Bay 12 Games Forum

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  

Author Topic: Slowing Down Minecarts.  (Read 1225 times)

billw

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Slowing Down Minecarts.
« on: August 10, 2012, 08:14:08 am »

Every time I set up a route that travels Z levels I spend a long time experimenting with Track Stops of various numbers at various friction settings till I manage to get controlled decent of a mining cart without derailing (especially if I want a dwarf to ride it, last time I wondered why my hospital was suddenly brim full with injuries then I discovered a blood covered wall next to a downward track ramp!). Is there a good way to control a minecart speed? I tried using rollers down hill as well as up hoping they limit speed but they don't seem to.
Logged

Reese

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: Slowing Down Minecarts.
« Reply #1 on: August 10, 2012, 12:31:47 pm »

try calculating track stops on the track with medium or high friction and the numbers in this post:

http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=112831.msg3508793#msg3508793
Logged
All glory to the Hypno-Toady!

billw

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: Slowing Down Minecarts.
« Reply #2 on: August 10, 2012, 12:48:57 pm »

try calculating track stops on the track with medium or high friction and the numbers in this post:

http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=112831.msg3508793#msg3508793

Excellent thanks a lot! That should work fine, all I need to do is go to the derailment point, time step as a cart approaches it to determine its M/S then add Track Stops appropriately!
Logged

Eldestish

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: Slowing Down Minecarts.
« Reply #3 on: August 10, 2012, 01:55:56 pm »

OR you can can assign all yer extra puppies to the tracks  ;)
Logged

Fnear

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: Slowing Down Minecarts.
« Reply #4 on: August 10, 2012, 05:09:57 pm »

To get them to a specfic speed, I bet you could exploit the fact that rollers don't do anything to carts above their speed.  Set up a series of high friction stops followed by highest speed rollers and you'll knock off speed at each stop until you output a cart going at highest roller speed.  You just need enough cart/roller pairs to reduce the highest possible speed cart to zero with the stops.  And if the cart slows down halfway through, the rollers will kick in and sustain it through the braking chain.  It should be possible to make a braking loop if you can ensure the exit is only available if the cart is going slow enough.

Cart at unknown high speed ->  .... S R S R S R S R S R -> Cart at specfic roller speed
Logged

Triaxx2

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: Slowing Down Minecarts.
« Reply #5 on: August 10, 2012, 05:40:27 pm »

Of course, you could also set them to guide. Takes up a dwarf, but it also keeps accidents down.
Logged

SuicideJunkie

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: Slowing Down Minecarts.
« Reply #6 on: August 10, 2012, 09:53:30 pm »

Perhaps something like this?
Code: [Select]
   █████
in ═╔S╗█
out═╬═╝█
   █╚═╝█
   █████
Carts come in at any (fast) speed, and exit at just below derailment speed.
Logged

billw

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: Slowing Down Minecarts.
« Reply #7 on: August 11, 2012, 05:40:25 am »

Perhaps something like this?
Code: [Select]
   █████
in ═╔S╗█
out═╬═╝█
   █╚═╝█
   █████
Carts come in at any (fast) speed, and exit at just below derailment speed.

Clever! I assume that the surrounding walls make it impossible for the cart to derail?
I may try this.
Logged

SuicideJunkie

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: Slowing Down Minecarts.
« Reply #8 on: August 11, 2012, 09:23:32 am »

Yeah.  You only really need a wall on the tile the cart would derail into, but the extra walls keep critters out.
If you want to avoid problems with slow carts getting stuck, just put a fast roller at the input that will get any cart through the medium-high brake zone at least once.
Logged

billw

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: Slowing Down Minecarts.
« Reply #9 on: August 12, 2012, 05:14:19 pm »

Yeah.  You only really need a wall on the tile the cart would derail into, but the extra walls keep critters out.
If you want to avoid problems with slow carts getting stuck, just put a fast roller at the input that will get any cart through the medium-high brake zone at least once.

So I built one of these and it works perfectly! This isn't in the wiki, if you don't want to add it do you mind if I do?
Logged