VAB right click staging?

[EdFred]

I think it would be awesome if there was an option when right clicking on a decoupler/engine/parachute in the VAB to assign it to a stage number rather than always having to click/drag on the stage tree on the side. Unless of course I've missed this option in my 1200 hours of playing KSP.

[Sirrobert]

I actually think that would become more confusing.

What I think we need is a clearer link between the staging tree and the individual parts. Right now all indication of what part relates to what staging icon is a light glow. That glow needs to be clearer

[EdFred]

Perhaps, but there are times when I am building a riduculously complex ship, and engines or decouplers get "lost" in the tree - and when I've got 38 engines and that many decoupler strung out through 16 stages, on a 700 part ship, and KSP decides that "Oh, you are adding a new engine, that will go in stage 1" even though it should be in stage 15, it's a real PITA to find it in the tree. Especially when I am zoomed all the way out in the VAB and the rocket interferes with the tree view, and I go to grab the engine in the tree, and I grab a fuel tank on the rocket. Much cursing ensues.

[Sirrobert]

I did not think off super complex ships. Mostly because I have never build any.

It sounds like a much better idea with that in mind.

[technicalfool]

Perhaps a faint line when you hover over a part (or its staging icon) that links the two? The line can stretch off past the top or bottom of the screen if you've highlighted a part that needs the stage list scrolling to reach its icon.

And I'll applaud any reasonable idea for improving the current state of staging design.

[mdosogne]

I second the idea. Hovering over a part on a large ship and then attempting to find the matching entry in a staging list that requires scrolling (especially if the part is in a symmetry group) is a PITA.

I don't know about typing in the stage number (new UI and all) but at least give us a buttons to adjust staging such as: increment / decrement / new stage

This would be useful outside the VAB too (e.g. after docking, staging of two ships can be weird).

[Wanderfound]

Agree that it needs improving in stock, but, as always, there's a mod: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/50143-0-23-5-Editor-Part-Highlighter

[mdosogne]

Thanks, but highlighting a part is not really the problem I have; rather, it is scrolling through a long staging list, trying to:

a) select one or two parts of a symmetric group which staging has collapsed into one icon

attempting to select the whole symmetry group, which for whatever reason gets broken into two icons in the staging list.

c) drag-and-dropping the staging to find it went in the wrong group, and then having to repeat A or B.

[mdosogne]

Another idea, alternative to right-click menu:

a stage-editing mode like the action-group assignment mode wherein no parts can be moved, but they can be (multi) selected by clicking. The staging list can then auto-scroll to the selected part, and keep the staging selection synch'd with the editor selection.