Trying to create TWO stages, but ONE spacebar press triggers both?

[PurpleTinker]

So I'm on a mad quest to create, de novo, a baby space shuttle clone for my kerbs.

I have an crude orbiter (which, much like the real one, flies like a brick) and I'm attempting to set up my first two 'stages': One to ignite the shuttle's main engines (once I add the massive external fuel tank and SRBs, it will light up those as well), and another, as a test, to decouple the external fuel tank (which I have not yet added).

In the Vehicle Assembly Building, I go to Action Groups > Stage.

I add all of the component actions to the group, then I drag 'n' drop them into two stages on the bottom right: Stage '0' ('light up engines') and Stage '1' ('decouple SRB couplers').

Looks like it should work....

...and then I go to launch. Throttle up, hit Spacebar.... and the engines light up, AND the decouplers decouple. At the same time. With one keypress.

What am I doing wrong?

See screenshot.

Edited January 10, 2014 by PurpleTinker

[Seret]

You don't need an action group for this, just move the various icons around in the staging diagram on the right. You can add and remove stages, change the order, and change what part activates in that stage. Just drag and drop. The order starts at the bottom and works it's way up the diagram.

So put the main engines in a lower stage, when you press space it will fire up. Put your decoupler for the external tank in a stage above that, when you press space again it'll blow the tank off. You'll need a fuel line from the tank to the orbiter to make it drain the external tank first, btw.

[celem]

It doesnt surprise me you are decoupling on first press. To be honest the only surprising thing is that the engines lit at all.

Stage bottom to top, engines lowest, then decouplers, leave whatever pod icon is created by your design and chutes in stage 0

[blizzy78]

The problem is that spacebar activates the next stage (see staging list in the bottom right of your screenshot.) But when you have anything inside the "Stage" action group, that stuff is fired as well, every time you press the spacebar. So usually you don't assign anything to that action group.

[Kasuha]

What's in the Stage action group is executed every time you press space. Normally you don't need to put anything there.

Your stages are in reverse order. Things at the bottom are executed first.

[PurpleTinker]

Ah! Thank you!!! So "Stage" is basically "Execute this stuff upon changing stages". It isn't how you literally set up your stages; the menu at the bottom right is.

Iiiiiiii get it! Thank you, all!

[PurpleTinker]

Now, how do I mark this thread as answered?

[PurpleTinker]

So many many thanks to all!

[DeMatt]

Now, how do I mark this thread as answered?

Click "Edit Post" beneath your first post in the thread, then the "Go Advanced" button, then find the Prefix dropdown and change it to [Answered!].

[PurpleTinker]

This community rocks!