VAB questions: iconography; rotate/transfer tool.

[Mister Spock]

I'm a returning player from KSP1, and I've so far made it to the Mun and the start of Tier 2 of the tech tree. But the VAB UI still confuses me.

1. First, what does the green icon at the top of my ship mean? It seems to be a picture of a rocket next to a gantry. Does it have any function?

2. What exactly does the "eye" icon do? I often click on it and see no change. I think it's supposed to make fairings opaque or transparent, but I'm not sure.

3. Does snap do anything? I toggle the magnet icon on/off and don't seem to notice any significant difference when placing parts.

4. Most important: does the rotate/translate tool really allow me to hide any part inside any other? I don't recall being able to do that in KSP1. Here, I've watched videos of people putting an RCS tank inside a methalox tank, or sliding a Science Jr Jr inside another part, or pushing radial parachutes partly into a capsule. This seems to make the cargo bay part superfluous. Are there any limits to what one can hide/clip with this tool?

5. Speaking of which, I just slid my Science Jr Jr inside a landing can. Now I can't seem to select the science part using the selection tool. I can highlight the Science Jr Jr with the parts manager, but I can't select or move it. I suppose I over-did it with the rotate/translate tool?

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[18Watt]

5 minutes ago, Mister Spock said:

Most important: does the rotate/translate tool really allow me to hide any part inside any other?

Well, that one I can answer:  Yes it does, and yes it worked that way in KSP1 also.

5 minutes ago, Mister Spock said:

Speaking of which, I just slid my Science Jr Jr inside a landing can. Now I can't seem to select the science part using the selection tool. I can highlight the Science Jr Jr with the parts manager, but I can't select or move it. I suppose I over-did it with the rotate/translate tool?

Yeah, that could happen in KSP1 also.  About the only reliable fix I'm aware of is put both parts in the trash, and start over.  Note to self:  parts placed completely inside other parts are difficult or impossible to ever click on again.

As to your first three questions, I also have no clue.  I'll be watching this space, hoping someone who does know chimes in, because I'm curious as well.

[Superfluous J]

1 hour ago, Mister Spock said:

1. First, what does the green icon at the top of my ship mean? It seems to be a picture of a rocket next to a gantry. Does it have any function?

You can build multiple rockets in the VAB at a time (or multiple pieces of the same rocket separately). That icon is green on the rocket that you're currently working on, and white on the others. Clicking it make that rocket the active one.

1 hour ago, Mister Spock said:

4. Most important: does the rotate/translate tool really allow me to hide any part inside any other? I don't recall being able to do that in KSP1. Here, I've watched videos of people putting an RCS tank inside a methalox tank, or sliding a Science Jr Jr inside another part, or pushing radial parachutes partly into a capsule. This seems to make the cargo bay part superfluous. Are there any limits to what one can hide/clip with this tool?

You could slide every single part into every other part and have a rocket that looks like a single fuel tank, if you want.

The reasons not to do that are many, up to and including it looks dumb and cargo bays look better (and are more realistic).

But if you want to just slide all your fiddly bits into something else go for it.

1 hour ago, Mister Spock said:

5. Speaking of which, I just slid my Science Jr Jr inside a landing can. Now I can't seem to select the science part using the selection tool. I can highlight the Science Jr Jr with the parts manager, but I can't select or move it. I suppose I over-did it with the rotate/translate tool?

There's another reason not to do #4

(I don't know about your other 2 questions)

[Mister Spock]

Thanks for your replies! They cleared up most of my confusion. I’m still curious about the eye and magnet/snap icons, so if anyone can enlighten us, please do!

Edited January 18 by Mister Spock
Typo.

[The Aziz]

13 hours ago, Superfluous J said:

That icon is green on the rocket that you're currently working on, and white on the others. Clicking it make that rocket the active one.

Not quite - it marks the vessel that will be launched. The option is literally called "Launch assembly". You can work on anything in the workspace without having it changed (but you'd want to anyway since it then will show you all the stats and staging for the active assembly).

14 hours ago, Mister Spock said:

2. What exactly does the "eye" icon do? I often click on it and see no change. I think it's supposed to make fairings opaque or transparent, but I'm not sure.

It should, but it's kinda buggy now. Fairing will only open when hovering the mouse near the base. Kinda useless when you're working near the top of it.

14 hours ago, Mister Spock said:

3. Does snap do anything? I toggle the magnet icon on/off and don't seem to notice any significant difference when placing parts.

Did you notice that the side-mounted parts are being attached in specific places/orientations around a symmetry when this is on? Snap off gives you full freedom, and sometimes it's recommended when placing, say, wheels on the side of a Rovemax core.

[Mister Spock]

Ah, thanks for the clarification on the magnet icon. That explains it. Likewise, I appreciate your input on the eye and the green-rocket icon.