 4 on the keyboard.

[MetricKerbalist]

Thanks, @FleshJeb.