How did you guys learn to logic so well?

[faylew1012]

Ok, so you guys amaze me with the crazy logic stuff you put out and I wish I could do the same. The best I can do is doors and rotating bobs. I cant seem to wrap my head around logic theory, I don't know why, It's just difficult for me to grasp for some reason. I've watched all of Bench's tutorials as well as Sven's and others but for some reason I just don't get it.

So, I guess this is a plea for help lol. How did you guys lean logic? what other resources are out there that may help? Should I take a class on circuits? Any help would be awesome.

 

[Comradecolonel]

For me personally I just would force myself to make any system that I thought was cool. Its similar to learning math, you just need to practice solving various problems until it is intuitive to you. I remember watching those videos myself. At first I could only replicate the systems I saw but after I starting solving things myself it just kinda clicked. Try looking up some of the premade templates for various systems. The simple ones should give you building blocks for the more complex systems. There's really no shortcut for learning logic.

Learning circuits and other logic based courses (coding, etc...) will help if you aren't used to constructing systems that are similiar. Circuits will give you some direct ideas but if you have trouble learning logic, chances are that you will struggle the same with circuits. Its more about working with a given logical system until it just makes sense on a lower level in your mind.

 

[GalactusX]

Learning about logic circuits only has 3 steps:

1º Have initiative: dont wait for others to do what you need, do it for yourself, experiment with the tools you have at your disposal (in this case, the ingame logical blocks)
2º Put in practice: there are many tutorials on internet about logic, youtube videos, forum posts... learn little by little, and then play to put into practice what you have learned. Remember that the mother of science is the practice...
3º Get your goals: whether you want to build a simple automatic gate, or a complex logic system to automate your entire space station / ship, or make a game within starmade, put goals that force you to evolve more and more, any step, Small or insignificant, will make you learn something new.

If you reach a deadlock, where you do not know what you can do, look for a problem or system to solve or implement, maybe today nobody finds useful what you have done, but tomorrow, sure there is someone who will thank you

 

[_Scooter98_]

Its going to sound cliche and what not. Just start somewhere (which you've already done), and keep experimenting. Start small, and don't tear yourself down if it breaks (which it does often).

When i started out with logic, i tried to relate the actual logic blocks to real life examples (more or less).
NOT-inverter (reverses input)
AND-Submarine launch keys (all inputs need to be activated for AND to be activated)
OR-a light switch in my house (will activate if any input is activated)
Delay-well its a delay (a 0.5 second delay)

Now there are other new logic blocks, but the use is in the name of the new blocks.


Once i applied my dyslexic Aussie knowledge and real life relations, i started to understand logic to a much better capacity, and started to teach myself the ways of simple logic.

After experimenting a bunch, i went and looked at a bunch of logic stuff on the dock and analysed what parts did what and why they did what they did (a pain in the arse if you didn't build it :P)

Now i can shit out a multilevel elevator with doors that open and close automatically (well, the door parts only once in a blue moon, my elevator template with all the logic was lost a reformat ago and i haven't rebuilt it .'- P)

Well, this is how i learnt to do do the logic stuffs. You might have to learn another way, watching someone else build a basic circuit in build mode while asking questions along the way, Youtube maybe, using real life props to visualise the circuit better, whatever works mate.

Hope i helped in any way shape or form. Any questions, feel free to reply here or chuck us a message.


_Scooter98_

 

[DoomCarrot]

Well, I already was fluent in javascript, c script, python, integrated circuit logic gates and computer science in general before I started playing starmade. So it came pretty natuarally... Unfortunately, I cannot say it would be practical to take a computer science course just to learn how to make navigation lights in starmade lmao.

However, the basics are quite simple. I recommend you actually learn about logic gates outside of starmade, as it is probably easier than trying to understand a starmade tutorial with the added step of blocks and stuff.

Here is a pretty basic page explaining what each logic gate does, that you can refer to any time when you are trying to build logic gates. Note that in starmade, only AND, OR, and NOT are used, the XOR and stuff you don't really need to memorize. Logic Gates

Once you are familiar with how each logic gate works, it is actually a very simple system. If you only want a rail to be activated when two buttons are clicked, use an AND gate. If you want an ON signal to be an OFF signal, use a NOT gate. Try building simple elevators and stuff first. Once you start to move on to more complex circuits, you may want to learm how to draw blueprints of your logic circuits before you actually build them, so you don't get lost mid-building.

 

[jayman38]

I sometimes use this online logic lab to figure out different sequences. I find that using the logic lab outside the game, I avoid distractions and can focus on that particular problem without suddenly thinking of something else in the game, like a neat complimentary color scheme or a turret design.

 

[Jaaskinal]

Just experiment with a lot of things, anything you think might be cool. Try to make logic weapons, see what passives and other systems interact with logic, play around with displays. Just do stuff, and see what you can do. If you have a question, ask on the docks, and see how different people solve it.

 

[wizerdwolf]

Personally, I have a degree in computer engineering, so I learned in freshman year a lot of the rules I use. Study up on boolean algebra!

 

[kiddan]

I'm not exactly a logic mastermind, but a (literal) couple tips nonetheless:

• Have an idea of what you want something to do. Take time and learn how to translate those ideas into logic terms in your head or on paper.
• Sometimes it's worth the time to spread your logic out a couple blocks from each-other. This helps you see the connections and you can re-configure them later into a compact form.

 

[Tomssuli]

I know logic gates from programming classes in school, but actually learned to use this kind of logic in Minecraft - Redpower mod.
When I came to Starmade I just put to use what I had learned in Minecraft and watched some tutorials to expand my skills to rail logic.

 

[Kimiro]

Its going to sound cliche and what not. Just start somewhere (which you've already done), and keep experimenting. Start small, and don't tear yourself down if it breaks (which it does often).

When i started out with logic, i tried to relate the actual logic blocks to real life examples (more or less).
NOT-inverter (reverses input)
AND-Submarine launch keys (all inputs need to be activated for AND to be activated)
OR-a light switch in my house (will activate if any input is activated)
Delay-well its a delay (a 0.5 second delay)
-Snip-

This is probably one of the best summaries I've seen for basic logic.
One more I could add would be an XOR (eXclusive OR) which is only on if EXACTLY 1 input is on - akin to the upstairs/downstairs light switch (though Starmade doesn't have an XOR block and that would put it into a slightly more advanced category).

My own method for figuring out logic typically involves writing it out as a simple pseudo-code program. For example, my elevators on my latest project have to be able to go to three different floors and also be called to a floor directly. The "code" for this that I wrote looks like...

//Calling the car to a specific floor
#Call1
ON CallButton = 1 {
THEN
SET Rail_2 = "DOWN"; //All the rails between floor 2 and 3
SET Rail_1 = "DOWN"; //All the rails between floor 1 and 2
SET Rail_Bottom = "BRAKE";} //Bottom most rail
END

#Call2
ON CallButton = 2 {
SET Rail_2 = "DOWN"; //All the rails between 2 and 3
SET Rail_Mid = "BRAKE"; //The middle-most rail where the 2nd floor is
SET Rail_1 = "UP";} //All the rails between 1 and 2
END

#Call3
ON CallButton = 3 {
SET Rail_TOP = "BRAKE" //Top most rail
SET Rail_2 = "UP"; //All the rails between 2 and 3
SET Rail_1 = "UP";} //All the rails between 1 and 2
END

//Routing the car from inside
//Car has up and down buttons tied to wireless transmitters

#Up
ON UpButton = TRUE AND FloorIndicator = 1 {
SET Rail_Mid = "BRAKE"; //The middle-most rail where the 2nd floor is
SET Rail_1 = "UP";} //All the rails between 1 and 2
END

ON UpButton = TRUE AND FloorIndicator = 2 {
SET Rail_TOP = "BRAKE"; //Top most rail
SET Rail_2 = "UP";} //All the rails between 2 and 3
END

#Down
ON DownButton = TRUE AND FloorIndicator = 3 {
SET Rail_Mid = "BRAKE"; //The middle-most rail where the 2nd floor is
SET Rail_2 = "DOWN";} //All the rails between 2 and 3
END

ON DownButton = TRUE AND FloorIndicator = 2 {
SET Rail_BOTTOM = "BRAKE"; //Bottom most rail
SET Rail_1 = "DOWN";} //All the rails between 1 and 2
END

#Doors (door is closed while car is NOT on that floor)

WHILE FloorIndicator != 1 {
SET Floor_1_Door = "CLOSED";}
END

WHILE FloorIndicator != 2 {
SET Floor_2_Door = "CLOSED";}
END

WHILE FloorIndicator != 3 {
SET Floor_3_Door = "CLOSED";}
END

From that I work out what I require to make it work, which in this example amounts to:

• 2 Activation Modules to control two sections going up (Rail_1 and Rail_2 UP)
• 2 Activation Modules to control two sections going down (Rail_1 and Rail_2 DOWN)
  
• 3 Activation Modules to detect the cars position at the 3 floors (FloorIndicator)
  
• 3 NOT Gates to invert the signal from the FloorIndicators to control the doors
• 1 AND Gate for the 3rd floor, to allow it to go down from there
  
• 2 AND Gates for the 2nd floor, to allow it to go up and down from there
• 1 AND Gate for the 1st floor, to allow it to go up from there
• 1 button per floor to call the elevator (3 total)
• 2 buttons for controlling the car
• 2 wireless modules inside the car
• 2 wireless modules in the elevator shaft
• A length of rail that spans the required distance (15 IIRC)
• 7 additional bits of rail to control the activation modules that set rail directions (2 Up, 2 Down, 3 Brake)

I've included an example of this elevator build with this post. To be honest I'm not sure if this would be helpful to anyone else as this sort of logic is extremely intuitive to me and I can't really say how I "learned" it. I just kinda... Did.

 

[IG-1000]

From people who know how to Logic...

but seriously though I just go with video Tutorials on specific Logic things, like Elevators or if I'm trying to do something more complicated I can usually modify some other Logic thing to make my thing work, I don't actually learn how to use the stuff I just learn how to copy it when I need it lol

 

[Comradecolonel]

So many pros dropping good advice. Everyone has their way but time and focus are clearly key ingredients.

 

[KiloZulu]

I was at least familiar with the concept from using redstone signals in Minecraft. When it came to using SM logic, I set a goal (open a door, make a series of lights blink, etc.) and tried to plan out the logical sequence to make it happen. While I was building, I also watched a lot of videos like Bench's logic tutorial series, and demonstrations of what others had built (gravity tubes, for instance.) Seeing how the way that they used logic, and how they put it together, strengthened my own understanding and broadened my imagination of how it could be used.

Before long, I got the reputation among my friends of being the logic guru on our private server, and they would come to me for help with their own inventions. That just gave me more practice and often made me work outside of my own comfort zone, challenging me to improve further. Teaching them logic in the process helped me to solidify my own grasp of the concepts even more.

 

[Kimiro]

From people who know how to Logic...

but seriously though I just go with video Tutorials on specific Logic things, like Elevators or if I'm trying to do something more complicated I can usually modify some other Logic thing to make my thing work, I don't actually learn how to use the stuff I just learn how to copy it when I need it lol

I feel this is somewhat the antithesis of the thread, but to each their own I guess.

In my opinion, it's always better to learn how to do it yourself and to know why X does Y, especially when it comes to in-game logic like what's found in Starmade, MineCraft and the like. Sure, you can copy other people's work and it'll all work fine and dandy, but what happens if it gets damaged or destroyed? You'll have to look up that video again to fix it. Plus it's sort of... Skeezy in a way, taking another's work and functionally claiming it as your own.

Yes, it means you have to learn something. But contrary to what you might think, learning things is actually a very good thing.
Anti-intellectualism is what got Trump elected after all.

 

[faylew1012]

OMG! I never expected this kind of response. You guys are awesome! Thank you so so much for the advice and encouragement.

I guess my problem was that while I was watching the videos, I was more trying to memorize what they where doing instead of trying to understand why they where doing it that way. That's why when I would try to deviate from their examples I would be lost.

I'm going to start real small and build on what I already know. Maybe start with an automatic door or an airlock or something. Hopefully that will help me understand how the blocks interact with one another.

Hey, perhaps I should turn this thread into a chronicle of sorts?

 

[GalactusX]

This forum post will help you alot, he make great tutorial videos Starmade Logic Tutorials
.. also, if you want try anything more complicated, you can visit too my forum post Starmade MANIAC LOGIC , but i recommend you start with the basics of logic, and grow up

 

[kingreol]

Starmade has a selection bias for computer science majors, I'm not one. Anyways you can look up Boolean algebra online, etc and it's more simple then normal algebra... me personally I'm not that great but i have used it in limited function with Eurorack music equipment.

 

[Edymnion]

I cheated, I actually took digital logic in college.

 

[Stormraven]

The best advice I can offer is to avoid thinking in terms of circuits and more in terms of individual block functions. If you can remember exactly what each logic block DOES, then you can reason out most practical functions for your ship. If you know you want the door to be open when the activation module is on, then you know you'll need to connect the door to a NOT gate to invert the signal. That kind of thing.