How to lock part Axis during Construction...?

[Dart_Tech]

Hello. I'm new to KSP...haven't landed on the mun yet...but try'in too.

I'm having extreme difficulty with construction however. I've done some 3D modeling in other software but have major problems in KSP.

I'm having 2 highly annoying problems:

1) If I have the camera facing at an angle and move my mouse left and right to move the part left and right...the camera moves it up and down....I have to rotate the camera level and then I can move it left and right, but now I loose depth placement, or have lost the exsact X-axis depth I wanted the part at.

2) The second thing I'm having problems with is trying to place a few rockets off center from another set symmetrical to the Y-axis, but not the X-axis...such as making a long wing, then trying to place a rocket at the top and bottom evenly. I cant use the "Part Symmetrical Duplicator" button or it puts it waaaay on the other side of the ship relative to the X-axis, not the Y-axis.

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Is there a way to:

1) Press and hold a key or something to lock the axis, such as if I'm moving a part up and down, I can press and hold a key, move the camera any angle I want and move the part and it stills moves up and down on the same X-axis as long as I'm holding that key?

2) Can I enable a "snap-grid" so I can do single part placement at intervals that are easy to line up?

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These 2 feature are in pretty much EVERY 3D modeling program that I have worked with and could really use them in KSP.

If there is not a way, whats the best area for a feature request?

Thanks!

[Vlk]

There is a suggestion forum in an other category (development i guess)

As you build, you will notice more and more issues with the editor, but also, you get used to the limits slowly, or build in a way where it will not be a problem

what you can try:

- rotate the whole ship, and try symmetry again - i noticed that is changes the symmetry axis. You can rotate back later.

- use the "c" key to lock the parts to a place, or make smooth changes - the movement of the part will change too

- put new parts on parts that were not rotated before with the wsad keys, and rotate the main subpart only after that. this way the editor works better.

- sometimes its better if you use symmetry only after you finished one part of the symmetry. Like, you build the right side first, and when finished, you take the right side, turn symmetry on, and put it back. This way the symmetrical part can have further symmetrical parts

edit: i also suggested that they should have a key for orthographic view, to be able to balance the ship better. But later i found out that i can use the lines on the ground: i lower the ship/plane until they are on the ground, then compare the parts to the lines on the floor ugly method but works

Edited December 16, 2013 by Vlk

[Taki117]

1) if you hold shift it will change the way the camera works (For the VAB it changes to zoom, for the SPH it changes to translate)

2) if you either a) click the circle next to the symmetry button at the bottom of the part list thing it should turn into a hexagon you are not in angle snap and part will snap at angles in 5 degree incriments. press the 'C' button on your keyboard, it toggles modes (So if you are in angle snap it will take you back to not angle snap)