You can also use the copy and paste tool in creative mode to paste blocks from one structure to another. This allows you to even put SV blocks on a CV, etc. Of course use at your own risk.
I do this all the time. Plus i build very slow. Ill work on one then get a bit burned out on it. Then ill move to another one. This cycle continues until i come back to the original one. Then the problem is that it will be outdated or the game updates. Frustrating at times~ But at the same time taking long to build something allows me to fixes issues or come up with solutions to earlier problems.
A Novice Builder like me - thats my second attempt building a small SV - has done today only some work on the "Jumper"(Working name) Not all to happy how it turned out because of the limited amount of Wing Shapes and types but it flies at least (in Space).
Inspiration strikes when it will. I find it helpful to go do something else for awhile when I get stuck. I might work on a different build or simply unplug and get out of the house for awhile. I find that will often spark a bit of inspiration. Banging my head against a brick wall trying to force it is rarely productive but it's a good way to burn yourself out on the game. I have this thing where I like to focus on a single build at a time. I don't like a messy playfield with lots of unfinished builds sitting around but that's what I've gravitated to over time. I'll be engrossed working on something and get an idea for another build so I'll hop over to that one and the next thing I know a couple hours have gone by. Having multiple builds to work on at a time means I can work on something else when I get bored with a particular build and I don't feel as much pressure to get it done. Sometimes that means I never finish something or someone else beats me to the punch(often with something better) and it means I have a backlog of ideas I'd like to work on. I'll get to them! Someday. I admit my stuff is pretty hit or miss. I might hit one out of the park now and then but my stuff is largely middle of the road and the quality is inconsistent. Part of that is because I don't feel I'm terribly creative but also because my previous 'work on a single thing at a time' approach meant I would get tired of a build and I was ready to be done with it long before it was done. I ran into that working on Nexus Station. I was so ready to be done with that when I published it and here I am working on another large update for it. Part of that is due to the fact I *have* gotten better at this but I'm also fixing a lot of things that I left as just 'good enough' the first time around. Don't be afraid to make large changes! Or make mistakes. Sometimes the most beautiful stuff comes from those 'mistakes'. Edit: Couple bits of wisdom for novice builders: I blueprint everything obsessively but especially when I'm done working on something for now(either because I'm going to work on something else or I'm logging off). I like to create a new blueprint save with a new version number before I go making any large, unadvisable changes. If I like the changes I can save it to the new version number. If I don't I can easily revert to the previous version. Make sure you're saving your work to the correct version number! Because it will still be highlighted on the previous one after creating a new one. I think I have at least a dozen or more blueprints of Nexus Station at this point. I didn't use to do this or there would be more.
I do kinda similar, but smaller scale. I procrastinate on areas confounding me a bit & switch my attention to Build Areas i'm much more sure what I wanna do there, & get that done... later I can sometimes return to problem areas & much better eyeball what I could potentially do about it. (Including, if still nothing I can do with it, then it may well be Retcon time.) I swear without this trick, I never woulda been able to manage the Deathmaw from long ago. I had to Retcon large areas of it no less then 3 times, & without the above trick I may well have gotten overwhelmed by the sheer scope of the project. True indeed. Inspiration cannot be rushed. I've tried it before & nothing I built during such times was ever worthy of the light of day. At the same time I don't tend to build many things simultaneously partially cause I can't keep a lot tracked at the same time in my RL head, partially cause it's a pain in the ass to throw stuff outta your Inventory & Restock it for some other Vehicle Type to switch Creation Type to work on, partially cause of unstable RL. To add to your Tips, it's a good habit to get into that when Saving a BP with Intent to Overwrite, ALWAYS click the BP ya want Overwritten first. Don't trust the Highlight's Positioning... sometimes it lies & tries to trick you into Overwriting something ya would miss...
Did a little more work on the station. I've been deleting as much as I've been adding. I spent some time redesigning the solar panels on the bottom of the station(probably need a rework but it's ok for now) and I've been replacing a bunch of the antenna deco with custom built stuff but the biggest change was deleting those big spherical tanks under the station. They housed the massive number of fuel/o2 tanks required to run the station but it turns out when I increased the size of the station last time to expand the city level it left me with a lot of unused space in the station's superstructure. I'm going to use some of it store the fuel/o2. The rest? Who knows. So now I'm left with all this empty space underneath the station that's directly below the city levels. HMMMMMMMMM! Spoiler Edit: Without those tanks the station looks a lot like a kitchen table with some extra bits stuck to it.
Needs moar hangars. Plus, even if the hangars aren't used for storing ships, they can always store intermodal shipping containers .
I'm not sure what I'm going to do with that space yet. Something cool I hope! Edit: I may have to move the subway. I'm contemplating some rather large changes. Halp! No seriously, send help.
Did a few changes, such as re-positioning the Downward Truster and the Door, programmed the ramps to work properly changed Colors and Textures. Still not too happy with the main Hull shape.
No building tips from me, all I can say is most of the designs in my head look like: or And after several hours or days of designing in creative look like: Meh, good enough.
LOL! I'm just glad I'm not the only one who's like this. You summed my situation up perfectly . Seriously, my hat is off to those of you who can not only design something that gets the job done well, but is also pleasing to look upon. Like @Fenris said, my designs start out all awesome and cool-looking, but end up looking like bricks. On topic: finished what I'm calling an "Attack SV": as maneuverable as possible, with as much offensive punch as possible, while still fitting in the hangar bay of my CV and retaining a decent operating range. I had this sleek and deadly bird-of prey in my mind, but it ended up being a pudgy little pigeon: It gets the job done (so far), I guess, but I hope you guys who are good at the aesthetics part of vessel design will continue to share what you have...to give hopeless "engineer" types like me ideas.....
Ya'all think your stuff looks bad? Ya shoulda seen some of my early work. There's naught one can do but build, practice, tweak, refine, improve over time. ... oh hey look, I found a surviving Steam Screenie of one of my early monstrosities! Spoiler: Ya might wanna not have anything in your Mouth before viewing in case of spontaneous laughter...
There's hope for me yet then! ha ha I thought I'd be better at building after 700 hours, but everyday I learn something new and improve a little more
This is just my personal opinion, but I think that shape and design would look cool as a space station POI! Could totally fit in with the Zirax or some alien faction.
Oh mate I would have been proud of that! far better then my early single small square room in space with all I need on the floor and not a single window out YEAH! my first space station.
Well, clearly you should call it the "Death Pigeon." When the Zirax see its transponder appear on their radar, they'll laugh and laugh, right up until you crack open their base with it . Plus, the pigeon is a very successful bird.
Made up my mind about a Name for the SV: Aquilifer-17 (referring to the necessary level) finished the Texturing and got rid of the straight sides by putting on some CS Blocks. What calls for lvl 17 are those two Thruster on Top. Would have liked to have the Wings in a downward angle but alas not possible, neither with the modular nor the fixed wings. But enough of the complaints - done is done. Performance Mode ON CPU well below limit at 5870/7500 Side by side with the Big Brother SV Eridanus
LOL! Yeah, and I'll make a flock of them to leave droppings on their patios. Them Zirax won't be laughing anymore! Muhahahaha! True statement, but not for the same reason as the falcon or osprey. I understand falcons are used to control pigeon populations in some places. Still, pigeons are great fliers with a large wing area: Yeah, I suppose that's an SV design I could aspire to....thanks for the idea!
I've been filling the industrial levels of my ship. Slowly. Today however, all i've done is the lower hangars. As always, not completely finished on this hangar. There's another smaller one below this where the main door is located. This one is intended for HVs and the only one I can show at this time.
