Bug #13079
Fuel Transfer not available when another part menu pinned.
0%
Description
Fuel transfer doesnt show up when you have another part menu pinned.
If you unpin the pinned part menu and try again fuel transfer works as expected.
| screenshot179.png (667 KB) screenshot179.png | Engine part pinned, no transfer with ALT-RMB | ||
| screenshot178.png (628 KB) screenshot178.png | No part pinned, fuel transfer available with ALT-RMB. |
History
#1
Updated by boolybooly over 7 years ago
Updated by This is the x64 Windows (in Win 7 Ult x64) client version btw and I did try exit and reload the game before making the screenies, behaviour was consistently reproducible between three different craft.
#2
Updated by JPLRepo over 7 years ago
Updated by 
- Status changed from New to Not a Bug
- % Done changed from 0 to 100
This is intended by design.
The fuel xfer only works when the part windows open allow fuel xfer.
If any part window is open that is not a tank/allows fuel xfer those action buttons are disabled.
#3
Updated by boolybooly over 7 years ago
OK if its not a bug then its a UI usability issue IMHO.
I imagine the current system is a compromise using the legacy ALT system which has not been reworked yet since the addition of better menus and the move to Unity 5. If you designed it from scratch you would probably do it differently, see below, what do you think?
Firstly why disable transfer buttons for tanks? If buttons are not present in a non tank menu then they cannot be use inappropriately OK, but there is no reason to switch them off for tank parts where they are appropriate and requested by ALT+RMB as far as I can see. It isnt logical.
To help folks understand what I am talking about I want to offer an example scenario which is the reason I made the report.
e.g. operating a stock refinery craft, sat pod controlled, with two drills, fuelling an orbital craft over Minmus to fulfill a liquid fuel requirement for an orbital station mission parameter... it helps me to have all active parts menus open when refining so they can be switched off quickly when solar panels are not making juice so the command pod keeps enough battery power to stay active. Also it helps to have 2 Gigantor and 2 medium extendible radiator part menus open to retract when flying to dock and deliver refined fuel. Because of this problem with fuel transfer, when the craft docks to deliver fuel you have to unpin 7 parts to make the fuel transfer and then place and repin 7 part menus to recommence operations. Bit clunky.
In that scenario I would expect ALT+RMB to allow fuel transfer between the tanks opened with ALT without being inhibited by the presence of other pinned parts menus, in addition I would expect any tank part to have a transfer toggle which when on shows "in - out" buttons and when off excludes the tank from doing transfers but allows it to feed fuel as per usual. To combine the two I would expect a tank menu opened with ALT+RMB to have the fuel toggle open by default and other pinned tank menus to have it available to activate if required and non tank parts. In the case of multiple tanks I would expect fuel transfers to follow fuel priority rules.
I hope that makes sense and is helpful from a design point of view. Good luck with the programming ;o)