Screenshot directory

[GermanB]

Hi,

I am a user of steam version of the game, so you understand how deep my KSP screenshot folder is, what if this folder will be in My Documents folder? Or even My pictures? I think, it will be a lot easier to find.

[FEichinger]

While it would be a lot easier to find, it would also separate the files and directories the application uses. This, generally speaking, is a frowned-upon practice as it reduces portability and spreads the application across the system. *nix-Systems also tend to be partitioned, which then spreads the whole thing across multiple partitions, too.

Maybe placing a symbolic link from the respective user directories to the screenshot folder would suffice?

[jfx]

Frowned upon? Mashing everything into the application folder is bad practice. And has been since - at least - XP.

Windows provides specific locations in the file system to store programs and software components, shared application data, and application data specific to a user:

Applications should be installed to the Program Files folder by default. User data or application data must never be stored in this location because of the security permissions configured for this folder (emphasis added)

All application data that must be shared among users on the computer should be stored within ProgramData

All application data exclusive to a specific user and not to be shared with other users of the computer must be stored in Users\<username>\AppData

Never write directly to the "Windows" directory and or subdirectories. Use the correct methods for installing files, such as fonts or drivers

In “per-machine†installations, user data must be written at first run and not during the installation. This is because there is no correct user location to store data at time of installation. Attempts by an application to modify default association behaviors at a machine level after installation will be unsuccessful. Instead, defaults must be claimed on a per-user level, which prevents multiple users from overwriting each other's defaults.

from: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=3859

imo it is the same under linux. Why should screenshots be in the same location as the binaries? /home/user/media would be much better. And there is no drawback in dumping your write once read never screenshots onto a different partition.

By the way you can also right click ksp in steam: properties > local files > browse local files. ... Or make a shortcut.

tl;dr: Why is there no .ini file where you can specify where you want your screenshots.

Edited July 28, 2013 by jfx

[GermanB]

Well, I thought most games do that. X3 does.

[Sean Mirrsen]

You can also just blithely copy the game install out of the Steam directory elsewhere, or just install it into the folder you need from within Steam itself.

And keeping a shortcut to the game directory is what I do. Useful for both screenshots and modding.

[Zeroignite]

I really, really don't like it when programs put stuff in unexpected places. Especially when things come as a standalone folder w/ executable, like KSP does when direct-downloaded.

[Trann]

My (related) request: screenshots to be saved under a directory based on saves/ to accommodate multiple players/saved games on one machine.

A similar request was made in an archived thread:

Good point. ksp/screenshots/<save name>/<craft name>/screenshot1.png

Ref. http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/46601-Screenshot-Subdirectories-By-Craft-Name?highlight=screenshots+folder

[iStickyDuck]

Why don't you create a shortcut from My Pictures to the screenshot folder... Problem solved

[lipatden]

While it would be a lot easier to find, it would also separate the files and directories the application uses. This, generally speaking, is a frowned-upon practice as it reduces portability and spreads the application across the system. *nix-Systems also tend to be partitioned, which then spreads the whole thing across multiple partitions, too.

Maybe placing a symbolic link from the respective user directories to the screenshot folder would suffice?

First off, Windows doesn't do symbolic links. OK, it does, but only through the command-window and with an arcane command that MS never mentions, and when using NTFS. So basically, no.

Second, segregating binaries and data is absolutely best practice, even more so on *nix than Windows, and often the very reason these extra partitions exist (that way user data can't fill up a system volume). Granted this game isn't intended a system-wide installation on a multi-user platform, but it's little headache to make it so.

At the very least, I'd like the option to point the saves and therefore screenshots (or possibly only screenshots) to another folder while the default is as now, perhaps my Google Drive/other? Since it's a more advanced requirement I don't expect directory navigation GUI to accompany it, but a config file or text entry field in the configuration screen would be nice. Simple sanity checking for the location (can it be written to) will be enough to confirm the path is valid.