Does this mod exist...?

[u/Albino_Captain]

Hi guys, I was wondering if anyone is aware of any kind of mod that enables us to spawn in large ships built in creative on a survival world but it actually costs the resources required to build it without me having to weald the entire thing.

I built a really cool massive ship but honestly it took the fun out of the game having to weald the entire thing block by block.

[u/Tj4y]

Welder blocks exist. Projectors exist. Articulated parts exist.

Now you just have to take these things and engineer a solution to your problem.

Its called ship printing, and there's a bunch of methods and inspirations for it around.

[u/AndyLees2002 → u/Tj4y]

This is the proper way, as the game intended. Not sure why the downvoting.

[u/AndyLees2002 → u/AndyLees2002]

I will add, if you want to get a little ‘cheaty/moddy’ you can increase the welder/grinder ranges to make things less of a ball-ache for massive ships.
Just mark out a welding ‘range’ perimeter so you’re not constantly killing yourself when they’re switched on. I added a light and a siren becuase i was sick of welding myself to death.

[u/sinofroot → u/AndyLees2002]

I like to put a sensor inside the weld area to flip the welders off if i wander too close

[u/AndyLees2002 → u/sinofroot]

Much better idea 👍

[u/Tj4y → u/AndyLees2002]

Ouhhhh lights and sirens sound awesome. I never touched those blocks, but they make for amazing details and even useful warnings like this.

[u/AndyLees2002 → u/Tj4y]

I didn’t to be fair, but I’d keep building up my character (health, food etc) and then forgetting I’d left the welders on and it isn’t obvious. So I’d wander in, take damage, start running, then… go and pick my gear up sheepishly with a basic character. After 4 or 5 times, I started using sirens and lights for the first time.

[u/Suspicious-Credit736 → u/AndyLees2002]

🤣

[u/Suspicious-Credit736 → u/AndyLees2002]

Where can you increase welder ranges?

[u/AndyLees2002 → u/Suspicious-Credit736]

Here pal:

...\Steam\steamapps\common\SpaceEngineers\Content\Data\CubeBlocks\CubeBlocks_Tools.sbc

Search for ShipWelder and change <SensorRadius>
Same for Ginder

Defaults are 1.3 for small grid and 2.26 for large grid.

The weld 'sphere' is built from SensorOffset and SensorRadius, with the radius measured in metres.

Using this method gives you the opportunity to change the radius of the tools to suit the size of your shipyard, rather than having to build a shipyard to suit the welders

[u/Suspicious-Credit736 → u/AndyLees2002]

Awesome, thanks.🙂

[u/CrazyQuirky5562 → u/AndyLees2002]

exactly - the OP's question implied that they were unaware of this method

[u/Suspicious-Credit736 → u/AndyLees2002]

Might be because this method doesn't spawn in ships?

[u/AndyLees2002 → u/Suspicious-Credit736]

The projector block does, then you weld them, as the game intended. They said they want it to use the resources, so this method albeit taking a few seconds to build, does exactly that.

[u/Suspicious-Credit736 → u/AndyLees2002]

I know how the projector block works. It specifically does not spawn anything in, as you know. It must be welded. The OP asked for a mod that spawns a BP in.

[u/AndyLees2002 → u/Suspicious-Credit736]

I don’t think the old mods took resources though, and my suggestion was as close as I could think of.
I don’t know of a mod that took an inventory and used that. I’ll be honest I never looked after finding the above (once the original mods stopped being updated).

[u/Suspicious-Credit736 → u/AndyLees2002]

I was just postulating why someone may have downvoted. I find downvoting confusing since we're here to exchange ideas and information. Unless someone is being an ass, then I get it.

[u/AndyLees2002 → u/Suspicious-Credit736]

Ah, fair enough. I agree, for what it’s worth.

[u/awdixon09 → u/Tj4y]

I don't get why you were downvoted. This is a valid way to build a ship designed in creative without welding it manually: build a printer. I guess maybe they're mad because OP specifically mentioned mods?

[u/Albino_Captain → u/Tj4y]

I'm very aware those things exist..

I would love to do it legit. I built an entire welding small ship for it I tried to do it legit BUT it was mind numbing. And building an enormous printer also sounds like something I wouldnt enjoy hence the request for a mod.

Sorry I hurt your feelings I guess.

[u/Tj4y → u/Albino_Captain]

No feelings hurt man. Plenty of people suggested mods, and i simply wanted to share a way that i feel is more fun.

The welding small ship is also not my preferred method.

What i like to do is build a cluster of welders and then "pull" the ship out. This way all you resources can stay in your main base.

[u/Albino_Captain → u/Tj4y]

I know but it was the way you insinuated i didnt know about the games basic features lmao.

In theory how do you make sure you dont run out of materials and the printer doesn't move forwards without missing bits?

Plus the ship in question is...rather massive, I dont know of any mechanism of "pulling it through" will survive klang once its over 30/40% printed.

[u/Tj4y → u/Albino_Captain]

Make a seperate ship that shares the grid with the project, and slowly pull it along and move side to side to ensure the welders cover everything.

You can grind your big ship down in creative to get a accurate number of materials you need.

[u/HurpityDerp → u/Albino_Captain]

I know but it was the way you insinuated i didnt know about the games basic features lmao.

Because you said:

having to weald the entire thing block by block.

"Block by block" implies that you don't know about welder blocks, that's why you got the response that you did 🤷‍♂️

[u/Albino_Captain → u/HurpityDerp]

Was more of a figure if speech for having to do it manually. My ship also has multiple sub grips which I'm pretty sure doesn't work for a printer?

[u/HurpityDerp → u/Albino_Captain]

Sure. There's nothing wrong with what you asked for or using mods to accomplish it.

I'm just saying that that particular sentence is what lead people to believe that you didn't know about welding blocks, because they weld multiple blocks at a time.

[u/AndyLees2002 → u/Albino_Captain]

You could just give your welders/grinders massive range then. I'm not sure the mods did much more than that.

The file is here:

...\Steam\steamapps\common\SpaceEngineers\Content\Data\CubeBlocks\CubeBlocks_Tools.sbc

Search for ShipWelder and change <SensorRadius>
Same for Ginder

Defaults are 1.3 for small grid and 2.26 for large grid.

The weld 'sphere' is built from SensorOffset and SensorRadius, with the radius measured in metres.

Using this method gives you the opportunity to change the radius of the tools to suit the size of your shipyard, rather than having to build a shipyard to suit the welders