Panning around map view

[docfish]

I really hesitated to ask this, frankly it seems like I've just got to be overlooking something, but even after going through every control I could think of I'm having no luck. In the map view you can change your focus to different objects, which is awesome, but can you arbitrarily pan your map around? I find myself fine tuning manuever nodes (yes via mechjeb) and wanting to dial in burns to go between planets, I can always do a second burn when I'm partway through, but occasionally my inability to zoom in on closest encounter makes it very difficult to correct for when it looks above like it's close but ends up being a little high and low (very difficult to see from the side because of other planetary orbits). Heck if someone has a tip for dealing with that, even if I can't pan that'd help!

Anyway, woohoo I'm finally figuring out (with the help of online calculators) how to do these things without just telling mechjeb to do it's thing, two successful landings pulled off, one despite a damaged middle stage and accidentally lining a bulls-eye up on Ike with my mid-course correction (which is the other cause of the question)

Edited September 27, 2013 by docfish

[Specialist290]

Welcome to the forums!

Unfortunately, I don't think it's possible to pan around the map (shifting focus and rotating are the only controls I'm aware of), but I think I still have some info that might help with your problem.

KSP simulates orbits using a technique called patched conic approximation. There's a few different drawing modes that you can set that change how they're displayed. You can either find the "settings.cfg" file in your install's folder and change the number in the line "CONIC_PATCH_DRAW_MODE = 3" to fit whatever mode you think would work best, or you could download a plugin like Improved Maneuver Nodes or PreciseNode that lets you change drawing modes from within the game itself (among other handy features).

[boomerdog2000]

Mechjeb itself also has an option that lets you change the conics mode.

In the maneuver node editor window you can change the conics setting using the numbers at the bottom.

[docfish]

Thanks folks, it's nice to know that I wasn't missing something obvious (though it would have been far more convinient if I had been heh). I did see the conics setting in mechjeb while I was tweaking maneuvers, I'll have to fiddle with it tomorrow since I managed to wait until the end of my gaming time to check for replies... Tomorrow I'll play with that setting a bit, the screen shot for mode 3 in particular does look a lot easier to follow visually!

[Supernovy]

You can also focus on a manoeuvre node by tabbing or shift-tabbing through all the planets. Backspace resets the focus to your craft.