Introducing... USD type 1 *updated*

[mindlord0013]

Spoiler: Outdated design, still good to watch

So I've finalised the USD type 1 design. Here it is.

Updated the design based on feedback to this forum, I'm pretty happy with where it's at. So here's the new and improved, USD type 1.

 

[Dendrake]

Rather interesting and useful

 

[Sven_The_Slayer]

Pretty standard design but unfortunately the UCS cannot adopt this standard. This was actually the system I tried first, until I realized the rail dockers were actually covering the button to access the airlocks. I have not decided on placement yet.

 

[iceman6491]

Pretty standard design but unfortunately the UCS cannot adopt this standard. This was actually the system I tried first, until I realized the rail dockers were actually covering the button to access the airlocks. I have not decided on placement yet.

Could you perhaps use area triggers for your airlock?

But yass I like USD :p, Next is definitely micro-USD

 

[mindlord0013]

Pretty standard design but unfortunately the UCS cannot adopt this standard. This was actually the system I tried first, until I realized the rail dockers were actually covering the button to access the airlocks. I have not decided on placement yet.

The collar itself does not need to be directly next to the airlock, that's the great thing about it. You can create a bottleneck for a slightly larger airlock system down into the USD size, or have your larger ships carry an adapter for it.

 

[Sven_The_Slayer]

The collar itself does not need to be directly next to the airlock, that's the great thing about it. You can create a bottleneck for a slightly larger airlock system down into the USD size, or have your larger ships carry an adapter for it.

The thing is my airlocks are flush with the side of my ship, I don't want protruding collars. The button is also recessed and is partially covered by a wedge so it is protected. Using a standard design that has the docks centered this wedge would be a dock and therefore block access to the button.

Spoiler: My docks

 

[mindlord0013]

The thing is my airlocks are flush with the side of my ship, I don't want protruding collars. The button is also recessed and is partially covered by a wedge so it is protected. Using a standard design that has the docks centered this wedge would be a dock and therefore block access to the button.

Spoiler: My docks

You can use the new rails to create a docking collar adapter that is hidden in the hull, and extends outwards or flips down/up/around. You can have an extendable docking arm using the rails, that hides behind a bit of hull (also on rails). You can carry an adapter ship on your larger ships, that converts whatever docking collar design you use to a standardised system. There are so many simple ways to incorporate it, it's not hard to do.

I understand it's frustrating that lots of your old ship designs need to be rethought with this new system.

Could you perhaps use area triggers for your airlock?

But yass I like USD :p, Next is definitely micro-USD

I'm planning on making a video covering some USD type 1 functionality, including USD type 1 compatible docking collars (including the smallest possible USD compatible collar) and ways you can incorporate the USD type 1 in different ways.

 

[Sven_The_Slayer]

You can use the new rails to create a docking collar adapter that is hidden in the hull, and extends outwards or flips down/up/around. You can have an extendable docking arm using the rails, that hides behind a bit of hull (also on rails). You can carry an adapter ship on your larger ships, that converts whatever docking collar design you use to a standardised system. There are so many simple ways to incorporate it, it's not hard to do.

I understand it's frustrating that lots of your old ship designs need to be rethought with this new system.

Actually I have a much simpler solution. The UCS will not be adopting this standard.

It's actually quite nice how I don't have to redesign my ships, by simply moving the docks down one meter I can perfectly merge my two ships together like they were designed to do so. I will incorporate additional docking systems into the stations I build including extending docking arms and docking colors designed to receive a variety of ships. With a receiving only port you can just surround the thing with docks and any matched size docking port can mate up, assuming the arrows are in the right direction.

Oh and you have to be very specific for the standard so it's cut and clear. Rail docker MUST be on the left and Rail Basic MUST be on the right, both arrows facing in towards the door. If anybody gets these backwards the whole system collapses.

I suspect a lot of people will adopt this standard and I will be an outlier ... oh well, heres hoping for the ability to dock two rail dockers together all but eliminating the need for the pattern docking. If that were the case I would put it center bottom so even slightly different size docks could match up

 

[iceman6491]

heres hoping for the ability to dock two rail dockers together all but eliminating the need for the pattern docking. If that were the case I would put it center bottom so even slightly different size docks could match up

This, although an issue I see with it being that how does the game know which ship is 'docked' and which is the 'host'? Especially when the ship is reloaded... whereas having different blocks provides that distinction. Im sure there are ways around it, im just not sure of them.


Also, can the beams of a docking module be activated by logic? I want to create extending docking points, but cant activate them from my main ship... :/

 

[mindlord0013]

snip

Oh and you have to be very specific for the standard so it's cut and clear. Rail docker MUST be on the left and Rail Basic MUST be on the right, both arrows facing in towards the door. If anybody gets these backwards the whole system collapses.

I suspect a lot of people will adopt this standard and I will be an outlier ... oh well, heres hoping for the ability to dock two rail dockers together all but eliminating the need for the pattern docking. If that were the case I would put it center bottom so even slightly different size docks could match up

As long as the rail basic are facing inwards, you can mix up the left/right side for the docker and basic. It will still sit flush, but you'll just dock upside down relative to the target. It's not ideal, but it's not so big of a problem. If someone is creating a ship and using symmetry to create a USD collar on each side of the ship, at least 1 of them will be correct.

It would be nice if everyone adopted a USD, it would make playing on servers incredibly fun. It's not a particularly hard design to remember, so it has that going for it. I won't try and convince you to use it if you don't want to, fair enough.

This, although an issue I see with it being that how does the game know which ship is 'docked' and which is the 'host'? Especially when the ship is reloaded... whereas having different blocks provides that distinction. Im sure there are ways around it, im just not sure of them.


Also, can the beams of a docking module be activated by logic? I want to create extending docking points, but cant activate them from my main ship... :/

I think he means making it so you can dock a rail docker to other rail dockers, in the same way they can dock to rail blocks. The key difference being that they can't move like a normal rail. As for docking beams and logic, I don't know.

 

[iceman6491]

I know he meant docking rail dockers to rail dockers :p, but my point still stands...

As far as the game is concerned at the moment, the one with the rail is the host and the one with the rail docker is the 'docked'... if they are both the same then how will the game know? Will it derp out and dock your carrier to your escape pod?

 

[therimmer96]

Oh hey, USD. We used this term for the ghetto versions we used on Elwyn :D

 

[Fireshock]

I'm definitely using this :D, but I got same problem as sven, it's ugly.

You can use the new rails to create a docking collar adapter that is hidden in the hull, and extends outwards or flips down/up/around. You can have an extendable docking arm using the rails, that hides behind a bit of hull (also on rails). You can carry an adapter ship on your larger ships, that converts whatever docking collar design you use to a standardised system.

Have you tested this? Can 1 entity be docked to 2 entityes at the same time? Even if yes, there is still problem of entering those ships when they are empty, because there's nobody inside to activate USD extension system.
If no, then rails can be used to reveal part of mothership which has USD.

 

[NeonSturm]

until I realized the rail dockers were actually covering the button to access the airlocks.

Just put the door-logic on the floor (or on top if the floor has step-ons to automatically open the air-lock)
Or make the docking port deeper (more Z-space before the first door).

Also, can the beams of a docking module be activated by logic? I want to create extending docking points, but cant activate them from my main ship... :/

Good question, but I think it will be magnetic in future.

You can detect whether something is docked to you, but you can't detect (without area triggers) whether you docked to something ...
... or does the rail-docker now give a logic feedback?

Perhaps dockers adjacent to buttons could act as a logic pipe? That would be awesome!

 

[SkaireKrough]

You are not able to dock to more than one entity at a time in the current DEV build.
The old ship's core docking beam might be retained for use as an activation beam, it can currently be used to toggle activation blocks.

If I've been reading the posts correctly the rail docker docking beam is just temporary, the plan is to have the blocks connect magnetically when brought together close enough and in the right orientation. Using the proposed USD or even Sven's variation on it might cause problems when that happens because both sets line up.

Hopefully this means the ships are mutually docked, each ships systems all work, and if one decides to move, both move together. To get both ships thrusters working both ships would need pilots who coordinate their thrust. Otherwise it would be like one ship towing the other.

I imagine there are going to be several competing designs for a functional "USD", which one wins the "USD Wars" is yet to be determined.
To accommodate his door activation logic, Sven simply moved the docking blocks down one row from where mindlord has them, and both are missing the camera at the top middle block that faces outwards that my design has. Chances are real good the design adopted by the majority of players has yet to be designed and/or shared with others at this point.

 

[NeonSturm]

One question aout the OP's USD:

How would you design an USD which is on TOP/Bottom and should both allow docking a ship

1. rolled at an right angle _to_ an USD (dock with top instead of left/right to a station)
   
2. at another ship's top/bottom USD (both should have the same gravity direction (default gravity)

 

[Snk]

I really like it! I will probably put it on some of my other ships. Great idea!

((By the way, the left side of a ship is called the port side, right is Starboard, FYI)))

 

[SkaireKrough]

One question aout the OP's USD:

How would you design an USD which is on TOP/Bottom and should both allow docking a ship

1. rolled at an right angle _to_ an USD (dock with top instead of left/right to a station)
   
2. at another ship's top/bottom USD (both should have the same gravity direction (default gravity)

This way


It allows docking in any of the 4 directions between any 2 entities that have close to the same set-up, no matter which is the dock-e and which is the docker. Even allows for Sven's door activation set-up. The rail docker block can be mounted where it is at or at any of the blocks marker with red 'X'.

I would recommend placing a camera just behind and facing toward the rail docker block to make docking easier when contact docking is implemented.

Still leaves the question of which unit is the dock-e and which is the docker once contact docking comes out.

It also doesn't solve the issue that these blocks don't go well with any hull color except gray.

 

[NeonSturm]

This way It allows docking in any of the 4 directions between any 2 entities that have close to the same set-up, no matter which is the dock-e and which is the docker. Even allows for Sven's door activation set-up. The rail docker block can be mounted where it is at or at any of the blocks marker with red 'X'.

I hope there is a better way for selecting the right direction ... you would have to know not only where your rail docker is placed but also have to hit the correct target.

Once magnetic docking comes out, all except the wanted rail will be obstacles on your way to align to the right one.

...Perhaps station docking could be done with a docking-ring similar to a warp-gate, where you get automatically aligned and rotated...
But that is only possible after you docked, not before.

 

[Thalanor]

I agree that the USD should feature only one rail (and perhaps one docker if we don't make a M/F distinction), e.g. more like in OP's video.