BLOCK COMBINATION MODULE

Many of you know the frustration of not being able to place a corner light or sensor on the "wrong" side of a half block, or on the surface of an outward facing steel plate or window.

why is it like this though? can we please introduce a module or a tool that can combine 2 blocks into 1, so long as the combination makes sense... IE: no combine armor and battery blocks to create super armored battery block... just things like a forward facing window with a light on it...simple stuff, that intuitively, you would expect to be possible but for some reason isnt

 

I think there is a mod out there that have combined blocks.....cant remember the name of it and possibly it could be broken as I saw it a long while back...

 

A grid can only contain a single block at a grid cell. This is a fundamental engine limitation that cannot be worked around... the grid class simply doesn't have storage for anything else.

To allow for combined blocks one would be to take up _other_ grid cell spaces but shift the models visually. I don't know if this can be done dynamically, I don't think I've ever seen this done.

Another alternative would be to overlap grids, actually have multiple grids in the same location... but I can't imagine the physics would allow for this.

Essentially... if this was possible, it would already be done and it would be a highly popular mod. The fact that it hasn't, and isn't, is not a good sign.

 

Like Mojo said, there is a mod, it's call passages. you can have a passage with lights built in, lcds, air vents, cargo access, with stairs and ladders... and yes, it's a very popular mod, suprised you havent seen it

 

@Dread Zep But that is pre-combined objects. It's not runtime-combined. You can't combine at will. Maybe I misunderstood what you were asking for, but it's not something you can combine while playing.

Essentially, each combination is its own pre-created single block. No different than creating any other modded block.

Everyone with the right tools can go in and see for themselves... we can actually go in and look at the source code (an example of tool being ILSpy). The grid is what the grid is and it can't be changed in a mod.


I believe you might be speaking of this https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=946724937&searchtext=passages

This does not break with the limitations I speak of.

 

what's unexpected about this mod is that it includes SO MANY blocks that currently dont exist in vanilla...in combinations that you would expect people to want. which suggests what I'm saying actually is possible, since you can easily program a module to search thru a vast archive of possible block combinations that have been preprogramed, the module itself would at that point serve as advanced search field... I want an armor block with a rear facing window on the left side with a corner light wedged in between for example, I can use a 3d module to create this example and search for the closest match...honestly though it would be a lot easier for the game to be designed in such a way that it anticipates what I want to do and actively is referencing this archive as I am trying to place the corner light between the two block that it normally wouldnt fit (even though spatially it looks possible)... it would then just pop into the spot I want it to go and turn green and transform the block to one of the preprogramed models.

 

@Dread Zep Ok. Either I'm not understanding what you're actually asking for, or you will discover what I'm talking about for yourself.

I still wish you good luck, if nobody tries it will definitely not work