Hinge

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Hinge
Icon Block Hinge.png
Category: Mechanical
Function: Hinges can transfer items and rotate up to 180 degrees....
DLC? Vanilla
Fits small grid
Mass: 209.2 kg
Hitpoints: 851
Power: -2.0 kW
PCU: 100
Size: 1x1x1
Time to Build: 8 sec
Fits large grid
Mass: 1006.0 kg
Hitpoints: 4105
Power: -2.0 kW
PCU: 100
Size: 1x1x1
Time to Build: 16 sec
Data Controls: [purge] (?))


Hinge blocks are Mechanical Blocks much like elbow joints that can apply torque to a subgrid allowing for 180 degrees of motion. Use Hinges when building retractable landing gear, collapsible solar arrays, foldable doors, cranes, custom turrets, Mecha legs, and much more.

Usage

Technically, Hinges are Rotors with a -90 to +90 degree limitation and the attachment point on another side.

When attached to conveyor ports, Hinges have conveyor capabilities on both ends.

Like other mechanical blocks, blocks connected by Hinges will appear in different colors in the control panel. The attached grid is referred to as subgrid and is treated differently as far as steering is concerned.

Control Options

Control panel Screen Toolbar Description
Toggle on/off Toggle on/off

Toggle off
Toggle on

When a block is toggled off, it does not fulfill its function and does not use power.
Show block in Terminal If you have many blocks that clutter your Control Panel, but you never need to configure them, hide them here.
Show block in toolbar config If you have many blocks that clutter your toolbar config, but you never want to use them on the toolbar, hide them here.
Name Give the block a unique name that makes it easy for you to find it in the search with only few keystrokes.
Show on HUD on/off Show on HUD on/off
Show on HUD on
Show on HUD off 		If an antenna is broadcasting from this grid, you can use this to mark this block on the HUD. E.g. to highlight blocks that need repair, emergency exits, etc.
Custom Data Used by scripts only.

Block-specific options

Hinges have practically the same Controls as Rotors.

Control panel Screen Toolbar Description
Safety detach Increase/decrease safety detach (Rarely needed) When subgrid gets displaced, this setting prevents it from speeding up and damaging its own sub-grids. 10cm to 5 metres (default).
Add Small Head
Add Medium Head
Add Large Head 		Add Small Head
Add Medium Head
Add Large Head 		After detaching, you can add a Hinge Part that converts to a different block size.
Reverse Reverse Toggles the direction of the motion by negating the current speed value.
Detach Head Detach Detach half the hinge to be able to chain Hinges and Hinge Parts together. Used together with Attach Head.
Attach Head Attach Chain two grid together. After detaching the Hinge Part on one grid, place a solitary Hinge Part on the other grid, and move both so they visually overlap, then trigger the Attach action.
Hinge Lock Hinge Lock on/off, on, off Locks the hinge rigidly in its position even if the velocity is non-zero. Usage examples:
  • To prevent sudden clanging, enable Hinge Lock while configuring a Hinge's limits.
  • To keep the hinge in its current position, enable Hinge Lock.
  • To allow free flexing within the set limits, like a hitch or chain link, unlock the hinge.
Torque Increase/decrease torque Sets the lifting strength of the Hinge to overcome subgrid mass and external resistance when it's powered. Default: zero
Braking Torque Increase/decrease braking torque How much the Hinge passively resists bending when it has been stopped or if there's a power outage.
  • To prevent slacking when the Hinge is switched off or unpowered, set a high Braking Torque.
  • To let the Hinge swing loosely like a hitch, set the Braking Torque to zero.
Velocity Set velocity Enter the velocity in rotations per minute, e.g. 1.0 RPM. A velocity of zero means the Hinge does not actively move. Positive numbers spin clockwise, negative numbers spin counter clockwise. This RPM value is not precisely enforced like clockwork, in game, it can be a bit faster/slower, especially with a heavy subgrid.
Rotate to Angle Enter an angle between -90 and 90. Then enter a velocity in rotations per minute. Then give this setting a named label, such as “tilt 90”.
Reset the speed to zero before controlling the limits manually.
This resets upper and lower limit!
Upper limit
Lower limit 		Increase/decrease/set upper/lower limit Set the two positions between which the hinge will move when its velocity > 0 and it's unlocked.

Tip: Group Hinges to synchronise controls and to trigger actions on several at the same time.

How to stabilise mechanical grids

In general, it's safest to use mechanical blocks on static grids. Hinges can push grids into one another and generate vibrations that shake mobile grids apart when connected one to another to form subgrids.

On the Control Panel Screen, enable the Share Inertia Tensor setting on all subgrid hinges (except on the first hinge that’s attached to the main grid!) to equalise the virtual masses to achieve more stable behaviour.

On mobile grids, set up a Icon Block Gyroscope.png Gyroscope on override for stabilisation; or if possible, lock down the grid safely with Icon Block Landing Gear.png Landing Gear to prevent shaking.

Construction

Hinges exist for small grids and large grids. Small grids have a third Hinge variant in addition to the regular one, called the Hinge 3x3, that attaches to a 3x3 block area on a small grid.

Large-grid Hinges are quite reliable when fit inside the space of full sized armor blocks because their hitboxes are smaller than 1x1x1 large grid block, allowing for flush doors. Hinges are however not airtight.

Hinges are composed of two separate halves, a Hinge and a Hinge Part.

  • When you place the full Hinge from the Toolbar-menu, the Hinge Part is added automatically. In Survival Mode, you must weld up both halves to be functional.
  • The two halves are available as separate blocks in the Toolbar-menu and can be built on separate grids. For example, to build a hitch between a rover and a trailer.
    • To connect the two halves, move the two grids close together so that Hinge and Hinge Part overlap, then press the Attach button in the Control Panel Screen.
    • To disconnect the Hinge Part, for example to disconnect a hitch, click Detach on the Control Panel Screen.
    • Tip: If you're drifting and you can't keep the two Hinge halves in place and at the same time click the Attach button, build a Timer Block that triggers Attach on the Hinge block for you, and then make it trigger itself once per second, to repeatedly try to attach.

Recipe

Icon Block Hinge.png Hinge
ComponentLarge Ship/Station
Required		Large Ship/Station
Optional		Small Ship
Required		Small Ship
Optional
Icon Item Steel Plate.png Steel Plate151533
Icon Item Motor.png Motor5—1—
Icon Item Large Steel Tube.png Large Steel Tube5—1—
Icon Item Construction Comp..png Construction Comp.20—5—
Icon Item Computer.png Computer5—1—


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