Mechanical Blocks: Gears, Ratchets, Springs

I know people are going to want to make a lot of complicated mechanical devices, and I think we could use a few more tools to do so. I don't think any of these things were in the demonstration videos, but correct me if I'm wrong.

The first thing I'd like to see is a gear-ratio block, ideally with an adjustable ratio. This way we can make things move faster than our turbines, with enough torque. Alternatively, you could use this to winch around things with enormous weight by hand, or otherwise without a huge turbine bank.


I'd also like to use a block with a ratchet, for one-way motion. You'd also have to be able to release the pawl (a) by using the block. This way you could make a drawbridge that lifts slowly, and drops closed- or attach it to a counterweight and have the bridge slam up when you open the pawl. It would also be neat to have a mechanism to convert motion in either direction to one direction, for example if a wind turbine is subject to changing winds.

The last thing, the one I'd really like to see, is a spiral torsion spring (or "clock spring") block. With use of a ratchet, you could wind one of these up as long as you want and unleash it when you need a lot of power. I don't need to convince you that your medieval doomsday weapon needs more power, do I?


I think all of these things are pretty feasible, and useful. I don't know if any of them are redundant, or how they would play in to the sub-block system. So, how would you use these blocks? Can you think of any more mechanical components we need?

 

I like the spiral torsion spring. It would work well for one of my designs that requires a lot of rotational force to be applied for just a few seconds. A flywheel would also be good.

 

we need a rope pulley. to redirect ropes and the applied traction, so we can create pulleys. If you talk about trebuchets and catapults with more power you should need more than a simple winch to span them. It also allows the construction of a more complex and more effective crane to lift the really heavy things.

 

From looking at the videos on some of the mechanical elements it does look like there are multiple sizes of gears. I would assume that they come in small, medium and large. You can also create your own gears. Although very simple and not super effective.

I agree with the idea of having a pawl to stop things going a certain way.

And the game seems to have something similar to the spring, when demonstrating the catapults there is some form of rope that acts like a spring.
(Sorry for image quality my internet is slow ATM.)

 

It seems like all the things that you suggested are already ingame, judging from the trailer.

 

You can probably do makeshift gear-ratios (although for all I know that might be doable within the blocks) and ratchets. If they aren't already in-block, it would be a lot cheaper and less buggy to implement them that way. I also don't think there was anything resembling a torsion spring (or any kind of spring really) in the videos.

 

If the ropes have tension properly you could build pulleys and gear ratios by manual means aswell, flywheels you should be able to build manually aswell if the objects retain rotational energy. Just build a circular shaped weight on the end of an axle and it'll resist changes in rotation speed.

Pulleys and compound cranks are an absolute must for 15th century castle building, if you want to build some of the things they really did make from 13th onwards.

 

Looking at the Gears and varying ratios I imagine it would be similar to how rotors can be varied in SE. ie. The physical model of the block doesn't change but the properties of it can be changed. Velocity, turning arc etc. This would be the easiest implementation. My suggestion, to make that more in keeping to medieval tech is that it would use up a small quantity of material (wood) to alter the speed the Gears turn. This would simulate having to physically change the Gears in the block rather than just the settings like on SE.

 

I definitely like this idea. All they have in the game is prebuilt gear-boxes. We need to place individual gears not boxes that have gears already built inside them. like one gear at a time. We could make endless contraptions.

 

Ok, I really like this idea. That would be cool if we could place gears and axles individually separate from those huge gearboxes. Sort of like placing 1 single gear on any building object within its grid placement.

 

My suspicion would be that the large block gear systems and small block gear systems will work perfectly together, so you can have one large block gearbox connecting to your own designed small block gear design(s)
If you look at this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aJ0EStunXI
It seems like the large blocks are turning small block beams, so that you can yourself use the small block items/gears on the same grid/system.
Especially in the first 30 seconds of the video, if you look on the left, in the front, you can see small blocks are used to keep the spinning beam in place. If you look carefully it seems also the wooden 'x' shaped thing on the end is constructed out of small blocks

 

I love the thought of complex Gear design!

Gear Ratios, Springs and being able to use weights Leads to a bunch of really fun projects ideas (Let's see who can make a working geared clock, then lets see who can make it smaller )

like I was just mentioning in the R&D Thread https://forums.keenswh.com/post/rd-7268512?pid=1285950325#post1285950325

I'd love to see complex Machine designs rather than single component machines.

In SE we had the Conveyor system and the "Do all" Assembler and Refenery blocks

With this one, I want to design the pulley and gear system to pull a cart full of ore out of a mine, dump it's load and then send it back!

Instead of just putting a storage crate next to a block called "Sawmill",
Give me a small block called "Saw" and let me design the gears and pulleys needed for a sawmill to move logs into a saw to cut lumber.

 

Definitely need this ingame.
There is a MC mod that has a bunch of gears, pulleys, flywheels, crankshafts etc. If they added some of those things it would make building better.

 

Good News Sports Fans!
Looking through the Dev Shots (link in Marek's Blog post Announcing the game)
You can clearly see a Racheting gear as well as a basic pulley system!

Weapon Concepts showing gear components from SpaceEngineers_2014-05-06-14-14-26-334_FinalScreen.png through (when sorted by name)
SpaceEngineers_2014-06-10-10-43-36-464_FinalScreen.png

Special Treat: Get a first look at the Block Chooser with some of the new blocks!
SpaceEngineers_2014-06-24-17-31-44-004_finalScreen.png

2014-09-26-14-51-40-144 also shows an Entity list for a Gear system that looks like we'll have some basic components that you can add to to change their purpose

If you can't get enough of ME while we wait for the Actual game then the Dev Shots are well worth the download!

 

+1 for this, definitely.

 

With you a 100% on this thread, and yes judging by the dev screens, I have hope for this game. Also, wanted to link my thread with my two cents on the subject.
https://forums.keenswh.com/post/springs-and-gears-and-other-mechanical-components-7249097?pid=1285779825#post1285779825

 

i am always going to be 100% behind adding basic mechanical mechanisms into the game (and space engineers)

 

Thanks for the tip, some good looking stuff in those pictures!

Also, yes to everything OP said.

 

Block and ratchet is already in game, gear boxes are on the way (just check non-public items), pulleys are definitely coming I believe...
Just be patient guys