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Thrust vectors for thruster groupings in the editor.


Lurkily

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I'd like a place I can enter an input, or a group of inputs that would activate thrusters.  (For instance, W, or W and D, or W when a certain detector is also triggered)

When thrusters are activated by the inputs entered, or by logic responding to those inputs, I'd like to see a circle indicate those thrusters' center of thrust (a circle, so that it is visible if aligned with the center of mass dot), and I'd like a line across the screen indicating the thrust vector.

This way we can make sure, when we build an asymmetric drone, that we can align thrust with the center of mass.  We can put the CoT beyond the CoM for stablility, or behind it for manueverability. (I don't know if the physics will bear that difference out, though.) The line will tell us if our thrust will cause our drone to drift - a thrust vector directly through the CoM will be a straight thrust.  The further its closest point is from the CoM, the more the drone will turn.

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@Lurkily Would you like to see the thrust vectors while playing the game or just in the editor as helpful data?

If it's just in the editor we could  display them whenever you have a thruster selected so it can help you place them where you like.

 

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14 hours ago, Micha said:

@Lurkily Would you like to see the thrust vectors while playing the game or just in the editor as helpful data?

If it's just in the editor we could  display them whenever you have a thruster selected so it can help you place them where you like.

 

Just in the editor, but here's the thing.  My forward thrust usually isn't one thruster, it's usually a grouping.  In some drones, I use logic to control turning thrusters so that they ALL contribute to forward thrust, and some turn on, others off, when I turn.  What I'd like is to be able to enter inputs, and show the center-of-thrust and vector for all thrusters activated by that grouping.  I would represent this as a circle for the center of thrust, and a line transecting that circle showing vector.

For instance, if I enter the inputs for direct forward thrust, I should have a center of thrust that is on the ship's axis, and its thrust vector, the line transecting the center-of-thrust, should ALSO transect center-of-mass.  If it does not, it will tell me that my ship has asymmetric thrust, and give me feedback on how bad it is, and how to fix it.

If I enter the input for turning left, the center-of-thrust should be far from the center-of-mass, and the thrust vector, ideally, perpendicular to the center of mass.  If I add the input for forward thrust, and the vector is closer and/or less perpendicular, this will show you exactly how much maneuverability you lose when you're also under forward thrust.

 

Edit: The most ideal rotational thrust would not have a net vector at all, so a 'dead zone' for very slight vectors would probably be wise.  CTRL-clicking to select groups of thrusters would also be a good alternative to entering inputs, and would let you select individual groupings that do the same thing - such as the port thrusters for turning CCW, and the starboard thrusters for turning CCW.

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Yeah multiple selection would be a good idea. The disadvantage of using the assigned keys to trigger the display is that is wont work with tags.

Another way could be that the vectors of all thrusters are shown at once when you select any of the thrusters. This could also be used when selecting an energy shield to display the radi to prevent overlapping.

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I like that more than my original suggestion.  In my suggestion, rotation would produce erratic near-zero vectors.  By selecting only certain thruster groups (such as the port forward thrust to produce rotation, but not the rearward starboard thrust) you could check the effect of each sub-group of thrusters as well as larger groups.

I dislike the idea of showing the vector of every thruster individually when they're selected.  In an asymmetric drone, I feel that it wouldn't give a good idea of whether the sum of a large group of thrusters is aligned with the center of mass.  I'd far prefer having one center of thrust, and one vector, for all currently selected thrusters.

As an example, say you have a large bank of thrusters, and your center-of-mass isn't exactly aligned with any possible position a thruster would snap to.  You would have to offset one or two thrusters instead of the whole bank to try and bring the sum of the thrust straight through the center of mass, and it can be hard to judge accurately.

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