How to make a PATROL DRONE with AUTOMATIC DOCKING! - Space Engineers Automatons AI Update

[@mrJMD]

I think everyone is misunderstanding the Max Pitch and Max Roll settings in the Move block. They exist so that the drone itself will basically CHOOSE to roll and pitch (perhaps to seem more life-like?) but this is not "natural" drone behavior. If you want your drone to move in a nice flat way, you have to turn those settings way down. They exist to make the drone seem more alive, not to control movement that is inherent in the drone itself.

[@williamsnyder8399]

Indeed, it's also helpful if you're building an atmospheric drone and don't want to put thrust on the top, but not have it roll over. I've found that right around 10° is enough for it to be ok with not having top thrust while still preventing it from rolling over and crashing.

[@howardxu8050]

I noted if you set pitch to 0, it would’ve unable to perform diving attacks

[@mthemstandsformilk1965]

If it can't pitch it can't aim up or down at enemies

[@mrJMD]

@@mthemstandsformilk1965 - Sorry I was assuming the use of multiple controllers, one for docking one for flying. And I usually use turrets on my combat drones so I guess that was in my blind spot.

[@mrJMD]

@@howardxu8050 - I'm a little OCD so seeing my drones wobbling around like drunk drivers makes me twitch. I use one controller for docking, and another controller for attacking. I wish instead of setting a patrol route for it we could set it to circle a GPS or beacon in the same way the Offensive block can circle a target. Would be nice to have drones smoothly circling a base waiting for something to attack.

[@SnowNinja]

Hope you make an AI combat drone that can be used as a spawnable drone for the pirates. Having a script that already tracks players, then adding this new combat ai should make for a spicy challenge to the game!

[@AliceDoesThings404]

I will see what I can do, great suggestion!

[@BNETT21]

You don't need to turn AI's off if you have already turned on an AI of the same type. If you have 2 Basic's and number 1 is active. If you turn on number 2 it will automatically disable number 1. The only thing you may want to turn off is combat/def since they override the tasks if they see something.

[@brandondawtrey6874]

Thanks for taking the time to explain this to others

[@TheMNWolf]

This new update replaces a lot of the work that I have had to do with Easy Automation and my own scripting and I can't wait to really get elbow deep into it.

[@KolbeOHZ]

Best Tutorial für the new Blocks! Helped ke a Lot, great Work!

[@FatMiddleAgedMan]

This is an incredibly useful video - really well explained, nice and clear to follow! Great work!

[@starwarsfan5492]

My drone is just going to circles now

[@ketsueko7498]

You can make anti grav drive AI large grid drone thanks to event contrôler. You put 6 thruster, an event contrôler for each and when thruster reach %thrust, you active grouped artificial mass block. It worked really well

[@grandfremdling3841]

This tutorial is better than the last one

[@BNETT21]

I'd argue it's more important to have it on the Axis of mass vs center of mass. The only time the center matters is when you are using only one waypoint above a connector. Heck if P gravity alignment is off, then you don't even need that.

[@Scarofman]

Thanks for the detailed video, I'll try to set up a few drones :3

[@kinngrimm]

I like your drone(?) tower designs, do you have by chance a workshop blueprint for those?

[@magnusberner]

Now I haven't tested this yet. But I'm pretty sure an event controller would work perfectly for connecting instead of a timer block. Because the event controller has the option to lock the connector then it's ready to lock.

[@AliceDoesThings404]

You are correct, its a much better way of setting it up than with a timer. The only reason why I use the timer is so the drone gets to stabilize before connecting, so that it doesn't wobble everywhere.

[@alexhail9971]

I took your lesson from this video and built a big boy ai combat gun ship that can petrol be sent out to attack and can come back to bass to restock each acson can be clearly telegraphed by emojis

[@alternate.reality.]

Good description

[@comensee2461]

One thing I learned with the recorder is it has to be dead center above the connector otherwise it won't dock properly.

[@twoHRdrive]

Thanks for the video. maybe this is a silly question, but why do you need the AI basic task module to get the drone in the vicinity of the waypoint for landing and docking? Won't the AI find the waypoint if you begin playing the recorded path from anywhere? Or, is there a limit to how far the AI recorder can find a coordinate?

[@789erwqe]

Nice infos about the A I. But I´ve to set a timer in the launch block, so that the battery can recharge enough. Otherwise the event manager lift the done off at a bit over 15% power. I really wonder if this is worth the work for setup one drone. Here the autodocking dont work evertime, so some has to add maybe another eventcontroller that checks if it is conneted, otherwise it has to start the landing again. I think the Devs need to rethink some parts of the A I.......

[@789erwqe]

Maybe a "supply"-block would be nice ;). Add a beacon as target and the AI does the things by itself. So you can maybe copy the drones. Setting up every drone is tedious.

[@peterklausen1042]

i have build a drone but it wont fly around or do anything after a target is destroyed how can i set it back to patrol?

[@pravum3128]

Hi, very well explained, thanks for that ! I have problems to understand it properly because my English is not so good but nevertheless I think I understood everything well. My problem is that it does not work properly 1. the waypoint path is displayed and a minute later it is not, I have not changed anything and it is the same recorder block. 2. i have set everything exactly as you show it to understand it. Strangely enough, for example, the start block starts and before the end of its task it switches off. The next time it works fine. How can this be? Is there a possibility that there are some mods that can interfere with the function? I have a large solar installation near the landing point, does this interfere with the correct function? I don't know what to do. Maybe you or others here have an idea ;)😁

[@themontagemaker9728]

how can you make the drones visible in the automatons update trailer that are mining and the one that is taking cargo from the miner?

[@antonywright3778]

What is the drone called in your opeing? The link you give does not work anymore.

[@yournan6199]

I wonder if it'd be possible to make a self destruct program, that activates only under certain circumstances. Perhaps it's out of ammo and/or can't return for repair/resupply and you don't want the enemy to have access to its design/components.

[@AliceDoesThings404]

That is fully possible with the use of an event controller. You can even have it self destruct when the integrity of a block reaches a certain %. My video on the event block covers more about what it can do.

[@yournan6199]

@@AliceDoesThings404 Amazing, this information will prove useful

[@danilp8757]

​@@AliceDoesThings404Can the Event Controller also be used to "Refuel" H2 Powered drones? (cuz ion and Atmospheric thrusters usually take their time to recharge).

[@-drey]

can you think of a way to command drones to return to a carrier (while piloting the carrier) ?

[@termiusprime]

I guess if you put an antenna and remote control on the drone, you can remotely activate a docking sequence with having to go over to the drone physically. You can do this from the seat of your carrier, as long as you are in range.

[@mattstorm360]

@@termiusprime Another way i can think of is with a programmable block. Script Handling Activation of Remote Timers, with a timer set to launch/land your drones. Could even set them up as different squads.

[@AliceDoesThings404]

I am working on that right now. Trying to find the best way possible to do it. Should have a video on it soon.

[@Alpha_0ne276]

@@AliceDoesThings404 Maybe use an event controller to detect a laser antenna connecting to one on a drone, then causing the drone to return?

[@AliceDoesThings404]

@@Alpha_0ne276 I did figure it out in the end. A little bit of tweaking with event controllers and whatnot. The main principle though is at the bottom of the control panel in the AI recorder, you can set a reference beacon, which then makes the recorded path relative to the object the beacon belongs to.

[@Mew-tw2]

Hey I play on PlayStation and all of the mods and downloads don't work that well for me so I was just wondering if you can make a tutorial how to build that drone

[@ryansulli]

Is there a way i can we can get the drones to only lunch once detected another hostile ship and dock up once done

[@AliceDoesThings404]

I haven't found a way to do that yet, however I will be looking into it.

[@John_Paul14]

ive got problems with docking my drone isnt going align straight while going down to dock. he misses always for less than 1 m and wonnt connect then

[@brandonadams5313]

What drone is that? I like.

[@digitalwolfy2440]

i did everything but one thing is it keeps hitting the asteroids even with collision avoidance on

[@kaizer216]

Hi. Can I change the drone's offensive range to 1km only? I don't want them engaging enemies more than 1km away and waste them in survival. Is that possible?

[@WhoAskedYouScrub]

I'm not a hundred percent sure what I'm doing wrong but once I get over the connector the ship automatically stops before going down. Collision is off

[@WhoAskedYouScrub]

I figured it out for those of you can't get it to land you have to have thrusters facing upward

[@starwarsfan5492]

For some reason the ai recorder is cycling through all 3 waypoints in less than half a millisecond, why is this happening??

[@AliceDoesThings404]

Hmmm, if you have the Speed of your AI block set too low, then it will just skip all of them and end the replay. You should also try to redo the recorded waypoints, that could fix it as well.

[@starwarsfan5492]

@@AliceDoesThings404 understandable, thank you

[@cmdrdyland]

Ammo Event trigger will not fire despite all parameters being met, cargo is empty and the actions are set but it keeps chugging along. Anything I could be doing wrong here? Edit: After about 5 minutes it randomly landed, so yay?

[@Mew-tw2]

HOW DO YOU MAKE THAT

[@pagemaster4568]

I been having trouble pathing a drone inside of a asteroid you think that's the issue?

[@AliceDoesThings404]

If you are pathing a drone through an asteroid, you need to record the path, and have collision avoidance off. Having the drone try to follow you won't work sadly.

[@starwarsfan5492]

How would I increase speed when the ship has left the dock and is going to the fist patrol point?

[@AliceDoesThings404]

You can increase the speed on the flight controller to make it go faster.

[@yamahamadness13]

thanks for the video but i literallyu cant get anything to work and now have no control of my drone

[@NPC-mu9oq]

Sadly, doesn't work well with horizontal connectors :,(

[@joe442]

thanks for the guide but i have one question, will this dlc works with weaponcore mods?

[@AliceDoesThings404]

Automatons has yet to be updated to be compatible with weaponcore from what i've heard, but it should be fixed soon enough.

[@accalt6519]

I can't seem to get the AI to use static weapons. Do you know anything that causes this?

[@AliceDoesThings404]

Have you added them to the selected weapons section?

[@accalt6519]

@@AliceDoesThings404 I have. I might have found out the issue, I'll get back to you once I check it out. Edit: I removed all the mods that weren't updated for the new AI update, but I missed one.

[@ryansulli]

Can you make something simple that we can copy and past in ?

[@AliceDoesThings404]

Whilst I could make a drone and blueprint it, you still have to record the waypoints yourself.

[@jonathanwoodbury1926]

It seems like every time my drone docks to a connector the game crashes, is anyone else experiencing this problem?

[@AliceDoesThings404]

That seems quite strange. Is it just happening in single player or in multiplayer as well?

[@TheOnlyKingBee]

Why are hydrogen small tanks so useless????

[@Baken5742]

never work for me

[@legendphantom1692]

That drone suicides whenever i give it an order

[@thraxryder5682]

Kind of a shocker to learn that a drone needs a battery.

[@fish5645]

Show me where in this video you show "How to make a PATROL DRONE" is, because it seems more like 30 minutes of bumbling through menu's with no guide on actually building a drone to me. Shouldn't it be "How to set up a drone patrol using AUTMATIC DOCKING" instead?

[@uber2140]

Wonder if you are still insufferable a year later

[@ProfessorWeakcheeks]

Could you make an ore scouting drone that drops gps waypoints when it detects ore?

[@AliceDoesThings404]

Unfortunately, I believe that is outside of the ability of the new blocks, as it cannot create GPS points, nor does the event controller have an event for when ore is detected.