Hi, just to let you know there are Blueprints able to make tunnels using merge blocks, pistons and connectors but they are bugged at the moment and reported on the Support Portal.

-> They get stuck once underground because unmerging set the subgrid as a station and not able to move.

Steam discussion link :

Piston getting stuck each time
https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/app/244850/discussions/1/3826415019287292802/



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Workaround

-> Use the Voxel tools in creative mode, it is what I do and it works very well.



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Info +

You may direclty ask SE Modders community helper on Keen Discord, they should be able to tell you if that Mod could be done and maybe one will make it for you.

Go post your question in the "modding-art-sbc" channel on Keen Discord, a lot of kind SE Modders are helping every days.

All can join the SE community from the Discord permalink added to this pinned :
https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/app/244850/discussions/0/4622335767039372629/

Once on the Keen Discord -> Go to the Role selection channel to choose PC role to unlock the proper community -> Go to "modding-art-sbc" channel to ask for help.

I make tunnels using my Skipjack Tunnel Master, or Bob's Big Bore Tunneler. Both will run tunnels straight and true.

There is also a way to align drills with the actual voxel grid that planets and asteroids are formed from to produce excavations with almost perfectly flat sides. I used to have the code to do that but it needed updating after some Keen changes and I lost interest.

No kidding!?! Wow. I've always been frustrated with the roughness of the finished turnneling. Not to pressure you, Rox, but knowing how would be wonderful.

Warheads and Rockets can be used too but I prefer the Voxel tools (from a creative player).

Can be cool to have a Mod that will do a better Jod, I don't Mod at all but maybe the Modder could take advantage of the Voxel tools !?

Originally posted by Rox:

There is also a way to align drills with the actual voxel grid that planets and asteroids are formed from to produce excavations with almost perfectly flat sides. I used to have the code to do that but it needed updating after some Keen changes and I lost interest.

this is the only suggestion i haven't heared of before and sounds quite like many in the community would be looking for. If you could/would find the code and post it? Maybe we can distribute it then to some mods that make use of it. (f.e. nano drill & fill , then .just missing different geometical shapes i could digg out with that one ^^)

Originally posted by Spaceman Spiff:

... how ...

I have found what I think is the old C# script I used at the time, which may or may not be the one with specific buttons that dealt with the voxel alignment lock, and I don't remember if there was an additional hoop needed to jump through to align with planet voxel... though I do seem to remember using a script controlled miner to dig some perfect flat-edged holes on the earth planet of my server at the time for a player, so I guess maybe ?

Originally posted by kinngrimm:

... find the code and post it? ...

Disclaimer: This code is not production ready. If it breaks, you get to keep all the pieces.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/3f4mo19iru9oqzu/MinerAssist-prog.cs?dl=0

Originally posted by Rox:

Originally posted by kinngrimm:

... find the code and post it? ...

Disclaimer: This code is not production ready. If it breaks, you get to keep all the pieces.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/3f4mo19iru9oqzu/MinerAssist-prog.cs?dl=0

cheers mate, its a start and now those who are interested can expand on it assuming copyleft from your end :)

To OP
Now regarding the machine, if you look onto some other reference, you will see that quite a few player did combo or dual system similar to the bore machine (one drill system which feed a auto welder onto a projector, which give a smooth armored inside for the wellbore). The example attached it's a small grid so it won't get stuck.

Here one from Splitsie

https://youtu.be/65K1-b_1_mA


Just to state something about real life example, beside the bore hole machine, which can actually be replicated in some fashion IG,

I'm going to say no, you won't have "smooth" wellbore/excavation in all face for a rock facing front, it's depend on a multitude of factors (from the rock type, grain, direction of drilling/excavation). The tunnel itself, in the viode, on the rock facing side is not that smooth.

Just saying, that's my trade.

Originally posted by Beragon:

To OP
...
I'm going to say no, you won't have "smooth" wellbore/excavation in all face for a rock facing front, it's depend on a multitude of factors (from the rock type, grain, direction of drilling/excavation). The tunnel itself, in the viode, on the rock facing side is not that smooth.

Just saying, that's my trade.

I wouldn't have assumed that smooth tunnels are done just due to drilling/detonation/excavation. As i saw it with the vid provided as seen with pretty much any tunnel construction sites, as you well know as you say its your trait,
you have at times steel beton constructions were first after the excavatuion steel nets are dispursed and then beton/cement is sprayed upon it, In the case of the vid they have a form/template into which the beton is molded into. The outcome though then are smooth looking tunnels, right? Besides say coal/iron/ressource mines where one just puts up supports for static purposes, most tunnels nowadays are not just open to the raw underground layers (i would assume, please correct me if i am wrong).

From that stance, i would appreciate a system ingame that would allow me smooth tunnels, either by flattening/smoothing out the surface layers i dug into or by haveing blocks that are flexible in size so one fits all. Whereby i am unclear that the last suggestion would be doable which is why i left that part open in the intial post so people could get creative without constraints.
Rox provided code example for such which i had presumably that it was ok with him notified a few moders about in hopes they might look into it to see if that code is viable and maybe even implement it in their mods.

I did invest ample of time to find different setups, specialised blocks and scripts to see what solutions people came up with. The closes thing would be an inch worm or also called infiniti drill type of system, that by drilling and collecting the excavated matter then also refines that and uses that to build straight tunnels with smooth blocks covering the uneven voxels of the environment. Issue i have with that, it is double ressource intensiv on our systems we running the game on. I got a rather old machine and even in my function as a programmer years back i always was keen on developing solutions that are lean in transmission equally to using up ram and cpu capacities. In that aspect especially in multiplayer this game can be at times a nightmare. So any viable solution should use rather less then more additional objects ingame. Smoothing out voxels while also costing the server capacity to keep them present, is i would assume still less intense than having additional blocks. Therefor a script approach, client side if possible, i would prefer. In that space though i haven't yet found anything that does that, besides the Rox's ckaim to fame ;) with his approach which i mayself haven't looked into but leave to parties that are activly modding for this game.

Originally posted by kinngrimm:

... Besides say coal/iron/ressource mines where one just puts up supports ...

Well, thank you very much for reviving a distant memory of being part of a mine rescue party which thankfully didn't end as badly as it might have done, but left me with scars both mental and physical >.<

Originally posted by Rox:

Originally posted by kinngrimm:

... Besides say coal/iron/ressource mines where one just puts up supports ...

Well, thank you very much for reviving a distant memory of being part of a mine rescue party which thankfully didn't end as badly as it might have done, but left me with scars both mental and physical >.<

:( sorry for triggering bad memories. I know of noone who goes unscarred through live, most just choose not to let it show, even those who are missing limbs or having been abused as childreen strive for "normalcy" i assume, a state not even "normal" people" hardly ever reach as they to degrees all carry trauma, too. I think that scars form us. You helped, where others maybe couldn't/wouldn't and that tells people around you a story when they look at you that is more important than any scars.

Originally posted by kinngrimm:

Originally posted by Beragon:

To OP
...
sion equally to using up ram and cpu capacities. In that aspect especially in multiplayer this game can be at times a nightmare. So any viable solution should use rather less then more additional objects ingame. Smoothing out voxels while also costing the server capacity to keep them present, is i would assume still less intense than having additional blocks. Therefor a script approach, client side if possible, i would prefer. In that space though i haven't yet found anything that does that, besides the Rox's ckaim to fame ;) with his approach which i mayself haven't looked into but leave to parties that are activly modding for this game.

The voxel edition are in themselves a burden, at that level, the additionnal grid is less a concern. It all depend on how the cleaning/refresh is set on the server. On my server, it's not possible to save voxel editions for instance, on Keen official, they use the inbuild voxel cleaner which reset voxels when there is no player /grid in a XX km sphere around the place (i forgot the setting)

The challenge is that anything which is not a block is not really an option as voxel like behavior are not permitted for player or would require a fairly large mod.