What says on the tin:

during the setup phase of the game, am I allowed to use any aids (templates, range rules, ship bases themselves, other stuff etc.) to ensure ships are placed precisely in a certain position?

I looked through the rules and can't find anything either way.

You can use the range template to position your ships but you can't pre-measure to see how your opponents ships are set up.

Only time you can measure is when performing a target lock or during an attack, anything else you must judge by eye.

I meant my own ships position, not my opponents.

For example, let's say I want to setup such that my first maneuver causes one of my ships to pass by (and not collide) with a higher PS one. At setup can I:

- Use the actual maneuver template to check?

- Use the range ruler to check?

- Use other means, like premeasuring at home andvthen setting up 'one small base away' or 'three fingers away'?

During your setup you can use any "tools of the game" to do so. This would mean templates and ranged rulers and maybe bases but you'd better check with someone else on that.

One thing that may not be allowed is that "other stuff" which could potentially include a customized layout template. Make a template out of game components and you'd be ok but no custom cutouts.

Can you use templates to measure placement relative to asteroids?

Like - seeing if your ship will clear a rock if your make a straight, bank or turn move - OR - even placing templates end to end to see if you will clear?

Have seen it done in casual games - always wondered if it was OK or not.

If anything, you could lay the range ruler toward the asteroid in question for alignment issues but legally say your just making sure your ship is in the range 1 zone of the board edge.

If I'm flying something that likes to stay (or at least start) in formation, I use the range ruler every time. Two ships at opposite ends of a range band won't bump when doing the same bank/turn maneuver.

If anything, you could lay the range ruler toward the asteroid in question for alignment issues but legally say your just making sure your ship is in the range 1 zone of the board edge.

You don't even have to do that. The tournament rules state that "... players may use their range rulers and maneuvers templates to help them set up formations during deployment". Using the range ruler to ensure you don't smash into an asteroid is thus perfectly fine. It's no different to using a 2-straight template to ensure you have space to barrel roll towards the board edge, or a combination of a bank and straight to ensure you get the 45-degree angle right.

So, to answer the OP: yes, you can measure out the position of your own ships with either the range ruler or the template, and do it to your heart's content.