Ship Schematic Builder

[andy ham]

This is TECHNICALLY a suggestion or a request for something to be made, but it's not a suggestion for an in-game feature so i've decided it belongs here.

With that out of the way i'd like to explain this "Schematic Builder". So I've seen schematic builders for many MANY different things for many years now. Anywhere from the Lego Digital Designer [1] to the Industrial Craft Nuclear Reactor Planner[2], it's a VERY useful concept. I have been playing space engineers for only a few weeks now, but i've built MANY ships. It has happened several times where I've built a ship, and wanted to build a duplicate for a friend but been unable to thanks to the lack of A. Proper documentation of the building process, and B. The inability to create a blueprint for a ship and recreate it in seconds. (This is CLEARLY in survival mode, mind you.) I want a standalone, or online program similar to the Nuclear Reactor Planner that allows for players to build a spaceship, and remember how they built it. Of course, they'd have to build it within the app, but then they can go back and look at how they built it.

I think the best way to handle it would be a birds eye view of the ship, and you have to build each layer on the y-axis one at a time, then you can step through the layers later on. Rendering a 3D model of the ship would most likely be too difficult a task for someone to code, and it's not necessary, but would be a cool accessory. Alongside the Top view, a Left and Right side, Bottom, Front and Back would also be cool to see. If any of you out there are coding wizards and can make something like this, it would GREATLY benefit the Space Engineers community, and would be an amazing tool to work with. On the slight offchance that this application exists and I've yet to find it, PLEASE link to it below.

TL;DR : We need a program that allows us to make simple versions of space ships so we can recreate them, similar to how the Nuclear Reactor Planner from Industrial Craft works.

[1] - http://ldd.lego.com/en-us/
[2] - http://www.talonfiremage.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/v3/reactorplanner.html

[Rylo704]

As far as blue prints go why not click a blueprint tab in the "k" menu. Under that tab list all blue prints. To save something as a blue print in creative how about you copy the object, open "k", and press a button that says save clipboard.

Once the object is saved go to your survival world, press k, access blueprints, select a blueprint and this automatically closes the K menu just like "build a small ship" tab allowing the player to what appears paste in the ship so that you know it will be clear of any other objects. When the player "paste" the object however the only thing that is places is a holo image of the first block placed with a compuer. When that object is complete the game displays the next block connected to it in the same fashion until the ship is complete. Tell me what you think of that

[Nightwing]

I think holographic wireframing would be a good idea. I imagine a 'ghost' ship as the blueprint, allowing you to make exact duplicates of the ships, even down to positioning of the lights.
Another cool feature could be color-coding: Assigning different colors to blocks with different functions would be a great visual aid. There could also be outlining on each part that indicates whether a grid will be functional, which I define as being able to move independantly, yet keep full control.
At minimum, a ship will need a reactor, a cockpit, and at least one engine in each direction to be considered functional, with my idea.

[andy ham]

Originally posted by Rylo704:

As far as blue prints go why not click a blueprint tab in the "k" menu. Under that tab list all blue prints. To save something as a blue print in creative how about you copy the object, open "k", and press a button that says save clipboard.

You speak of this Blueprints tab but I CANNOT see it, can you please provide a screenshot of where it is because it is NOT visible in my "k" menu.

[Hotel Kilo]

Originally posted by Andrew Hamel:

Originally posted by Rylo704:

As far as blue prints go why not click a blueprint tab in the "k" menu. Under that tab list all blue prints. To save something as a blue print in creative how about you copy the object, open "k", and press a button that says save clipboard.

You speak of this Blueprints tab but I CANNOT see it, can you please provide a screenshot of where it is because it is NOT visible in my "k" menu.

It's not in the current version of the game. It was removed. They will add sooner or later.

[andy ham]

Originally posted by Prof. Astrial Kronos:

Originally posted by Andrew Hamel:

You speak of this Blueprints tab but I CANNOT see it, can you please provide a screenshot of where it is because it is NOT visible in my "k" menu.

It's not in the current version of the game. It was removed. They will add sooner or later.

I see now..I was still hoping for an EXTERNAL standalone java app that doesn't pair with the game at all, so you can save it and send it to other people.

[JavaSkeptre]

If you want a program were you can place the blocks, thrusters and utilities, why not just use your head? Not to be rude or anything, but using your head will do what the program will do but atleast 100x faster, and you could just start from scratch and have a ship in mind in under 10 secs, under 30 if its like a capital ship or something :D.

[Some_Person]

Programmable drones for contruction, utility, and combat uses are a planned feature for a future update. Just wait untill they are implemented and have fun mass-producing your ships.

[InFusIon]

can you take a copy from creative mode and go to survival and have metal plates in your inventory and paste the frame?

[Rylo704]

Originally posted by JavaSkeptre:

If you want a program were you can place the blocks, thrusters and utilities, why not just use your head? Not to be rude or anything, but using your head will do what the program will do but atleast 100x faster, and you could just start from scratch and have a ship in mind in under 10 secs, under 30 if its like a capital ship or something :D.

Some builds are very large and or complex. Not to mention all the build patterns I use and will use in the future. To assume anyone will remember how to rebuild everything they make is simply ridiculous. Though I do see your point. When I do build something I really like generally what I will do is take a screenshot of the top looking down remove a layer take a screen shot ect ect until there is nothing left but it would be very helpful if the game did this for me lol

[andy ham]

Originally posted by JavaSkeptre:

If you want a program were you can place the blocks, thrusters and utilities, why not just use your head? Not to be rude or anything, but using your head will do what the program will do but atleast 100x faster, and you could just start from scratch and have a ship in mind in under 10 secs, under 30 if its like a capital ship or something :D.

Like rylo said being able to reconstruct the exact ship block for block 3 times is near impossible, if you could do that i'd be very surprised.

Originally posted by Subcreature:

can you take a copy from creative mode and go to survival and have metal plates in your inventory and paste the frame?

I've tried this and you cannot paste while in survival.. if only..
(P.S. I am the key master )

Originally posted by Some_Person:

Programmable drones for contruction, utility, and combat uses are a planned feature for a future update. Just wait untill they are implemented and have fun mass-producing your ships.

Now THIS is something i'd like to see. Being able to build an assembly line similar to that of a car. Let's hope this comes soon enough.

[Jakesnake5]

The OP is talking about something similar to the Minecraft Schematics apps, some of which can show a 3D image of the final object, then segment the item layer by layer so you have an idea how to build it yourself.

[andy ham]

Originally posted by dcjacobs:

The OP is talking about something similar to the Minecraft Schematics apps, some of which can show a 3D image of the final object, then segment the item layer by layer so you have an idea how to build it yourself.

That is PRECISELY what I am referring to. I'm sure if we could get ahold of some java dudes they could whip this up in a day (or two)

[Pennybot]

I know this discussion is from a while ago, but what you could do with the new projector block is open the world with the ship in creative mode, copy it, then put it in your blueprints using f10. Then you can open any world in survival, build a projector, then click the blueprints tab inside the control panel of the projector. That pulls up the blueprint tab and all you do is click the ship you want and it shows it in all its 3D glory (this is for anyone who doesn't know this, so don't get mad and assume I think you're an idiot).

[andy ham]

Originally posted by Professor Potato:

I know this discussion is from a while ago, but what you could do with the new projector block is open the world with the ship in creative mode, copy it, then put it in your blueprints using f10. Then you can open any world in survival, build a projector, then click the blueprints tab inside the control panel of the projector. That pulls up the blueprint tab and all you do is click the ship you want and it shows it in all its 3D glory (this is for anyone who doesn't know this, so don't get mad and assume I think you're an idiot).

I don't care how old this thread is, this is something I didn't notice in the recent patches. Thanks for that, i'm glad they finally implemented that.

[Krahazik]

I would love to see something like this, would be helpful in working out deck layouts or determining if the proposed design has enough thrusters or not enough before you build it and discover you don't have enough thrust to move the ship, or enough gyros. Such oopsies could be quite costly in survival mode.

Also, not everyone can see a whole ship design or deck layouts in their head.