Root part

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The root part is the first part placed in the VAB or SPH so it's on the top of the dependency tree. A part requires at least one attachment not and may not be a physicless part to be able to work as a root part. Prior to version 0.20 the root part also needs to be a command module. Since then it is possible to have craft without any control authority, but the game then warns about that problem.

Selecting

If a part is selected, it will select all parts placed onto it so if the root part is selected it will always select the hole craft. Because it's not attached to another part, selecting it won't allow the player to reattach it to another part.

Placement

The root part is always placed by only clicking on the part so it's not possible to place it onto anything or with a symmetry. Since 0.20 it is possible to replace the root part, but this requires to disconnect all parts directly attached to it. This might require to restart the construction from scratch, especially if the future root part is already integrated into the craft because the order of attachment typically need to be reversed.

Because symmetry is relative to it, symmetry changes if other parts are placed on already symmetrically placed parts. In this case one part is placed on each symmetric parent part.

Behaviour

When a craft separates into multiple vessels, the craft containing the original root part will become the active vessel. The part highest in the dependency tree in each vessel becomes that vessel's root part. But the camera actually focuses on the center of mass of a vessel while in flight, not its root part.

Although it's not possible to build a craft only of physicless parts, because a craft require a root part and those can't be physicless it is possible to get a craft later which does consists only of physicless parts. This was fixed in 0.18.2 that the new root part would then become a part obeying to the physics.

See also

  • The mod, Select Root, allows to change the root part of a vessel to avoid rebuilding a craft