How do I make a neutral gear without turning off the engine?

[Zinnia Later]

I'm making a steam powered ship, but I want a neutral speed and don't know how to do that. I assume I use a clutch, but I don't know if a value of one being input to the clutch is free movement of the axle or complete clutch pressure. In short, I don't know how to control a clutch. (just to clarify, I mean the clutch piece, not any of the modular engine ones.)

[Botasky]

(Google Translated)
The most basic clutch controller can be made in many different ways.

First method: install a Numerical switchbox, and by pressing a button, switch the signal on the clutch. "0" for disconnect and "1" for connection.
But this method is crude, and such abrupt clutch shifting greatly slows down the engines.
To achieve some smoothness, the controller needs to be modified a bit.
Second method: Clutch control with the Up/Down gate.
In the controller editor, this diagram will look something like this:
Button (toggle) > Up/Down gate (Up input) and NOT gate
NOT gate > Up/Down gate (Down input)
Up/Down Gate > Clutch
Also, in the “Up/Down” gate settings, set the desired speed (0.17 increases the value to “1” in 1 second) and set the maximum (1) and minimum (0) value limits.

If you did everything correctly, then when you turn the button on, the signal will increase to 1 at the specified speed, and when you turn it off, it will decrease. (You can also connect a NOT gate to the “Reset” input instead of the “Down” input so that the clutch is disengaged instantly)
I hope I explained it clearly enough.

[GrumpyOldMan]

Here's the formula for a function block I've been using ever since, works a treat and can be expanded upon.

x = engine rps
y = clutch starts to engage above rps
z = fully engaged at rps
(clamp((x-y)/(z-y),0,1))^(1/6)

Use ^(1/3) for modular clutch and ^(1/6) for the oldschool (1x2x1) clutch to get somewhat linear torque out of it.

This gives you an output between 0 and 1 and will engage the clutch over the rps range between the y and z values.

[Zinnia Later]

I mean a neutral gear, where there isn't power going to the axles. Not a clutch for changing gears, I just assumed that a clutch is what you used for that.

[Nitty_Gritty1]

Originally posted by EscargoingOutTheDoor:

I mean a neutral gear, where there isn't power going to the axles. Not a clutch for changing gears, I just assumed that a clutch is what you used for that.

Send a value of 0 to disengage the clutch. Send a value greater than 0 to engage the clutch.

[GrumpyOldMan]

There seems to be a misconception here. In SW there's no such thing as a neutral gear, you either disconnect the engine from the drivetrain or not.

[Ether Bunneh]

once you disconnect the engine from the drive train, you need to regulate the rps. The easiest way to do that is to create logic that sets an upper limit (throttle to zero as you approach the limit) and a minimum idle throttle level that's enough to keep the engine from losing rps.

[Not Erik]

Originally posted by GrumpyOldMan:

Here's the formula for a function block I've been using ever since, works a treat and can be expanded upon.

x = engine rps
y = clutch starts to engage above rps
z = fully engaged at rps
(clamp((x-y)/(z-y),0,1))^(1/6)

Use ^(1/3) for modular clutch and ^(1/6) for the oldschool (1x2x1) clutch to get somewhat linear torque out of it.

This gives you an output between 0 and 1 and will engage the clutch over the rps range between the y and z values.

That's an amazing formula, works like a charm! Do you have anything similar for holding rps?

[Zinnia Later]

Originally posted by Not Erik:

Originally posted by GrumpyOldMan:

Here's the formula for a function block I've been using ever since, works a treat and can be expanded upon.

x = engine rps
y = clutch starts to engage above rps
z = fully engaged at rps
(clamp((x-y)/(z-y),0,1))^(1/6)

Use ^(1/3) for modular clutch and ^(1/6) for the oldschool (1x2x1) clutch to get somewhat linear torque out of it.

This gives you an output between 0 and 1 and will engage the clutch over the rps range between the y and z values.

That's an amazing formula, works like a charm! Do you have anything similar for holding rps?

I've got a nuclear reactor formula that keeps it at roughly 120 degrees, but only with a specific layout. It should be on my workshop,

[Anwaan]

Originally posted by EscargoingOutTheDoor:

I mean a neutral gear, where there isn't power going to the axles. Not a clutch for changing gears, I just assumed that a clutch is what you used for that.

You've apparently never driven a manual...

[Zinnia Later]

Originally posted by Anwaan:

Originally posted by EscargoingOutTheDoor:

I mean a neutral gear, where there isn't power going to the axles. Not a clutch for changing gears, I just assumed that a clutch is what you used for that.

You've apparently never driven a manual...

no, the only car i've driven (and have maybe a couple hours of experience in) is a subaru forester.

[Anwaan]

Originally posted by EscargoingOutTheDoor:

Originally posted by Anwaan:

You've apparently never driven a manual...

no, the only car i've driven (and have maybe a couple hours of experience in) is a subaru forester.

Basically, when you push in the clutch, you're actually disconnecting the engine from the drive train. Stormworks clutch is the same way (albeit reversed.) A "0" technically engages the clutch, separating one side from the other. A value of "1" disengages the clutch, allowing both sides to reconnect. Shifting gears doesn't always need a clutch in real life, it just makes the process much smoother and easier to do (in my old truck, I would often shift from 2 to 3 to 4 without ever clutching.) It entirely depends on timing and load on the drive train.

"Neutral" happens inside the gearbox and has nothing to do with a clutch. It just happens to be the position between gears where none of them are connecting. It's entirely different from a clutch. In game though, there is no "neutral" setting in a gearbox, so you have to use a clutch to simulate it.

[GrumpyOldMan]

Originally posted by Not Erik:

That's an amazing formula, works like a charm! Do you have anything similar for holding rps?

Of course:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2831410876
This uses a PID controlling change of RPS per second, instead of RPS directly, to control the engines RPS set with the throttle lever.

It's using a regular PID with RPS delta as processing variable and uses the difference between current and desired RPS to control the change of RPS over time, gives snappier control than using RPS directly.

The formula for the setpoint can be seen in the function block, clamp limits set the allowed change of rps per second the PID will try to achieve the target RPS.

You can (and should) apply the same principle for other stuff like speed hold, altitude hold, firebox/reactor temperature hold etc.