Renaming from the Tracking Station or Map Mode

[BlkBltChemie]

I've been playing KSP for about a year and a half and just discovered that - in addition to renaming by right-clicking on a probe/capsule - vessels can be renamed in the tracking station or map mode by left-clicking on the information "i" button and then on the orange box with the craft name! (Note: in map mode, this only works if the navball is visible). This works for dead probes, unmanned pods, debris, any asteroids that have been tracked even if you stop tracking them (but not unknown objects), flags, everything! It even works for Kerbals on EVA which I think may be the only way to rename them in game! (See the posts by RocketPilot573 and cantab on page 3.)

I'm going to write up a tutorial after I get some decent images, but wanted to share this in the General Discussion forum first because I don't think it is widely known and may be of general interest, especially to more experienced players who don't check the tutorial forum often. (In fact, with a quick search, I turned up at least 4 suggestion threads requesting this feature.)

Edited February 17, 2015 by BlkBltChemie
Correcting information

[Vanamonde]

It is?!(10chars)!!

[sal_vager]

This 10 chars thing does my head in, reset to 5, carry on.

[DuoDex]

Dear god. And here I was thinking that I'd throw a hissyfit if it wasn't added in 1.0

[Alshain]

I knew about the renaming from the tracking station. I had no idea it worked on Asteroids and Kerbals. Good find.

(10 chars) *snicker*

[klgraham1013]

That sounds overly complicated. Not difficult, mind you. I'll have to try this out and see for sure.

[Renegrade]

I've been playing KSP for about a year and a half and just discovered that - in addition to renaming by right-clicking on a probe/capsule - vessels can be renamed in the tracking station or map mode by left-clicking on the information "i" button and then on the orange box with the craft name! (Note: in map mode, this only works if the navball is visible). This works for dead probes, unmanned pods, debris, any asteroids that have been tracked even if you stop tracking them (but not unknown objects), flags, everything! It even works for Kerbals on EVA which I think may be the only way to rename them in game!

The tracking view is known.. at least to the BTSM thread courtesy of Awaras.

The renaming kerbals bit is news to me though, and it working in actual map view (although those both make a lot of sense) - good job on spotting those!

[BlkBltChemie]

I should add the backstory...

I was checking the mass/part count on one of my craft in map mode so I had the info tab open. Then I clicked to switch to another vessel which just so happened to be close enough that I actually clicked the orange name box instead. Some experimentation later, verifying in the tracking station, and sure enough its in! Gotta love serendipitous discoveries!

This is probably one of the greatest "hidden" features I've found in the game and it definitely beats adding a probe core to every craft just to rename it or having to edit the persistent file because you ran of electricity or took out a Kerbal. Personally, the best part in my opinion is the ability to rename EVA Kerbals in-game, just wish it could be done in the Astronaut Complex too.

(By the way, ever since I started checking the forum, I've wondered what the 10chars thing is anyway???)

[cantab]

Nice find. I've known it for a while, since I used it to name my asteroids I think, but it's not obvious - and I didn't actually know it worked from the Map View in flight.

Renaming Kerbals though may have to be called a bug, since a name change changes the job.

[Renegrade]

This is probably one of the greatest "hidden" features I've found in the game and it definitely beats adding a probe core to every craft just to rename it or having to edit the persistent file because you ran of electricity or took out a Kerbal. Personally, the best part in my opinion is the ability to rename EVA Kerbals in-game, just wish it could be done in the Astronaut Complex too.

Yeah, the renaming of kerbals bit is unique, as far as I know (outside of mods/save edits of course).

(By the way, ever since I started checking the forum, I've wondered what the 10chars thing is anyway???)

Messages have a 10 character minimum limit, so people say that to top it off.

Renaming Kerbals though may have to be called a bug, since a name change changes the job.

Oh crap, I forgot about that. I wouldn't call that a bug of the rename function, that's a bug of the bloody "let's use the name as storage for the job data" brainfart.

(Seriously - would it kill them to put in ONE extra field for profession?)

[Vanamonde]

(The character limit is to prevent nonsense posts consisting of nothing but a smiley, and that sort of thing. But back to the actual subject... )

[Renegrade]

(The character limit is to prevent nonsense posts consisting of nothing but a smiley, and that sort of thing. But back to the actual subject... )

10chars

[BlkBltChemie]

(Haha, thanks for the explanations.)

Ah well, it turns out the tracking station method is also mentioned on the Wiki FAQ. I still think it may merit a tutorial on the forum though so I'll work on those images at some point.

[Alshain]

(The character limit is to prevent nonsense posts consisting of nothing but a smiley, and that sort of thing. But back to the actual subject... )

^^ This

The reason I did it is explained in the first line of my signature.

[Renegrade]

Ah well, it turns out the tracking station method is also mentioned on the Wiki FAQ. I still think it may merit a tutorial on the forum though so I'll work on those images at some point.

O.o ... I didn't notice that the wiki had a FAQ -- usually I just go there for planet data hehe. I've got something to read now, thanks

It wouldn't hurt to have a mini-guide for that though (especially with the in-flight map bit and kerbal rename bit).. there was a thread recently about tips, you could link it in there too

[worir4]

Woa!!! This is amazing! This will save me sooo much time!

Thanks

[AbacusWizard]

I knew about the ability to rename a craft--I often rename detached parts as "Fuel Depot," "Fuel Tank (empty)," etc.--but I didn't realize kerbals could be renamed as well. Intriguing.

[dryer_lint]

That's awesome.

[BlkBltChemie]

I just posted a detailed write up with pictures in the "Tutorials" subforum for anyone interested.

Edited February 16, 2015 by BlkBltChemie
Link Added

[IllicitMedic]

I never knew this omg, I always focused on the vessel and loaded it lol. Awesome!

[SkyRender]

I found that out by accident back in 0.23.5, actually. Then I promptly forgot, and wondered how I'd renamed all of those asteroids before. Mystery solved!

[RocketPilot573]

I have not tried renaming Kerbals, are we sure that renaming them renames BOTH the Kerbal AND the "craft?" Because I would image it just renames the "craft" not the actual "part" (Kerbal). I believe its the same for asteroids. For example if a craft consists of a Mk1 Pod, renaming it renames the craft, not the Mk1 Pod itself.

[Uncle Mort]

I've always renamed asteroids this way but it never occurred to me that I could do it for Kerbals ~ thanks

[cantab]

I have not tried renaming Kerbals, are we sure that renaming them renames BOTH the Kerbal AND the "craft?" Because I would image it just renames the "craft" not the actual "part" (Kerbal). I believe its the same for asteroids. For example if a craft consists of a Mk1 Pod, renaming it renames the craft, not the Mk1 Pod itself.

You're spot on here! Here's a Kerbal I tried to rename using the method, you can see the craft name is changed but not the crew member name. When I right-clicked him he still showed as Dooding Kerman, and when I recovered him he was still in the astronaut complex as Dooding Kerman.

Dooding, where's my name change by cantab314, on Flickr

[BlkBltChemie]

Alas, it turns out I was mistaken regarding renaming Kerbals on EVA. Thanks to RocketPilot573 for the explanation and cantab for the illustration! I will update the original post accordingly to avoid confusion.