Feature idea/request: part grouping (action groups)

[Ukrrooter]

Okay, so the idea is:
after selecting some parts in the editor show one more button - "create a group".
The effects I suggest:
Every part in a group responds to any other part activation, for example you tap on one solar array or engine or parachute and they all do their job simultaneously.
Also the fuel tanks - if they belong to one group they should all act like one when transferring fuel. If you have side boosters group then you tap left one and transfer your fuel to the core - the right one transfers its fuel too, exactly the same amount as the left one. And vice versa, if you tranfer fuel from the core to the left booster - the right one gets the same amount.
As a side effect these groups would make it possible to activate parts which cannot be tapped because they're under some other parts.
This goes for any parts that are interactable - wheels, legs, arrays, parachutes, engines, tanks and anything.

 

[SFSAbhishek]

Okay, so the idea is:
after selecting some parts in the editor show one more button - "create a group".
The effects I suggest:
Every part in a group responds to any other part activation, for example you tap on one solar array or engine or parachute and they all do their job simultaneously.
Also the fuel tanks - if they belong to one group they should all act like one when transferring fuel. If you have side boosters group then you tap left one and transfer your fuel to the core - the right one transfers its fuel too, exactly the same amount as the left one. And vice versa, if you tranfer fuel from the core to the left booster - the right one gets the same amount.
As a side effect these groups would make it possible to activate parts which cannot be tapped because they're under some other parts.
This goes for any parts that are interactable - wheels, legs, arrays, parachutes, engines, tanks and anything.

In short you expect to have activation group the same it is in Simple Rockets 2.
Actually it is not that helpful. In 1.4 the only major problem was to on bp edited closely packed Engines. Now in 1.5 it's quite easy.
It could still be a great upgrade but then I think it would come in 1.6.

 

[4KidsOneCamera]

Pretty sure this is being added as staging I’m one of the next updates.

 

[Ukrrooter]

In short you expect to have activation group the same it is in Simple Rockets 2.
Actually it is not that helpful. In 1.4 the only major problem was to on bp edited closely packed Engines. Now in 1.5 it's quite easy.
It could still be a great upgrade but then I think it would come in 1.6.

I don't know how sr2 works, I just came up with this concept on my own.

 

[SFSAbhishek]

By the way we could even add Vizzy program so that we could land Falcon 9 automatically.

 

[Ukrrooter]

Pretty sure this is being added as staging I’m one of the next updates.

It's not really staging, but it can be used like that.

 

[Ukrrooter]

By the way we could even add Vizzy program so that we could land Falcon 9 automatically.

Nah, I don't like automatic flights.

 

[SFSAbhishek]

Nah, I don't like automatic flights.

But afterall it's a masterpiece if we create one

 

[TtTOtW]

It won't be a masterpiece. It will be a disaster.

 

[SFSAbhishek]

So you mean SR2 is a disaster.

 

[TtTOtW]

So you mean SR2 is a disaster.

Automatic flight? Yes. Takes the challenge out of the game. Defeats the objective of the game.

 

[Pink]

Let's add an autobuilder, so you don't have to design and make your own rockets.

 

[TtTOtW]

Let's add an autobuilder, so you don't have to design and make your own rockets.

My point exactly. Take the player out of the game and make him an observer.

Dude that's not a game. It's a farce.

 

[Horus Lupercal]

Okay, so the idea is:
after selecting some parts in the editor show one more button - "create a group".
The effects I suggest:
Every part in a group responds to any other part activation, for example you tap on one solar array or engine or parachute and they all do their job simultaneously.
Also the fuel tanks - if they belong to one group they should all act like one when transferring fuel. If you have side boosters group then you tap left one and transfer your fuel to the core - the right one transfers its fuel too, exactly the same amount as the left one. And vice versa, if you tranfer fuel from the core to the left booster - the right one gets the same amount.
As a side effect these groups would make it possible to activate parts which cannot be tapped because they're under some other parts.
This goes for any parts that are interactable - wheels, legs, arrays, parachutes, engines, tanks and anything.

Not too bad an idea, although the fuel tanks acting like one is already a thing if you connect them together.

I just came up with this concept whilst playing kerbal space program.

Fixed it.

As a side effect these groups would make it possible to activate parts which cannot be tapped because they're under some other parts

The other side effect is it'd be impossible to select only one object in that group, like if you wanted to turn unused rover wheels off to save electricity or switch off individual engines.

It won't be a masterpiece. It will be a disaster.

It's not as bad / as simple as you think dude. Like it's not just a case of saying to the system 'land here' and it'll do it. It's more a long script of inputs based upon previous actions you've done already and can control objects whilst you're controlling other objects. Examples like being able to handle complex launch systems, multiple simultaneous launches, simultaneous multi-booster landings. Things that can be done currently but tend to be a bit of movie magic in-between to actually get the desired effect.
It won't remove the player as the player would have to record said scripts using his own extensive flight testing before it can be used.

Let's add an autobuilder, so you don't have to design and make your own rockets

Ha, we already have one. It's called 'cAN i HaVE bLuepRINt plz'

 

[Ukrrooter]

Not too bad an idea, although the fuel tanks acting like one is already a thing if you connect them together.




Fixed it.




The other side effect is it'd be impossible to select only one object in that group, like if you wanted to turn unused rover wheels off to save electricity or switch off individual engines.




It's not as bad / as simple as you think dude. Like it's not just a case of saying to the system 'land here' and it'll do it. It's more a long script of inputs based upon previous actions you've done already and can control objects whilst you're controlling other objects. Examples like being able to handle complex launch systems, multiple simultaneous launches, simultaneous multi-booster landings. Things that can be done currently but tend to be a bit of movie magic in-between to actually get the desired effect.
It won't remove the player as the player would have to record said scripts using his own extensive flight testing before it can be used.




Ha, we already have one. It's called 'cAN i HaVE bLuepRINt plz'

Yeah, you cann connect them, but I'm talking about side boosters and about simultaneously refuelling multiple tanks, not making it one.

 

[SFSAbhishek]

I completely agree with horus.
I think so TtTotW you had never tried Vizzy in sr2 it is not that simple.
And launching a rocket with coding might be easy but it's not at all easy to write code for landing cause there are many things like suicide burn.

 

[SFSAbhishek]

And the reason why I was saying that Vizzy should be is because writing a code in 3d game is harder than 2d.
So this feature would attract players.

 

[Horus Lupercal]

Yeah, you cann connect them, but I'm talking about side boosters and about simultaneously refuelling multiple tanks, not making it one.

You said have them act as one tank. Connecting them makes them one tank.

As for fuelling multiple tanks from one source, it's an easy thing in theory, but I'm assuming you've got a UI solution of how to do this on a touch screen as it'd require some sort of menu opening (like in KSP) when you right click a tank so you can select more than one as a receiver then another one as a donor (or vice versa) whilst in flight.

 

[Horus Lupercal]

it's not at all easy to write code for landing cause there are many things like suicide burn

Yeah, even the suicide burn indicator on mechjeb tends to be off somewhat

 

[Ukrrooter]

You said have them act as one tank. Connecting them makes them one tank.

As for fuelling multiple tanks from one source, it's an easy thing in theory, but I'm assuming you've got a UI solution of how to do this on a touch screen as it'd require some sort of menu opening (like in KSP) when you right click a tank so you can select more than one as a receiver then another one as a donor (or vice versa) whilst in flight.

You didn't get it.
I literally said that you just tap one grouped tank and the others are activated with it. Then you tap the destination tank just like you do it now, but fuel transfers from all grouped tanks, not only from which you tapped.

 

[Horus Lupercal]

You didn't get it.

No, if we look at your exact words

they should all act like one

Me saying if you have them connected together they act like one, funnily enough means they all act like one fuel tank.
So when you tap one of those grouped tanks and then tap another not grouped tank, because those grouped tanks are connected together then fuel will transfer from the group of connected tanks to the unconnected, ungrouped tank.

It's already a thing, you just have to build smart.

 

[Blazer Ayanami]

You didn't get it.
I literally said that you just tap one grouped tank and the others are activated with it. Then you tap the destination tank just like you do it now, but fuel transfers from all grouped tanks, not only from which you tapped.

Ehhhh... That's EXACTLY how FUEL TRANSFER works.

 

[Altaïr]

When Ukrrooter talks about grouped fuel tanks, I think he doesn't necessarily means "physically grouped". Fuel tanks that touch eachother already behave as a single one, but he would like to be able to define a group compound of separate fuel tanks.

 

[Ukrrooter]

When Ukrrooter talks about grouped fuel tanks, I think he doesn't necessarily means "physically grouped". Fuel tanks that touch eachother already behave as a single one, but he would like to be able to define a group compound of separate fuel tanks.

Yes, you actually get it.
I mean separate tanks, but added to this virtual group which makes them do their job simultaneously when one tank from the group is tapped.
Like the RCS - they're all one group. Tap one - activate all. The same idea for virtually grouped tanks and other parts, but you manually define groups and what's in them.

 

[Altaïr]

The idea is interesting, though as is, it could be limited, for big ships assembled on pad you could not define global groups from the editor. The same feature accessible from the game itself would solve this. Plus you could redefine groups if you change your mind, if you dock new pieces... Problem is, hidden parts can't be accessed now.