Feedback #9507
Action group for "control from here"
Description
It would be nice to have an action group for probes, docking ports, and crew modules to be able to "control from here" - for example when switching between VTOL and horizontal flight mode when you switch engines.
History
#1
Updated by TriggerAu almost 8 years ago
Updated by - Status changed from New to Needs Clarification
#2
Updated by cpcallen almost 8 years ago
Updated by - Status changed from Needs Clarification to Updated
- % Done changed from 0 to 10
This feature request is still relevant: it has neither been implemented nor yet marked as WONTFIX.
#3
Updated by Corona688 over 7 years ago
Updated by To clarify, lots of designs need to right-click on a cockpit, or port to control-from-here: VTOL craft, to keep the velocity indicator in the visible part of the navball. Rovers, so you can see destination markers on the side of the navball. Anything at all with docking ports, once it comes time for close manuevering. Unusual craft where part is launched upside down for aesthetic or drag reasons. Craft which always begin controlling upside-down just because there's an upside-down docking port involved their construction. Craft which change their plane of flight from vertical at lift-off to horizontal in space. etc, etc. There's lots of things which need 'control from here'.
This is the sort of thing action-groups are for: They let you make ad-hoc shortcuts so you don't need to to right-click and toggle all your flaps, engines, solar cells, fuel cells, ISRU's, drills, bays, etc individually. But "control from here" does not appear in action groups. When it comes time to land a VTOL, it can take 5-20 tense seconds to manhandle the camera view, right click on the correct cockpit or docking port, and 'control from here'. 10 seconds of unattended drift while hovering easily makes the difference between landing on one piece or several. This has gotten even harder in 1.2, where 'control from here' is hidden in the middle of about 10 other options.
More than just the navball cares about control POV, as well. Having the correct control POV can be the difference between SAS stabilizing a craft to SAS actively destabilizing it.
So it would be great if 'control from here' were one of the options available on cockpits for action groups in the VAB. Better than great. It'd solve an uncomfortable and problematic UI limitation.
So far the forum thread about this feature has been completely unanimous in liking it.
forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/index.php?/topic/148075-control-from-here-in-action-group/
So my question is, is this feature practical? Or does the design of KSP make it difficult? If so, could there be some other way to accomplish it, i.e. a special key to roll through control points similar to how you can roll through nearby ships with [ ] ?
#4
Updated by Corona688 over 7 years ago
- File Shovering.craft Shovering.craft added
Uploaded a file of a VTOL which would really benefit from 'control from here' in action group, the Shovering (rhymes with hovering).
It's between pure VTOL and aerodynamic as it takes advantage of lift in takeoff and flight but can land vertically. Its engines are tilted forward to provide a bit of downward thrust as well. To land properly, one should right click the mini clamp-o-tron and 'control-from-here'. That way, the engines will be pure vertical when the navball is.
#5
Updated by niklan over 7 years ago
Updated by I second that plus the current 'Control from Here' state of a craft should be saved in VAB/SPH and in the active game too:
- 'Control from Here' should be settable in VAB/SPH already because the current algorythm that selects the active control part often uses a wrong part when there are multiple choices on a vessel
- the current active control part should be saved in Game for each craft too. Right now when i switch to certain craft in from tracking station always the wrong control part is selected and i often forget to select the correct one before i start burning. surprise surprise.