Hinge
| Hinge | |
|---|---|
| |
| Category: | Functional |
| Function: | mechanical block that allows for a tilting motion |
| Fits small grid | |
| Mass: | 225.4 kg |
| Power: | 0.002 MW |
| PCU: | 100 |
| Size: | 1x1x1 |
| Time to Build: | 8 sec |
| Fits large grid | |
| Mass: | 596.4 kg |
| Power: | 0.002 MW |
| PCU: | 100 |
| Size: | 1x1x1 |
| Time to Build: | 16 sec |
| Data Controls: | [edit] [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. Technically they are a variant of a rotor.
Usage
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.
Controls
Technically, Hinges are Rotors with a 180 degree limitation and the attachment point on another side.
Hinges have practically the same Controls as Rotors -- details see there!
- Toggle Block On/Off
- Enable Hinge Lock to lock the hinge rigidly in its position. Players often assign this toggle action to their toolbar. Usage examples:
- To prevent clanging, enable hinge lock while configuring their limits.
- To keep the hinge in its position, enable hinge lock.
- To allow free flexing within the limits like a hitch or chain link, unlock the hinge.
- To set the two positions between which the hinge will move when velocity > 0, define the Upper Limit and Lower Limit.
- Braking Torque is a passive value how much the hinge resists bending.
- To prevent slacking when the hinge is switched off or unpowered, set a high Braking Torque.
- To let the Hinge swing loosely, set the Braking Torque to zero.
- To control the speed of the motion, set a Velocity.
- A velocity of zero means the hinge does not actively move.
- To control the direction of the motion, toggle Reverse. This action simply negates the current speed. Players often assign this action to their toolbar.
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 
Gyroscope on override for stabilisation; or if possible, lock down the grid safely with 
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.
Hinges are composed of two separate parts that you must both weld up, a Hinge and a Hinge Part, they operate as a single block.
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.
- When you place the full Hinge from the Toolbar-menu, the Hinge Part is added automatically.
- The two halves are also 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 halfs, 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.
Recipes
 Hinge | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Component | Large Ship/Station Required | Large Ship/Station Optional | Small Ship Required | Small Ship Optional |
 Steel Plate | 10 | 6 | 4 | 2 |
 Motor | 4 | — | 2 | — |
 Large Steel Tube | 4 | — | 1 | — |
 Construction Comp. | 10 | — | 4 | — |
 Computer | 2 | — | 2 | — |
 Hinge Part | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Component | Large Ship/Station Required | Large Ship/Station Optional | Small Ship Required | Small Ship Optional |
| Steel Plate | 8 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| Large Steel Tube | 4 | — | 1 | — |
| Construction Comp. | 8 | — | 2 | — |
 Hinge 3x3 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Component | Large Ship/Station Required | Large Ship/Station Optional | Small Ship Required | Small Ship Optional |
| Steel Plate | — | — | 6 | 4 |
| Motor | — | — | 2 | — |
| Large Steel Tube | — | — | 2 | — |
| Construction Comp. | — | — | 6 | — |
| Computer | — | — | 2 | — |
 Hinge Part 3x3 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Component | Large Ship/Station Required | Large Ship/Station Optional | Small Ship Required | Small Ship Optional |
| Steel Plate | — | — | 4 | 2 |
| Large Steel Tube | — | — | 2 | — |
| Construction Comp. | — | — | 4 | — |
