Packaging multi-grid buildings into blueprints.

[Doom]

Is there a sane way to "package" a multi-grid buildings with a ton of pistons and merge blocks into a single structure that can be used via projector in survival mode?

I built an "infinite drill" miner in creative, and first issue I ran into is "multiple grids are not supported". The second issue is that I can't merge it down into a single building, as I get "blocks would occupy the same space" error.

Basically, those problems existed for many years, and being unable to use muilti-grid blueprints in survival even after early access is "over" is a massive letdown.

[ShadedMJ]

Some welder-walls couldn't weld some projections just because of the projection shapes were in the way. Some players resolved that by making one blueprint for each layer and welding that layer before projecting the next.

[Doom]

Originally posted by ShadedMJ:

Some welder-walls couldn't weld some projections just because of the projection shapes were in the way. Some players resolved that by making one blueprint for each layer and welding that layer before projecting the next.

It's not about welder walls. I want to be able to drag complex multi grid automation from creative to survival without obvious cheating. The thing is I can't figure out how to turn it all into a single "brick" that can be projected even if I'll need to cut out parts afterwards.

This is the facility in question:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQdi00KTVII

[ShadedMJ]

Well of course, like you initially said "multiple grids not supported", so the projection stops when it hits a rotor/piston.

What 'should' work but needs a LOT more engineering to it is something like this:
Have a piston, but the head and other blocks are connected to the same grid as the base of the piston. Therefore since they are the same grid, they get projected. Once welded up, grind the block connecting them together, making two grids again. Same idea with rotors.

[Doom]

Originally posted by ShadedMJ:

Well of course, like you initially said "multiple grids not supported", so the projection stops when it hits a rotor/piston.

What 'should' work but needs a LOT more engineering to it is something like this:
Have a piston, but the head and other blocks are connected to the same grid as the base of the piston. Therefore since they are the same grid, they get projected. Once welded up, grind the block connecting them together, making two grids again. Same idea with rotors.

I suppose I'll try to mess with creative a bit more and see if I can somehow turn this into single grid by welding merge blocks together with red light armor blocks or something like that.

This is incredibly annoying. Space engineers also insists on addressing scriptable parts by their NAME instead of having some sort of "connection" tool, and in case of docked ships name clashes happen.

[Doom]

Alright. I wasted more time making a factory that can "fold" into a single large grid.

The main trick is that a piston can be merged with its own grid, but only as long as it is extended by two blocks (if ANY piston in the grid is extended by less than two blocks, it will fail to merge). So with enough merge blocks, it is possible to make something that will form one large grid.

However... when this is used in a projector, pistons do not reattach properly. Meaning every single one of them will need to be manually cycled and merged with its original attachment spot using merge blocks.

To be honest, this is ridiculous. Something lik this should've been fixed years ago. Eithr a multi-grid support or piston reattachment would improve the game a great deal.

[Dan2D3D]

It is one of the most wanted, maybe in a future update = ??

The vote Feedback is now marked as "Under consideration" with 421 votes with mine in ;)

https://support.keenswh.com/spaceengineers/pc/topic/multigrid-support-for-projectors

I think small ship door will be out first.

[Dan2D3D]

I will add, some multigrid concepts are completely merged when pasting the Blueprint, rotor doors for example will stay closed after pasting so the "Mechanic setup" will not work until you delete some blocks to unlock the doors that are "glued" together even using egdes Blast door blocks.

So that will need some work time to make this possible on projector.

[ShadedMJ]

Originally posted by Doom:

... To be honest, this is ridiculous. Something lik this should've been fixed years ago. Eithr a multi-grid support or piston reattachment would improve the game a great deal.

Absolutely agree. :)

[Doom]

Originally posted by Dan2D3D:

It is one of the most wanted, maybe in a future update = ??

The vote Feedback is now marked as "Under consideration" with 421 votes with mine in ;)

https://support.keenswh.com/spaceengineers/pc/topic/multigrid-support-for-projectors

I think small ship door will be out first.

Dan, while I appreciate the response, It would be great to know in which century said update is going to happen.

The point of this whole thing was to make a blueprint for survival. Given that anything remotely interesting requires moving parts, and given that there's no built-in "extruder" part, multigrids should be supported by default.

Basically, the main problem is that the whole prototyping process is completley bonkers. There should be some sort of "VR capsule" where you could dive during survival mode and get a "white room" environment to prototype and make a blueprint without risking to wreck everything in sight.

Likewise, given that likely the only trouble with multigrids is overreliance on physics, that could be dealt with by making a "vehicle printer" which would print the whole thing at once, keep it suspended during printing process.

Both could draw huge amount of power, of course, have resource cost, and cost more with bigger prototyping volume. But that's the way I'd prefer to deal with this kind of thing, rather than jury-rigging everything live.

Also... game's insistence on operating through block names is not a good idea. Why isn't there a wiring tool for visually connecting things into group? Or why can't rename a merge block by looking at it?

So many frustrations to build a damn infinite drill.

[Dan2D3D]

It may never happen, well maybe if more votes = ??

The Devs will choose from the vote feedbacks if they add more to the game and that Feedback is in with a lot of votes.


__

I recommend to send your ideas (in your words) dierectly to the SE team, by Email or in new created Feedback on the Portal, to help me, you and the community.

Most important = ONE idea per Feedback cause it becomes unusable if more than one idea in to vote on + make it a good Title that shows what is in to vote on, that will give you a better visibility to have more votes.

I will REadd to my monthly report this month to help.

[Doom]

Originally posted by Dan2D3D:

It may never happen, well maybe if more votes = ??

The Devs will choose from the vote feedbacks if they add more to the game and that Feedback is in with a lot of votes.


__

I recommend to send your ideas (in your words) dierectly to the SE team, by Email or in new created Feedback on the Portal, to help me, you and the community.

Most important = ONE idea per Feedback cause it becomes unusable if more than one idea in to vote on + make it a good Title that shows what is in to vote on, that will give you a better visibility to have more votes.

I will REadd to my monthly report this month to help.

Well, here's the building in question.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rorrEE8v5Ks

I've sent a support email, but I epect it to change nothing.