Probing In Simple Steps

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To make it easier for new players to learn how to probe, I've decided to create this little picture guide on how to set up a series of probes to scan down targets.

IMPORTANT: When handling your probes using the following steps, only manipulate them using the arrows on the boxes; do not click the box and drag! As well, if a probe is positioned initially on the horizontal plane, do not move it on the vertical plane unless you are using CTRL+SHIFT+Drag to move the whole set. The same applies for your vertical probes and moving horizontally. Moving your probes using the wrong arrows, or clicking the box and dragging will throw off your alignment entirely, which will force you to recall and relaunch your probes! If you follow these steps correctly, moving your probes should be as simple as sliding them along a 'rail', tightening and expanding as needed. This should make probing both very quick, very efficient, and very effective.

Five Probe Setup

Although it is possible to do a five probe setup, it is not recommended, due to the fact that it is time consuming and difficult to get the positioning accurate on the fifth probe, so it sits correctly in the middle of the four-sided polygonal triangle. Since it's far easier to do a six, seven or eight probe setup, and since it's so short to train, it's best to train the skills to do the 6+ probe steps instead.

That said, if you insist on going with this setup, or you're absolutely stuck with a tricky signature, you can do these slightly tweaked steps, based on the above four probe setup:

1. Deploy two probes.

2. CTRL+SHIFT+Drag them down-leftward.

3. Deploy three probes.

4. Drag the first two outward from each other to form a triangle

5. Drag the third probe to the top-right of the triangle, leaving two probes in the center. (Do not manually drag the two probes to the middle like the four-probe instructions described; this will make it extremely hard to line up later on when condensing!). Adjust the first two probes via expansion to align with the top probe you just dragged.

6. Drag one of the two center probe vertically, leaving the second center probe in the middle.

7. Drag the center probe slightly upward, to center it between the top point, and the three bottom points.

8. Set the scan resolution size to fit.

9. Drag the probes in/out, and expand/contract the resolution size as needed, CTRL+SHIFT to move the entire group at once.

...And that's why it's far easier to go with six or more probes!

Seven or Eight Probe Setup

Same as Six Probe, Except deploy eight probes, spread out six as per above, and leave two centered on top of each other.

IMPORTANT: Do not move the seventh and eighth probe under any circumstances; it should only ever move when using CTRL+SHIFT+Drag. These are your center point, and moving them will throw off your alignment entirely, which will force you to recall and relaunch your probes.

Links

• A very good video guide on scanning with 5 probes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heYfTA00Idg
• Seamus's guide to scanning with 7 probes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTf4ZYPAX1s
• Scanning & Probing
• Smurfprime's Probing Guide