Wiring Help Please & Strange Announcement Sign

[Dangedifiknow]

First: I get a strange thing happening with wires running through an announcement sign. This happens when I turn the switch on (upper right of the screenshot). It goes away when I turn the switch off.

Second: The help I'm asking for is when I turn the switch off some Christmas lights stay on. I can't figure out how to get all the lights turn off. With the current wiring, I like the light effects. I couldn't figure out how to make the lights go around the room one by one (like a wave motion) without it getting complicated & taking up more room than I wanted to use.



Here's a screenshot of my wiring.

Thank you!

 

[iamnguyen]

Absolutely gorgeous design, please share it once you're done.

Firstly, announcement sign will always sends its message to the chat when activated through wires. That's why most people hide the announcement sign and when activated, it would give the impression that a character is talking. See the wikia page for more info. If you don't want the message in the chat, use a wooden sign instead, then paint it silver.

Secondly, your wiring can be greatly simplified if you want just it to flash every 0.5 seconds. Use one 0.5 timer, then connect it to every light using ONE color wire.

Thirdly, you can turn it off in style. Wiring won't be complicated, but a large space will be needed. I recommend hiding the mechanism underground or in the sky. I will follow up with a wiring diagram for your desired wiring.

Update:
View attachment 342972
Without wiring
View attachment 342973
With wiring.

The premise of this mechanism is that the dart trap will activate the teal pressure plate in a sequential manner. Obviously you want to hide the mechanism far away by extending the wiring. Based on the number of lights you have and the four sides, it may take some time but this is the easiest mechanism.

You can adjust the speed of the dart by submerging it in water or honey. You can make it even slower with animal statue and yellow pressure plates, though I highly advise against this. NPCs will despawn if you're too far and you do want the set up to be far away for the aesthetics.

There's one flaw in this design and that is turning it on will be sequential as well. The lights will flash every 0.5 second like you want, but they won't do it all at the exact same time. Try it out to see whether you like it or not. If you want turning on to be different from turning off, there is a solution with logic gate, but the mechanism is slightly more complicated.

 

[Dangedifiknow]

Absolutely gorgeous design, please share it once you're done.

Thank you! I have already shared this map here:

Map-Base - Mobile 1.4.0.5.2 Journey All Items Map Now In The Released Section

Happy Holidays Everyone! This is still a WIP but it's done enough it might be useful to someone. It's different from the other very well done all items maps. I grouped things together using wiki. I also made themed rooms. This way I could easily make a character for specific things like a melee...

forums.terraria.org

I'm currently working on redoing it because some of the way I originally did it was driving me nuts (like only having 2 spaces between each room). I figure another 2-3 weeks and I'll be done. I'll be keeping the same basic layout.

Firstly, announcement sign will always sends its message to the chat when activated through wires. That's why most people hide the announcement sign and when activated, it would give the impression that a character is talking. See the wikia page for more info. If you don't want the message in the chat, use a wooden sign instead, then paint it silver.

Hrmmm there is no silver paint I'm aware of but I could try a) moving the wires away from the announcement box or b) white or negative paint

Secondly, your wiring can be greatly simplified if you want just it to flash every 0.5 seconds. Use one 0.5 timer, then connect it to every light using ONE color wire.

I'll definitely try this. I do tend to make things more complicated than necessary.

Thirdly, you can turn it off in style. Wiring won't be complicated, but a large space will be needed. I recommend hiding the mechanism underground or in the sky. I will follow up with a wiring diagram for your desired wiring.

Update:
View attachment 342972
Without wiring
View attachment 342973
With wiring.

When I tried to view both attachments, all I got was a page saying "Oops" & that I didn't have permission to view them.

The premise of this mechanism is that the dart trap will activate the teal pressure plate in a sequential manner. Obviously you want to hide the mechanism far away by extending the wiring. Based on the number of lights you have and the four sides, it may take some time but this is the easiest mechanism.

You can adjust the speed of the dart by submerging it in water or honey. You can make it even slower with animal statue and yellow pressure plates, though I highly advise against this. NPCs will despawn if you're too far and you do want the set up to be far away for the aesthetics.

There's one flaw in this design and that is turning it on will be sequential as well. The lights will flash every 0.5 second like you want, but they won't do it all at the exact same time. Try it out to see whether you like it or not. If you want turning on to be different from turning off, there is a solution with logic gate, but the mechanism is slightly more complicated.

I won't be sure until I try it but what you are calling a flaw might be what I was wanting the lights to do in the first place.

Thank you very much for this reply!

 

[iamnguyen]

Please let me know if you can see the pictures this time.
Here's a link to a video. New video by Theo Truong

 

[Dangedifiknow]

Yes I can. Those will be a big help. I'm already mulling over an idea for two sets. One to turn on the lights & one to turn them off. Getting 4 color wires in mobile makes lots of things possible now! Thank you!

 

[iamnguyen]

Yes I can. Those will be a big help. I'm already mulling over an idea for two sets. One to turn on the lights & one to turn them off. Getting 4 color wires in mobile makes lots of things possible now! Thank you!

Give us an update when you can. If you need troubleshooting, we'd love to help out.

Update 10/6/21:
I took the liberty of wiring up an a fresh mechanism. Entirely programmable with easy to use UI (I think).

Follow the instructions near the wooden arrow to program the lights. You can program an interval of 4 seconds with 180 changes in that interval (every 0.02s you can add a change). Essentially, there's a row of teal plates and a wire of 3 colors running beneath. Every 45 teal plates (which equal 1 second), there's a diamond block marking. Say you want all the red and green lights to turn on at 1 second and off at 2 seconds, draw a red+green wire connecting the 45th teal plate to the wire beneath and draw another at the 90th teal plate. Odd number of a color turns it on and even turns it off, so remember everything must be even at the end of the 4 second interval. Try not to program past the ruby block, so that the gap would signify an appropriate time to flip the switch again to turn everything off in a sequential manner. Don't mess with anything outside the row marked with the wooden arrow.

I made this using TEdit.

 

[Dangedifiknow]

Give us an update when you can. If you need troubleshooting, we'd love to help out.

Update 10/6/21:
I took the liberty of wiring up an a fresh mechanism. Entirely programmable with easy to use UI (I think).

I made this using TEdit.

Thank you for doing this but unfortunately I can't open the map. If you used the most current TEdit, it's at a higher version than mobile. I did save your work because it may work after the next mobile update. From what I understand, the next update will bring mobile into parity with pc Terraria. I wish I could have seen how your effort worked because I'm very intrigued with the idea of programmable Christmas lights!

I have been experimenting with your dart trap & teal plate suggestion on the new map & have gotten some nice results! I'm still running into the problem of getting all the lights to turn off. I did figure out how to make them turn on sequentially one at a time going around the room. I can even get them to reverse turning on sequentially after they light up around the room. Basically they light up going clockwise once, then light up counterclockwise once & keep repeating. It took a lot of wiring but I think I can make that more compact using junction boxes.

Some of this would be easier if placing timers vertically they would stack without each needing a platform (or they'd stick to the wall like switches do).

I looked into logic gates but didn't think they would help as they are output. I couldn't figure out how to use them so when I wanted all the lights off they could be set so a light that was off, stayed off - but if it was on, it turned off.

(I think TEdit for mobile would be awesome, but I doubt that will happen. Just like I think being able to rename a world after creation would be awesome but not likely to happen. LOL)

I really appreciate your help as it has worked out some of the kinks for what I'm trying to do.

 

[iamnguyen]

I have downgraded the version. Will you please see if it works?

 

[Dangedifiknow]

I have downgraded the version. Will you please see if it works?

Yes!!! Thank you! It does work. I haven't tried the lights yet but I will later today or in the wee early hours of tomorrow. It looked like you had logic gates in the set-up?

Here's the screenshots of what I did using your idea. I used 1/4 second timers. When all the lights were off before turning on the switch to the dart trap the lights flashed similar to a strobe light. The wiring is a bit messy but I figured I could make it neater after seeing how it worked. The other switch with yellow wiring was to turn off any lights that were on when I was done.



Your idea has given me other ideas to use on some other maps too.

 

[iamnguyen]

It looked like you had logic gates in the set-up?

Yes, I use logic gates to avoid backfiring into the mechanism.

The top row is to program turning on the lights.

The bottom row is to turn off the lights. Looks complicated, but it's simply a T flip-flop , activating with every other input. The logic gate with the yellow wire turns everything on at once so the logic gate with the dart trap sequentially turns everything off.

The other switch with yellow wiring was to turn off any lights that were on when I was done.

When you use timer, there's one problem. When you want to flip the switch to turn everything off, some of the lights are already off would be turned on. That's because it lacks a counting mechanism. An odd/even counting mechanism can be added with an AND logic gate and 2 lamps.

|| lamp 1: wired to the timer and in sync with the light
|| lamp 2: wired to the off switch
☐ AND gate

If the light is off, lamp 1 is also off, flipping the switch to turn on lamp 2 produces no signal. If the light is on, lamp 1 is on, flipping the switch to turn on lamp 2 will produce a signal to turn the light off.

The off switch can be the very same on switch with you use the T flip-flop wiring.

I used TEdit 4.0.0 for Terraria 1.4.0.5 for mobile compatibility

 

[Dangedifiknow]

Looks complicated, but it's simply a T flip-flop

Thank you for explaining this. I checked it out on wiki. What I need to do is make some set-ups on my map to see how they work. That's where your wiring on the map will be a huge help for me. I'll be able to see how it works. I can learn better than by reading how to do it.

When you use timer, there's one problem. When you want to flip the switch to turn everything off, some of the lights are already off would be turned on.

Yes. That was why I asked for help. I couldn't figure out how to get the lights to reset to all being off after turning them on if some were on & some were off. The effect I was trying to achieve didn't work if all lights were on at the start. It also didn't work if some of the lights were on. The second switch was a temporary way for me to wire up lights that were still on & turn them off. I couldn't just remove & replace them because they are on when placed. Exiting & re-entering the map didn't reset the lights either.

Because of your help, my new map is going to have another section. I'm using the upper surface/space level to put wiring examples. That area will now be my "tutorial" & experiments section. I decided to do that after you'd mentioned putting the wiring up there to hide it.

I used TEdit 4.0.0 for Terraria 1.4.0.5 for mobile compatibility

It definitely worked. I'm only on mobile so TEdit isn't an option for me.

Thank you for not only your first response but your continuing responses. My brain is concocting new ideas to make other maps I'm working on to be more interesting.

I've enjoyed reading through the T-MEC section for years even though I didn't understand most of what was done. LOL

 

[iamnguyen]

I'm most happy to help. I like a good challenge, and this certainly is. I downloaded Terraria in June because I was so bored. I wish I discovered this game earlier.

 

[Dangedifiknow]

I'm most happy to help. I like a good challenge, and this certainly is. I downloaded Terraria in June because I was so bored. I wish I discovered this game earlier.

I like good challenges too. My oldest son recommended Terraria to me years ago. (He said he was "Mr. Toker" here.) It's the only digital game I've paid real money for. It's the only game I know of where the developers give so very much to the players for so little. Even after all these years, I'm finding new things to do & new ways to play.
Welcome to Terraria & the Terraria Community!

 

[iamnguyen]

How are you going with your project?

 

[Dangedifiknow]

It's going great! I've recreated what you've done on the new map. I added a row of Christmas lights on the new map under what you did so I can see what happens when I do things with it. If I mess it up on the new map, I have your work on the old map as an easy reference. I figure I have 1-2 weeks before the map is finished. If you like I'll post some screenshots. I haven't done the new Christmas room yet as I'm still working on how the lights work. (That's why I made the 'practice' area.)

 

[Dangedifiknow]

How are you going with your project?

I am finished with the map. : ) It's been shared in the Released section. I didn't use your work in the Christmas room, but I did recreate it in the sky. After you shared your first graphics I got an idea using those. The Christmas room wiring would have made a mess of that.
Thank you once again for your help. I think it's made my map a lot more interesting.

 

[iamnguyen]

I thoroughly enjoy your work. I saw that you have tested out every mechanism described on the wiki. I must confess that I'm slightly bored so I'd be more than happy if you have any wiring project I could help out with.

 

[Dangedifiknow]

Thank you! Yes, doing it that way helped me understand it a bit more. I'm sure I'll be needing more help in the future because I'm always trying things but find out later they aren't supposed to work that way. LOL

 

[iamnguyen]

My written instructions were confusing so I added a video of how I "program" the Jingle Bells light sequence. Turning on will give the Jingle Bells pattern, turning off will turn everything on and sequentially turn everything off. Both actions can be done with the same switch, as long as turning off is done at the end of the song sequence.

I notice that your welcome sign uses all 4 colors for the teal plates. From personal experience, I limit myself to 2 in case I want to upgrade the mechanism in the future.

 

[Dangedifiknow]

Thank you for the video. The Jingle Bell example was a big help too. Your written instructions were fine. The trouble was on my side. My brain doesn't visualize (make pictures) things. That's why wiki, as good as the explanations are, were confusing to me. When I actually try things so I can see how they work my brain can go 'AHA!'

You're right about simplifying the wire colors. Right now I'm learning so for that one, the 4 colors were a visual reference at the time.

I also tried out your original flashing program. It was a very nice flashing effect. And now I know what those extra bits of wire were for!