Mass Sensor

[eth0]

Hi All,
It occured to me that while Conna's pressure sensor is a great sensor it can only sense mass while in contact with a object and the "sensor" is also restricted set of plate props.

I'd like to see a sensor that you nail to a forming contraption and as you weld it up the overall mass increases.

This then could be used, when the concept of linking thrusters with "fuel" for the Life Support is done, for calculating the amount of launch thrust required for a given planet's gravity.

PS: Oh and of course there's the issue of "payload" sensing which include the player.

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Edit: that was gonna be my final though until a wondered if a sensor that could simply sum the total of a group of props masses within a given radius would also have merit? (i'd still like to see the sensor first proposed though!)

Cheers

[Qjet]

that might lag for big contraptions.

[tomb332]

it would lag as you would have to go through every constrained prop and find its weight several times a second.

[Tad2020]

it would lag as you would have to go through every constrained prop and find its weight several times a second.[/b]

It would have to be limited to once a second or less. It should run less often if there is a lot of stuff constrained together, like for every 50 props, add another second.

[eth0]

Maybe you could make it only given a update of mass on an "edge" trigger, otherwise the sensor simply return the last known mass? (those that code this shit know what i mean i'm sure!)

Anyways thanks for the feedback.

[Qjet]

i'm scared of a 200 piece 50000 weight per piece minge machine getting smashed up and down and 2 or 3 of these things O.X

[-=Fox=-]

It would have to be limited to once a second or less. It should run less often if there is a lot of stuff constrained together, like for every 50 props, add another second.[/b]

Or you could make a chip that would calculate weight using the flex of hydrolics... oh wait i did that with the expression gate (very Beta, I'll post the code up in the Weight Sensor thread.

You can have as many objects as you want, and you don't have to count them, if the hydrolic moves, it hits a ranger, and calculates weight

There are a few variables, and they're pretty dynamic.... and change significantly based on the materials used to make the weighing device. But i believe the key is negating the weight of the weighing mechanism, and the flex of the hydrolic, and it should get you consistent results.

[Tad2020]

I think a balance scale and a variable mass entity would work.

[tomb332]

great sol;ution tad a variable mass on one side and the thing being weighed on the other and just stick a gyro and wait till roll and pitch is 0

[-=Fox=-]

great solution tad a variable mass on one side and the thing being weighed on the other and just stick a gyro and wait till roll and pitch is 0[/b]

You could do the same thing with a ranger underneath the counter weight.

Here is the hydrolic methodology:
http://www.wiremod.com/showthread.php?t=453&st=0


BUT a variable weight Entitiy would be really neat! attached to a timer that goes really fast, and a comparison gate looking for 0, it would work quite well!

Its just that its construction would be a little more complex than a hydrolic based system (pairs of winches, pulleys, or a teeter-totter are needed) but it is more robust, as in theory there would be no limit to the weight that could be weighed.

Hmm..... i bet.... you could use it to simulate resources using the Life Support, just have it collect the numbers and convert it to mass and then as you use the resources the weight would get lighter and lighter