Hi. I was using this mod to make a big ship, and now I get a crash while drawing the ship after loading the world. It seems to be causing an IndexOutOfRangeException. Is there a way to salvage the ship from the crash in this case?

Hello, the first thing is that this mod seems incredible to me and a very good idea. I wanted to ask two things. The first is if with this mod you could build ships that exceed the limit of blocks and thus fix the physics bug that the game has when you exceed the limits. 100,000 blocks and the second thing is if you are still making the version that includes the new blocks or is it abandoned. Thank you very much for this mod, the truth is that it was one that I needed

Understood, mmm aren't there modding groups that might be able to help? I mean there are a tone of professionally looking mods out and often enough with references to how to pay for a coffee and discord channels. The other road to would be to seek out new AI models that are open source and might be able to help where one is lacking expertise i suppose.

Anyways i feel your motivation as i am one of those with a potato instead of a PC ^^

Thankfully it wouldn't effect MP games unless the server admin lets it. For single players it would be more of an Easy Mode, I suppose.

As for the intentions, that was my original reasoning for reviving Elsephire's original mod; saving PCU/block count for those with lower end systems. And back then when I posted it, the game was far less optimized so it made a big difference.

I would love to do more with it than what its current state is but without some modelling assistance there isn't much I can do to expand/replace it yet.

From what i see sofar, while the structural reinforcement does affect your blocks, the balance is more off than one would think as it is a per block reinforcement not a per meter. Meaning, only 2 blast doors put together can affect a very large area(several of your blocks). Which then again, your mod is all about these large areas and as you already stated due to sticking with the costs of the original blocks, just multiplied by the volume covered, these blocks are also very strong.
https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3159738923

Now i would not sweat this too much of an issue as at least for me the relevant part is on saving simp speed and fps and would rather see more of the shapes you have planed to be able to make detailing works on larger builds without having to worry about burning out my cpu/gpu.

@kinngrimm

If you (or anyone else) uses [url]Structural Support[/url] and this mod please let me know how the two mods work with each other.

@kinngrimm

Do to the fact that this mod's blocks are primarily just constructed through code and have no specific models (the problem I still need help for) as long as Keen's base block structure hasn't changed (and if it does this mod will likely stop working all together) it will most likely be detected by the [url]Structural Support[/url] mod as any vanilla block would.

Sadly, I have not yet had time to install SE on my new PC so I do not have a way to test the compatibility. Unless Keen has made a huge change to the way blocks are defined though this mod should both work as well as it always has (which admittedly is not as well as I'd like it to) and also cause no issues with [url]Structural Support[/url].

@kinngrimm

[url]Structural Support[/url] may work with it but I honestly don't know that it does. It should also be noted that the blocks in this mod are as one would expect, single blocks with full durability of the sum of standard blocks that make up it's volume. So a 10x10x1 plate has the same durability as 100 regular blocks in that single plate and is considered a single block. So it is pretty strong as it is. Any additional effect to specifically increase it's own durability over that would be likely be highly unbalancing.

@kinngrimm

I haven't had any fruitful contact from anyone that can help with models or LoD so as of yet it just isn't an option. Things are on hold until I can find someone who can rebuild the 3D models or I can get the time to learn it myself (which is highly unlikely).

As for the [url]Structural Support[/url] mod, this mod does not specifically cause any effect to the blocks like [url]Structural Support[/url] does.

also please have a look at Structural Reinforcement
https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3029470356
It was said that vanilla armor and depended on how modded armor block are made those, too would work with Structural Reinforcement. Would you please therefor check it your mod would be compatible?

You mentioned "LoD or full Skin support " are these meanwhile added?
Also do you by chance plan for a low res version or this already one?

@Unruly: For the airtightness, there were several airtightness issues in the original that I fixed. I have not run into other airtightness issues since. If you are seeing any issues still please turn on the airtightness view to find the gap in the block and let me know which block it is and I will get it fixed ASAP.

As for the invisible sides... this is a rendering issue caused by the engine in combination with the simplistic coding of the mod...and the main reason I want to create a completely new mod to replace this (but I need someone to do the modelling still, sadly). For performance reasons the game does not render block faces that are internal to your build, which is good but the game isn't deciding to render them again when you remove a block next to these making the face external and in range of view. If you add a block onto the invisible face and remove it, it will stop being invisible. Sadly, best work-around for now.

Also, for me the rendering is wacky when some of these blocks get creator-zapped (ie, they're in place and I use rmb to remove some. Where other blocks used to touch the now-deleted ones don't render, even if I pop my vp around the solar system and come back. Everything's fine again if I save/quickload.

I'm having some problems with airtightness, seems to be the ends? I'm still chasing leaks, but it seems to be fine if I, say, replace a 1x1x5 with a 'real' armor block and 1x1x4.

first things first, it just works, thats nice difference, second hope will not be abandoned or at least Keen will use your work to improve performance of game, congrats and thank you

@annastasya I added you so we can talk about the model

@Zhirru

Sadly, it is a bit stalled as I have no model creation experience. I am searching for someone to help with all or any of the block modeling. I have had a couple of offer mentions but nothing that anyone has followed through with me on, unfortunately. All I am essentially needing is (if possible) something that looks like (or is) a side-by-side copy/paste of the Keen frame models.

X <-- Keen cube frame model

XXXXX <-- "new" model

Actual new from scratch models that look like a single frame that fits the shape of the blocks would be glorious but well outside of what I alone am capable of and more than I would humbly ask for.

@Annastasya How you doing on the rounded and slope blocks ? still needing help on creating the models ?

@TheMightySpud

After reviewing the ling you posted (which is 5 years old so it could be less accurate these days) it looks like bone structure may only work for 1x1x1 blocks and effects the initial shape and also deformation shape of the block. So I'm not sure if this will be something that can be implemented (yet) due to keen limitations.

If anyone has any knowledge on bone structure and how to implement it in the current build of the game, please reach out to me so this mod can be fully realized. =-*

@TheMightySpud

As to the block 'bones', after examining the SBCs (how I usually learn what to do with SBCs is looking at existing files, pulling them apart and rebuilding them) it looked like a fairly simple task. I just didn't understand the direct correlation to the models or even if there was one.

Thank you very much for the link. I have been looking for a guild just like this but for some reason I have never managed to find this one. It will likely be invaluable to me!

To expand on my previous comment, I don't intent to release the new mod until the models (at least a decent initial version) with LODs and construction stages and all of the needed SBC work is complete. Surely there will be tweaks and balancing and model refinement down the road but I want it fully functional the moment it is provided for people to use.

@TheMightySpud

A few things, for one I definitely want full models with LODs and construction stages. I want the new version of the mod to be Survival friendly and use the built in LOD system to reduce any performance issues that not having LODs will cause. I want the new mod to be an improvement over Elsephire's original design. Not to say it was a bad design at all, it was simply never completed after initial release.

That being said, I do not want to do like so many mod authors do and release an incomplete 'beta' version of the mod and slowly work on completing it as that in most cases turns into an incomplete mod that never gets finished.

Hey, sorry been stupidly busy recently. I was thinking. If you're keeping the way that the mod works the same, you don't need any models to make the larger blocks, as the blocks are just made up of the 'planes'. The bone structure is relatively simple really.

https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=391202025

That guide explains it pretty well.

@SwiftyTech

Any help I can get with models and bone structures (no idea why Keen called them 'bones') would be greatly appreciated. That alone has stalled development of the new mod. I am trying to figure things out for it but it is certainly not something I am experienced with.

thankyou for you reply, i may have some friends who maybe could you with the models. im in need of a bug free version of this mod lol

@Kurntech

You are very welcome but the real credit goes to Elsephire. I have only fixed some SBC errors in their original mod.

@SwiftyTech

It's not so much buggy as it is horridly incomplete. The 'bug' of block sides vanishing when one of these blocks is removed is due to the missing block bone framework. This is Elsephire's mod originally. I have simply corrected some errors and typos in the files and have not added any of the missing bits and bobs. As for release of the new mod, I have no scheduled time frame as I am looking for assistance with the models. Once the single curve, slant and cube models are produced (something I am not skilled at) it should be a fast transition as they need only be duplicated in rows and planes.

Hi i was wondering when the planned release for the new mod is please, it seems this mod is quite buggy atm.

thanks for making this mod

@Pokerface119

While I have never experienced issues from blocks like Gyros, Refineries or the conveyor system I have heard mention of that quite a few times. To avoid it I build better versions of parts rather than more of them (yes this typically means mods must be used). While this mod does have that same effect, it's intention, at least from my standpoint, is much more than that. If you are having serious lag issues, this mod will not fix them.

If however you like building large ships/stations and want to do so economically this mod makes a difference. It should also be noted however that, as it is explained by keen, the physics system calculates physics on all blocks affected by them. So a 10x10x1 block has 1 physics calculation on it instead of the 100 1x1x1 blocks that it replaces having 100 calculations on them as a group. That certainly will eliminate potential performance issues for the engine. Even if the PC can handle it, there is a point the engine gets overwhelmed.

You also have the additional benefit of that one block having the same cumulative stats of the 100 blocks it has replaced, including durability. Which obviously means that 1 block can take 100 times the abuse of a single block before its durability is overwhelmed.

Might I just add that its hardly armor blocks that add the lag,
Something to do with like the 10,000-20,000 polygons per gyroscope, refineries, and conveyors that add to the lag significantly more than the individual blocks do.
Also the Conveyor system itself isn't optimized and its entirely possible to lag the system just by having a bunch of conveyors/thrusters connected to each other (if you're PC isn't strong enough to handle it that is)

@TheMightySpud:

The render issue should be fixed when the proper bone structure is implemented in the new mod. The blocks at this point do not have a bone framework implemented like normal armor blocks have, I believe it is this lacking data that the engine needs to know where to render the block's structure when removing attached blocks.

At present I am trying to learn on that end as well as learning Blender to work on LoD's and build stages for the blocks. The modelling is presently the biggest hurdle that I have and any assistance or advice would be greatly appreciated and surely speed things up.

Do you plan on fixing the render error when you remove one of these blocks? I know it sounds really daft, but that stops me from using this mod at the moment. :-/

Also, I have something of a collosal list of blocks I'd love to see added (and would be more than happy to help out with the modelling side.

@DeAnti:

Why would you need a solid 50x50x50 block? I don't see any reasonable applications other than 'cheaty' ways to exploit the SE engine.

It is solely to save on block count and reduce FPS lag caused by massive block counts for those of us that delight in building large and wondrous structures/ships. that is why i asked for 50X50X50 TO BUILD giant things lol

If there are any further requests or ideas for the upcoming new block mod I will be making please mention them in the Discussion topic, not in comments, so they are easier for me to keep track of.

This mod is simply an error corrected version of Elsephire's Block Optimizer and I will not be updating it further but will be instead creating my own from scratch to surpass it. I will however keep the existing BlockID's from this mod for the sake of those using it that may want to switch over without losing blocks.

@GG6:

Elsephire's Block Optimizer (Alpha 1.4) will not be updated further (at least not by me). This is just a fix of some SBC errors. My intention is to create a new mod that is my own and will surpass Elsephire's Block Optimizer and that I can maintain.

@DeAnti:

As mentioned above and in the Discussion, a 1x1x50 block is intended in the upcoming new mod. I do not see any sensible reason for a 50x50x50 block. The welding time on it and materials would be ridiculous and I see no reasonable purpose for a solid, filled block that size other than as a cheap and cheaty way to drop heavy bricks on other players' structures. That is not and never, ever will be the intention of the mod I am creating. It is solely to save on block count and reduce FPS lag caused by massive block counts for those of us that delight in building large and wondrous structures/ships.

Thank you for this mod. If you decide to update it even further, I would really appreciate 1x1x50 Heavy Armor Slopes. Thank you :)

50X50X50 .. 1x1x50 maybe idk if that would break

@DeAnti:

What sort of bigger blocks are you thinking?

thank you this mod was really under rated more players need to see this....would love to see bigger blocks if possible

That is a fault of the original mod, sadly. I'm not sure if it is an issue with mirroring or something else but I hope to address it when I create a new version from scratch. I do plan on reusing existing Block ID's however so (at least in theory) you should be able to swap out mods without blocks vanishing.

Appreciate your work to bring this back. Anything we can do to make the game run smoother is golden.

It looks like the blocks don't play particularly well with projectors though. In particular I've been working with the 1x1x10s to build a space elevator and it looks like when the projected block is welded it offsets itself lengthwise. Not sure if that was present in the old mod or if it's something new.

Some skins do work, not all have been tested yet.