RCS toggle

[ceauke]

Hi guys

Is there a switch to turn RCS from rotational to linear?

I ran on fumes the other day and had to do my last retrograde on RCS. The only way I could get linear to work was to select any other flying object and then use the H and N keys for linear. So it seams that HJKLNI only works if you have a target. The rest of the time those buttons do nothing.

Wouldnt' it be easier if you can just press a button to switch between linear and rotational? Or rather, can someone tell me which button to press to make the switch?

Edited December 18, 2013 by ceauke

[Rhomphaia]

HNIJKL work fine for me without a target.

If you are in docking mode you switch between Linear and Rotational with spacebar

[blizzy78]

Assuming your RCS thrusters are well-positioned, the following are all the keys to use them:

J/L - translate left/right

I/K - translate down/up

H/N - translate forward/back

A/D - yaw left/right (same as without RCS)

W/S - pitch down/up (same as without RCS)

Q/E - roll left/right (same as without RCS)

There is no such thing as RCS working as "rotational", whatever that means. Also, you don't need a target to use RCS.

Edit: I'm assuming staging mode, not docking mode.

[ceauke]

hmm...

I dont really get it; we have two functions and two sets of keys. Why isn't it always on?

I think I messed up by trying docking and then having to select a target.

But hey, WHY OH WHY is the dangerous spacebar also a switch for RCS?! I'm always careful not to stage by accident. I tried everything EXCEPT spacebar because I didn't want to deplay my chutes on the mun.

Anyway... thanks for the tips. I'll try again.

[Smorfty]

HJKLNI works fine without a target. It however doesn't work without RCS.

Put your left hand on WASDQE and your right hand on HJKLNI.

Don't bother with docking mode, ever! Always be in staging mode.

[Rhomphaia]

hmm...

I dont really get it; we have two functions and two sets of keys. Why isn't it always on?

I think I messed up by trying docking and then having to select a target.

But hey, WHY OH WHY is the dangerous spacebar also a switch for RCS?! I'm always careful not to stage by accident. I tried everything EXCEPT spacebar because I didn't want to deplay my chutes on the mun.

Anyway... thanks for the tips. I'll try again.

HNIJKL only work as translation keys in staging mode. if you switch to docking mode they are disabled.

Docking mode locks staging and throttle and switches WASD shift and control to translation with spacebar to turn them back to rotation.

I wouldn't bother with docking mode at all. SAS was broken in it (not sure if 0.23 fixes this) and it is a bit of a faff.

[UH60guy]

Easiest way to dock is to ignore the docking controls. Use the "V" key a few times until you're using the chase view, then the translation (AKA directional movement or directional thrust) keys of IJKL and the forward/aft HN keys are bound to your screen orientation. The "rotational" keys are still the same too, WASD.

Orient yourself through rotation to the way the ship should face when docked using WASD (line up with docking port and axis of ship, never mind if you're actually pointed at the target yet).

Then use the translation keys to bring yourself in. Use the nav ball- note how the velocity vector (yellow) "drags" the purple target marker towards it. You need to use the IJKL translation keys to "drag" the purple target marker onto the big V at the center of the nav ball.

When everything is lined up- velocity vector, target marker, and orientation V, you are perfectly aligned to dock and can use H/N to adjust your speed to around .1-.2 m/s when everything meets up.