- Add a 'pipeline connector' block. It should basically be like a regular connector with all of thoe typical controls plus one to set flow direction. This would allow easily adding exit-only/entrance-only pipeline connections to regular conveyor systems in a much more compact package, even on sub-grids.

- Add 'pipeline automatic/manual' command. 'Automatic' is the default behaviour. Manual requires clicking with empty hands on the two facing sections of the two pipeline hubs that you want to connect. This will allow running parallel lines without cross-connections. (The 'Tethers - Power Poles' mod has code for making manual connections.)
- When hands are empty, right-clicking on a pipe will remove the connection between the two hubs.

add a custom data keyword that makes the pipes invisible for aestetics

Simple collision. It will be nice addidtion but i doubt you can generate Havok physics collision model in SE, as that is gererated with special tool keen use.

Originally posted by Rusted Droid:

Simple collision. It will be nice addidtion but i doubt you can generate Havok physics collision model in SE, as that is gererated with special tool keen use.

What do you mean? The pipelines themselves have physics now, as many have found out the hard way. (I just about destroyed my rover just yesterday when I parked it *almost* where a pipeline was about to be generated.)

Actually, I had a better idea for a manual mode: allow the player to add '!manual' (or w/e) to the name of the connector and put the name of the next connector in the chain in Custom Data. When pipelines are (re)generated, the connector will *ONLY* try to connect to the named connector. I'm thinking that that would be the simplest way to deal with the irritating problem of pipes connecting randomly.

Does that sound reasonable?

...and while you are at it, to reduce the cheese of a free kilometer of pipe, can you change the spawned pipe to being just the frame, with the cost to complete it being the cost of a section multiplied by the number of sections? (The pipe would then be permanent; even if both **hubs** were ground down, the pipe itself would still exist.)

Alternatively, you can make the cost of the hub include the cost of all connecting pipes. (This would require adding the ids of all connecting hubs to the Custom Data before completing the hub. If added after, have the system automatically reset the hub down to just a frame--with the components still in place--and add the cost of all declared connections.)

Truthfully, adding in either system sounds like a lot of hassle, but would reduce the economic cheese of the current system.

Does that sound reasonable?

Originally posted by 'KeithFromCanada' Olson:

Actually, I had a better idea for a manual mode: allow the player to add '!manual' (or w/e) to the name of the connector and put the name of the next connector in the chain in Custom Data. When pipelines are (re)generated, the connector will *ONLY* try to connect to the named connector. I'm thinking that that would be the simplest way to deal with the irritating problem of pipes connecting randomly.

Does that sound reasonable?

Just came here to suggest a similar idea. Even something as simple as a text value in the customData where the pipeline will only make (or simply "prefer") connections with a matching text value whenever multiple options are present.

Originally posted by Tinsoldier:

Originally posted by 'KeithFromCanada' Olson:

Actually, I had a better idea for a manual mode: allow the player to add '!manual' (or w/e) to the name of the connector and put the name of the next connector in the chain in Custom Data. When pipelines are (re)generated, the connector will *ONLY* try to connect to the named connector. I'm thinking that that would be the simplest way to deal with the irritating problem of pipes connecting randomly.

Does that sound reasonable?

Just came here to suggest a similar idea. Even something as simple as a text value in the customData where the pipeline will only make (or simply "prefer") connections with a matching text value whenever multiple options are present.

I'm here to third this suggestion. I've got a couple of pipelines coming together in the same area that I need to keep separate, but getting the pipes to hit the right hub is a challenge.

Originally posted by Battlemage:

Originally posted by Tinsoldier:

Just came here to suggest a similar idea. Even something as simple as a text value in the customData where the pipeline will only make (or simply "prefer") connections with a matching text value whenever multiple options are present.

I'm here to third this suggestion. I've got a couple of pipelines coming together in the same area that I need to keep separate, but getting the pipes to hit the right hub is a challenge.

i need this right now, i got so much ore i need to transport and using multiple pipelines is the best way but they do not like to connect nicely XD

Originally posted by 'KeithFromCanada' Olson:

Actually, I had a better idea for a manual mode: allow the player to add '!manual' (or w/e) to the name of the connector and put the name of the next connector in the chain in Custom Data. When pipelines are (re)generated, the connector will *ONLY* try to connect to the named connector. I'm thinking that that would be the simplest way to deal with the irritating problem of pipes connecting randomly.

Does that sound reasonable?

exactly this, just had to fight my way between 6 hubs to get them to connect properly, but one hub just has to connect to another that is facing the complete opposite direction that's coming from a different mine.

I'll add my support for some way to choose where they connect, or otherwise ensure that pipelines don't connect outgoing to outgoing (or, if possible, just make them bidirectional, that'd work too)