Space Engineers

Space Engineers

Whip's Automatic Drop Pod Script
414 Comments
Myst Leissa 12 Oct @ 7:04am 
It could be, multiple small inset connectors were on either side of he drop pod, and the programmable block wasn't centered (this was a simple ore recovery pod, for retrieving ore from near mars orbit, using atmospheric thrusters...) Another problem I ran into is I'm not sure why but the thrusters didn't activate properly, once i got it working the pod just kinda sat there for a minute then dropped too fast (probably because I was using a speed mod, which raised the maximum speed on small grids (which this was) to 750., but I didn't have the exact float for the calculation.
Whiplash141  [author] 12 Oct @ 2:59am 
That seems... dubious. The location that the command runs should not matter :confusedkarlach:

Reading through my code I am horrified at my sins. The script picks the merge connector and rotor with the name tag "Drop Pod" that is closest to the programmable block at the time of detaching. Could it be that the closest was being selected from a different drop pod?
Myst Leissa 10 Oct @ 12:32pm 
Oh I see what my problem was...I had used a remote control but I was triggering the programmable block from the cockpit of the actual drop ship instead of the pod's remote...apparently rerouting the command through the remote was enough to fix it.
Myst Leissa 10 Oct @ 8:08am 
Also is the drop command supposed to auto-unlock the connector that's labelled with "Drop Pod"? Because it doesn't seem to for me but that may be because I'm using small inset connectors or because I've got two of them (one on each side of the pod)
Myst Leissa 10 Oct @ 8:06am 
Gotcha ty.
Whiplash141  [author] 9 Oct @ 6:27pm 
Yes. You are free to use this script in your creations and upload those creations. What I do not want is 10+ out-of-date mirrors of this script confusing users.
Myst Leissa 9 Oct @ 3:06pm 
You say "Do Not Reupload" but what about including the script in our blueprints programmable blocks, is that permissible?
Whiplash141  [author] 21 Jul @ 11:08am 
not yet, i need to rewrite it
Bunkerman 21 Jul @ 11:04am 
is Posible to use a Cockpit screen?
Whiplash141  [author] 29 Nov, 2024 @ 12:08pm 
The linked hunchback has 3 types of drop pods i designed for this script inside of it: https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=883186115
Ace 29 Nov, 2024 @ 12:03pm 
Anyone got some good blueprints of this?
Thorn Blackwell 25 Sep, 2024 @ 6:08pm 
I think the cryo interfered with the remote controller until I restarted. It's one of many odd things I've found that require a restart to fix.
Whiplash141  [author] 25 Sep, 2024 @ 4:38pm 
yes, cryo pods/beds do not constitute ship controllers.
Thorn Blackwell 25 Sep, 2024 @ 4:36pm 
Apparently if you occupy a cryo pod instead of a seat or cockpit of some kind it's not happy. Even if you have a remote block to give reference. However, exiting the game completely and restarting fixed my issue. Now, if somebody could create a new mod that cleans KEENs hopelessly dirty glass (all the old ones no longer work, even mine) I'd be really happy.
Whiplash141  [author] 25 Sep, 2024 @ 11:02am 
Do you have enough thrust to fly on your own?
Thorn Blackwell 25 Sep, 2024 @ 10:37am 
It appears to have some issues with the new thrusters, and I'm unsure why. I have been trying to use the new flat atmo thrusters and no go.
Robin <3 7 Sep, 2024 @ 5:42pm 
sorry i got it
Robin <3 7 Sep, 2024 @ 5:31pm 
no matter what I do it just says no downward thrusters found
Whiplash141  [author] 15 Aug, 2024 @ 3:04pm 
descent speed is only considered when the drop pod is actively burning for landing
Joey 15 Aug, 2024 @ 9:36am 
The variable decentSpeed does not seem to do anything, from my limited testing. I'm trying to get my pod to descent at a max speed of 60 m/s, but it just freefalls everytime.
Am I doing something wrong, is there another setting I should be looking at?
DakotaHartwig215 2 Jun, 2024 @ 8:18am 
I love the idea of making a large space to planet assault ship that deploys huge turret towers down to a planets surface, they land and attach upright using deployable mag legs, and then begin to fire at the enemy base, with a strong modded gyro i bet that would work
Blacky Watchy 7 Jan, 2024 @ 3:01am 
is there any command to cancel the drop and reset all the gyros to their previous configuration?
Whiplash141  [author] 12 Aug, 2023 @ 3:26pm 
Up oriented relative to the remote or seat tagged with "Drop Pod" in its name
kandrinchae 12 Aug, 2023 @ 2:55pm 
the script primarily uses up oriented thrusters for braking, yes? i have two control seats and two remote control blocks, all in proper orientation. one seat and one remote block are selected as primary. could this set up interfere with the script?
Whiplash141  [author] 12 Aug, 2023 @ 10:12am 
The only other thing I can think of is that your ship controller is not oriented properly. The down direction of the tagged ship controller is used to find braking thrust
kandrinchae 11 Aug, 2023 @ 1:06am 
thrusters dont have an ownership option, and i went through and checked ownership of everything else. I dont have any mods installed that change anything about thrusters either. still making craters lol
Whiplash141  [author] 10 Aug, 2023 @ 5:07pm 
Sounds like ownership issues. Warfare ions are no different than regular ions to this script.
kandrinchae 10 Aug, 2023 @ 1:30pm 
quick question - is anyone else having issues with the script not recognizing warfare ion thrusters? I have a ship with only that style and it is consistently impacting the moon surface without activating braking thrust - usually throws an error claiming there are no thrusters, but not every time. no speed mods and works perfect with original vanilla thrusters both on the moon and on earth-like.
BuildersExam 30 Jul, 2023 @ 6:38pm 
Could I use this as a sort of "auto lander" for normal ships, i. e. I enable the scrip in a gravity well and the script would take me to almost above the surface (attemptToLand = false) and I then could manually land or fly my ship into a mountain or something, the normal SE stuff. Thanks.
kota 29 May, 2023 @ 4:09pm 
can this guide a prop pod to a designated GPS? so you could make a titanfall script to drop mechs to ground troops
Thorn Blackwell 24 Apr, 2023 @ 12:37am 
This is one of my favorite scripts. I like that it can land a drop pod that has only down thrust.

It would be nice if you could add the main screen of the programmable block to the list of statusScreens by adding drop pod to the Programmable Block's name.
Whiplash141  [author] 14 Apr, 2023 @ 10:35am 
(•_•)
( •_•)>⌐■-■
(⌐■_■)

:slimehappy:
Marredone 14 Apr, 2023 @ 9:44am 
This still is easier and more accurate than the new keen automaton blocks being used for the same purpose. gj Whip
Spite 29 Nov, 2022 @ 7:28am 
Hi, sorry if I missed it in the description, but is there a way to make the script stop itself while on the way down?

For example if I see a better landing spot on the way down and want to pause the descent to make a little horizontal progress before touching down?
Rezun 24 Aug, 2022 @ 10:47am 
This might work, thanks!
Whiplash141  [author] 24 Aug, 2022 @ 7:58am 
it _starts_ earlier by that many meters
Rezun 24 Aug, 2022 @ 2:50am 
But will that higher altitudeSafetyCushion make the ship end drop sequence higher above the ground, or it will just start decelerating sooner?
Whiplash141  [author] 23 Aug, 2022 @ 10:17pm 
"How can I fix it?"

More thrust? haha

Are you sure you are not maxing out on power and overloading? Provided that you are not, the script should dynamically calculate how much stopping distance you need with the current thrust available.

You can also increase the altitudeSafetyCushion in the custom data to make it begin braking earlier.
Rezun 23 Aug, 2022 @ 1:15pm 
I have a problem with implementing the script on a quite small ship. There's not much thrust due to it's compact design, and the script appears to start slowing down too late. How can I fix it?
Pounce 29 Jul, 2022 @ 6:00am 
I have to copy and paste the ship to see if i have an loose block who makes it rroll in hover mode, but right now it lowers its nose and rolls clockwise
Whiplash141  [author] 29 Jul, 2022 @ 4:30am 
"Then i am not clear, does the script orient the pod to stop sidemotion with down thruysters or does it level the ship for landing too?"

Both.

Reduce shutdownTime to 0 and it will give you back control as soon as you land
Pounce 29 Jul, 2022 @ 2:58am 
I toyed around using an freighter shuttle big block i build, it works as advertised but it does not give me back gyro control, i have to switch them back to manual after landing
I tried to do that over the timer the script can trigger but they remain override until i shut down script and set them back to manual.... no idea what i do wrong

Then i am not clear, does the script orient the pod to stop sidemotion with down thruysters or does it level the ship for landing too?

Because when i set it to not land but hover the ship starts to slowly roll... until i shut down script and switch gyros back to manual.
Whiplash141  [author] 24 May, 2022 @ 12:23am 
The height is automatically calculated on the fly, so no, not a set specific height.
xxmanofmemesxx 23 May, 2022 @ 5:36pm 
Is there a way to make the thrusters activate at a specific height?
Whiplash141  [author] 9 May, 2022 @ 2:24pm 
It definitely still works. I need more details to help.
Kivi 9 May, 2022 @ 1:30pm 
Hey, your script doesn't work anymore. The rocket does not land but flies up 10 meters and drops again and again. Help pls
Thorn Blackwell 22 Apr, 2022 @ 11:27pm 
Okay, it works, but I don't know why it didn't before. I spent hours dropping the same vehicle from the same height and only changing thrusters and tanks if needed. Every time I used atmo thrusters it bounced (voxel and block damage off). I reloaded the game and restarted my computer several times, I even spent an hour looking through the code. Everything I checked said it had to work, but the atmospheric thrusters never once reacted to the program.

I got up to answer the door, leaving the game running, and then returned some time later and it then worked every time. Good, but it didn't explain why it hadn't worked before. So, I've spent most of the day since running diagnostics on my computer, because I am at a loss as to why. it didn't work before. I'm still lost, but glad it works. I managed to fix some small issues with my computer afterwards so it wasn't a total waste of time.
Whiplash141  [author] 22 Apr, 2022 @ 3:49pm 
Also, ensure you have enough power and are not overloading. That is another issue I've seen in the past
jackik 22 Apr, 2022 @ 3:23pm 
maybe check if all of those thrusters are properly turned on and if you can use them yourself, perhaps you overlooked something simple (as things usually are ^^).
Whiplash141  [author] 22 Apr, 2022 @ 7:05am 
thruster force is continually calculated to account for efficiency change