Making a Seeking ICBM to Destroy Plasma

It's almost as if making good missiles requires a lot of math
My discord server: / discord

[@ReidCaptain]

What else should I make in Plasma? I have a video with magnets already recorded, so expect to see that soon!

[@Astrothegoat927]

tank bridge that’s what I would like to see

[@EnderWaro]

Great, now make ICBM in real life

[@theplayer4664]

the tank that was a triangle of tread and never made it past prototype as it bottomed out at one of the first tests

[@kathykremenik6800]

Transformer type thing

[@darkduckpl9620]

Combining 4th and 1st idea with my own: combinable robots that can turn into either robot or bridge

[@sentienttoast1319]

It's criminal how perfect plasma is for Reid just cus he likes to make ridiculously complex builds

[@someidiotlol]

He's like the mumbo jumbo of engineering.

[@LucasGleason]

@@someidiotlol well does redstone count as engineering?

[@rumpiro8979]

@@someidiotlol yup

[@sylvia5925]

He's like the mumbo jumbo of engineering.

[@lurkenvoncurken518]

Ille quasi mumbo jumbo ipsum

[@Bobbias]

Quick breakdown of PID controllers: Proportional: It looks at how much difference there is between your set point, and your actual value. The bigger the difference, the bigger the output. Integral: it's like the proportional, except it takes into account time. For example, a small difference between set point and input over a long time will slowly build up a bigger and bigger output. A big difference over a short time will also result in a big output. Derivative: the derivative part is a bit different than the other 2. The other 2 use the amount of error between input and output, but derivative looks at how the error is changing. Is the error increasing (that is, is the difference between input and output getting bigger) or is it getting smaller? It's basically trying to predict how much error there will be in the future. The derivative term also often acts as a damping mechanism to help avoid overshooting your set point, as well as for avoiding what is called "hunting" where you are close to the set point, but begin to oscillate around that value rather than settling on the exact value.

[@LQC2556]

Thanks, I figured that that was what the PID was for but I couldn't figure out why exactly it required differentiation/integration.

[@gabrielc7861]

ooga booga brain broke

[@TheGrejp]

You know a game is good when it has a built-in PID controller block

[@ReidCaptain]

It's kinda wild that something that complex is offered as a basic building block

[@TheGrejp]

@@ReidCaptain Honestly I was very surprised when you mentioned it, also when you showed all the other math and programming, even though I've already seen a glimpse of how in-depth this game is and what you can do with it from your previous video. It is practically a "simple" visual programming IDE + physics simulator, reminds me of Matlab/Simulink. I never expected games to have the ability to make things this complex, but I'm all for it - finally my college degree is useful!

[@jaylewis9876]

Wait, simulink is $1000s a year and less user friendly. How accurate is this game simulating reality?

[@loserface3962]

@@ReidCaptain another game with a built in PID block is from the depths

[@planetfall5056]

@@ReidCaptain like From the Depths

[@papahemmy8587]

7:20 I had a problem like this once. The issue is just that atan can't compute the angle in the correct quadtrant. It's always ether in the 1st for 4th. Normally you would compensate by adding 180 if x is negative (which would mean your answer is in the 2nd or 3rd quadtrant) or 360 if it's in the 4th quadrant (ie 315 instead of -45). so it would be like: +x,+y = atan is accurate -x,+y = add 180 to atan -x,-y = add 180 to atan +x,-y = add 360 to atan

[@StoneBox_761a]

Albert Einstein is that you?

[@ReidCaptain]

Yes, I thought about it more later and could have done something like 1/2*((|x|/x)+1) and created a function that "activates" when positive and "deactivates" when negative, and then just tweak it for the opposite effect

[@arandomdude880]

your comment made me realize that I'm dumb

[@0777coco]

@@ReidCaptain just a quick question because i am pretty clueless but still interested - is that function you described there just supposed to give you a binary output to distinguish the two cases?

[@robobuilder1335]

@@StoneBox_761a yep. There's actually atan2 that outputs between pi and negative pi. Basically 180 and -180

[@willj3402]

As a current engineering major taking calc, seeing integrals and derivatives in a game is both exciting and terrifying😂

[@bee_irl]

This game is so gooood, it seems to finally eliminate a lot of the jank that you had to deal with in all the other games, as well as give you more control over every little aspect of it. Would love to see more content from this, including (and especially) more detailed explanations!

[@bwmgaming6938]

What game is it

[@bee_irl]

@@bwmgaming6938 it's called Plasma and this is the demo/early access version, free on Steam!

[@gflaig9131]

Love how you explain your thought process!

[@ReidCaptain]

Thanks, that's what I like about my videos!

[@whoknows8864]

*explain your war crimes.

[@BlastedHawk6416]

The missile knows where it is at all times. It knows this because it knows where it isn't. By subtracting where it is from where it isn't, or where it isn't from where it is (whichever is greater), it obtains a difference, or deviation. The guidance subsystem uses deviations to generate corrective commands to drive the missile from a position where it is to a position where it isn't, and arriving at a position where it wasn't, it now is. Consequently, the position where it is, is now the position that it wasn't, and it follows that the position that it was, is now the position that it isn't. In the event that the position that it is in is not the position that it wasn't, the system has acquired a variation, the variation being the difference between where the missile is, and where it wasn't. If variation is considered to be a significant factor, it too may be corrected by the GEA. However, the missile must also know where it was. The missile guidance computer scenario works as follows. Because a variation has modified some of the information the missile has obtained, it is not sure just where it is. However, it is sure where it isn't, within reason, and it knows where it was. It now subtracts where it should be from where it wasn't, or vice-versa, and by differentiating this from the algebraic sum of where it shouldn't be, and where it was, it is able to obtain the deviation and its variation, which is called error.

[@omegahishumata1548]

A man of culture I see

[@Mikee512]

Delicious copypasta

[@Bobbias]

I'm happy they offer PID as a built in block. Not that you can't roll your own with basic math blocks, but it's really convenient not to have to.

[@ReidCaptain]

Yep, it's great! There are a lot of other math-y things too like vectors and arrays that are very convenient.

[@matthewhunter2443]

“I saw that this game had a GPS receiver, so I wanted to make a missile” was what led to this video

[@xerveeon]

"The missile knows where it is by knowing where it isn't."

[@AntellPryyde]

Oh, wow, math that I genuinely never thought I'd see again in my life. And it only took a little over a decade to come back. Thanks, this is cursed. I love it.

[@orangespuddy7118]

I’m currently working on something similar for a real life robot, so I hope I can provide some insight on how to fix your robot. One of the subtasks of the robot is to get the robot to a 2D target coordinate. I do this by finding the vector from the current robot coordinate to the target coordinate. Then I transform this vector into a polar vector (radius,angle) and use the two values for two different pids. One for maintaining the heading(using the angle), and another for slowing the robot to a stop as it reaches the target(using the radius). I hope this provides some help for the problems you are experiencing.

[@mrgarlic2639]

That PID controller definitely gave me flashbacks from a certain controls class last semester...

[@florin5153]

Have you ever played From The Depths? There are a lot of similarities between Plasma and FTD and lots of possibilities, but FTD has guns (and nuclear warheads ;) ). It has quite a steep learning curve but I think it's a lot of fun when you know how things work and how to make them work. I'd really like to see what you would come up with! :D

[@cristophernavarro1819]

YES, was looking for this comment

[@ML_Tachanka]

Thanks for showing a great game, great build, great vid and a great way to show that I’m dumb

[@arandomdude880]

same thoughts bro

[@honeybadger2371]

Parents: games can't teach you anything, you'll learn nothing from it. The game: 5:49

[@maxboskeljon6440]

Rc: discovers a new game Rc the next video: so i made an icbm..

[@masonator__]

Very impressive! I tried to do something like this during playtesting, but I didn't get nearly as close as you did!

[@willp2906]

The missile knows where it is at all times. It knows this because it knows where it isn't.

[@orangespuddy7118]

I was screaming PID as you put in the block in lol. That’s super cool that they have a built in block for that

[@conqu3red545]

Woo, more plasma gameplay! The potential for all sorts of craziness in this game is incredible.

[@grexjr1420]

I love the “war crimes?” In the thumbnail. Fits that Reid would just calmly commit war crimes with peaceful music in the background.

[@Mattoony]

What a nice video! Remind me when I tryed to make one in Stormworks!

[@savionhathorn6945]

Real dedication man nicely done

[@maker0824]

I swear every video it’s like: “ok, he’s shown all the problems, now comes the best part of the video where he fixes them and creates an amazing end product” “Bye. Thanks for watching.”

[@EpsilonRosePersonal]

You might want to look into From the Depths. It's a game about building warships, but it gives you a lot of freedom and ability to control and automate things (I think I first learned about PIDs in From the Depths). So you could do things like build an automated rocket drone, and then actually tip it with a nuke.

[@runforitman]

3:56 high derivative is nice except for irl it likes to destroy motors

[@vendesifiat600]

I did not understand a single thing you did. Cool as hell tho. (Also, with this gps thing i would like to see some kind of auto-aiming trebuchet)

[@mrhax4741]

the first 8 seconds of this video sounds like its straight out of a nile green script amazing 😂

[@ArtyMars]

I could not stop laughing at each attempt to get it flying omfg the chaos of this game is incredible 😂😂😂😂😂

[@chance713]

Excellent, just the frequencies and photons I needed to stimulate my brain. 🤔💭

[@Karol52752]

I did a lot of PID stuff in Simpleplanes, and the wobbling close to the target angle is usualy caused by the derrivative regulator being too strong

[@woutervossebeld4664]

You should try stormworks! It has motors, engines, microcontrollers, electric systems, weather and much more! I think your PID could use some more tuning as it is overshooting. Amazing video though!

[@theaudiokitchen5942]

You should try to make a gatekeeper or CWIS

[@KngMaxwell]

this is so cool to watch because there’s no way i could play this effectively, too much math and numbers

[@rushikesh1038]

I like your funny words logic man!

[@Ecoryzer]

Usually I don't watch your videos but I'm attracted to the ICBM so now I'm here

[@foxblaze2965]

I love that one the first few videos on Plasma already includes a GPS guided missile-

[@benjibo8358]

jesus christ the first thing you think of whenever you see a gps in a new building game is: Can i make a intercontinental ballistic missile whit this?

[@1mariomaniac]

Me listening to him explain his ICBM: _I like your funny words, magic man!_

[@lucaboyle8338]

Oh yes the perfect thing that I expect a mess in a video gaming video

[@terraria0graus]

The missile knows where it is at all times, it knows this because it knows where it isn't

[@chickwensrule]

"I saw that is game had a GPS receiver. That got me thinking and I wanted to try making a guided missile." lol

[@Edward-pw6zz]

russia: "write that down! write that down!"

[@sirnikkel6746]

*"The rocket know where it is, because it knows were it isn't"*

[@123TeeMee]

I like how you achieve something close to an orbital launch within the first minute of the video of a non-space game

[@waywardscythe3358]

We covered this sort of thing in my Naval Weapons Systems Engineering course.

[@ezrakornfeld8436]

calculate a parabola with roots at the rocket and the target and the 2d plane that it’s on be a vertical plane with the x axis being the line between the rocket and the target before it launches and store it. If you use the distance to the target plus a set value of offset (say 10) as x then you can calculate y and get a point on the parabola. The angle between the rocket and the offset point is the target angle and this will make the missile follow a parabolic arc from launch site to target.

[@ReidCaptain]

I suppose that would work well, but without me understanding how the air resistance in the game works it would probably be hard to get right

[@ezrakornfeld8436]

Ye

[@jambosuss]

@@ReidCaptain Is there air resistance?

[@nathanielblomberg2943]

It is incredible that you managed to figure out how to use the PID controller. That took me almost a week of constant effort to get a working PID setup for my model plane irl and here you are figuring out the basics in an hour. My hat is off to you. One recommendation that I have is to try to combine some of your math expressions so that multiple functions use the same math expression.

[@itryen7632]

The missile knows where it is, because it knows where it isn't.

[@dimethebloodwolf3034]

I don't understand math, but man, this brother makes me enjoy it.

[@popefrancis9565]

The missile knows where it is at all times. It knows this because it knows where it isn't, by subtracting where it is, from where it isn't, or where it isn't, from where it is

[@captainjirk9564]

Wow! It's crazy to find out along with you that the missile knows where it is because it knows where it isn't!

[@outofproportion1444]

this man was born to force games to play as he intended, they have no choice

[@jmejuniper]

What about a lerp function? Have it hooked up so that it has high power when far from the angle and low power when close. As for meshing the pitch and roll when tilting, *sin* and *cos* should help, though if one angle is in degrees and the other is in radians, you might have to do some converting

[@TeddyJayO1]

This man is an actual honest to god rocket scientist

[@scottowens398]

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that.

[@pavel7950]

"Hey guys, Mark Rober here, today I made a nuke"

[@nickthenuker7916]

The missile knows where it is because it knows where it isn't

[@BrandonShimizu]

Is no one going to acknowledge his drawing skills in Microsoft paint? Of all programs for sketching, not the first that comes to mind. But damn, he sure did make it work.

[@crazybird199]

Wait you actually did it? That is for making my suggestion!

[@walker-snow]

Just learned that Plasma was no longer in development and the developers lost at least $650K from this project 😢 As being someone who developed games for Steam it's very heartbreaking.

[@tdubmorris5757]

im so excited for the future of plasma

[@tdubmorris5757]

this game seems perfect for Reid Captain, seeing that some of his very first videos were about making a platformer game in desmos. (Math + Engineering = Epic 💯)

[@YMandarin]

Reid: sets I and D to 10 me foreshadowing: there is no way thats gonna work

[@_ayohee]

When you were having stability issues earlier on I was screaming out for a PID solver, *_and then the game actually had one_*. Bravo plasma devs, bravo!

[@Breadicius]

ive learned more math from this video than school could teach me

[@the_retr0_gamer292]

The missile knows where it is, because the missile knows where it isn’t

[@ztirom2267]

This game has everything and then a bit more

[@erge1144]

You should try using advanced proportional navigation so you can hit planes

[@logicbuilder1204]

The arctan problem is pretty common in programming, thats why most programming languages, including sketch, includes atan2, which is a function that takes into account the quadrants for you.

[@trucksarenoisy]

You should try playing stormworks, it lets you build big logic stuff and it's a complex game, good for you

[@t0xicrunner]

Have you considered trying Space Engineers for some of these vids?

[@walker-snow]

That game is too old 😄

[@RAAFtiger]

Don't lie Reid, you were giggling when you built that vertical thrust test at 3:40, weren't you? :P

[@LucasGleason]

Thats a pretty *dick* move, outing him like that

[@JakeABee]

Man could make a particle accelerator and make it look easy.

[@marshaenderheart]

The missile knows where it is

[@etymologynerd.]

Now make a missile defense system to hit this rocket

[@SelflessPotato]

Jesus, a PID controller in a game? This is a more powerful game than I realized lol

[@secretisbest]

You could do something interesting in kerbal space program with the kOS mod!

[@MiniePixie]

Reid, you need to look at stormworks!! Has been out for ages, has all the sensors you need, and custom visual or lua script programming. If you want to make stuff like this then Stormworks is the best game hands down. It uses a voxel building models with no branching links like this game and ksp. You vessel is considered a solid entity and you can loop a craft back onto itself because you arent using a part based builder. Long story short, Stormworks does everything you want ReidCaptain. And in my opinion it does it better than plasma with a couple years headstart on this game almost every aspect of the creation and programming process in stormworks is polished and intuitive. I think this game looks cool but it isnt the first with visual programming and sensors, the big downfall for this game will be that vessel’s are built like trees branching from an origin point like KSP. Stormworks trumps any vehicle builder ive played because it doesnt use that stupid branching tree of connection points.

[@gottogo3326]

Reid: Hey guys today I'm back in the plasma demo and i saw there was a gps tracker, so I wanted to make a guided missile. he sounds so happy

[@MrSomeone536]

can u set up N-S-E-W gps inputs at the 4 corners and use that as an input/output insteaD?

[@duythuchoang5095]

Ah yes, the classic: A lot of scientific terms that I sure as hell don't understand but I still watched the whole video

[@metalspoon69]

Kim Jong Un: write that down! write that down!

[@supercritical4986]

Trying to blow up plasma makes more plasma.

[@animalmango6499]

Ive asked this for beseige but i think its better in plasma, you should make a jerrico rocket form iron man.

[@onerxowns2202]

Explanation of how PID works: P - Proportional = Actual thrust input (lower number are easier to correct) I - Integral = Time delay between corrections (how often signals get send to thrusters for correction) D - Differential = Predict future signals to thrusters (useful for hovercraft vertical impulse patterns)

[@hurlemort_]

Please do an intelligent drone that corrects himself

[@craz2580]

Tomorrow i have a physics test, this video has norhing to do about the test, but i understood more (depsite not being much) here than the topic of the test

[@vortex-real]

plasma looks fun

[@katunu6030]

Reid I want to see you make a black shark helicopter that can fire rockets with infrared at long distances.

[@Add_Infinitum]

I'm a senior in MechE and I learned about PID controllers in one of my classes like 2 weeks ago

[@andrearosario8512]

Is he actually good at using PID controllers? Or is he just randomly flipping buttons. lool

[@Sancika.]

Hi! I recommend you the game "stormworks" Its a very similar game, and a lot of fun. Would love to see some videos out of it!

[@wangchum349]

RC, I think you would enjoy a game named Stormworks, the possibilities in it are endless, especially in logic

[@georgevasilopoulos5359]

Well that was quick

[@MkiSaskTheGlumpSod]

Reid you should check out Stormworks: Build and Rescue, it’s one of the most complex vehicle building games i’ve seen.

[@ninjabaiano6092]

The rocket knows where it goes because it knows where it was. By knowing where it was we know we're it was not. But we don't don't know where the rocket will be unless we know we're it is now and where it was before.

[@spartainwarrior6445]

this guidance is better than PP but you need to try PN or proportional navigation

[@theaudiokitchen5942]

Another banger