SPH/VAB vehicle positioning woes

[Jovus]

Here's a funny one. Through some stupidity on my part I've managed to get a plane I'm working on 'stuck' in a corner of the SPH. No matter how I rotate the camera and move the mouse, I can't seem to move the plane back toward the center of the hangar.

Is there some way to reset a craft back to default positioning in the SPH/VAB?

Edited August 27, 2014 by Jovus

[Kasuha]

Moving things around in SPH works strange, depending on which direction is your camera aimed the game selects certain plane in space and moves the object along that plane. In some viewing angles, the plane selected is completely wacky. If you don't remember how exactly was your camera oriented when you moved the craft there (you can move it back along the same plane using the same viewing angle) the safest bet is to move it to the center of the wall first, then move it to the center of the building.

- Rotate the camera so it looks along the floor and directly against one of walls or out the door. You need to have the plane in your view. If you can't get it into the view while looking in such straight direction, pan the camera (e.g. hold middle button and move the mouse) to get the plane in view

- Move the plane to the center of the wall at which you're looking

- Rotate the camera 90 degrees to look straight into another wall

- Again, pan the camera to have the plane in view

- Move the plane back to the center

[Claw]

Sure, this happens more often that you'd think. There's all kinds of camera tricks you can pull (as per ninja Kasuha above), but if it's really stuck there's an easy-ish way to reset it.

Go open up the .craft file (Located in your KSP_Install/Saves/Save_Name/Ships/VAB (or SPH) with a plain text editor such as notepad. (Do NOT use Word.) Maybe make a copy just in case.

You are then looking for the very first part in the file. It will look something like:

ship = Catalyst I
version = 0.24.2
description = 
type = SPH
PART
{
	part = mk1pod_4294809848
	partName = Part
	[COLOR="#FF0000"]pos = 0,5,0[/COLOR]

The part highlighted in red is what you want. Change the coordinates to something like 0,5,0. That will put your root part back near the middle of the VAB.

Save your edits, then load your craft in KSP (no need to restart). Then shift+click on the whole craft to pull it from the floor (or wherever).

In case you need it (or care): For the SPH, imagine the coordinates are X, Y, Z. If you make X positive, it will move the craft right (when looking out the open SPH doors). If you make Y positive, it moves up. Positive Z makes it move closer to the open doors.

Cheers,

~Claw

Edited August 27, 2014 by Claw

[Jovus]

Those were both really helpful answers. Thanks.

In case you need it (or care): For the SPH, imagine the coordinates are X, Y, Z. If you make X positive, it will move the craft right (when looking out the open SPH doors). If you make Y positive, it moves up. Positive Z makes it move closer to the open doors.

Increasing X should move things to the left! *grumbles about right-handed coordinate systems*

[Claw]

Even more annoying is that it's different in the VAB. Z points at the flag and X points out the door... Well, it's not really different coordinates but seems that way because everything is rotated.

Cheers,

-Claw

[SpacedCowboy]

Can't one just simply hit: Save, Load,(reload that same craft) and,,, Ta-Dah! it's back in the middle of the SPH ?

[Claw]

Can't one just simply hit: Save, Load,(reload that same craft) and,,, Ta-Dah! it's back in the middle of the SPH ?

No, because the location of the root part is stored within the .craft file. When you load, it will still be in the same position.

~Claw

[Boomerang]

I'm really hoping to see some sort of reset root function in game in the future. I've figured out most of the camera tricks to get planes and such back to near-center, but it shouldn't take editing the craft file to reset back to the center.

[Kasuha]

Can't one just simply hit: Save, Load,(reload that same craft) and,,, Ta-Dah! it's back in the middle of the SPH ?

It may seem strange but saving the position in VAB/SPH is a convenience. The place where you put the ship in VAB/SPH affects the place where it will appear on launch relative to launchpad/runway.

[SpacedCowboy]

It may seem strange but saving the position in VAB/SPH is a convenience. The place where you put the ship in VAB/SPH affects the place where it will appear on launch relative to launchpad/runway.

Ok, I'm wrong, your right, Guess Iv'e never built myself into a corner!