Adding completed craft onto other craft

[Algomeysa]

Let's say I have completed craft like a rover or, for example, the small ion-powered space probe that comes with the game. I want to launch it into orbit. How do I throw it on top of a launch vehicle?

If I have the payload (rover, probe, whatever) in the vehicle assembly building, and I go to load, and load the lifting rocket, the payload is no longer there.

I would have thought maybe that was what the sub-assembly section was for...you'd drag and drop it into there, then load the lifting rocket, then pull it out of the subassembly section to plop it on top of the rocket, but that doesn't seem to work.

Edited August 14, 2014 by Algomeysa

[Commander Jebidiah]

The first part of a ship cant go in subassemblie but what you can do is follow this;

pick a probe core and place a decoupler of any size you want underneath.

build launcher under said decoupler.

when finished click on the dcoupler and drag it into the subassemblies.

name your launcher.

load payload.

Go to subassemblies and pick the launcher you just built.

place it under said payload.

do last minute checks as usual.

click launch.

have fun explo... I mean exploring.

[Mesons]

If you want to be able to pop off rovers from landers, for example, my recommendation is to first build a lander at the VAB with a docking port on the underside and launch it on its legs. Next, build a rover at the SPH which will mate to it with a docking port on top, then drive it over to the launchpad. Getting the height right is a bit difficult and can take some trial and error.

If you prefer to attach things as sub-assemblies like you described, the root part (the first one on your sub-assembly) will need to be the docking port or something you can pin onto a decoupler. The root part of the sub-assembly will be the part that gets attached to your lifting rocket.

Edit: You can also put drive-able payloads on the launchpad and then launch a lifting rocket with underside docking port. You have to drive the payload off of the green circle terrain around the launchpad in order to launch the second rocket, though.

Edited August 11, 2014 by Mesons

[LongbowEOD]

I agree with what Commander Jebidiah said, and that's how I generally do it (payload saved as craft, launchers saved as subassemblies), but I wanted to point out a mod that I find very helpful, and may make your building style easier: SelectRoot.

It works great for making payloads subassemblable (if that's a word) by moving the root part out of what you want.

[Algomeysa]

I guess I'm still not getting it.

Let me try this example.

I load a KerbalX rocket. I pop the parachute off the top of the capsule, because, hey, they don't need a parachute. I add a decoupler there instead.

Now, I want to plop the saved craft ion space probe atop that.

Basically, how do I bring two saved .craft files together?

[TrooperCooper]

I agree with what Commander Jebidiah said, and that's how I generally do it (payload saved as craft, launchers saved as subassemblies), but I wanted to point out a mod that I find very helpful, and may make your building style easier: SelectRoot.

It works great for making payloads subassemblable (if that's a word) by moving the root part out of what you want.

This exactly. You build your probe the way you want it. At the bottom of it you prolly will have some sort of engine. Now you take any part you can attach below it and put it there,... say a fuel tank. Next you use the SelectRoot mod and make that fuel tank your root part. Then you can grab your probe by clicking on the engine above the current root part (the fuel tank) and throw it into subassemblies, to connect it to your lifter next. Just load your lifter design and pull the probe from subassemblies. Then stick it by its engine on top of your lifter.

[Red Iron Crown]

SelectRoot makes this so much easier, as LongbowEOD mentions.

You need to save either the Kerbal X or ion probe as a subassembly. Then load that subassembly in with the other craft in the VAB. Be careful though, it matters whether you've built bottom up or top down, which is why SelectRoot is so useful (can change from one build type to another). In the scenario you describe, I would put a dummy part under the probe, reroot it from that part with SelectRoot, then detach and save as a subassembly. Then load up the Kerbal X, put the decoupler on, and grab the subassembly and put it on top.

[Algomeysa]

ok, I guess that's my difficulty. So far, the only subassemblies I've been able to create consist of one part.

Say I've got my ion probe loaded in the VAB, got a decoupler under it. I'd like to save it all as a subassembly, but I don't understand how. I'd expect some sort of SELECT ALL or GROUP ALL. Instead, any attempt to drag the whole thing over into subassembly just results in that particular part over there, usually pulling that part out of the rest of the craft, like I'm playing Jenga....

[TrooperCooper]

Maybe this helps:

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Sidenote: you wont get this done this easily without the SelectRoot mod.

[Red Iron Crown]

It's a little tricky to use. The part you place first in the VAB is the root part. Anything built above that part, if saved as a subassembly, will only be attachable at the bottom. Anything built below the root part will only be attachable at the top. Not sure how it behaves if you try to save a whole craft as a subassembly.

[TrooperCooper]

ok, I guess that's my difficulty. So far, the only subassemblies I've been able to create consist of one part.

Say I've got my ion probe loaded in the VAB, got a decoupler under it. I'd like to save it all as a subassembly, but I don't understand how. I'd expect some sort of SELECT ALL or GROUP ALL. Instead, any attempt to drag the whole thing over into subassembly just results in that particular part over there, usually pulling that part out of the rest of the craft, like I'm playing Jenga....

By selecting any part other than your root part (usually the pod you place at the very beginning of the design), you will always select EVERYTHING from this part on (the one you selected) away from your root part. Thats why re-assigning your root part is so handy. It basically allows you to select everything after you are done designing your subassembly.

[Algomeysa]

Thanks all. It took me awhile to grasp this, but now I understand. I installed that SelectRoot Plug-In, and now I can make subassembles out of .craft files, and so decide which of two craft files to keep as the main one and make the other a subassembly.

So.... in this instance, I'm using somebody's lifter rocket. I've installed a decoupler, and attached my space probe.

The problem now is, there's a certain point in that lifter rocket's design where spacebar releases the final, empty stages... unfortunately, it insists on also firing my decoupler at that point, making my space probe depart in low kerbin orbit. I didn't even realize that happened the first time, I fired up the next batch of engines and escaped Kerbin into solar orbit, did some maneuvering, was about to release my space probe and....hey, where'd it go?

How do I tell it to save that decoupler firing for later in the proceedings?

right now, it's got various stages that release before that, then

step 1 spacebar triggers final release of empty stages (this is where the space probe decoupler also fires, which is what I don't want)

step 2 The next spacebar causes the "real" engines (not stages) to fire up.

So ideally I want to make that decoupler firing step 3. Or even better would be to take it out of the spacebar sequences altogether, I can always just click on the decoupler and hit release.

[Lheim]

Make the first part of your 'sub assembly' something useless - like say a decoupler or a structural element. That way you can drag the whole probe off the root and save it as an assembly.

There's a very useful addon called 'Select Root'. Just a quick and dirty tool for changing the root part of your ship in the VAB. Find it useful.

[M4ck]

Thanks all. It took me awhile to grasp this, but now I understand. I installed that SelectRoot Plug-In, and now I can make subassembles out of .craft files, and so decide which of two craft files to keep as the main one and make the other a subassembly.

So.... in this instance, I'm using somebody's lifter rocket. I've installed a decoupler, and attached my space probe.

The problem now is, there's a certain point in that lifter rocket's design where spacebar releases the final, empty stages... unfortunately, it insists on also firing my decoupler at that point, making my space probe depart in low kerbin orbit. I didn't even realize that happened the first time, I fired up the next batch of engines and escaped Kerbin into solar orbit, did some maneuvering, was about to release my space probe and....hey, where'd it go?

How do I tell it to save that decoupler firing for later in the proceedings?

right now, it's got various stages that release before that, then

step 1 spacebar triggers final release of empty stages (this is where the space probe decoupler also fires, which is what I don't want)

step 2 The next spacebar causes the "real" engines (not stages) to fire up.

So ideally I want to make that decoupler firing step 3. Or even better would be to take it out of the spacebar sequences altogether, I can always just click on the decoupler and hit release.

You can do it by rearranging the icons on the right side of the build screen, or on the left side of the flight screen. Space triggers these stages from the bottom, one stage at a time. You can drag parts between stages(sometimes it takes a few clicks if the parts are added using symmetry), and add or remove stages by clicking the small plus and minus icons that appear when you place your mouse on this list. You can also drag whole stages around the list by grabbing the label with a stage number.

If you place your mouse on a "triggerable"part, its icon will highlight, and vice versa. It makes finding when will what trigger much easier than experimenting.

And for some specific triggers to be activated by hand only - place their icons at the very top stage. You can then lock staging in flight to prevent accidental triggering by pressing alt+L, if I remember correctly - the light in the lower left corner on the screen will turn pink. You can then selectively activate stuff by creating new stages below the top one and dragging their icons there, unlocking and pressing space, or by clicking on the part with the right button and choosing the trigger from the menu.

[Algomeysa]

Thanks again for the help, all. I succeeded in getting a space probe within 2 kilometers of the Kerbal Sun (but above the 1.3 kilometer point where it vaporizes).

I did notice that orbits that close to the Sun degrade a little each orbit until spacecraft hit that vaporization point. I wondered how high a solar orbit needed to be until it was stable and would not decay. After a little experimenting, it seems 3270 kilometers is the sweet spot --- below that, solar orbits decrease a bit each time, above that, they seem to remain the same distance.