Alright, so I build a sorta-working solar panel factory. Having problems with overflow, but Muppet says that that can be fixed by replacing the buildcraft pipes with redpower pipes. If anyone knows about that and feels like fixing it for a payment of about 90 solar panels, go right ahead. It's in the basement of the library. Just go into the staff entrance near the center and head downstairs.
The Solar Panel Factory is complete. It happily produces solar panels at a rate of about 1.5 panels a minute and generates its own resources for building. The biggest bottlenecks are iron and copper wire production. Given an immediate supply of all ingredients, it would churn out a panel ever 2-3 seconds.
The only point where a problem might happen in it's current setup is if fills the crystal chest at the end of the process with solar panels. In that case, the buildcraft tube directly before that will begin to overflow. However, directly beneath that tube is a catching mechanism that will immediately funnel the dropped panel into a lava pit. So, hopefully, that'll keep the area clean.
Even though it has been running reliably for about two hours now, I'd appreciate if someone could check on it when they log in. If everything looks good tomorrow, I'll start planning the various array upgrade stages. With any luck, the library will have a chest near the front door with free HV solar arrays and transformers.
I logged in and you were AFK. I didn't see any spillage anywhere but it was tough to navigate with the new walls since I don't know where everything is. I dunno if you're using a blackhole ring to collect leaks onto yourself or if you just fell asleep at your keyboard. Hehe. I didn't see anything being pulled to you so I guess it's tight!
Thanks for connecting the tram station to the library! Soon the railway will actually be useful. I have to build a station near spawn and then beyond. I've decided not to connect Omnu's old rail station, it's just not compatible. I may create a tram line to it or may not. Spawn is pretty crowded both above and below ground.
If anybody wants a rail or tram station near their home or attraction, let me know and I'll do my best to link you up! Right now the only stops of interest are Sonic's library and my factory (spawn coming soon)
I was just logged in to keep it running, but I put a transposer under the BC pipe.
Edit: I just averaged out its current rate based on what it's made while I was asleep. Still going at 1.5 panels per minute. But here's the fun part: It's making enough solar for a little over 4 HV arrays per day.
Well after too many late nights this weekend I've finally gotten the rail system into acceptable, though not perfect, shape. I'm trying to avoid having people carry around their own minecarts or mess around too much with dispensers. Having carts automatically stop at stations (without clogging stations with empty carts) was an issue, and of course collision avoidance and all of that fun stuff, as well.
I mean, really, what fun is it to just pull a mine car out of your pocket and fling it down a bare rail when you can have fully automated and featured train station?
I had screenshots but I'm at work, so they'll have to wait.
There are still a few bugs in the system, which MOSTLY have to do with chunk loading but sometimes have to do with blocks not updating when they should, which I think is just part of the deal with minecraft/tekkit.
Word of warning: if there's an empty cart just ahead of yours on the rail (as in, you're pushing it along with your cart), jump! You're going to end up in the empty cart disposal system. ;-)
The line only has three stops right now: spawn, library, Muppet Heavy Industries. The ride from the library to Muppet Heavy Industries takes almost 19 real time minutes (high speed upgrade coming when Railcraft 5.4 is added to Tekkit) but there's some really pretty scenery along the way (also a lot of horizon-to-horizon ocean for parts of the ride.)
Of course, I'm planning new stations and new lines. I wanted to do a subway through spawn instead of an elevated rail, but there's just too much excavation in the area and I don't know which, if any, of the tunnels are still in use by players.
Going to take a shot at making an alternative rail system that doesn't murder my FPS when it loads in. Going to mess around in single player first.
Something using coal could work as it guarantees there are no carts left on the track.
Your rail system murders your FPS, or mine does? :-)
There's definitely a bit of lag/FPS drop going on near spawn nowadays from time to time, but it's always temporary. Is it the rail doing it? It seemed to happen whenever Sonic logged in and his machine started up nearby but we never pinpointed it.
There's no FPS issues anywhere except at the spawn. The library station is fine and so is the simpler station at my factory.
What do you mean by alternative rail system using coal?
Sonic, dude, Om and I are pretty confident that your solar panel machine is lagging the server. You've got multiple crystal chests filled to capacity, which means when your chunk is loaded, there are THOUSANDS of entities in it. That's bad mojo. Om is working in there right now.
Not blaming, just explaining. None of us knows what the limits are to the mods/server. Tekkit lets you get yourself in all kinds of trouble.
The machine has to be modified to prevent too many entities showing in the chunk at one time. Can't have multiple topped up crystal chests or too much stuff passing through tubes at once (like when the coal backs up from the generators constantly, which honestly is a little weird). Maybe there's a way to trigger a redstone pulse only when the generators are out of fuel. Om may already have replaced the crystal chests with diamond ones. If not we need to do it.
I'd suspect that the chests are most of the problem, but I'm not certain.
I've looked at it but not touched anything as I'm not sure what would start exploding. I'd start by emptying the collectors for the really backed up items and leaving the system to drain out. Swap out the crystal chests for diamond ones, which are the same but without the see through effect.
I can applaud an ambitious project, but you can make it so much more compact. For instance, you can have all the raw materials travel along one BC pipe and be syphoned off by diamond pipes where needed.
Needs an on/off switch so it can run on demand. Script it with ComputerCraft so you can input something like "hvarray 5" and the machine produces exactly 5 HV arrays.
mup, i've been digging some extensive tunnels, some under the ocean and intersecting abandoned mines. you are free to use them as needed. i'm trying to make the spawn mines easier to navigate and more safe.
Muppet's Railway is pleased to announce simplified stations with one touch operation. That's right, just one button to call a minecart to the boarding rail or to start your voyage.
Just another improvement to make your life easier, courtesy of Muppet Heavy Industries (Not Affiliated with Breakfast Club Heavy Industries).
I've also made some improvements to the empty cart disposal system. Last night while riding from spawn to the library I ended up behind a car with a creeper in it. Boy, you should have seen the look on his face when I pulled up behind him, was HE surprised.
If creepers weren't gimped the rail station would be no more. Now cars with mobs or animals stuck in them will be, ahem, disposed as well.
I've added a stretch of subterranean/underwater track that goes to the Mayan pyramid that... I think Asnabel built back when he was still coming on the server? Haven't seen him for awhile. There's no stop there yet, but you may get a glimpse as your cart pulls a U-turn and heads back immediately..
I've added a stretch of subterranean/underwater track that goes to the Mayan pyramid that... I think Asnabel built back when he was still coming on the server? Haven't seen him for awhile. There's no stop there yet, but you may get a glimpse as your cart pulls a U-turn and heads back immediately..
Yeah, that was me, Don't worry, I'll come on again when I have an idea for what to build.
First week of the new semester for me. I've shut down the panel factory and have setup the LV Array maker to run through the backlog of panels that it has. Edit: aaaaand done. Full Shutdown Complete.
Sonic, jusf FYI, if you try another RedPower machine, Automatic Crafting Table MkII's are reportedly safer to use with tubes (ie, your recipes won't get fucked up.)
There is now a train station between the library and Muppet Heavy Industries. Soon, there will be stops all along the way so that it won't be just a 20 minute ride through nowhere (although there's some interesting scenery when you're not in one of the three LOOOONG stretches of empty ocean). It's not totally complete yet, but it's 85% complete, and if I do say so myself, it's my finest work yet.
No pics because all of the screenshots I took are on my laptop at home. I'll be showing them off soon. :-P
If you want to see it, it's northbound from Library station, let me know what you think. :-)
Probably going to use a quarry and a condenser to drill a subterranean pumpkin star stack.
....why? Why would you do this? There's no scarcity on the server any more. The only scarce things are the things that have no EMC value and are tough to craft, like HV solar arrays and MFSUs.
I think that if for any reason we ever decide to start a fresh world, I'd like to take EE out. I mean, it's fine to play psuedo-creative mode I guess, but I think people's interest would wane less quickly if they actually had to mine and craft to achieve big stuff.
Whatever floats your boat. I don't see the appeal of condenser flowers once you already have more EMC than you can reasonably use. I passed that point before I finished a full flower. :-)
I'm worried about too many anchors being used in conjunction with these things. The server is already showing signs of bogging down slightly.
Comments
The only point where a problem might happen in it's current setup is if fills the crystal chest at the end of the process with solar panels. In that case, the buildcraft tube directly before that will begin to overflow. However, directly beneath that tube is a catching mechanism that will immediately funnel the dropped panel into a lava pit. So, hopefully, that'll keep the area clean.
Even though it has been running reliably for about two hours now, I'd appreciate if someone could check on it when they log in. If everything looks good tomorrow, I'll start planning the various array upgrade stages. With any luck, the library will have a chest near the front door with free HV solar arrays and transformers.
Thanks for connecting the tram station to the library! Soon the railway will actually be useful. I have to build a station near spawn and then beyond. I've decided not to connect Omnu's old rail station, it's just not compatible. I may create a tram line to it or may not. Spawn is pretty crowded both above and below ground.
If anybody wants a rail or tram station near their home or attraction, let me know and I'll do my best to link you up! Right now the only stops of interest are Sonic's library and my factory (spawn coming soon)
Edit: I just averaged out its current rate based on what it's made while I was asleep. Still going at 1.5 panels per minute. But here's the fun part: It's making enough solar for a little over 4 HV arrays per day.
HUZZAH!
Transposer only works if the leaked items fall to the floor, I think, but better than nothing.
I mean, really, what fun is it to just pull a mine car out of your pocket and fling it down a bare rail when you can have fully automated and featured train station?
I had screenshots but I'm at work, so they'll have to wait.
There are still a few bugs in the system, which MOSTLY have to do with chunk loading but sometimes have to do with blocks not updating when they should, which I think is just part of the deal with minecraft/tekkit.
Word of warning: if there's an empty cart just ahead of yours on the rail (as in, you're pushing it along with your cart), jump! You're going to end up in the empty cart disposal system. ;-)
The line only has three stops right now: spawn, library, Muppet Heavy Industries. The ride from the library to Muppet Heavy Industries takes almost 19 real time minutes (high speed upgrade coming when Railcraft 5.4 is added to Tekkit) but there's some really pretty scenery along the way (also a lot of horizon-to-horizon ocean for parts of the ride.)
Of course, I'm planning new stations and new lines. I wanted to do a subway through spawn instead of an elevated rail, but there's just too much excavation in the area and I don't know which, if any, of the tunnels are still in use by players.
Something using coal could work as it guarantees there are no carts left on the track.
There's definitely a bit of lag/FPS drop going on near spawn nowadays from time to time, but it's always temporary. Is it the rail doing it? It seemed to happen whenever Sonic logged in and his machine started up nearby but we never pinpointed it.
There's no FPS issues anywhere except at the spawn. The library station is fine and so is the simpler station at my factory.
What do you mean by alternative rail system using coal?
Not blaming, just explaining. None of us knows what the limits are to the mods/server. Tekkit lets you get yourself in all kinds of trouble.
The machine has to be modified to prevent too many entities showing in the chunk at one time. Can't have multiple topped up crystal chests or too much stuff passing through tubes at once (like when the coal backs up from the generators constantly, which honestly is a little weird). Maybe there's a way to trigger a redstone pulse only when the generators are out of fuel. Om may already have replaced the crystal chests with diamond ones. If not we need to do it.
I'd suspect that the chests are most of the problem, but I'm not certain.
I'd start by emptying the collectors for the really backed up items and leaving the system to drain out.
Swap out the crystal chests for diamond ones, which are the same but without the see through effect.
I can applaud an ambitious project, but you can make it so much more compact.
For instance, you can have all the raw materials travel along one BC pipe and be syphoned off by diamond pipes where needed.
Just another improvement to make your life easier, courtesy of Muppet Heavy Industries (Not Affiliated with Breakfast Club Heavy Industries).
If creepers weren't gimped the rail station would be no more.
I've added a stretch of subterranean/underwater track that goes to the Mayan pyramid that... I think Asnabel built back when he was still coming on the server? Haven't seen him for awhile. There's no stop there yet, but you may get a glimpse as your cart pulls a U-turn and heads back immediately..
Edit: aaaaand done. Full Shutdown Complete.
Sides = input, top = output.
No pics because all of the screenshots I took are on my laptop at home. I'll be showing them off soon. :-P
If you want to see it, it's northbound from Library station, let me know what you think. :-)
I think that if for any reason we ever decide to start a fresh world, I'd like to take EE out. I mean, it's fine to play psuedo-creative mode I guess, but I think people's interest would wane less quickly if they actually had to mine and craft to achieve big stuff.
Whatever floats your boat. I don't see the appeal of condenser flowers once you already have more EMC than you can reasonably use. I passed that point before I finished a full flower. :-)
I'm worried about too many anchors being used in conjunction with these things. The server is already showing signs of bogging down slightly.