Circuit, blinking light

[zaphodikus]

I need a red light to flash continuously (using an and gate obviously to enable it).

The naive engine thinks i have cross coupled my circuit, which technically I have done, but it's not smart enough to know that I've not created an endless evaluation loop. So clearly I'm not doing my blinker the way the blinker was deigned to be used. I recall some trick using a ramp as a timer indirectly.

Anyone done this and found the pitfalls ahead of time, blink rate 5 seconds?

[XLjedi]

Most of my craft include nav lights, strobe, and beacon. I don't use signals to accomplish this, it's just the blink setting on the light itself.

This one has all the blink lights and red/blue flashers tied to an on/off signal. Maybe take a look and compare to what you are trying to do?

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2839014274

[Yascherrica]

why not just link a flashlight to a motion sensor or a switch that opens the door? Or am I getting the situation wrong? Anyway, door tx sygnals also run good with folow option, so it's probably something you missed or screwed.

[zaphodikus]

Strobes seems to be the only way. I'm post-processing the game video to make it more colour contrast-like for this recording - I now have video formats. Why on hecks earth can mp4 containers not standardize their ♥♥♥♥. Variable frame rates my nelly!!! Hope the devs do change their mind - strobes are not very controllable.

[Yascherrica]

Originally posted by zaphodikus:

Strobes seems to be the only way. I'm post-processing the game video to make it more colour contrast-like for this recording - I now have video formats. Why on hecks earth can mp4 containers not standardize their ♥♥♥♥. Variable frame rates my nelly!!! Hope the devs do change their mind - strobes are not very controllable.

I'm still not getting... you can can either use controlable blinking lights or flashlights. What else do you need?

[zaphodikus]

you can "control" lights, but the circuits with timers are not self resetting, so they only blink once per flip-flop. There is no way to chain a flipflop/astable output back to the input to produce another pulse. The game engine just does not let you do that to prevent endless loops. I can see the developers rationale though. Video should drop tomorrow, I had a load of audio problems.

[ravien_ff]

Originally posted by zaphodikus:

you can "control" lights, but the circuits with timers are not self resetting, so they only blink once per flip-flop. There is no way to chain a flipflop/astable output back to the input to produce another pulse. The game engine just does not let you do that to prevent endless loops. I can see the developers rationale though. Video should drop tomorrow, I had a load of audio problems.

Yeah but why can't you simply set up the lights to blink?
I'm really confused what you're having trouble with. I've set up flashing red alert lights all the time and it's really easy to do, no signal logic needed except to turn them on or off.

But if you need a blink time of longer than 5 seconds then yes you'd need to use signal logic.

[ravien_ff]

You can even do sequentially timed docking lights, etc really easily though a bit tedious depending on how many lights you're using.

[zaphodikus]

Originally posted by ravien_ff:

You can even do sequentially timed docking lights, etc really easily though a bit tedious depending on how many lights you're using.

Yeah, I did not want to spend too much time on it, last time I made a non trivial circuit it was a bit unreliable. Wasted a lot of time. I am going for lights that move, so sensors will also work, might find time to hide some and wire them. It's a gamble for something that is really only about 30 seconds long, and easier in "photoshop".

[ravien_ff]

Originally posted by zaphodikus:

Originally posted by ravien_ff:

You can even do sequentially timed docking lights, etc really easily though a bit tedious depending on how many lights you're using.

Yeah, I did not want to spend too much time on it, last time I made a non trivial circuit it was a bit unreliable. Wasted a lot of time. I am going for lights that move, so sensors will also work, might find time to hide some and wire them. It's a gamble for something that is really only about 30 seconds long, and easier in "photoshop".

Ah your sequence is over 5 second?

[VulcanTourist]

I also don't understand what it is you're trying to do. Lights have an inherent blink ability that is reasonably flexible.

[zaphodikus]

Second half of this clip is what i was looking for. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2848506059

[ravien_ff]

Originally posted by zaphodikus:

Second half of this clip is what i was looking for. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2848506059

The blinking lights?
Yeah you can set them up in the control panel for that.

[zaphodikus]

I want to know. Is it possible to copy properties from one light to another.
I grouped all the lights and started changing them one at a time. Each light had a lot to set. It took far longer than I thought though. Felt like I was doing it wrong.

[Brew]

If they're grouped, click the group heading in the devices list, set the properties there, then click "Apply to Group" to set the properties on all lights in the group.

[ravien_ff]

Originally posted by zaphodikus:

I want to know. Is it possible to copy properties from one light to another.
I grouped all the lights and started changing them one at a time. Each light had a lot to set. It took far longer than I thought though. Felt like I was doing it wrong.

Look at a light and press P to open the control panel. Adjust it as needed.
Now every light you place will take on the same settings as the last light you accessed in the control panel.

Or copy and paste them with the creative mode tools.

Or do what Brew suggested.