Rover

Configuring your Rover

If you followed the guide in Setting up the script, your rover should already have a programmable block, a display and some means of controlling it. The only thing remaining is to set up the rover's trailer hitch, and to set up your default options. The examples pictured here are all small grid, but large grid works just the same.

Please note, this script uses grid identities ("subgrids") to work out what a trailer is. Unfortunately, this means that your trailer hitch must be on the same rigid grid as the programmable block.

At its most basic, the rover's trailer hitch is just a hinge at the back of the vehicle, aligned such that your trailer can be aligned with it and attached using a hinge head.

This hitch is pretty basic; attach and detach controls are somewhere in the cockpit, and there's a handy camera for reversing up to the trailer.

This hinge is more fancy. There's no camera, but there are buttons here so that the player can attach and detach from right here.

These will be lining up with a trailer hitch that looks like this one, pictured looking at the back of the rover.

The hinge that you have put at the rear of the truck will work fine as it is if there's a properly configured trailer coupled to it, but often there won't be. To let the script always know which hinge on your rover it's supposed to be watching for trailers to be coupled to, add the following to the end of the hinge's Custom Data using the K menu:

[trailer]
hitch=true

Alternatively, and just as valid (for compatibility reasons), this works too:

[trailer]
front=false

Setting up options

Now, a couple of options can be set up, which will govern the behaviour of this rover when trailers are detached, and when various systems on the trailer are operated.

Auto-deploy

Trailers can be configured to have two states, deployed and stowed, also known as unpacked and packed.

In the stowed, or packed, state, the trailer is ready to be towed by a rover or by another trailer. Any props have been raised, wheels unlocked, equipment folded away, running lights set up, etc.

In the deployed, or unpacked, state, the trailer is configured for use in a static location, and can safely be detached from the rover or trailer that was towing it. Props lowered, wheels locked, equipment unfolded, standing lights set up, etc.

Auto-deploy is a feature where the Trailer Manager will detect that a trailer has been detached from another trailer (or the rover) and will immediately instruct it to deploy. If the trailer has power, and is configured to deploy, it will do so even if the detachment was accidental.

Mirror Mode

The mirror will watch what is happening to systems on the rover, and will cause trailers to mirror that behaviour, if possible

• When the rover's handbrake is applied, the handbrake will be applied to all trailers with a controller on them
• When the rover's batteries are all turned off, set to recharge, discharge or auto, the trailers will follow suit
• When the rover's hydrogen engines are turned on or off, any hydrogen engines on the trailers will also turn on or off
• When the rover's hydrogen tanks are set to stockpile, all tanks on the trailers will follow suit
• When the rover's gas generatos are turned on or off, any gas generators on the trailers will do the same
• When the rover's weapons go live or are made safe, all weapons on all trailers will do the same

Configuring by menu

Using down and apply (as configured previously) move down the main menu screen and select the Configuration... menu. It will bring up the following options by default:

The two options are disabled, and show a red icon.

Again using down and apply, these settings can be toggled. They are enabled when they show green.

The features are now active.

Configuring by hand

Navigate to the Programmable Block on which Trailer Manager is installed. Edit its Custom Data, and ensure that the [trailer] section includes autodeploy and mirror values:

[trailer]
autodeploy=true
mirror=true

The values may be true for enabled, or false for disabled. Using the menu as shown above will adjust these values in Custom Data as well. To make these values take effect, the quickest way is to put the word rebuild into the Default Argument field, and then click Run.