Shipmaker Tips and Tricks for Newcomers

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Zalausai
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Shipmaker Tips and Tricks for Newcomers

Post by Zalausai »

This is to show new members some of the "not so obvious" manipulation tricks available in shipmaker.

Here we have our sample ship.
Sample Ship
Sample Ship
SMscreen030.png (1.97 KiB) Viewed 18421 times

Multiple Section Movement
If you hold "ctrl" in addition to "shift" and a directional arrow key to move a section (with that section selected), you will move that section and all of its children.
Two sections in the sample ship have been moved upwards 10 pixels. It also moved their children.
2 Sections Moved
2 Sections Moved
SMscreen033.png (2.76 KiB) Viewed 18421 times
Multiple Section Rotation
With a section selected, it can be rotated by pressing "J" or "K". If "ctrl" is held when these keys are pressed, all of that section's children are rotated with it, but maintain their orientation to their parent. This only works properly with section move/rotation step set to "normal".
Two sections have been rotated by degrees. Their children followed.
2 Sections Rotated
2 Sections Rotated
SMscreen034.png (7.98 KiB) Viewed 18421 times
Rapid Recolor
With a section selected, you can recolor that section and all others that have the same color to another color. With the section selected, hold "ctrl" and right-click on the color that you want to use. A menu will open. Select "fill". All sections with the same color as the selected section will become the color that you picked.
Preformed here using bright red.
Quick Recolor
Quick Recolor
SMscreen035.png (2.07 KiB) Viewed 18421 times
Weapons Under Sections
Shown with orange weapons for clarity.
This is called "depthing". With a weapon selected, press the W key. It will still be on top of the section that it is parented to, but will be below all sections above it.
Warning: Don't depth weapons until AFTER you mirror them. Depthing them before mirroring them will create an error that makes your ship unplayable in the sandbox. (It is fixable, but this is how it can be avoided).
SMscreen037.png
SMscreen037.png (2.46 KiB) Viewed 18421 times
Digging Through Sections
If you hold "ctrl" when selecting a section, you can continue clicking to cycle your selection through all the sections that are underneath it. This way, you don't have to move around sections to access the one that you want.

Moving the Background
You can change the background in the shipmaker in the menu along the top bar. There is an option called "change background". If you have the core of the ship selected, you can move the background using T (up), F (left), G (down), and H (right).

Enjoy. Post more tricks that are "less commonly known" if you like.
Zalausai
Last edited by Zalausai on Wed Aug 28, 2013 5:18 am, edited 4 times in total.
Has written a series of tutorials for the newbies
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Doogie12
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Re: Shipmaker tips and tricks for newcomers

Post by Doogie12 »

Someone sticky this
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Majicnanas
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Re: Shipmaker tips and tricks for newcomers

Post by Majicnanas »

I second this ^
Add me on steam @majicnanas
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Zalausai
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Re: Shipmaker tips and tricks for newcomers

Post by Zalausai »

This page has been added to the tutorial index.
Any new "less commonly known" tricks suggested by others will be added to the original post (if they are as useful).
Has written a series of tutorials for the newbies
Zalausai's Tutorial Index

Created: Elements of Discord, Heaven's Grace, and Hell's Last Battalion.

I stop in from time to time to check in on the community. Though I don't spend much time with shipmaker anymore.
Proud parent since: 8/15/2013 (Baby Boy)

Good shipbuilders never die . . . they just fade away.
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Re: Shipmaker Tips and Tricks for Newcomers

Post by Doogie12 »

Eh, why not.

Neon section doodads.
Since I prefer using glows as sections due to customizability.
To make a window or rune look like a neon light, set the base color to white and actually use a dark, saturated color as it's aegis glow. It'll turn out like the second ship listed here which used a dark purple-magenta as it's glow. Normally, making this the base color then aegising it would look horrible, but this is a way around that.
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Zalausai
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Re: Shipmaker Tips and Tricks for Newcomers

Post by Zalausai »

I'll probably make another thread for visual tricks. I'll include and credit Doogie's post there. To be more specific, tricks that make it easier to build ships or operate the shipmaker will go here.

Don't worry Doogie, that trick won't be lost.
Has written a series of tutorials for the newbies
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Created: Elements of Discord, Heaven's Grace, and Hell's Last Battalion.

I stop in from time to time to check in on the community. Though I don't spend much time with shipmaker anymore.
Proud parent since: 8/15/2013 (Baby Boy)

Good shipbuilders never die . . . they just fade away.
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Re: Shipmaker Tips and Tricks for Newcomers

Post by CryoSleep »

You remember the aldebaran right? if yes you should make a tutorial about it for the new guys.
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Zalausai
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Re: Shipmaker Tips and Tricks for Newcomers

Post by Zalausai »

Sadly, do not remember what that was. What was special about it?
Has written a series of tutorials for the newbies
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Created: Elements of Discord, Heaven's Grace, and Hell's Last Battalion.

I stop in from time to time to check in on the community. Though I don't spend much time with shipmaker anymore.
Proud parent since: 8/15/2013 (Baby Boy)

Good shipbuilders never die . . . they just fade away.
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Ristyo
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Re: Shipmaker Tips and Tricks for Newcomers

Post by Ristyo »

Zalausai wrote:I'll probably make another thread for visual tricks.
If you are going to do this, I'm going to add one that you guys probably know, I found it in some older posts.
Add some stock sections if you are using shiny and mess with the stockies alpha to create some neat "shielding" effect.
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Zalausai
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Re: Shipmaker Tips and Tricks for Newcomers

Post by Zalausai »

Added new shipmaker trick, moving the background. I'll work on a visual trick thread when I can gather at least 3 more. So far I have 4. (2 suggested, 2 that I learned on my own)
Has written a series of tutorials for the newbies
Zalausai's Tutorial Index

Created: Elements of Discord, Heaven's Grace, and Hell's Last Battalion.

I stop in from time to time to check in on the community. Though I don't spend much time with shipmaker anymore.
Proud parent since: 8/15/2013 (Baby Boy)

Good shipbuilders never die . . . they just fade away.
Lukasmah
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Re: Shipmaker Tips and Tricks for Newcomers

Post by Lukasmah »

Add this in:

If you want an aegis shield to be invisible, make it black.
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Re: Shipmaker Tips and Tricks for Newcomers

Post by DerpCactusDerp »

Maybe that belongs in the new visual tricks thread.
Now working on those nice needle beamers. Beware!
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Re: Shipmaker Tips and Tricks for Newcomers

Post by Ristyo »

Nobody hasn't made a visual tricks thread.
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Re: Shipmaker Tips and Tricks for Newcomers

Post by Doogie12 »

I think I like having visual tricks more secretive. That way I can dazzle you all when I re-use something an older member would do ;)
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Re: Shipmaker Tips and Tricks for Newcomers

Post by Lukasmah »

Too bad I like reading the archives. :P
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