Part connection determination

Lafiel

This has been a long time problem with creating modular parts and it seems more modders about to get onto it.
So I would like to suggest features which would allow a part to determine how it's connected to pats on its sides.
Until now I've been using buffs for this but buffs cause lags and currently imho are very buggy and unreliable.

I think it would be simplest to have the features as toggles. They would be similar to proxies in defining the connection on a side. This coincides with my request for proxies to return an answer whether they are connected or not. So I think both functionality can be merged into one that is similar to ToggleProxy with criteria.

Further, it would be great if it's possible to cheaply determine in addition the position similar to door position where the part is connected to the other part. For example connected to the first horizontal/vertical row/column of the other part.

Walt

Lafiel I think it would be simplest to have the features as toggles. They would be similar to proxies in defining the connection on a side.

Yeah I agree this is probably the best solution.

Lafiel This coincides with my request for proxies to return an answer whether they are connected or not.

The reason this doesn't already work is because there's not a good way to make it work for ToggleProxy. I could maybe do this as a separate component that you'd setup identically to the proxy component but would instead provide on/off depending on whether its connected.

Lafiel Further, it would be great if it's possible to cheaply determine in addition the position similar to door position where the part is connected to the other part. For example connected to the first horizontal/vertical row/column of the other part.

I don't understand what you're asking for here. Is there something you want to be able to do that you can't do with PartCriteria?

Lafiel

Walt I don't understand what you're asking for here. Is there something you want to be able to do that you can't do with PartCriteria?

No, the use of PartCriteria is limited to certain sizes and special position cases.
This actually has many different cases of application...
image https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/614304659229900814/673989371539750932/modular_connection.png

For example I have a large module and I want to attach many smaller ones. However, I want not only limit the number of certain small modules but each would act differently (compared to the previous). So each would take a "slot" on the sides. The small modules would connect the same way if they can't know which slot they occupy (or their order (two different cases but similar)). After a certain number of slots are occupy I would block additional modules. Currently, I'm using buffs which require two-way control for each adjacent "slot".