Peripherals for Turtles

Hello,

what do you think of peripherals for Turtles.

You could attach them to a turtle and they add an API to the Turtle. Similar to normal Peripherals but without an extra Block so that the Turtle can move with it's peripherals.

So we can create a Peripheral and when the turtle calls a method of this peripheral, according java code would be executed, just as with a normal peripheral. The only difference would be access (in Java) to the Turtles moving operations and it's inventory and information about position and rotation.

You could create peripherals allowing a turtle to interact with their environment more than already possible and lot's of other crazy things.

I hope you all understand what I mean. Expanding to the turtles abilities would get possible with such a feature.

Greetings xuma202

REASONS WHY WE NEED THIS:

all this would get possible:

1. Arrow shooting
2. Better detection
3. Right click abilities
4. Crafting
5. Reading Signs
6. A Compass
7. A Camera
8. Self destruction
9. Placing Pipes (if not yet fixed)
10. Using Buckets
11. Dynamic chunk loading
12. Light level measuring
13. Amazing Chest interaction
14. Moblie jukebox
15. Everything peripherals already do.

So you could craft it like a wireless turtle, but with the peripheral you want. I like the idea. So Dan doesn't have to make the peripherals, but just the code for crafting them with a turtle. I don't know if it's possible, but i like it.

No I actually didn't thought of craft it with the peripheral.

You could just hold Shift and then right click the Turtle with a peripheral and it will be attached. Like a usb-stick. This would allow you to attach multiple peripherals.

xuma202, on 07 June 2012 - 07:01 PM said:

No I actually didn't thought of craft it with the peripheral.

You could just hold Shift and then right click the Turtle with a peripheral and it will be attached. Like a usb-stick. This would allow you to attach multiple peripherals.

That would be more dificult to make, but i think it´s still good.

I've been thinking of a system like this - I still think it would be crafting based, but there's no reason multiple peripherals can't be attached. I'll speak to dan about it.

Cloudy, on 07 June 2012 - 07:25 PM said:

I've been thinking of a system like this - I still think it would be crafting based, but there's no reason multiple peripherals can't be attached. I'll speak to dan about it.

Thanks

Ok if you think so. Great. I thought it would be easier with the Shift-Clicking stuff but in the End no one cares about how do make these peripherals.

I've been thinking of a system like this - I still think it would be crafting based, but there's no reason multiple peripherals can't be attached. I'll speak to dan about it.

Thanks a lot!

xuma202, on 07 June 2012 - 07:54 PM said:

Ok if you think so. Great. I thought it would be easier with the Shift-Clicking stuff but in the End no one cares about how do make these peripherals.

It may be easier to use, but it would be very difficult to code for Dan, making something for making a new recipe would be easier than making multiple-device plug 'n play devices, same for the people who have to make the peripherals.

It is actually probably easier to make it done using shift click actually! But I just feel crafting fits better - makes it take a little bit of work and makes your choices matter as you can't uncraft once crafted.

Well let's see for now what dan thinks about this. In my opinion we don't have to go into detail before we actually know if dan has the intention of adding peripherals for turtles.

If you want to list the peripheral built-in to a turtle in its item name/tool-tip they may get pretty long if there are lots of peripherals built-in to a Turtle but this would be the only problem I can think of.

Cloudy, on 07 June 2012 - 08:17 PM said:

It is actually probably easier to make it done using shift click actually! But I just feel crafting fits better - makes it take a little bit of work and makes your choices matter as you can't uncraft once crafted.

Is it? I don't know, I've never made a mod.

Maybe it could be a special turtle, differently crafted. It has some extra slots where you can put in the peripheral items, so it could use them this way:

p1 = peripheral.slot(int slot) -- I think this one is better
p1.getType()
--or
peripheral.getType(int slot) --you replace the side with the slot number

This could also be an option, it's easy to use.
Three slots max, for 3 peripherals (should be enough)
Think about it

I did have a prototype in a decompiled version of CC before I had access to the source of exactly that - but I think the crafting approach makes changes more permenant and I think it fits in more.

Dirkus7, on 07 June 2012 - 09:56 PM said:

Three slots max, for 3 peripherals (should be enough)

Oh no please don't limit the amount of peripherals. I would highly appreciate it if you make this changeable in the config files. otherwise we will later run into problems wich we already see with normal peripheral. Or why else did Xfel already thought of a Peripheral that acts as a HUB

I worked on a peripheral for that, but I didn't find a good routing model. If somebody has an idea, I might try it.

http://www.computerc...-or-usb-cables/

Like a turtle has a regular inventory, it could also have a 3x3 storage spaces for "Peripheral Cards," almost like the module cards for logistics pipes "Chassis Pipes."
Edit: oops. Dirkus7 already said that

BAWARE AND BE WARNED - having plug n' play devices that you shift and right click on a turtle will be located in the block next to it (like the modem attached to a computer uses up a space next to it) so be very careful how you do this. if you place a peripheral like that on the side of a turtle it will be unable to go into a 1 wide tunnel. the only way around it is to make it change the turtle block when you add a peripheral and then Dan will have to design as turtle block for EVERY possible combination of peripherals. this will not be easy to make

the simples solution would be making turtles capable of equipping its own peripherals eg turtleEquip("Left",1) left for the side and 1 for the location of the peripheral in its inventory. this would allow turtles to add and move peripherals in the field and to customize the devices it carries and where they are equipped.

e.g. the turtle has a modem in its inventory and no peripherals connected. the turtle runs turtleEquip("top,1) the turtle now has a modem on top of it. then uses turtleUnEquip("top") or turtleUnEquip("top",3) if you want to specify where in inventory you would like it to be moved into.

KaoS, on 18 June 2012 - 07:40 AM said:

BAWARE AND BE WARNED - having plug n' play devices that you shift and right click on a turtle will be located in the block next to it (like the modem attached to a computer uses up a space next to it) so be very careful how you do this. if you place a peripheral like that on the side of a turtle it will be unable to go into a 1 wide tunnel. the only way around it is to make it change the turtle block when you add a peripheral and then Dan will have to design as turtle block for EVERY possible combination of peripherals. this will not be easy to make

Why would it mean that it is placed next to the turtle? It would be easy to have logic to be able to attach peripherals that move with turtles without making it a block.

I think he meant to let the turtle mount peripherals from it's own inventory. It would take and attach them on command.

I should quote posts I am replying to - I know what BigSHinyToys meant :(/>/>

Xfel, on 18 June 2012 - 11:29 AM said:

I think he meant to let the turtle mount peripherals from it's own inventory. It would take and attach them on command.

I have never been good with words you have described my suggestion better that I did thanks.

Cloudy, on 18 June 2012 - 11:39 AM said:

I should quote posts I am replying to - I know what BigSHinyToys meant :(/>/>

No harm no foul, Is all good :)/>/>

Cloudy, on 07 June 2012 - 11:03 PM said:

I did have a prototype in a decompiled version of CC before I had access to the source of exactly that - but I think the crafting approach makes changes more permenant and I think it fits in more.

An alternative drawback to Turtle peripherals could be the use of the regular 3x3 inventory. Each mounted peripheral takes up a slot that would normally be used to hold items.

So this means letting turtles use items (other than a pickaxe), and just have the item displayed next to turtle where the pickaxe would be? This would give a lot more utility for the non-mining versions of the turtle, certainly. The ability to use chests (and other turtles) would be a particular boon. If you had non-mining turtles that could be programmed to empty out the mining turtles when they got full, and take their inventory and put it in a chest, then it would resolve a lot of concerns about the limited inventories of turtles without needing to overpower them further. You could also have turtles do things like collect lava and stuff.

Cloudy Do you already have an answer from dan whether he want's to implement this. Or do we have to find someone kind creating it by him/her-self.

Me and Dan are part way through implementing it (we hardly keep it secret - we talk about it openly in IRC) :-P

Cloudy, on 08 July 2012 - 10:44 AM said:

Me and Dan are part way through implementing it (we hardly keep it secret - we talk about it openly in IRC) :-P

Any chance we can get a sneak peek of how this is going to work?

BigSHinyToys, on 08 July 2012 - 08:49 PM said:

Cloudy, on 08 July 2012 - 10:44 AM said:

Me and Dan are part way through implementing it (we hardly keep it secret - we talk about it openly in IRC) :-P

Any chance we can get a sneak peek of how this is going to work?

Well the API isn't really fleshed out yet. Remember that everything is subject to change too - so don't get your hopes up. I can confirm that how it will work is by crafting - but don't worry, you can now craft all the way from a computer to a wireless mining turtle without having to lose all your data on the computer.

Hopefully you can craft more than just one Peripheral into a Turtle

Wouldn't that require a lot of new block/item IDs? Or will just one new type of turtle be able to use right-click functions, and the crafting sets the item the turtle uses?

I don't think that it would require more block IDs. When you destroy a Computer and place it back down you will have the same files on it that means that for the items it's saved which id the computer had. Maybe this is done with the damage value. Just like with wool. Only problem you can't stack them.

Possible Peripherals:

Sensor Array
Provides additional functions for retrieving data about the turtles environment (e.g. greater detection distance, can retrieve block ids from blocks in front, temperature, etc.)

Chest Upgrade
Expanded inventory

Like I said before, just make peripheral cards that go into the inventory, not on the BLOCK itself.

Yay, this is in 1.4!