I start to experiment with configuration files. It really adds a new dimension to the simulation.
I noticed that air composition don't seems to affect settlers. I modified some processes to produce many ambiant carbon monoxide, I inversed processes to have a lot or CO2 in ambiant air, and it seems to only affect crops. I get a yellow or red square to the left of each crop line in the greenhouse detail dialog. What means that colored square ?
So it seems that only the stocked oxygen affect settlers. Must we suppose they always wear a pressurised suit ?
What happen with the "Carbon Dioxide Pump" when the CO2 stock is at max (1000). Is the process triggered by level of the stock ? = each time the CO2 stock lower, the process start again to rise it again to 1000 ?
Last question ? Can we hope a more detailed documentation (even a rough one) about all those processes and configuration files, so we can really play with all those parameters ?
Thanks for that unique and fantastic dreaming tool.
Claude DAVID
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I'm currently working on updating the documentation on the project website. I'm going to add a section in the user guide for configuring the simulation.
I actually meant to add a text document in the conf directory with information on resources, similar to the tech_level.txt file.
The simulation currently supports the following resources: water, oxygen, hydrogen, methane, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, food, rock samples, waste water, and ice.
Food in the simulation doesn't go bad over time. It's not specified as to what type of food, but food is harvested from greenhouse crops once they are full grown.
Waste water is sewage. It's used as fertilizer for growing crops, which filter much of it back into potable/drinking water.
Ice is actually a ice/dirt mixture collected from the Martian soil in icy areas. It can be heated and filtered into potable/drinking water.
The color of the square next to each crop in the greenhouse display shows the health of the crop - green for healthy, yellow for not-so-healthy, red for poor health. Healthy crops produce much more food at harvest time than poor health crops. Crops require certain resources to grow (waste water, carbon-dioxide), as well as a certain amount of daily tending as they are growing. If they don't receive this, they become less healthy. Often it is hard for a single settlement occupant to properly tend the greenhouse crops as they have other work to do.
The crop color square will be documented in the user guide when I update it.
For configuring processes, "ambient" means to or from the environment outside the settlement. The carbon dioxide pump process, for example, pumps carbon dioxide into a greenhouse inventory from the outside atmosphere (Mars' atmosphere is primarily carbon dioxide). The storage capacity for carbon dioxide is limited to 1000 kg, so the process basically stops when it hits that limit. Other processes in the settlement might affect the supply of carbon dioxide as well.
You are correct that the air composition is not currently simulated in the simulation. We haven't added this just yet. Basically a person can breathe if the life support they are using (building, vehicle or EVA suit) has enough oxygen in it's inventory to sustain them for the time period in question. If not, they will start to suffocate, eventually dying if it isn't remodied in time. Likewise they will dehydrate if they run out of water, but the time is longer for that. Heat and air pressure are also required from the life support. Food is also needed for periodic meals, but not provided by life support.
Hope this answers your questions. You might be interested in joining the developer mailing list for this project to keep in touch with what's going on for the next version. We always apprecate suggestions.
Thanks,
Scott Davis
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
I will continue to experiment with the files to test some specific situations.
I hope the project will go on for a long time. It's very promising and so unique for everyone that have space dreams, foot strong on earth but head in stars.
Thanks for the suggestion to join the developer mailing list. I will do.
Best regards
Claude DAVID
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
The only "doc" I really miss to experiment deeper with the simulation is a list of the "entity name" and what they are. For exemple the entity "Life support" is a system ? With wich other entities does it interact ? It can become very complex to understand how all those things interact without any info : "air leak" malfunction can touch "Life support" entity AND "Inhabitable Building". Don't have "Inhabitable Building" "life support" ?
Do you see the problem to understand the interactions and hierarchy between all those entities without shemas ?
A documentation will be really welcomed.
Have a nice day
Claude DAVID
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
Hi again,
I start to experiment with configuration files. It really adds a new dimension to the simulation.
I noticed that air composition don't seems to affect settlers. I modified some processes to produce many ambiant carbon monoxide, I inversed processes to have a lot or CO2 in ambiant air, and it seems to only affect crops. I get a yellow or red square to the left of each crop line in the greenhouse detail dialog. What means that colored square ?
So it seems that only the stocked oxygen affect settlers. Must we suppose they always wear a pressurised suit ?
What happen with the "Carbon Dioxide Pump" when the CO2 stock is at max (1000). Is the process triggered by level of the stock ? = each time the CO2 stock lower, the process start again to rise it again to 1000 ?
Last question ? Can we hope a more detailed documentation (even a rough one) about all those processes and configuration files, so we can really play with all those parameters ?
Thanks for that unique and fantastic dreaming tool.
Claude DAVID
Thank you for the great feedback, Claude.
I'm currently working on updating the documentation on the project website. I'm going to add a section in the user guide for configuring the simulation.
I actually meant to add a text document in the conf directory with information on resources, similar to the tech_level.txt file.
The simulation currently supports the following resources: water, oxygen, hydrogen, methane, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, food, rock samples, waste water, and ice.
Food in the simulation doesn't go bad over time. It's not specified as to what type of food, but food is harvested from greenhouse crops once they are full grown.
Waste water is sewage. It's used as fertilizer for growing crops, which filter much of it back into potable/drinking water.
Ice is actually a ice/dirt mixture collected from the Martian soil in icy areas. It can be heated and filtered into potable/drinking water.
The color of the square next to each crop in the greenhouse display shows the health of the crop - green for healthy, yellow for not-so-healthy, red for poor health. Healthy crops produce much more food at harvest time than poor health crops. Crops require certain resources to grow (waste water, carbon-dioxide), as well as a certain amount of daily tending as they are growing. If they don't receive this, they become less healthy. Often it is hard for a single settlement occupant to properly tend the greenhouse crops as they have other work to do.
The crop color square will be documented in the user guide when I update it.
For configuring processes, "ambient" means to or from the environment outside the settlement. The carbon dioxide pump process, for example, pumps carbon dioxide into a greenhouse inventory from the outside atmosphere (Mars' atmosphere is primarily carbon dioxide). The storage capacity for carbon dioxide is limited to 1000 kg, so the process basically stops when it hits that limit. Other processes in the settlement might affect the supply of carbon dioxide as well.
You are correct that the air composition is not currently simulated in the simulation. We haven't added this just yet. Basically a person can breathe if the life support they are using (building, vehicle or EVA suit) has enough oxygen in it's inventory to sustain them for the time period in question. If not, they will start to suffocate, eventually dying if it isn't remodied in time. Likewise they will dehydrate if they run out of water, but the time is longer for that. Heat and air pressure are also required from the life support. Food is also needed for periodic meals, but not provided by life support.
Hope this answers your questions. You might be interested in joining the developer mailing list for this project to keep in touch with what's going on for the next version. We always apprecate suggestions.
Thanks,
Scott Davis
Thanks Scott for those very useful explanations.
I will continue to experiment with the files to test some specific situations.
I hope the project will go on for a long time. It's very promising and so unique for everyone that have space dreams, foot strong on earth but head in stars.
Thanks for the suggestion to join the developer mailing list. I will do.
Best regards
Claude DAVID
Me again .....
The only "doc" I really miss to experiment deeper with the simulation is a list of the "entity name" and what they are. For exemple the entity "Life support" is a system ? With wich other entities does it interact ? It can become very complex to understand how all those things interact without any info : "air leak" malfunction can touch "Life support" entity AND "Inhabitable Building". Don't have "Inhabitable Building" "life support" ?
Do you see the problem to understand the interactions and hierarchy between all those entities without shemas ?
A documentation will be really welcomed.
Have a nice day
Claude DAVID