Circuit improvements

Discussion in 'Suggestions' started by Lord Larr, Aug 14, 2021.

  1. Lord Larr

    Lord Larr Ensign

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    I'd like to suggest more options for signal inputs. Specifically, the ability to set a input value based off if a device is in use and not just powered on. For example, a constructor is crafting a ingots and outputs a signal or 1 for the duration of the craft, then outputs a 0 or another custom signal once it's completed. Simply more input and output signals would be fantastic for base and cv management.
     
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  2. me777

    me777 Commander

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    Yea, those would be handy.

    Also the signal logic could use some work, especially allowing loop-back. (I learned a bit about logic in school and what i remember about it often can not be implemented because of loop-back not being allowed)
    And a timer that stays high for t sec after it gets an input and then resets, waiting for the next input.

    Maybe even allow mod access to more info and control for more devices.
     
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  3. Kaeser

    Kaeser Rear Admiral

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    Loops were removed because we could set endless loops

    Granted, quite fun for some stuff but they were a drain on game and pc resources...

    We can still set up some sort of never ending loops using devices instead of logic but they don't always trigger and are quite temperamental

    Replying to OP, many have already asked for such improvements and they will come at some point
     
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  4. tony hug

    tony hug Commander

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    Yeah, i've implementaed Logic in emyprion with literally Hundreds of Statements -- and the lack of feedback is a real pain (no counters for instance) .
    1. It would be really nice to have a Nice Resettable D-Type Flip-Flop
    2. it would be even nicer to implement the logic in notepad -- after 200 or so statements the logic system slows to an arthritic snails pace
    and you can literally only delete a 'line' and add replacement logic at the end - making it really hard to read
    3. Would be nice to be able to switch sirens and music on / off to give aural puzzles
    4. There is also an Issue with the Delay(s) - They don't always happen - especially on 'start up'
    I tried a poi with hundreds of switches lacthing doors open using a delay mechanism -- could never get to work. Doors kept getting stuck
    due to that problem -- eventually did a version with motion sensors and no door latching.
    (debug lights kept catching delays not triggerring)

    But you can just about build something quite powerful in time -- with the current logic system - it just takes lots and lots of retries every time 'computer say no' to whatever you actually want to do.
    You just build 'Open ended' state machines with the SR Flip flops (ie no feedback) - and have to keep in mind a state reached stays reached.

    (see the 'greys' faction showcase i did in the 'Call for papers' section... for multi-hundred line state machine examples -- and yes due to problem (2) above thery're very hard to follow)
     
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  5. Kats

    Kats Lieutenant

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    I want the shield to ouput a logic signal since there is no hotkey/shortcut (at least that I know) to turn on/off weapon and turret.
     
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  6. tony hug

    tony hug Commander

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    See what you mean - and certainly seems to be currently in the 'computer say no' category.

    I mean there is the soft switch in the P (Main menu)
    or possibly on a CV you could have a 2nd 'Battle' Pilots chair with a Motion sensor over it to switch on the weapons

    however i suspect both those options sort of defeat what you want...
    which in a generic form is basically Allowing Shortcut keys to be assigned to the 'Custom' soft keys in the P menu.
     
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  7. imlarry425

    imlarry425 Captain

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    Personally I find pictographic programming infuriating because to the abstraction between the visual representation and the resulting runtime code. The issues here include performance and mapping data structures getting out of sync resulting in difficult debugging and "code" that can be fixed simply by throwing stuff away and doing the same thing a second time.

    There are a number of open source embeddable scripting languages that don't include prohibitive copyleft license agreements so that they can be used in commercial code with proper attribution.

    Here's a few ... https://github.com/dbohdan/embedded-scripting-languages/blob/master/README.md

    Lua (Moon#) and Python (IronPython) both support dotnet assemblies giving you native access to the Unity environment by import.
     
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