EVA Construction Mode

EVA construction mode is a new feature in 1.11 that allows engineers to move parts on and between active craft, or place parts from inside inventories onto active craft, or create new small probes from inventory parts. This allows for cannibalizing parts from craft, or repairing issues such as insufficient power, battery storage, or communication links. There are also Career Mode contracts available for repairs.

Activate construction mode by taking an Engineer on EVA, and clicking the construction hook icon on the right.

To activate EVA Construction Mode, click the button on the top-right panel that looks like a crane hook. This brings up the EVA Construction UI. The UI is similar to that of the VAB or SPH, but there are no symmetry modes available. Only single parts can be handled, and Engineers cannot move subassemblies of multiple parts by hand. EVA Construction is only available for Engineers, other Kerbals have an inventory access panel that can move inventory items but cannot build with them.

Your kerbal engineer has a limited manipulation range of about 10 meters.Parts in inventory containers within this range will show up on the left side of your screen while in EVA Construction mode.

The gravity of the current planet/moon determines how heavy an item an engineer can manipulate. For example on Moho an engineer cannot place an Oscar tank. On Kerbin, even an OKTO is too much weight. As of version 1.11.1, additional kerbals outside during an EVA allow engineers to manipulate heavier items. For example, a lone engineer on Kerbin can manipulate parts up to 60 kg, but every other kerbal nearby, regardless of class, adds extra 60 kg to that limit.

Watch out for unintended forces during construction/movement/rotation. Placing a part may cause a physics kick. Always quicksave.

You cannot deploy Breaking Ground DLC surface experiments with EVA Construction Mode. Doing this will just drop them on the ground and will not properly deploy them.

Controls in EVA construction mode

To enter EVA Construction Mode, click on the hook icon on the right icon group during EVA. How to do symmetry? How to rotate parts so they can properly snap together? Your jetpack will function as long as you are not holding a part. Once you are holding a part you cannot use your jetpack controls. If you need to move a part a long distance, you can inch the part along a structure or start moving towards the destination, grab the part, and hold onto it until close enough to the destination.

Tips

- Place ladders on vehicles & space stations. Engineers can grab on to the ladder to do their work instead of drifting through space. - It's easier to move inventory items while in control of a craft, vs trying to do it externally with a kerbal.