Weights and Measures

[SpacedCowboy]

While in the VAB or SPH, is there a way one can keep track of part #'s and weight while building a ship? Aside from putting it on the launchpad, going to space map and clicking on the little info button on the right side of the screen so you can see your part count and tonnage, there's got to be a better way, isn't there? Not knocking the devs here but one would think this sort of basic feature would've already been put in the game. Is there a mod for this?

Edited February 24, 2014 by SpacedCowboy

[Rhomphaia]

Mechjeb or Kerbal Engineer Redux will.

For part count you can save the ship, then open the load menu.

[SpacedCowboy]

Oh, yeah!,,, Duh, forgot about that. I refer to it a lot, especially when I'm trying to remember the name of the ship I was building the night before, looking a the part count on the auto-saved ship at the top of the list, and then scrolling down until I see the same part count and,,, yup that was it! Think I'm mainly concerned with the accumulated tonnage as I'm designing. Thanks so much for your quick response. Just one more thing, being kind of basic game player I'm not really into mods that much, (however I am running the Kethane pack), which one of those mods do you think I'd happiest with? I see by your join date that you're a "veteran" so I would seriously consider your advice. Thanks again

[SpaceGremlin]

Mechjeb also has part count. Its just not in a default window, but you can add it with the window editor.

[Rhomphaia]

Depends really, KER is an information only mod, MechJeb is a lot more, with autopilots, maneuver node editor, and more.

If all you want is info, KER may be the way to goat first. MechJeb can display a lot more flight info than KER, but KER had the better build info (at least the last time I used KER) and a lot of mechJebs features go beyond basic.

[Starstrider42]

Agreed. If you're not fond of mods, go with Kerbal Engineer. It's very easy to use (slap a part on your ship, and click buttons until you get the screen you want). MechJeb is much more powerful, but also much more complex, and it sounds like all you want is a way to calculate rocket specs without having to add up all the parts by hand.

[Claw]

It might be worth downloading and checking out both. I prefer MechJeb's readouts because of the layout, although KER is a bright green and pretty easy to read.

Also, I have found that MJ becomes less confused about some of my designs than KER. Especially when it comes to space planes. That might be because I'm not using it right, but they both have their pluses and minuses.

[LethalDose]

VOID also provides part count, mass, and lower stage TWR in the VAB.

[Sovek]

I'd go with KER, as Mechjeb isnt the most user friendly mod out there and really isn't that good for building ships, its more for flying. MJ is really great for flying as I have a custom Flight Telemetry window that allows to know most of everything I need to know.

The above is Mechjeb giving me up to date info as the flight progresses, I need not look at the map view to know various details about my orbit, and can pay attention to flying my ship.

[Dispatcher]

I've used MechJeb and KER. In career mode I prefer KER. Its a good mod that mostly stays out of the way during game play (and during construction).

[SpacedCowboy]

Alright! Thanks guys for all of your input. Think I"m gonna go with KER. I've lurked the forum for a while now and have noticed the "Great Debate"-MechJeb; Cheat or no Cheat So for now I think I'll try KER to start[/i

[SpaceGremlin]

Don't let anyone discourage you from trying Mechjeb though. If you ever find yourself bored to tears of chasing around maneuver nodes, Mechjeb can really alleviate the tedium.

[xcorps]

I really like KER, but it can be a bit finicky. Like you HAVE to have a rocket and fuel tank in a stage for it to update the weight. Like if you have a command module, parachute, RCS tank, RCS thruster, inertia wheel, solar panel, battery, struts, and landing gear...KER won't give you a mass. At least not until you add a fuel tank and a rocket.

Also, the TWR numbers add up strangely when you start doing anything less that vanilla staging. Asparagus staging works well enough, but if you are firing say 8 SRB's along during the same stage as 8 LVT-45's, then KER can confuse you with the TWR and D/V numbers. I get around this by first separating them with decouplers to get the numbers to make sure it's what I think I want, then merging them and removing the decouplers.

Also, when you are trying to make very fine adjustments to horizontal speed it sometimes gives you really screwy numbers when you reach 0. For instance, if you were moving east at 1 m/s then adjusted to west just enough to give you -1 m/s it might read 645 m/s or something else that's equally absurd.

[Starstrider42]

I really like KER, but it can be a bit finicky. Like you HAVE to have a rocket and fuel tank in a stage for it to update the weight. Like if you have a command module, parachute, RCS tank, RCS thruster, inertia wheel, solar panel, battery, struts, and landing gear...KER won't give you a mass. At least not until you add a fuel tank and a rocket.

You can fix this just by clicking "show all stages".

[Kryxal]

It probably doesn't read 645 m/s, it read 645 mm/s or .645 m/s.

I like KER's orbit/surface displays, but the one for the rocket and staging does odd things for me, it just stops updating at some point.