Coloured/Bundled Cables and Circuit Breakers

  • Do you support the suggested additions? (read topic before voting, please) 12

    1. Yes (8) 67%
    2. No (3) 25%
    3. Maybe (1) 8%

    Poll ends on Jan 19th 2038, 3:14 am

    We all know how difficult it is to wire a base properly, and keep the high-voltage line from crossing the low-voltage line, etc., especially in a smaller base. Well, I have thought of a solution, that would take care of that problem: Coloured and Bundled Cables.


    Coloured Cables would only connect to cables of the same colour. This would allow the user to colour different cables different colours, and keep them from crossing.
    Bundled Cables would be a combination of 4 cables in one block. These coloured cables making up each bundled cable would act as individual cables, and power would not flow between them.



    So, what happens if the user accidentally connects a medium-voltage supply to the low-voltage lines? Sparks fly and parts fry, that's what. Even if someone is being very careful with what they connect to what, they may accidentally fry their entire workshop/base by just placing a cable in the wrong spot. However, there is a possible solution: The Circuit Breaker.


    The circuit breaker connects to two cables, one on the left and one on the right. They can be coloured/bundled cables, but the colours on one side must correspond the the colours on the other side. They can be different, but the differing cables would not be used. There is a state for each cable in the breaker: On and Off. If a cable is off, of course, it will not conduct any electricity.
    The GUI would be a grid of switches, with a single switch for each individual cable connected to it (cables making up bundled cable = individual cables). Each switch corresponds to a single cable, and displays that cable's colour above it (shows GUI background for uncoloured cables).
    Under each switch is a number-box, and next to that are two arrow buttons: one up and one down. Up increases the voltage limit by one, and down does the opposite. Next to those are two more buttons, that increase/decrease voltage by 10 orso. If this voltage is exceeded by any energy trying to pass through the cable, it will trigger the breaker and that cable will be deactivated before the energy gets through the breaker. The switch for an overloaded cable will stay off so long as the voltage is too high, and can not be turned off until the voltage decreases. Once the voltage is under the limit, the switch can be manually turned back on.
    Of course, the player can also use this to activate/deactivate cables manually, rather than to simply protect against overvoltage.
    The recipe for such a block would consist of one basic machine block, four redstone switches, and four copper coil assemblies normally used to construct electric motors.


    This is just a suggestion, intended to submit an idea and see if people support it. That is why I have included a poll, to see if there are enough people in support of the idea(s), as the developers probably don't have enough time to read through the replies and see what people say.
    If you are in favor of the idea or not, please vote accordingly, and if you have anything to say, please do so. If you don't really care if it is added or not, but don't want to have to vote either "no" or "yes", I have included an option for that on the poll.
    Thank you.

    • Official Post

    You can already paint cables.


    Cable bundles and circuit breakers are unnecessary.

    1. You cannot place already painted cables and this is a problem.


    2. Sometimes i want to run 4 separated lines (LV, MV, HV and EV) in a single block and i cant, so?
    Breakers might not be necessary, but those are good as failsafes.

    • Official Post

    Bundled Cables would be a combination of 4 cables in one block. These coloured cables making up each bundled cable would act as individual cables, and power would not flow between them.


    Like Buildcraft pipe wire?

    145 Mods isn't too many. 9 types of copper and 8 types of tin aren't too many. 3 types of coffee though?

    I know that you believe that you understood what you think I said, but I am not sure you realise that what you read was not what I meant.


    ---- Minecraft Crash Report ----
    // I just don't know what went wrong :(


    I see this too much.

    • Official Post


    Yes, but the Project RED bundled cables are a better example, I guess...


    Buildcraft pipe wire has 4 different colours which don't interact. Bundled cables are 16 ones all in one thick looking cable

    145 Mods isn't too many. 9 types of copper and 8 types of tin aren't too many. 3 types of coffee though?

    I know that you believe that you understood what you think I said, but I am not sure you realise that what you read was not what I meant.


    ---- Minecraft Crash Report ----
    // I just don't know what went wrong :(


    I see this too much.

  • bundled power cable? absolutely! precolored wires...yeah
    circuit breakers....make it so they can be set to a specific amount not tiers. sometimes we want an exact amount not the default tier settings

  • bundled power cable? absolutely! precolored wires...yeah
    circuit breakers....make it so they can be set to a specific amount not tiers. sometimes we want an exact amount not the default tier settings


    Thank you for your feedback. Topic post has been updated, to suggest that the breaker voltage limit be configurable in specific amounts, rather than by tier.



    Buildcraft pipe wire has 4 different colours which don't interact. Bundled cables are 16 ones all in one thick looking cable


    I guess the Buildcraft Pipewire would be a better example, now. Except, of course, the cables would have to be bigger, and not supported by a pipe-structure.