Fallout 4

[fragger]

That's a good tip too, mandru I'll have to try that one. There are a few other props like the Nuka-Cola machines that won't allow themselves to be placed up against walls but instead sit out inconveniently from them. That trick sounds like a good workaround for that.

[mandru]

I realized I had neglected to mention that once you've positioned and placed the group selected objects the combined building elements that are part of that process become separate objects once again and can be selectively removed from whatever you are trying to assemble.

When setting up a "group select" (a worthwhile search on YouTube) that narrowest piece of wall for vertical alignments, rugs either doormats or carpets for horizontal manipulation and in some situations sections of vault conduit are handy when you need something long and bendy to be able to better eyeball precise placements.

[fragger]

Cheers for that mate

[Dweller_Benthos]

Yeah rugs and carpets were good for that technique. It's easier if you place it out in the street or someplace clear of all other player built objects, then place the object you really want to place near to the edge of the carpet, and then group select the carpet. It should select the other object as well, and as long as you're far enough away from everything else, it should only select those pieces which you can then move around and even into other objects hopefully.

[fragger]

Well, I'll be a monkey's uncle! I just watched a YT video about group-selecting as per mandru's suggestion, and while doing so I learned something extra from it - that I can slide selected objects from side to side and up and down within my view, i.e. without moving myself. Geez, all the time I could have saved futzing around trying to move my character a micron or two to the left or right to get into the perfect placement spot! I never knew about that sliding trick. I mean, I DID know I could rotate selected objects and zoom them in/out in Workshop mode, and could move them up and down by looking up and down, but never knew I could slide them around in the X and Y axes of my viewpoint until I saw that video. Cool, I learned a second new thing while learning about the first new thing. A two-fer!

[Art Blade]

so, how exactly do you slide them?

[mandru]

 

I knew about a slide function but thought it was only available when using a console's controller.

[fragger]

To slide objects, you first have to have the object(s) selected in Workshop mode (this works with group-selected objects too, btw). While the object is selected, hold down your "select" (a.k.a. "interact") key. I think this is "E" by default on PC. While that key is held down, you can use your L/R "turn" keys (default: "A" and "D") to slide the object left and right, and your forward and backward keys to slide it up and down ("W" and "S" by default). The sliding function will stop as soon as you let go of the Select key.

To summarize, if you're using defaults, you'd hit "E" just once to initially select an object, then hold "E" down again while you use WASD to slide the object around.

OR:

Hold down "E" to group select objects, release the key, then hold it down again to slide the group.

Because of my quirky keymap setup, I have to use mouse <side-to-side> for side-sliding objects and <mouse-wheel> forward/backward to slide up/down. But I believe the "WASD" group is the default combo for sliding stuff.

NOTE: While in "sliding" mode, building parts WILL NOT SNAP TOGETHER. Snapping only works in "default" mode. So sliding is really best for placing furniture, decorations, workbenches, etc. Anything non-snappable.

Incidentally, I don't know if you guys are aware of this, but if you grab and move a pre-placed object in Workshop mode but then decide you didn't want to move it after all (or if you accidentally select an object and move it), hitting TAB will return the object to wherever it was before you picked it up AND will automatically deselect it, so you won't have to manually put it back where it was. This will only w0#k as long as you still have hold of the object and haven't yet plonked it down somewhere.

[Art Blade]

cheers mate, that's worth a +1 to me, so here ya go, old bean

[mandru]

+1 From me too.  From what I've seen this has a smoother positioning glide than the jerky mechanic of shifting your entire body.  I will definitely be giving this a try. 

As for the Tab to return something to its original position function.  I've grabbed the wrong thing so many times I could rename the tab key to "Not that one, the other one damn it" key. 

[Art Blade]

 

[fragger]

Thanks for the kudos, guys

lol mandru

The group-select works really well, it's nice to get some of these objects to go up against walls finally. There's (at least) one object that stubbornly refuses to play ball, though - the big "ICE" freezer in the "Decorations/Misc" menu. The collision box on that stays the way it is, no matter what it's grouped with (I tried the skinny Concrete wall bit, a mat and a thin post from the "Barn" menu). Not that I use the ice freezer much, but I have one settlement where it would look perfect if it would just go up against the flipping wall. Nothing I can do will make that happen.

Doesn't matter, I'm happy with all the other things I can now do with group-select. Oh, and before I forget, here's a +1 for you mandru, for putting me onto that trick

[mandru]

 

[fragger]

I jetpacked onto the roof of the Vim! Pop Factory (the Admin building, not the factory building itself) and found this little tableau up there:

Spoiler

"I suppose you're all wondering why I've called you here..."

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[Art Blade]

nice one, I didn't expect that

they seem to have remnants of a super mutant camp there like that meat bag, also a massive skull.. looks like a scenario of "dwarfs defeated giants"