You'll see a counter in the research and fast OB windows that show you how much you are 'allowed' to SM before it becomes cheating. As for ingame, I SM instant my module projects, because I don't have time to research a dozen FCs to find the correct one, etc.
For survey ships you should basically have two designs following the same pattern:
-Engine x1 (Best military available, preferably with boosted power output)
-Engineering Spaces Small x2
-Crew Quarters Small x2
-Geo/Gravsurvey Sensor x1 (best available, type dependent on which type of survey ship it is)
-Fuel Storage (however much it takes to get a range of 250b km+; I use 2x normal, 2x small, 1x tiny for a total of 125,000 litres)
-Military Jump Drive, with max tonnage as close to 1,000 as you can get it without going below.
-If there is room left, throw in a minimum sized thermal sensor
This ship will be 1,000 tons (hence no bridge required), jump-capable, long-ranged, and have a long time before it needs repairs. If you play with maint. off, even better. Remember to upgrade the design to a new model when you research improved engines or geo/grav sensors. If you don't have all the small modules available right off the bat, either hold off on the ship until you research them, SM them in, or do the best you can without them.
Discovery III class Geological Survey Vessel 1,000 tons 95 Crew 279.8 BP TCS 20 TH 115 EM 0
5750 km/s JR 1-50 Armour 1-8 Shields 0-0 Sensors 11/1/0/2 Damage Control Rating 1 PPV 0
Maint Life 9.42 Years MSP 175 AFR 8% IFR 0.1% 1YR 4 5YR 53 Max Repair 150 MSP
J1200(1-50) Military Jump Drive Max Ship Size 1200 tons Distance 50k km Squadron Size 1
Internal Confinement Fusion Drive E6.5 (1) Power 115 Fuel Use 65% Signature 115 Armour 0 Exp 12%
Fuel Capacity 125,000 Litres Range 346.2 billion km (696 days at full power)
Thermal Sensor TH1-11 (1) Sensitivity 11 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 11m km
Improved Geological Sensors (1) 2 Survey Points Per Hour
This design is classed as a Military Vessel for maintenance purposes
Think about the logic behind this and apply it to other designs you make. The most important thing is to have a strong understanding of the role you want the ship to fill; building a design 'just because' is a waste of resources, especially early on. When designing a class, think about how you can trim the fat. Set a rough tonnage you want the class to be, and once you've got most of the components in, set a hard limit and stay under it.
Click the checkbox to show the class size in tonnage rather than HS, as this will let you know how many small fuel tanks and engineering spaces you can cram into a finished design, which is very helpful.
Well, not exactly a full tutorial, but it makes more sense if you figure some stuff out on your own.