VAB - How to Place Wheels

[zlaxys]

Could someone help me understand the direction and placement of wheels? Just 4 wheels. I've spent hours experimenting and looked at every likely Google result and haven't gotten any closer to figuring it out. The closest I've come to having the wheels move in the right direction is following one advice to build the wheel frame at 90 degrees to the starting module, using 2-way symmetry, and then returning it to the original position. The problem is some wheels still seem to be moving at 45 degree angles to the others or some nonsense. When I rotate them in VAB they end up either turning in the wrong direction or rotating the opposite way.

Anyone have a right-the-first-time way of placing 4 wheels on a vehicle?

Thanks in advance!

[troyn123]

Hold the shift key and play around with the WASDQE keys... Sometimes, just depending on the part, it won't ever automatically snap into the direction you want without some finagling of the angles. Those six keys will let you rotate it on any axis, and the shift key just lets you do it in smaller increments. 2x symmetry done twice has given me my best 4-wheel results.

[Sauron]

You could build your rovers in the SPH and then move the .craft file into your VAB folder manually--plane symmetry is much more useful for rovers (I wish you could do it in the VAB too!). You'll return to the SPH on ending your flight rather than the VAB, but other than that minor catch, you can mix things in the SPH and VAB this way.

[mrsinister]

basically if you don't feel like doing what Sauron said, you have to place them one at a time. The VAB building's symmetry isn't the same as the SPH building.

[zlaxys]

I've been doing the rotating for hours, but the different wheels spin and turn in different directions. Forward on some wheels is back on others, turning right is always left on one of the wheels. Maybe I'm supposed to stick one wheel on the outside of the frame and the opposite wheel on the inside, which might screw up the balance but truly mirror each side. I'll try the VAB solution, maybe that'll do it.

[Aragosnat]

I've been doing the rotating for hours, but the different wheels spin and turn in different directions. Forward on some wheels is back on others, turning right is always left on one of the wheels. Maybe I'm supposed to stick one wheel on the outside of the frame and the opposite wheel on the inside, which might screw up the balance but truly mirror each side. I'll try the VAB solution, maybe that'll do it.

What wheels are you trying to use? The standard ones are easy to figure out. _/ <- lowest part is the wheel high part is what attaches.

The new wheels the big uns that dont are not on long poles. The attached part orientation should look like this loosely. \_/ <- If you got it to look like that then it will turn properly. At least for myself

[Lazro]

Lock steering on wheels in between the front four, it does wonders for steering in my experience and prevents wheels from flipping out. If you can deal with a reduced turning circle then lock all but the front two to prevent flipping over.

[Vanamonde]

Here's how I mount rover wheels. In 2x symmetry, place side struts and then put fore/aft arms on the struts.

(You'll need to turn snap-to-angles off to get the fore/aft struts aligned properly.)

Still in 2x symmetry, place the first two wheels (still with snap turned off). They will try to align themselves sideways like this,

so use D/A to rotate them so that they are pointing down before attaching them.

Then attach the other two wheels.

Do NOT attempt to make the side arms with symmetry

and then move them to the sides before attempting to place the wheels. This 2x symmetry on 2x confuses the hell out of the interface, and it gets stuck in this weird 3x symmetry and won't leave it.

You can build a delivery rocket around a core in this orientation and it will fly straight, though the rover itself will display navball and react to steering as if it is lying on its back once on the surface. I either just live with that, since it's a minor annoyance, or I add another control piece oriented for driving and "control from here" to that piece once it's landed.

Note the orientation in which you will need to place the driving control piece in order for steering controls and the navball to work properly on the surface.

[zlaxys]

Thanks, all, and especially Vanamonde: much appreciated!

[zlaxys]

Darn, still not working out for me. I followed directions and got this -- note how the wheels still turn and steer in different directions.

.craft file:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/vzar56

[Vanamonde]

zlaxys, I believe the issue you were having is that the wheels were set at a 45 degree angle to the command pod's orientation, and the game was confused about how to interpret your movement commands. So I rotated the wheel arms to comply with the capsule, and was able to drive your vehicle around with both steering and drive applied in the proper directions.

[zlaxys]

What manner of witchcraft are you employing to get it to work? lol. I tried what you mentioned, but when I rotate 45 degrees, or even 90 degrees in either direction, the wheels end up lopsided and don't steer. Though they do seem to spin properly in the right direction. They look right to start, and after rotating the wheel arm doesn't point down anymore as it does in your screenshot. Any chance you could send me the modified .craft so I can reverse engineer it?

[Vanamonde]

No magic necessary. I just picked your wheels up from here,

and put them back on here.

Are you perhaps mistaking the position of the command capsule door to be "up" or "forward," and trying to orient yourself from there? Because up while the ship is flying is the side where the capsule windows are, and forward while driving is the opposite of that.

[koshelenkovv]

Can you can click on the wheel and toggle "Invert steering" button?

[zlaxys]

Vanamonde, you're absolutely right. That's exactly what I was doing -- using the hatch door to orient the vehicle. Thanks again!!!

[Vanamonde]

All in a day's work.