TODO List [Alpha1]

[Megaf]

The basic idea behind the mod is to have positive and negative charges, to complete a circuit you need both, just as you do in real life.

To begin with we need to implement the basic components and features. Once all this is implemented the first Alpha release can be made available.
At this stage we are going only to have Direct Current.

• Wire
• Light Bulb
• Switch
• Battery
• Ground
• Wire: At this stage we will have only insulated wires, they can look and feel exactly the same as the mesecons insulated wires do. A wire will carry two channels, one for every DC polarity. Ground, negative and earth are all the same thing. In the future a complex message can be carried on each channel, such as voltage and current, at the moment it will be only on and off. Another idea for wires is to use a single node that can carry both signals.
• Light Bulb: Light bulbs don't care about polarity, as long both terminals are connected to opposing charges.
• Switch: A switch can work in a similar fashion as a wire does, but it can be turned on and off by right clicking it.
• Battery: Right now we are only using a battery as a power source, that will give us a positive signal in the + terminal and negative signal on the - terminal.
• Ground: A ground can be just a fence that connect to a dirt_with_grass node to be "earthed/grounded". It will give the negative signal.

[wilkgr76]

I'd also recommend conveyor belts, perhaps?

It'd be awesome if it uses entities to show it, but... that's perhaps difficult...

[Megaf]

@wilkgr76 The idea is cool and easy to implement I think, but maybe for another mod called Mechanical Engineering? I do like the idea and if this mod works we will work on the mechanical one.

[wilkgr76]

@Megaf Sure. I just thought that they require electric motors...

[maxela]

I'd like to have the wires connect better than the mesecons do. Especially when vertical connections are required, mesecons are a pain. A connection in all 6 directions musst be possible easily.

[Megaf]

@maxela Hm, I agree, so we will have to use one node for ground and one node for positive. That will make all items two nodes wide. We have to better think about that.

[maxela]

@Megaf You plan to have both poles in one wire, right? This would make it impossible to build circuits that supply several components e.g. light bulbs with the same voltage (V+) and have seperate switches for each light bulb in the connection to ground.

[maxela]

@Megaf You can also consider mesecons as wires that always connect both V+ and GND.

[maxela]

@Megaf Can you shortly explain, what your vision for this mod is? I feel, I did not yet understand what you want to achieve. It would be helpful for me if you could describe what you would like to build with it in Minetest - apart from the functionalities you already described.

[Megaf]

@maxela The final objective is: I want to be able to build the electrical grid of city in a similar fashion it is in real life. So with the live wire and neutral. So, the mod maybe could have two parts, the direct current and the alternating current?

Anyway, the mod must replicate how electricity and electrical circuits work in real life. So motors, bulbs, and everything need the two poles/phases to be connected in order to work.

I am not happy with the way mesecons work. Although EEM (Electrical Engineering For Minetest) could use mesewires for compatibility I want it to have and mainly use it's own wires. And yes, wires must be charge agnostic.

[Megaf]

@wilkgr76 @maxela have a look at the textures folder. That is my initial idea for wires.

[maxela]

@Megaf I just had a look at the textures. My impression is that if you realize the mod only wih these 2-wire cables there will be no real difference to a mesecon wiring - ecxept to the textures. Of course it would not be possible to "power" a circuit by a switch. In contrast the the mesecons mod you would always require a "real" source for current likea battery. But imagine to exchange the textures in the mesecons mod: your textures instead of the single wire mesecons. There wouldn't really be a difference in possibilities nor in circuit logic.
Suggestion: Add a block that seperates the 2-wired line into 2 seperate 1-wire lines.

[wilkgr76]

@maxela Why'd you close it?

[maxela]

Sorry, that was not by purpose. I hope it's reopened again.

[wilkgr76]

@maxela np 😉

[maxela]

Any new ideas?

[Megaf]

Not many. I've been very busy with some real life issues.