Logic Tractor Beam help

[Crimson-Artist]

I need some help wiring up a logic Tractor Beam system. I'm trying to have it so you can control what mode the tractor beam is in via inner ship remotes. One for each mode. each ISR activates a logic clock that fires the tractor beam and each individual ISR determines how many activators are on.

Functionally i'd like the system to work like IRL a series of push-down buttons that each activate a separate light however only one light can be active at a time and pressing another button pushes up all the rest thus leaving only the most recent button press on. The system can be deactivated by pressing the most recently pressed button again.

Where im running into trouble is the circuit that will only allow one of the three inputs on at any given time while also allowing the system to be turned off. im still not even sure what this circuit is called however people have told me that it might be a XOR gate I need but all the information ive been able to get on XOR gates only allows 2 inputs, not three.

 

[DeepspaceMechanic]

Hi Crimson!

I found a solution and made a proof-of-concept, the blueprint of which is attached to this post. Figured I should share it this way, because it's a little too much to explain in text, or to sketch up as a wiring diagram. Check the BP in the game, and feel free to ask if the purpose of some components or connections are unclear.

The system uses around 30 logic blocks in total, so it's probably not the most component-economic solution, but it works just as needed.

The testing rig I shared comes with a 2,000-module tractor beam setup and all basic ship systems, so you will be able to fly it near an asteroid or something to test the logic tractor beam.

I like the design you outlined, by the way. It's nice to be able to select eg. "Pull" on your hotbar, and when the target is pulled close enough, you just click the neighboring "Hold" ISR to both stop pulling and start holding. - Neat!


EDIT: found a possibility for some minor simplification, and replaced the original BP, apparently before anybody downloaded it.

 

[Crimson-Artist]

Hi Crimson!

I found a solution and made a proof-of-concept, the blueprint of which is attached to this post. Figured I should share it this way, because it's a little too much to explain in text, or to sketch up as a wiring diagram. Check the BP in the game, and feel free to ask if the purpose of some components or connections are unclear.

The system uses around 30 logic blocks in total, so it's probably not the most component-economic solution, but it works just as needed.

The testing rig I shared comes with a 2,000-module tractor beam setup and all basic ship systems, so you will be able to fly it near an asteroid or something to test the logic tractor beam.

I like the design you outlined, by the way. It's nice to be able to select eg. "Pull" on your hotbar, and when the target is pulled close enough, you just click the neighboring "Hold" ISR to both stop pulling and start holding. - Neat!


EDIT: found a possibility for some minor simplification, and replaced the original BP, apparently before anybody downloaded it.

Thank you so much, dude!

As soon as tractor beams were announced I had the idea to build a tractor beam system this way I just didnt know exactly how to wire up the 3 input toggle (Is that what that circuit is called?). I knew that the mode toggle needed buttons but wasnt sure of how the wiring for it would've gone.

Im going to add the 3 input toggle to the list of useful circuits on the wiki. I'm steadily trying to compile as many useful circuit designs in one place so ppl have a easy to check guide to building circuits.

 

[DeepspaceMechanic]

Thank you so much, dude!

As soon as tractor beams were announced I had the idea to build a tractor beam system this way I just didnt know exactly how to wire up the 3 input toggle (Is that what that circuit is called?). I knew that the mode toggle needed buttons but wasnt sure of how the wiring for it would've gone.

Im going to add the 3 input toggle to the list of useful circuits on the wiki. I'm steadily trying to compile as many useful circuit designs in one place so ppl have a easy to check guide to building circuits.

Glad I could help

I checked the Wiki page you linked. It's a splendidly concise and well-organized page. Bravo for that

I noticed that you already added the circuit I shared, and also included a second variant of your own. I prefer your solution, it's more elegant without those delays. And Design-2 can actually be modified to work with ISRs in the way Design-1 does, simply by replacing the FlipFlops with ISRs and wiring them up in the same way. It spares two blocks per column compared to Design-1, and even has the advantage of turning off the previously activated mode simultaneously with the activation of the currently selected one (without a 0.5 sec delay).


But you know, besides such a "3-input toggle", there's a possibility to have something that some of us established as a "3-way toggle": a single ISR that jumps through a sequence of three or more modes when clicked repeatedly. This system uses an ISR that is cross-linked with a button to turn itself off automatically after each time it's clicked. It has the disadvantage that you don't have an indication on the hotbar as to which mode is currently selected. But, of course, in the case of tractor beams, you can tell this simply by observing the beam's effect on the target anyway. This system was originally discussed in this thread, and you can check out my wiring diagram sketch of such a "3-way toggle" in the spoiler below:

Spoiler

1, 2 & 3 represent whatever functions you wish to assign to such a triple-ISR, potentially including an inactive state.

Note that one FlipFlop-Delay pair has to be turned on manually the first time.

 

[DeepspaceMechanic]

UPDATE:
I couldn't resist making a variant of the previously shared tractor beam rig which uses the aforementioned single-ISR solution for toggleing between more than two states. I attached this second variant's blueprint to this post.

As shown in the GIF below, this system comes with a dedicated tractor beam camera, that is labeled with a dynamic display to indicate whether the beam is in its Push, Pull, Hold or Off state.

Without the HUD, the GIF doesn't show that I switched between these four states by subsequent clicks of the same ISR, but you can trust me

Check out the attached blueprint in the game for the details.

​

 

[Lone_Puppy]

Hey DeepspaceMechanic , that Tractorbeam rig is pretty awesome! I had a play with it, and it's a nice rig. How did you work out the logic for the different beam variations?

 

[DeepspaceMechanic]

Hey DeepspaceMechanic , that Tractorbeam rig is pretty awesome! I had a play with it, and it's a nice rig. How did you work out the logic for the different beam variations?

Thanks, I'm glad you like it.

Since there's no guidance in the in-game block descriptions as to how we should use logic blocks to automate tractor beam systems, I had to take a hint from CrimsonArtist's original post, specifically the line "and each individual ISR determines how many activators are on."

After a little experimentation, it turned out that you have to connect two activators to the tractor beam computer - if one of them is On, the beam will push; if both of them are On, the beam will pull; if none of them are On, the beam will hold.

As for the system's Off state, you just have to toggle Off the clock circuit that feeds the tractor beam computer with a pulsating signal.

I imagine that all such information will eventually get into the in-game block descriptions, it's just that the tractor beam and similar systems were implemented in a time of much work, and detailed in-game descriptions were at the time (and apparently still are) low-priority.

 

[Lone_Puppy]

Thanks, I'm glad you like it.

Since there's no guidance in the in-game block descriptions as to how we should use logic blocks to automate tractor beam systems, I had to take a hint from CrimsonArtist's original post, specifically the line "and each individual ISR determines how many activators are on."

After a little experimentation, it turned out that you have to connect two activators to the tractor beam computer - if one of them is On, the beam will push; if both of them are On, the beam will pull; if none of them are On, the beam will hold.

As for the system's Off state, you just have to toggle Off the clock circuit that feeds the tractor beam computer with a pulsating signal.

I imagine that all such information will eventually get into the in-game block descriptions, it's just that the tractor beam and similar systems were implemented in a time of much work, and detailed in-game descriptions were at the time (and apparently still are) low-priority.

Awesome! Thanks to you both DeepspaceMechanic and Crimson-Artist ! It's exactly what I've been looking for to manipulate cargo pods on a station I'm working on.

 

[Crimson-Artist]

Thanks for the help DeepspaceMechanic I managed to finish the project that i needed the logic help for.
I made a Sketchfab animation of it. Its not quite how it operates in game but its close enough.
Utilitycraft-Paean Mark II - 3D model by Crimson-Artist (@Crimson-Artist)

 

[DeepspaceMechanic]

Thanks for the help DeepspaceMechanic I managed to finish the project that i needed the logic help for.
I made a Sketchfab animation of it. Its not quite how it operates in game but its close enough.
Utilitycraft-Paean Mark II - 3D model by Crimson-Artist (@Crimson-Artist)

Glad I could help, and that ship and animation you made there are some extremely nice stuff! Well done

 

[Lone_Puppy]

that ship and animation you made there are some extremely nice stuff! Well done

I agree! That's one sweet ship and cool 3D animation.

 

[Dr. Whammy]

UPDATE:
I couldn't resist making a variant of the previously shared tractor beam rig which uses the aforementioned single-ISR solution for toggleing between more than two states. I attached this second variant's blueprint to this post.

As shown in the GIF below, this system comes with a dedicated tractor beam camera, that is labeled with a dynamic display to indicate whether the beam is in its Push, Pull, Hold or Off state.

Without the HUD, the GIF doesn't show that I switched between these four states by subsequent clicks of the same ISR, but you can trust me

Check out the attached blueprint in the game for the details.

View attachment 53179​

Silly question...

When your tractor beam is in "push" mode, the rock seems to go straight. When I try it, it locks onto the object and pushes it upward at a 9.5 degree angle. Is there something special that needs to be done to make the beam push straight forward?

 

[DeepspaceMechanic]

When your tractor beam is in "push" mode, the rock seems to go straight. When I try it, it locks onto the object and pushes it upward at a 9.5 degree angle. Is there something special that needs to be done to make the beam push straight forward?

Hmm, not sure, I have only a bare minimum of testing experience with tractor beams.

The thing that comes to mind is ship orientation: when I made that GIF, I had the testing rig aligned to the Galactic North (the orientation assumed by ships after using the C key, by default, in flight mode).

Also, since the beam was triggered via logic, it was emitted from its output straight.

And since asteroids are like stations in that they spawn with their block grid aligned with the universal background (their North points to the Galactic North), maybe the perfectly orthogonal contact between the beam and the hit block of the asteroid is the reason for the rectilinear displacement.

So angle of hit might be a thing, maybe not?

 

[Dr. Whammy]

Hmm, not sure, I have only a bare minimum of testing experience with tractor beams.

The thing that comes to mind is ship orientation: when I made that GIF, I had the testing rig aligned to the Galactic North (the orientation assumed by ships after using the C key, by default, in flight mode).

Also, since the beam was triggered via logic, it was emitted from its output straight.

And since asteroids are like stations in that they spawn with their block grid aligned with the universal background (their North points to the Galactic North), maybe the perfectly orthogonal contact between the beam and the hit block of the asteroid is the reason for the rectilinear displacement.

So angle of hit might be a thing, maybe not?

Thanks for the reply.

I too have lined everything up with galactic north. The object I'm trying to push is a rail spawn; also at galactic north.
Regardless of projectile size, ship orientation emitter position, etc. I always get a shot that aims about 9.5 degree upwards.

This is a picture of one of my newest torpedo experiments. It fires a projectile with a bomb launcher on it activated by logic to "throw" bombs at a target from about the same distance as a beam weapon. The missile is actually the released bomb. Even with physical rails or a "barrel" to guide the projectile like a rifle bullet, I still get a 9.5 degree upward shot. It's the weirdest thing.

I may have to construct a separate launcher aimed 9.5 degrees downward to compensate.

 

[Dr. Whammy]

I found the problem with the tractor beam push angle...

To push straight forward, you have to have your beam output directly in front of the core. Having the output in any other position will cause it to push objects at an angle away from your ship.