Subsystem Monitoring for LCD Screens/Text Panels

LCD Screens and Text Panels allow us to display messages, decorate our ships/stations, and provide important information about our grid. Currently, there are 11 scripts which allow us to display basic information, but there are very few scripts which display important information about our grid.

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I am proposing the addition of a new feature: Subsystem Monitoring.

Subsystem Monitoring would be a simplified way of setting up LCD Screens or Text Panels to display relevant info about functional blocks (or block groups) on your grid. Start by adding a new option under Content named "Monitor Subsystems". From here, players can select from variety of functional blocks on their grid, similar to how we add items to blacklists/whitelists for sorters. Once selected, players can then select which information should be displayed about that block, which will vary based on the type of block selected.

Blocks will have some options in common, such as Total Health (%), whether they are powered on/off, their current power consumption (if it applies), and if they are connected to the conveyor system (if it applies). Here is a list of examples of significant blocks and important information that I believe could be displayed:

• Batteries - On/Off, Total Health (%) , Stored Power (kWH + %), Status (Recharging/Discharging/Auto), Time Until Empty/Recharged, Current Input/Output
• Cargo Containers - On/Off, Total Health (%), Connected to Grid (Yes/No), Total Mass (kg), Volume (Liters + %)
• H2/O2 Tanks - On/Off, Total Health (%), Connected to Grid (Yes/No), Filled (Liters + %), Stockpiling (Yes/No), Auto-Refill (Yes/No)
• Hydrogen Engines - On/Off, Total Health (%), Connected to Grid (Yes/No), Power Consumption (kWH + %), Current Output (W), Filled (Liters + %)
• Refineries - On/Off, Total Health (%), Connected to Grid (Yes/No), Power Consumption (kWH + %), Volume (Liters + %)
• All Turrets - On/Off, Total Health (%), Connected to Grid (Yes/No), Volume (Liters + %), Targeting Data (Default/Weapons/Propulsion/Power), Target Locking (Enabled/Disabled), Shooting (Yes/No)

Other Examples:

• Wind Turbines, Solar Panels, Reactors, All Thrusters, Landing Gears, Hangar Doors, Assemblers, Grinders/Welders/Drills, Ore Detectors, Searchlights, Sensors, Doors, Air Vents

Some Additional Considerations:

• Add some color to the data. For example, if a cargo container is full, color the text of its volume red. If a battery is recharging, make the text yellow. If a block is not functional, make the text of its health red. Just a way to make things less boring.
• Since many subsystems consist of multiple blocks, the ability to select block groups is important. For block groups to be monitored, they would need to be the same kind of block. If an unacceptable group is selected, then nothing will populate the menu. When a valid block group is selected, information about those blocks should be displayed as though they are a single block.
• There should not be too much information displayed, just basic info about those blocks so players can monitor their subsystems easily and effectively. Now that we are able to target specific subsystems with Warfare 2, having the ability to quickly monitor these subsystems is invaluable.
• This is NOT a script. This would be under an entirely new category of contents within the control panel of each LCD Screen/Text Panel. The UI should be familiar, and players will literally only need to make 2 selections: 'What block/group is being monitored', and 'what info should be displayed on this screen'.
• Perhaps allow for players to add a "Title" to the block so they can further customize their displays. This way we can add descriptions to what the screen is monitoring: "Cargo Group A", "Main Cannon", "Hanger Pressurization", etc.
• Imagine how cool security rooms would look with all this info displayed!

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THANK YOU for looking at this. If you have any comments about this proposed method of monitoring player-defined subsystems, please comment. PLEASE UPVOTE if you think this is a good idea so that other players (and developers) can hear our feedback!

Thanks,

A Longtime Space Engineer <3