Welding block for modular construction

[GaeasSon]

What if there were a "weld" block that you could use to fuse two structures? It could work like a docking block, but permenant and without size restriction.

For example, I'm building a bunch of Star Trek ships which tend to re-use the same components in different configurations. I could build a primary hull (the disk), Save it. Build The secondary hull (the engineering section) as a seperate ship. Save it. Build one right warp nacelle as a seperate ship, and save it. Then from a shop I buy another right warp nacelle.

Now, I can build a strut off the bottom of my primary hull, and place a weld block at the bottom of the strut. I get in the secondary hull, and fire my docking beam at the weld block. The secondary hull alligns with the primary hull, as though I'd hit "c" on both, and with the "ship" block of the secondary hull exactly overlapping the weld block of the primary hull. Block conflicts are resolved in favor of the existing structure. Or to look at it another way, the welded structure only replaces empty blocks. This leaves you with a single resulting ship, still with only one core. Now, I build some more struts for the warp nacelles. Two more weld blocks on the end. I weld the right nacelle on the right strut. No problem. Before I weld the left nacelle in place I activate the left weld block using "r". In the menu there are three check boxes "L/R reflection" "U/D reflection" "F/B reflection". I click L/R reflection. Now, when I weld the remaining right nacelle onto the left strut it will be reflected left to right, and be alligned in the correct direction.

I can then go on to buy another disk section, and another nacelle and weld them together into a scout ship.

 

[Zedrackis]

I like this idea. A lot of long running scifi shows recycle their parts just because it saves the CGI department time and money. Why shouldnt we able to do the same?

But break I would them into a weild point block, that works a docking module and a component block that works like a ship core except it can only move very slowly. When component block is docked to the weild point the blocks are merge onto the wield point block\'s ship and the wield point and component blocks become standard hull blocks. Kicking the player who had to enter the component block to attach it back out into space.

The blue print catalog could flag prints that are components so people buying them could tell them apart. This would greatly speed up construction, espiecially in themed servers. Also the wield point & component blocks would need come in various colors.



As an even shorter/simplier solution, you could simply have the option to permentally attach a docked ship to the one its docked to. Merging its blocks and removing its ship core.

 

[GaeasSon]

Yeah, but then you\'ve got to make the docking port big enough to accept the part first which might be lots of enhancers.