Ship subfolders

[Stargate525]

When doing multiple missions, or keeping iterations of vessels made during testing and such, I find my ship list in the VAB and SPH getting really, really long relatively quickly.

I think it would be neat if we could organize these a little better. I was thinking perhaps being able to sort them by 'projects.' For instance, if you're planning a series of mun missions, you could start a new project [subfolder], and name it Apollo. Then, when you save a rocket, you can choose to put it in the Apollo folder for easy reference.

Ideally, I'd like a way to select a project as soon as I went into the VAB; the load screen would show only that project (with an up button to get out, of course), the save would automatically go into that folder, and the default name would be [projectname] [X+1], where X is the number of craft files already in the project folder.

Thoughts?

[LORDPrometheus]

I think this is an interesting idea. An idea worth consideration by at least the modding community if not SQUAD. I tend to make my ships via Acronyms and nicknames IE. F/A-27b "peregrine" a multipurpose fighter/ ground attack vehicle or the A-97 "seagull" light bomber. Rockets are labeled by capacity then name and spacecraft are labeled by acronym of purpose like T for transport WS for warship or RV for research vessel so I get something like WS-19-LC- "Leviticus" warship 19 light cruiser Leviticus

[LORDPrometheus]

After further research I have found that SQUAD has some interest in a feature similar to this but it isn't exactly a priority for them right now

[Traches]

+1 for UI improvements.

[RadHazard]

I would love something like this. In my very first save file, I saved every iteration of my ships under a new name, and even if I never had to use them, I still enjoyed looking at all the old versions just to see how the design was refined as it was built. In later save files I stopped doing this because it ended up filling up my ship list very quickly, and it was tough for me to remember to change the version number before saving every single time.

I'd also like a separate categorization system in addition to per-craft version archives, preferably with custom categories. It'd be nice to be able to have all my supply craft in one category, my space tugs in another, my one-shot science missions in a third... etc. If the same systems also applied to subassemblies, even better.

[Atoning Unifex]

I tend to use a numbering system with my rockets, with the numbers indicating major version changes and decimal places indicating minor changes, basically like games do. I also get a long list as I don't like to overwrite previous versions. The numbering helps easily identify craft but I would certainly love a better way of managing designs.

I have two thoughts on this. First I'd like to have a way of defining a craft type (Station, lander etc) during design, instead of after launch (I've never found a way to do this anyway). This could be coupled with the saving & loading screen so you can filter by specific craft types reducing list sizes.

In addition I'd like to be able to manage stock ships better, with a way to 'promote' a game specific design to stock, or to delete stock ships (with suitable warning), instead of having to copy files around.

[Captain Sierra]

This isn't a suggestion. This is common sense. Adding the ability to create folders in the editor and subfolders within your created folders is extremely simple, and extremely necessary. Squad, how many minutes would it take you to quickly code this? Probably less than an hour.

As for the project style system of the OP, I think that should be done more like tags. You can create projects and select a project for each of your craft files. Then those tags are another option to sort crafts by. This way you can still save your stuff in project named folders while people like me embrace a system like that but also have folders entitled "Lifters", "Landers", "Tugs", etc.

Edited January 10, 2014 by Captain Sierra

[Stargate525]

This isn't a suggestion. This is common sense. Adding the ability to create folders in the editor and subfolders within your created folders is extremely simple, and extremely necessary. Squad, how many minutes would it take you to quickly code this? Probably less than an hour.

Let's not be too hasty here. Yes, you could probably code in a quick and dirty menu to retrieve craft files from subfolders. But if you want it to actually mesh with the current structure and not be a nineties 'we'll just pop up a windows default save box here,' they need to place and design an up button, a new folder, delete folder, rename folder...

So I'd say much more than an hour to get it to their standards of release.

I also like the idea of being able to select a craft type upon construction.

[sgtscuba]

I would support it, would make it much easier as I break mine down into class such as light/medium/heavy payloads and keep the boosters separately.

[TMS]

Another vote from me. The subassembly loader mod used to have this as standard, but it broke back in .21 and everybody's fixes keep being deleted.

[Mars Mullo]

Actually I think it would be better to be able to retire designs instead of sub-foldering them.

Because some other mods probably rely on the current structure.

I would like to see more history or scrap booking of designs being made.. and allow that to be placed in the Astronaut complex. Then you can link that design with it's history's of contracts or missions that it is associated with.

That way only the currently used designs are in my building environments VAB SPH.

[bv1]

This is a great idea. My vessel lists also get very large.