ability to load any craft as a sub-assembly directly

[Justin Kerbice]

Hi everyone who is not currently stuck on any asteroids around,

it could be a great addition to the VAB/SPH to allow loading of any available crafts as a sub-assembly (or a similar thing) which can be use with the current craft we're building.

I mean, if I want to deliver an entire craft somewhere on Kerbin or far away (a slow plane or a very "thirsty" craft) with help of a launcher, it's a real pain now to do that as sub-assembly have too strict rules prevent you to save some craft as such and despite the craft to deliver have docking port(s), it's either hard or impossible to do.

Unless someone here with a quite twisted mind have some crazy idea to do so (kind of big crane + KAS, lifting a craft to the top of a rocket sitting on launch pad, making docking port alignment, etc)

To be simple, imagine to do the SLS with it's launcher but in two steps => game over, you'll have to redo one of the craft from scratch around the other (unless using changeroot plung-in perhaps)

[sgt_flyer]

Well, if you build a launcher starting from the decoupler on which the payload will be attached, you can save it as a subassembly already, by picking the decoupler and puttingit in subassembly. (Although that can mess struts / fuel lines)

You can also save the same launcher, and copy the .craft file directly from the VAB folder to the subassembly one.

If you want to reuse an existing launcher, on which the 'root part' is in the payload : disconnect the rocket just below the payload decoupler,, and put it in non connected waiting state in the vab - then pick the root part, and erase the payload + the decoupler. Now, pick the decoupler you just erased in the part list, and it becomes the new root part - and you just need to reconnect the disconnected launcher to the decoupler.

Regards, Sgt_flyer

[stupid_chris]

The problem is that a subassembly is not just a craft file. It's a craft file with at least one empty node on the root part. And most often you won't have that. This is why you can't just load a craft as a subassembly, because you won't be able to attach it. Of course it could set the system to detect it and allow/disallow, but that quickly goes on the heavy side, and you end up realizing the current system is much, much more efficient.

[BudgetHedgehog]

Why not just save the craft you want to deliver as a normal craft, and the lifter as a subassembly? I can't see that being much different, apart from the fact you can already do it.