Steam Community :: Guide :: Setting up the gravity engine and the SDS-GDS script

Store Page

Space Engineers

All Discussions Screenshots Artwork Broadcasts Videos Workshop News Guides Reviews

Space Engineers > Guides > DEeM0N's Guides

Not enough ratings

Setting up the gravity engine and the SDS-GDS script

By DEeM0N and 2 collaborators

This manual is an instruction for setting up a script for controlling gravity engines of ships called SDS-GDS for the game Space Engineers.
And also here are instructions for the manufacture of the gravity engine itself.

Link to the Steam Workshop script page:
https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2734307639

Gravity engine from this guide:
https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2734341832

Award

Created by

DEeM0N
Offline

Yaroshweps
Offline

Mentor_N7
Offline

Languages: English

Posted

Updated

28 Jan, 2022 @ 8:38am

16 Feb, 2023 @ 9:29am

1,324	Unique Visitors
34	Current Favorites

Guide Index

Overview

Comments

Click "Subscribe" on the SDS-GDS page: https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2734307639
Building a gravity engine (see the section "Build") :)
In the program block сlick "Edit", then "Browse Scripts", there we find SDS-GDS in the list, compile the script ("Check Code" and "OK")
The "Custom Data" will be automatically filled with default values
Run the program block with the setup argument (or click the Compile button). Every time you update Custom Data, you should enter this argument to update the settings
If necessary, edit the configuration in the Custom Data

Editing the configuration in the "Custom Data"

[GDrive] GravName=Gravi - The name of the group/prefix in which all generators, mass blocks, cockpits, LCDs and gyros should be IsGroup=True - Search for blocks by group or prefix in the block name IsSphrerical=Fasle - Is the gravity drive type on spherical generators or not? DisableName= - The name of the group/prefix that will be disabled when the engine is running AutoOff=True - Auto-off when the pilot leaves the cockpit MinSpeed=10 - The minimum flight speed at which the gravity engine operates MaxFieldSize=400 - Field size of generators in maximum power mode SlowFieldSize=40 - Field size of generators in reduced power mode SlowPowerLvl=5 - Gravity drive power in reduced power mode as a percentage of the maximum (0 - 100) GyroStabPower=20 - Power of gyroscopes used for motion stabilization (0 - 100) [Evasion] UseEvasionThrust=True - Using tracers in evasion mode DisableSideThrust=True - Disabling side tracers in evasion mode Roll=4 - Rotate speed per minute (RPM) for gyroscopes of rotation on axes in the evasion mode Pitch=0 Yaw=0 GyroEvasionPower=30 - The power of gyroscopes of rotation in the evasion mode (0 - 100) [Display] Screen=-1 - Prefix for screens that will display the mode of operation of the gravity engine MainColor=220,80,0 - The main font color OnColor=255,0,0 - Font color when activated BackgroundColor=0,0,0 - Background color

setup - initialization (can be called to apply changes from Custom Data)
grav - turning the gravity engine on/off
cruise - cruise flight mode in the direction of
stab - stabilization of the flight direction by gyroscopes
slow - switching the gravity drive power level
evasion - turret fire evasion system (also activates the gravity engine)
pull - attraction mode (works only for spherical gravity engine)

When any argument is submitted, the corresponding mode is turned on or off (switched). If you want to force the mode on, add -on to the passed argument, and if you turn it off, then -off
For example to switch the evasion system:
evasion
turn it on:
evasion-on
turn it off:
evasion-off

There are 2 types of gravity engines, on conventional and spherical generators, SDS-GDS can drive both types of gravity drives. The engine can also operate in two directions (forward/backward), or in all 6 directions. For example, let's analyze the device of a linear omnidirectional gravi-drive

One of the problems in designing gravity engines is to ensure that the center of mass of the ship coincides with the center of the engine. If the engine is bidirectional, then the center of mass of the ship should be located on the central axis of the gravity drive, that is, symmetry is needed only along the 2nd axes. Whereas omnidirectional requires symmetry along all axes. So that the loading of the container does not knock down the center of mass, we put it in the center of the gravity engine. Further forward and backward we add conveyrs
Around these conveyors we have blocks of artificial mass. The blocks must be positioned symmetrically along all axes
Next, we install gravity generator blocks from all sides. If you need an engine only forward / backward, then we put generators only on the front and rear planes of our cube. In order for the script to correctly distribute all generators, they should not be located within the boundaries of the cube of artificial masses
To control, we install a cockpit, a programm block, several batteries and a pair of gyroscopes. Everything needs to be positioned as symmetrically as possible so that the center of mass of the ship coincides with the center of the gravity engine. If you plan to use the stabilization and automatic evasion mode, then there should be at least two gyroscopes
To stop your ship to zero speed, you need to add at least a few ordinary thrusters
Now a few settings: All generators, masses, cockpits, LCDs (if any), and one gyroscope (optional) are combined into the "Gravi" group (this is the name of the group, as well as the rest of the settings can be changed in the "Custom Data" of the programm block)
Load the SDS-GDS script into the program block, compile it. In this case, a message will be displayed about the number of blocks founded by the script, and about errors (if any)
Put on the cockpits panel the arguments for controlling the program unit of the gravity drive. To start/stop:
grav

Note. A spherical gravity drive differs from a linear one (which we are currently building) in that it has spherical gravity generators in the center, аnd the mass blocks, are located on the sides of the engine

4 Comments

< >

Marredone 2 Feb, 2022 @ 9:51am

It is formatted perfectly for the steam browser on my end now. Thanks for checking on that, no idea what the issue was.

DEeM0N [author] 2 Feb, 2022 @ 3:38am

I think I fixed it..

DEeM0N [author] 2 Feb, 2022 @ 3:34am

Strange. I have it displayed differently in different browsers... in one everything is fine, and in the other there is some kind of black hole in the design... at the start of the guide

Marredone 2 Feb, 2022 @ 12:06am

Format question: What's with the long empty space at the start of the guide? Just WIP?

< >