How to relabel junk as "Debris"?

[DeMatt]

Quick summary of the mission: I'm setting up a three-satellite communications array to use within RemoteTech, and thought the best way to get a high-precision spacing was to add all three comsats to a single rocket, put that rocket into a four-hour orbit, then decouple a comsat once per orbit. Yay for Kerbal Engineer Redux's informational readouts.

Problem is, I "cleverly" put decouplers on both ends of the structure holding each comsat to the rocket, and the automatic labeling system decided that when I detached each comsat and the structure, it'd label the structure as a "Probe". Despite the structure being just two cubic girders and the decouplers.

So, question: can I relabel these "Probes" as the "Debris" they actually are, ingame? They don't have command pods of any sort to right-click-relabel. I know I could just End the flights, but I'd prefer not to do that.

Edited November 18, 2013 by DeMatt
Got an answer, but not the one I was hoping for.

[el_coyoto]

Quick summary of the mission: I'm setting up a three-satellite communications array to use within RemoteTech, and thought the best way to get a high-precision spacing was to add all three comsats to a single rocket, put that rocket into a four-hour orbit, then decouple a comsat once per orbit. Yay for Kerbal Engineer Redux's informational readouts.

Problem is, I "cleverly" put decouplers on both ends of the structure holding each comsat to the rocket, and the automatic labeling system decided that when I detached each comsat and the structure, it'd label the structure as a "Probe". Despite the structure being just two cubic girders and the decouplers.

So, question: can I relabel these "Probes" as the "Debris" they actually are, ingame? They don't have command pods of any sort to right-click-relabel. I know I could just End the flights, but I'd prefer not to do that.

Well, persistence file editing perhaps?

I'm not at home and don't have access to an example persistence file, but I imagine the games saves the crafts type (Lander, Base, Rover Debris, etc) in it...

Edited November 18, 2013 by el_coyoto
words

[Starwhip]

I don't know. But you could make a "collector" craft that is unmanned which is arranged like this:

|__|

[]-[]

[]-[]

\__/

./.\

with the |__| being a "cup" which you catch the debris, point retrograde, and deorbit.

[Kasuha]

My approach: ask the tracking station to kindly fire their secret laser weapon and annihilate these pieces.

Even if it's marked as debris it makes the game lag.

[Javster]

Go to it, select probe core, right click, select rename, it allows you to change the type.

[phunk]

Most importantly, make a backup copy of your save game folder first.

Then open the persistent.sfs and locate the vessel in question (search for the name). Here's an example from mine:

VESSEL

{

pid = 34fe768006834368af05c12d2bcba24c

name = Jool 1

type = Probe

You should just need to change the type from "Probe" to "Debris".

[DeMatt]

Go to it, select probe core, right click, select rename, it allows you to change the type.

No probe core to right-click.

My approach: ask the tracking station to kindly fire their secret laser weapon and annihilate these pieces.

Even if it's marked as debris it makes the game lag.

I was hoping to avoid this. I don't have that much stuff flying around yet - labeling it as "Debris" was more just to tidy up my tracking station view.

I don't know. But you could make a "collector" craft that is unmanned which is arranged like this:

|__|

[]-[]

[]-[]

\__/

./.\

with the |__| being a "cup" which you catch the debris, point retrograde, and deorbit.

That's the eventual plan; I just need to design an SSTO which can actually reach that altitude (2861km x 1189km) so I'm not leaving more debris behind.

Well, persistence file editing perhaps?

I'm not at home and don't have access to an example persistence file, but I imagine the games saves the crafts type (Lander, Base, Rover Debris, etc) in it...

Bleh, so a solution, but not an ingame solution. Oh well.