Rails and multiple entities

[Kyoretsu]

So, I am a COMPLETE noob in the logic and rail system game, I will admit. I wasn't entirely sure how to search for this particular question, so I'll just make it here.

I used an entity to make an elevator that would move up and down because I'm not quite sure how to use a rail docker without an entity. So E1 = elevator lift. I used some rails that ran along E1 to a set track on my base so that when I wanted to move a ship into a sub-hangar (we'll call E2), E2 will slide off of E1 onto the sub-hangar rail and be tucked away nicely until re-summoned. I noticed I was unable to run E2 off of E1's rails and onto the base rails. Is there something I am doing wrong or is this how it is supposed to work?

 

[Mariux]

Could you please take some screenshots of the elevator? Or even better, a gif?

 

[Bench]

This particular function of moving from one entity's rails to another's is not yet added. Is a planned addition though can't confirm how long until it is added in.

 

[KiloZulu]

This particular function of moving from one entity's rails to another's is not yet added. Is a planned addition though can't confirm how long until it is added in.

That's great news, Bench - I had hoped to put in a rail system that would have had secondary rails moving on and off the main line for docking shuttles in my current ship build, but discovered that it wouldn't work. It made sense that it wouldn't work after I'd built it - much like lights don't affect other entities.

 

[netgod]

Bench, is there an update on this? I know it's not considered a priority, but it would be very helpful for me. My current solution isn't terribly elegant.

I'm currently using pick-up points to transition from one entity to another, but has three problems. First, it fouls up the ship's pickup point and renders Carrier Recall useless. Second, it only works one-way (which isn't a problem for my particular application, but it's a limitation regardless). And third, disconnecting off the rail to allow the ship to be picked up by the next entity is only reliable when the carrier is stationary.

 

[Gamel]

if you are talking about this:
Magnet Rail Connector

we don't have it yet

but you can get same effect with the new pickup rail and pickup area with some logic setups.
but please be aware, do not use shoot-out rail at the end of the rail, it will give the entity too much speed.
that the pickup area can't catch the entity.

 

[netgod]

if you are talking about this:
Magnet Rail Connector

we don't have it yet

but you can get same effect with the new pickup rail and pickup area with some logic setups.
but please be aware, do not use shoot-out rail at the end of the rail, it will give the entity too much speed.
that the pickup area can't catch the entity.

Well, that or something like it. Bench said it was planned, and I was aware that the functionality did not yet exist outside of using pickup areas.

I never attempted to use a shoot-out rail because you're absolutely right. It would have given the entity entirely too much speed to be picked up by the next pickup area. One actually doesn't need to use a pickup rail, either. A pickup area will dock an entity to the nearest adjacent rail, including a Rail Basic.

My objective is to move fighters (drones) from a hanger deck to a flight deck via an elevator. My current solution is to use logic to detect the fighter on the rail and undock it within 3 blocks of a pickup area on the elevator. The pickup area docks it to the elevator and the fighter gets lifted up to the flight deck.

The solution works well as long as the carrier isn't moving, I don't try to use Carrier Recall, and I don't attempt to move the fighter back into the hanger deck via the same elevator. That's a lot of conditions. This is why I was asking if there was an ETA for a more elegant solution.

 

[Monchoman45]

This would definitely be cool - it was one of the first things I tried with rails. The pickup rail hack works better on stations since they can't move, but the no recall thing kind of limits you to manned fighters. Aside from being really cool, ship elevators would also let you have a single entry point into the ship that leads to many different storage areas, without forcing you to build a really flat ship.

Technically, I'm not sure how simple it is. Maybe it's taken so long because schema doesn't know how to implement it. Or maybe he just had other priorities; I wouldn't know, I'm not a programming cat.

 

[ilec]

using 2 dockers, and some logic you can create 'pass off' type systems to achieve essentially the same effect, though it may no longer work.

 

[Sven_The_Slayer]

Well, that or something like it. Bench said it was planned, and I was aware that the functionality did not yet exist outside of using pickup areas.

I never attempted to use a shoot-out rail because you're absolutely right. It would have given the entity entirely too much speed to be picked up by the next pickup area. One actually doesn't need to use a pickup rail, either. A pickup area will dock an entity to the nearest adjacent rail, including a Rail Basic.

My objective is to move fighters (drones) from a hanger deck to a flight deck via an elevator. My current solution is to use logic to detect the fighter on the rail and undock it within 3 blocks of a pickup area on the elevator. The pickup area docks it to the elevator and the fighter gets lifted up to the flight deck.

The solution works well as long as the carrier isn't moving, I don't try to use Carrier Recall, and I don't attempt to move the fighter back into the hanger deck via the same elevator. That's a lot of conditions. This is why I was asking if there was an ETA for a more elegant solution.

Personally I would probably cheat the system. Pickup rails are quite versatile as you can easily pass through them and move in any direction you want. What you can do is make the fighters move along a pickup rail and imitate the path they would take as if they were being moved to and up an elevator. Don't undock it from the carrier but instead have the elevator move along with the docked ship just to give the illusion it is what is pickup up the fighter. It may not be a perfect solution but it's probably the approach I would take at this current state of the game.

 

[megashub]

Hey Bench

Just wanted to add my vote for this feature. I, like, netgod, have designs that really need this feature, especially now that we have better fleet controls. I know you and schema must have a lot of competing priorities right now, so I thought that by adding to the demand, I might help to elevate this ask.

Thanks for the great game!

 

[netgod]

Personally I would probably cheat the system. Pickup rails are quite versatile as you can easily pass through them and move in any direction you want. What you can do is make the fighters move along a pickup rail and imitate the path they would take as if they were being moved to and up an elevator. Don't undock it from the carrier but instead have the elevator move along with the docked ship just to give the illusion it is what is pickup up the fighter. It may not be a perfect solution but it's probably the approach I would take at this current state of the game.

Sven,

You, sir, are a f$@%in' genius! The timing is a bit tricky and it always seems to lag a little on my server, but it does work and the illusion is really quite believable. I appreciate your insights. Many thanks!

 

[megashub]

Update: Just asked about this on last night's stream, and Saber said that this will get much easier after some future updates, and that the intent is for docked entities to seamlessly transition between ships. (Saber, I'm paraphrasing, so keep me honest here).

No sense of timing was conveyed.