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Auto Piston Docking Alignment
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Type: IngameScript
File Size
Posted
Updated
23.137 KB
12 Sep, 2020 @ 2:38am
7 Oct, 2020 @ 9:05pm
8 Change Notes ( view )
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On Reddit (External link)
Created by
ComradeJoecool
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Auto Piston Docking Alignment

Description
No more wasting so much time re-parking over and over.
Or backing up and trying again to line up with the connector.
No more time spent trying to manually move the connector to you.

Let the connector come to you automatically!

Stow away feature now works!
Check the configuration variables at the top of the script to disable it. (it is enabled by default)

Depending on how your pistons are set up, you may want to have the pistons fully retract or fully extend in order to stow the connector away.

Be careful not to smash your rover with the new stow away feature!

The movement will stop when the connector becomes yellow "Ready To Connect".
Then it will automatically connect after it becomes yellow after about a second.

It will move the pistons to line up with the rover docking port when the rover programmable block sends a docking request using inter grid communication.

Setup:
1. Make your docking port on your rover have the tag [APD] in the name. e.g. "Connector [APD]"
2. Place a Programmable Block on your rover and put this script in it.
3. Place an antenna in your rover and make it broadcast at least as far away as your base antenna.
4. Place an antenna on your base that is able to broadcast at least as far away as your rover.
5. Place 3 Pistons on your base with the base of each piston perpendicular to each other
6. Add a connector to the end of the third piston
7. Make a Programmable Block on the base and put this script in it.
8. Assign the Programmable Block with this script on the rover to your action bar to a number (no arguments)
9. Drive up close to the base connector and stop.
10. Press the number you assigned the run command to. (or just hit run from the terminal with no arguments)

Optional:
By default this script will show output on the cockpit 0 screen.
If you would like to not do that, then add [ignore] to your cockpit name.
Then it will output to the programmable block screen that this script is running on.
Also, any LCD or Text Screen that has [APD] in the name will show output from this script.

More improvements are planned!
Feel free to make suggestions below!

Longer gif here https://www.reddit.com/r/spaceengineers/comments/ir9wow/just_finished_up_version_1_of_a_super_convenient/

Steam only allows images up to 2MB
50 Comments
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☆Basil☆ 26 Nov, 2023 @ 5:34am 
itd be super cool to have this work with the "new" small connectors (ejectors) to recharge small vehicles
Adamond 27 Oct, 2023 @ 9:37am 
Thank you so much for your work, this is exactly what I was looking for!

I’m new to SE and I have never used a script before, yet your instructions were clear enough for me to figure out everything without issue. I’m not sure why this script isn’t rated a perfect 5 Stars, but I feel it should be, as it does what is advertised.
Morgazm777 14 Aug, 2023 @ 10:17pm 
Hey, love the script!

Is it possible to make it work with small pistons too? Would be really helpful for manoeuvring around small and confined areas!
ComradeJoecool  [author] 7 May, 2023 @ 9:23pm 
@OzzieWorm That is an excellent idea. That should not be too hard to add. I can take a look at adding that. The beta version has something similar where you can set custom min and max values in the custom data section of each piston, but I am going to need to add a "stowed extent" setting in there for you as well. https://steamproxy.net/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2252196360
OzzieWorm 9 Mar, 2023 @ 9:02pm 
Will you work on this anymore?

I'd love to be able to custom a docks pistons to either extended or retracted when stowing so I can customise my layout. In this case I need the mid and end piston retracted but the base to be extended on one dock setup :)
OzzieWorm 27 Feb, 2023 @ 11:13pm 
FWIW - I used it since I posted... it works (including last week).
ComradeJoecool  [author] 27 Feb, 2023 @ 11:31am 
Glad you all are still enjoying it. I am gearing up for some more Space Engineers sessions this year so I will have some more opportunities to refine and test this script using the latest updates. To my knowledge it still works with the latest version of the game.
I try to beta test new changes to this script over on the workshop item by the same name just with "beta" added into the end so I don't break things here.
OzzieWorm 25 Apr, 2022 @ 6:09am 
Hey @ComradeJoecool - are you still working on this at all?
I love it and would be amazing if you can make it work with rotors too!
BIV 16 Oct, 2021 @ 9:21pm 
Hey ComradeJC, great work! I thought about doing this then realised that I'm too stupid and don't know the game yet let alone scripting, so to me this is like magic. No more rebuilding connector after connector after smashing them together. A huge time saver for folks with multiple small vehicles for sure. Thanks for your effort and time. Onya.
CarSickKhan 3 Aug, 2021 @ 4:59pm 
does this still work after the latest update?