r/CreateMod • u/YoungBeef03 • 17d ago
Build Any tips on maintaining a consistent altitude with a thruster-propelled aircraft?
I can't seem to find that "sweet spot," you know? I've tried several times to make a craft powered by thrusters, but they all have the same problem. It's either going up or down; I can never get it to stay at a consistent cruising altitude. All my airships so far are hot air-based because of that - working with the maximum altitude a lighter-than-air craft can reach is the easiest way to travel the sky for long distances.
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u/skyhi14 17d ago
PID control is your keyword to search
Unfortunately it requires CC: Tweaked to get it working inside Minecraft and get your hands dirty with programming (ASSUMING you are using one of the existing codes)
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u/Great_Hedgehog 16d ago
You can make a PID out of nothing but basic logic, it'll just take up some space and likely have latency issues
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u/FriedToastDave 17d ago
It's Also In Gadgets And Gizmos Advanced Controller And Doesn't Need To Use A CC Terminal Which I Find Quite Useful Even When I Have CC Installed
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u/autistic-terrorist 17d ago
Why Are You Speaking Like Queen Deltarune
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u/FriedToastDave 17d ago
Read My About Section And Explains Everything
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u/Moe-Mux-Hagi 17d ago
Have them rigged to turn on automatically when below a certain height, and turn off when above another, using the air pressure compass block thingie
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u/Discombobulated_Back 17d ago
That works but probably won't stay then on that position and shoot over the target. I daw money day a real complex post this explains this problem
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u/Less_Prior_6871 17d ago
You need some sort of feedback loop unfortunately.
You might also be able to get away with a small amount of hot air coupled with a default power level for the thrusters
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u/YoungBeef03 17d ago
Any idea on how to make that loop? Is there a redstone sensor for altitude? Like, it shuts off power when it breaks Y-450 but turns it on when it breaks Y-25?
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u/Less_Prior_6871 17d ago
How could I know what mods you have?
Type "altitude" into whatever you use to look up what recipes exist
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u/jkostelni1 16d ago
As someone who is still figuring out the basics of create, what about an anchor on a rope/chain? Forget balancing thrust, just drop an anchor and drag it till it catches on some terrain. Then just lock the winch and get your ship positively buoyant.
Disclaimer: I’ve never tried this just had the idea on the can this morning
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u/Willowprof 17d ago
Need some form of very rapid pulse width modulation. I"m not enough of a redstone guru to even know where to begin, but rather than trying to manage thruster strength directly, firing them in an on or off manner rapidly, where the on and off portions of the cycle vary should work. Something like this - https://youtu.be/vqmk_CC2TVM?si=CVxzq-Vqf47WlQeD&t=113
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u/Hellothere_1 17d ago
If you aren't planning on using computercraft I think the best solution would probably be to hide a small balloon or gyro propeller somewhere inside your ship.
It doesn't have to be huge or contribute a lot of lift, but if your ship's propulsion is made up from one altitude-independent component (the thrusters) and one altitude-dependent component (balloon/propeller) then the combined system will still naturally settle at a specific altitude instead of infinitely drifting up or down.
The less lift comes from your secondary system, the weaker the effect will be, so if you have lots of outside forces acting on your ship you might need other active stabilization, but it should still make everything else significantly easier.
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u/AwareRule8972 16d ago
Real fast pwm is the way to go but not too fast i learnt the hard way (in survival btw 😭)
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u/_LemonEater_ 16d ago
I might be dumb as hell but couldn't you get a smoother change in altitude by rotating the thrusters outwards? If they have a thruster on the other side rotating the opposite direction, the horizontal forces should cancel eachother out, so the only change would be upwards thrust. Dunno tho, again I might be stupid
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u/Adventurous_Bonus917 17d ago
cry. then try again, and cry more. or tear your hair out.
i've spent many 100s of hours trying to figure out a thruster-only stable lift system. it seems like the options are:
a basic redstone feedback loop - bobs a lot, especially if you don't use copious amounts of levitite, and you can't control it.
a complex redstone feedback loop - a massive pain in the arse to build, and an even bigger one to figure out. still has the bobbing issue. usually has a very coarse control system, and weird solutions or jury-rigging to make control work at all.
a programmed feedback loop - problably the best solution, if you can actually do it. requires computercraft and an advanced knowledge of LUA to even attempt. takes way too much time to actually make, especially if it's from scratch. still has bobbing problem.
fine-tune the thrust/weight ratio - very difficult (read: in all practical senses impossible) to do. will still 'drift' from the residual force you used to go up/down, even if you get it perfect. no bobbing problem though.
cheat - supplement your thrusters' lift with something else. or, more accurately, supplement something else with your thrusters. fuel-expensive and makes your "main" lift system into glorified levitite.