Block Preview with Ctrl

[SapioiT]

Now, I know it kinda shows you the block in the right side, but when holding Control (or the designated key) and scroll, you should be able to see the block you want to place, to get rid of all that keeping ctrl pressed while looping place, remove, scroll untill you get what you need. You'd simply need to scroll with Ctrl (or the designated key) pressed and you'll see (only the block directly below your cursor) it cycling through all the stages. It took me 5 minutes to put a arrow tip to a 4-blocks-wide cannon... and in that minutes I could do a lot of the hull (for the ship I am trying to build, right now)... But that option should only replace the arrow when there is a block which fits as a secondary in a blocks-pack (like the hull, the crystals, the doors, etc. and not the weapons, cameras, computers, etc.)

OR assign a key to rotate the block you are looking at.

EDIT: Since the option actually exists, I think it would be a good idea to mode that option to the Advanced Building menu, since not everybody is used to it, and not everybody is paying attention to the arrow in the middle of the semi-transparent blocks.

 

[Vengeance42]

Something like this, yeah. I made a similiar suggestion awhile back. Having to go all the way out to options to get a decent preview is clumsy.

I have to cycle like 5 times currently to get it right unless I go out to the preview option.

 

[Crusade]

Now before i get into this, the preview block on the right hand side does show the correct orientation, and even reacts to where you are looking.

However, there is a hidden option to enable pretty much exactly what you want. Let me dig it up.
Simply hold ctrl and scroll to go through the orientations

EDIT: Yup, here we go.
Open settings.cfg and find the line
G_PREVIEW_TO_BUILD_BLOCK_TEST = false
Change it to true.
It's currently rather limited, as the preview block will only apply to a single block inside your adv build area.

EDIT 2: Not a hidden option, it's in the in-game options.

This is the result:

 

[SapioiT]

Now before i get into this, the preview block on the right hand side does show the correct orientation, and even reacts to where you are looking.

However, there is a hidden option to enable pretty much exactly what you want. Let me dig it up.
Simply hold ctrl and scroll to go through the orientations

EDIT: Yup, here we go.
Open settings.cfg and find the line
G_PREVIEW_TO_BUILD_BLOCK_TEST = false
Change it to true.
It's currently rather limited, as the preview block will only apply to a single block inside your adv build area.

EDIT 2: Not a hidden option, it's in the in-game options.

This is the result:

Thanks a lot! You saved me of dieing of old age before finishing my first big ship!
I genuinely don't understand why isn't it on by default. And finding something in the game options is not as easy as it might sound, as you probably know...

 

[Crusade]

Thanks a lot! You saved me of dieing of old age before finishing my first big ship!
I genuinely don't understand why isn't it on by default. And finding something in the game options is not as easy as it might sound, as you probably know...

No problem! again, in adv mode build areas, only one preview block will be visible. That's probably why.

 

[SapioiT]

No problem! again, in adv mode build areas, only one preview block will be visible. That's probably why.

It would probably be a problem if there would be more than one block for preview. But still, I don't see why it is not on by default... the only reason why I think it might not be on is that the arrow is not visible through the block, but showing it instead of the block preview on the right side of the screen while holding Ctrl would fix that...

 

[Vengeance42]

Guys you didnt have to dig thru configs, I mentioned this in post #2 where I said "having to go to options is clumsy", so yeah I was aware of this.

To me, this option really gets in the way annoyingly when not placing blocks like wedges, so I usually turn it off, then turn it on with orientable blocks. Its just in a clumsy place: options. Having it tied to like ctrl, or a check on the advanced area, would make it much more natural to use and then turn back off again.

 

[SapioiT]

Or, at least, make it an option of the Advanced Building menu... that way it would be easier to use it only when you need it...

 

[AsherMaximum]

Yeah, making this a checkbox in advanced build would be much better than just having it all the way out in the config.

 

[Vengeance42]

yay - I made a thread about this a month ago and it got ignored, hopefully gains some traction now.

Itsa most annoying when I only have to orient one block - is it quicker to go out to options, or will I get lucky guessing via the tiny thumbnail orient box (its just a guess, I cant make heads or tails out of the thumbnail).