General small questions topic

[Funeh]

So I heard you can store more crewreports than one? If I go on EVA, I can click on capsule and somehow "store" crewreports that are in the capsule, then I can take another crewreports? Is this right? Also, why would I be available to store reports only when I am outside and not inside the capsule?

[Anquietas314]

So I heard you can store more crewreports than one? If I go on EVA, I can click on capsule and somehow "store" crewreports that are in the capsule, then I can take another crewreports? Is this right?

Almost! you need to click "Take experiments" on EVA.... then you can just store them again. For crew reports in particular you may as well just transmit them though, assuming you have a renewable power source - they give 100%. You can also do that with other experiments (goo, materials bay etc) though be warned that it will render the experiment unusable (similar to transmit), but that can be fixed with a science lab. Be aware though that you can only hold one of each specific type of experiment (e.g. "temperature scan in flight over Kerbin's shores") per capsule. Multiple temperature scans from different locations are fine though.

Also, why would I be available to store reports only when I am outside and not inside the capsule?

Because Squad

Edited December 20, 2014 by armagheddonsgw

[Signo]

Be aware though that you can only hold one of each specific type of experiment (e.g. "temperature scan in flight over Kerbin's shores") per capsule.

You can store as much as you want in a lab, even multiples of the same sample.

[Anquietas314]

You can store as much as you want in a lab, even multiples of the same samples.

Well, sure, but labs are a little too heavy to be sending up early game, plus quite often you won't be sending the lab back to kerbin (especially if it's an interplanetary mission >_>)

[Funeh]

That seems like bug to me that storing feature... Anyway so whats the purpose of science lab and how do I use it?

Lets say I take a goo experiment, then I take green man on EVA, go to goo, take it, fly to science lab and store it there?

[Signo]

@arma I agree with you about mission profiles, but however you can store as much science as you need in a lab. Moreover a large amount of the "outpost" missions require a lab, so it might be a good "multiplexing" access point for further rover missions in a more advanced career game (as soon as R&D lvl2 is unlocked).

@Funeh yes, that's exactly how it would work if you want to use the lab as a science storage. Moreover when processed by a "fully manned 2kerbs" lab your science transmission could be enhanced. Ditto, if you plan to bring back the science as Arma said, to me the lab is pretty useless. However with all the new "fine print" missions made stock (not to mention KXP and building and managing the program) now cash is the major issue to me so I'll deliver your ton of bricks for cash wherever you need.

Edited December 20, 2014 by Signo

[Anquietas314]

That seems like bug to me that storing feature... Anyway so whats the purpose of science lab and how do I use it?

Lets say I take a goo experiment, then I take green man on EVA, go to goo, take it, fly to science lab and store it there?

Nah there's no need to do that. Just right click the lab and click "clean experiments". It's been a few months since I've used a lab (playing hard difficulty in 0.90, naturally it's taking me a while to get to that point), but iirc the processed experiments are just shoved in a suitable capsule, or kept in the lab if there's no room.

If you plan to bring back the science as Arma said, to me the lab is pretty useless.

1. Send one lander with a science lab and a tank to refuel from

2. Land on planet leaving the lab in orbit, do some science, return to lab

3. Clean, refuel.

4. Repeat.

Lots of science for a fraction of the launch costs (especially if you DO bring the science lab back)

Edited December 20, 2014 by armagheddonsgw

[Funeh]

Nah there's no need to do that. Just right click the lab and click "clean experiments".

Is this true? Because I've seen even Scott Manley doing it with EVA.

and to quote wiki -

It is the only part which allows even multiple copies from the same experiment in the same situation and biome. This won't happen automatically, though: Kerbals have to go on EVA and make the rounds, manually collecting the data from every instrument.

[bs1110101]

What are the keys to pan side to side in the vab? Also, can i bind trim to a joystick axis? My throttle has trim wheels on it.

[WanderingKid]

Pan: Shift + arrows move the camera. Don't know about binding trim.

[Anquietas314]

Is this true? Because I've seen even Scott Manley doing it with EVA.

Perhaps my memory was a little rustier than I thought , but you don't need to specifically store them in the lab - the nearest command pod (or anything else that can store science) is fine

As for Scott, I wouldn't necessarily trust his method to be the best - I've seen him do a few things in a fairly roundabout way, especially with some mods (of course, some of that will be for "realism"/entertainment value)

[thereaverofdarkness]

That seems like bug to me that storing feature... Anyway so whats the purpose of science lab and how do I use it?

Lets say I take a goo experiment, then I take green man on EVA, go to goo, take it, fly to science lab and store it there?

The purpose of using the mobile lab as a storage facility is for taking the same experiment from the same location twice. This is useful for materials experiments (mystery goo, science jr., soil sample) because they do not give the full amount of science on the first try, even when returned to Kerbin. It's not a huge boost to your science return, but if you're a science snob or completionist, then it's the way to go. If you remove the goo from its canister and store either in the command module or the mobile lab, you can clean the canister out and use it again. This is useful when you want to return the science home rather than transmit. Even without a mobile lab, you can still collect the data from the small tools (thermometer, barometer, seismometer, gravioli detector). Collecting the data from a crew report and storing it in the same command module takes it out of the crew report slot and puts it in the data storage section. Why do you have to climb out to do this? It's one of many questions that may never be answered.

Scott Manley stores his material experiments religiously on long excursions on his interstellar space program because he needed to collect as much science as possible. A lot of times he would take the data twice; transmit the first and keep the second. This gave some early science gain from the excursion before returning, but with the large amount of data stored on each vessel, they would return home bringing tons of science points. He might just be a science snob anyway, but it was also important for the huge amounts of science required to unlock the final technologies in the interstellar mod pack.

Edited December 20, 2014 by thereaverofdarkness

[Anquietas314]

but if you're a science snob or completionist, then it's the way to go.

Hey! Suppose you already have a lab as part of your mission because you're doing multiple landings in different biomes? The duplicate experiment storage would just be a bonus. Particularly if you consider you really need at least 2 goo canisters on your ship to keep it balanced if you don't want a particularly awkward design with a single canister stuck on top of the lander can

[Funeh]

Is there a way to recognize physicsless parts in game? If not, is there a list of those parts somewhere?

edit: Also, do I understand this correctly - Massless parts add mass to your rocket (thus need to increase thrust) but they do not alter your rocket course and they dont need to be balanced by symmetry?

Edited January 6, 2015 by Funeh

[Louella]

for parachutes that an engineer has repacked. Is there a way to trigger them using the staging control ? or by another control ? or does it always have to be done manually ?

[Zakhep]

edit: Also, do I understand this correctly - Massless parts add mass to your rocket (thus need to increase thrust) but they do not alter your rocket course and they dont need to be balanced by symmetry?

Massless parts do not add mass at all, and you won't need to increase thrust as shown

(although they may still count towards the mass limit).

Edit: After testing I can confirm that massless parts truly don't add mass when in flight.

Edited January 6, 2015 by Zakhep

[lincourtl]

Is there any rhyme or reason to what specialties new recruits are given? I'm quite far advanced into my career mode 0.90 game and so far only scientist and engineer recruits are appearing in the astronaut center -- no pilots.

On edit: I must have been having a streak of pseudo-random bad luck. Finally after flying return missions to Duna and Eve orbit, I am getting pilots applying in droves now. Phew! Finally Jeb can relax, and my space program can do more than one piloted mission at a time.

Edited January 7, 2015 by lincourtl

[StrandedonEarth]

Repacked parachutes can only be opened manually or with an action group. While custom action groups are only available in the tier 3 SPH/VAB (which is annoying), basic AG's are available at tier 2, and you can still put whatever you want in them. I tend to put solar panels under 'Abort' and 'chutes under 'Brakes,' since my rockets don't usually need those anyways.

[Dr-Drunk]

I solved the action groups problem with this: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/74195-0-90-%28Dec31-14%29-Action-Groups-Extended-250-Action-Groups-in-flight-editing

You can set it so it doesn't unlock action groups untill you have the tier 2 and 3 SPH and VAB if you feel like you're cheating otherwise but overall it's great to have. Allows you to make action groups in flight as well. Even has a little window where you can click on any named group you made to make it do whatever you set it up to do.

Especially great if you're building a station for example and you've only attached the solar panels later. Put them all on the group toggle solar panels and poof you've got a quick way to sort them all out. It also allows for 250 different custom groups that you can bind to keys as well.

Highly recommend it, even though the GUI is a bit wonky at times.

[Kryxal]

Repacked parachutes can only be opened manually or with an action group. While custom action groups are only available in the tier 3 SPH/VAB (which is annoying), basic AG's are available at tier 2, and you can still put whatever you want in them. I tend to put solar panels under 'Abort' and 'chutes under 'Brakes,' since my rockets don't usually need those anyways.

Actually, you can only open chutes via staging once, but it doesn't have to be the first time you use them.

[Louella]

Is there a list somewhere, of the early career height record contracts ?

In my game, I did the 5000m altitude record contract, then the 22km record contract, then the "Reach Space" contract.

But, from looking at other threads, I gather that I missed several.

[Anquietas314]

Is there a list somewhere, of the early career height record contracts ?

I wasn't able to find a text list from a quick google search, but

by Scott Manley covers them.

[Louella]

I wasn't able to find a text list from a quick google search, but

by Scott Manley covers them.

one of the comments there seemed to suggest that there are records for reaching:

5km, 11km, 22km, 35km, 56km, and then beyond atmosphere.

so I quickly checked on a new game, and it does seem to have those.

Might be useful for an early tutorial, get more funds and stuff.

[Socke750]

hi there I have a small question,

I look for a mod, which sorts the parts in the VAB by the diffrent mods. In the past I used the simple part organizer mod, but since the 0.90 version it won't be supported anymore.

http://www.curse.com/ksp-mods/kerbal/220245-simple-part-organizer-version-1-2-1

for example: if I highlight the B9 Aerospace mod in the VAB, ONLY the parts of the B9 Aerospace mod are shown in the menu.

Do somebody know a kind like this mod?

Thank you for your help, and sorry for my bad english.

[Anquietas314]

Socks750: I'm not sure how many mods support it directly by default, but the reason that mod is no longer supported is that its functionality is now (partly) supported by stock. There is the filter extensions mod which can be used to provide mod-based filtering, but it's a bit hands-on.

EDIT: it occurs to me you may not be aware of the new features in stock: click the arrow in the top left corner to open the advanced tab. It has module/resource/tech level filtering, among other things.

Edited January 10, 2015 by armagheddonsgw