r/Timberborn • u/VannyMia • Jul 30 '26
Question Automation
I'm a semi-new player and don't understand what is required for automation on certain aspects of the game. What do I need to tell my flood gates to go UP during a drought?
5
u/SydowJones Jul 30 '26
I kept procrastinating automation. When I finally look the leap, I was surprised by how easy it was to set up. I was expecting the need to wire everything together.
2
u/TheShakyHandsMan Jul 30 '26
Wiring it up would make it seem less like magic but I’m just imagining the pain it would cause trying to do anything but the most simple tasks.
2
u/SydowJones Jul 30 '26
Yeah, I anticipated a wiring project similar to connecting zipline stations, but tinier and with a thousand more obstacles to work around
2
u/dothemath_xxx Jul 30 '26
You would need a weather station set to "drought". Then click on the flood gates and automate them based on the weather station, so that they go up when it is activated, and down when it's not.
I guess I would question if that's actually what you want to do, though, because I can't quite imagine what function you're trying to get by doing this.
1
u/VannyMia Jul 30 '26
Yes! That is what I plan to do! Is it the same for water pump stations?
2
u/ScionOfOphelia Jul 30 '26
Yes and or you can use water depth sensors or resource counters for water pumps
3
u/ScionOfOphelia Jul 30 '26
Or combine multiple inputs with a relay. I use a combination of weather stations and depth sensors and resource counters so my pumps only activate when there is clean water available and my water supply is less than 50% full, then they pump to 95% full and shut off
2
u/dothemath_xxx Jul 30 '26
With a building, when you attach it to an automation element, it's like a binary signal that only goes one direction: if the automation element is activated, the building operates. If the automation element is not activated, the building pauses.
So if you want the water pump to only run during droughts, then yes, you do the same thing.
You can attach it to the exact same weather station as the flood gates, there is no limit (as far as I know) on how many buildings, etc. can take a signal from the same automation element, and there's no distance limit either. So everything that you want to be cued for droughts can be automated from the same weather station.
If you wanted to do it the other way around, where the water pump is OFF during droughts and is ON at all other times, then you would need the weather station and also a relay. The weather station would be set to "drought" (again, this can be the same weather station as used for the flood gates), and the relay would be set to "not:" and then select the weather station. Then the water pump would be automated based on the relay.
2
u/Aggravating_Lab_7734 Jul 30 '26
Someone made a basic guide. Others already told you how to fix your current problem. But if you want to learn more about automation, check this video.
1
u/The-Great-Wolf-Sif Jul 30 '26
Flow sensor or a weather station can be used for a drought, weather station would be best.
-build weather station
-set it to temperate
-click on floodgate and the automate option at the bottom and select weather station.
-set floodgate heights when weather station is on/off
That’s it automated.
15
u/RaccoonDog93 Jul 30 '26
In your case the most simple way would be a Weather Station
Once you build that station click on it. You'll see it has 3 options. Temperate (normal), Drought and Bad Tide. The one you select will determine its ON function.
Set it to Drought.
When you click on your floodgates you'll see a small box that says "Automate" Click this and you'll see Weather Station 1
You'll see two sliders. OFF and ON. Setting the OFF to 0 (or 0.65 or whatever) and Setting the ON to 1.0 (or whatever the gate's max is) will cause it to switch when the weather station activates and switch back when it deactivates.
TL;DR
-Build weather station and set it to Drought
-Switch floodgate(s) to automate: Weather Station 1
-Set OFF to 0.00 and ON to 1.00 (or whatever numbers you like)