What does the 'Root' command do in the VAB

[Oddible]

Cuz I screwed stuff up mad like trying to figure it out -nothing actually happened in the VAB when I used it... at all... but when I flew that craft I was constantly losing my control point.

[Norpo]

It sets the "root" part of the ship, basically making it behave like what the first part you put on a ship did before (it would drag the whole ship when you select it, etc.)

It helps massively with subassemblies, and I think there's a few other situations it can be useful, as well.

[King Arthur]

You need to visualize the internal arrangement of your crafts as a "tree" with all parts attaching to and branching off from one single part, usually the part you place down first. This part is the "root", like the root in a real-life tree. The root command in the VAB/SPH redesignates which part in your craft is this "root" part, thereby helping you immensely with more complicated crafts and/or where subassemblies come into play.

[Oddible]

I get the concept of root. In prior versions it was always the first control unit (Pod, OKTO, etc) you put down. I also get the concept of being able to change the root, I would expect that you could click a button to change the root, then click the part you want to be the new root. However, the new button in the VAB asks you to click TWO parts!? Why two? The first part will be the root, ok I got that, but what is the second part I'm clicking and why?

[tygoo7]

I get the concept of root. In prior versions it was always the first control unit (Pod, OKTO, etc) you put down. I also get the concept of being able to change the root, I would expect that you could click a button to change the root, then click the part you want to be the new root. However, the new button in the VAB asks you to click TWO parts!? Why two? The first part will be the root, ok I got that, but what is the second part I'm clicking and why?

First is the original root, second is new root.

[*Aqua*]

I don't get that, too. Why do I need to click the old root part? The game already knows about it.

[vexx32]

Well, just from my own experience, I wouldn't say that's strictly true. The first click is supposed to click a selection of parts other than the root. So, from the perspective of your desired new root part, that would be any adjacently connected part. Then, select the root you want.

It really isn't very clear, though, and as far as I have seen, nothing goes wrong no matter which part you click with the first click, so long as you avoid selecting the new root first.

Also, this seems like it ought to be Gameplay Questions; I'll move it there.

[Claw]

Yeah, the first part clicked on does not need to be the old root. I think the first part selected might force some parts organization internal to the game (such as which direction to rebuild the craft), although those things are fairly transparent to the user. I haven't confirmed this, but it's my guess based on how the vessel tree structure works.

Cheers,

-Claw

[Navy2k]

My guess is too that the first part you click should be any part other than the intended new root part because it defines what is the top and what the bottom part of the newly generated tree. Think of the new root part as a seed, the direction with the first clicked part will be the top with the tree and in the opposite direction will be the root system on the bottom.

Greetings

Ben

[Red Iron Crown]

I don't get the first click either, and the lack of clear feedback that something has happened makes it more confusing. I end up doing a third click to make sure it rerooted properly.

I was hopeful that the first click was to select which assembly was being rerooted (i.e. a detached subassembly could be rerooted) but that doesn't appear to be so.

[dfscott]

I'm glad I wasn't the only person confused about this. I was all excited to see it there since I wanted to convert my single-man capsule rocket into a probe-based rocket so I could use it as a rescue ship. I pulled up my manned craft, threw in an OKTO, then clicked on the OKTO and nothing happened. So it seems like I should:

1) Click on the root button,

2) click on the old capsule,

3) click on the OKTO

Then I can attach the capsule to my OKTO and have the OKTO be the root?