More Versatile Vactubes

[FenceAKAGlasnost]

Description of the feature

Currently, the items in vactubes can only go in one direction.

https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/102940520/209466003-0a04a3e9-5937-4c68-843a-dbd9f4c356bd.mp4

But what if the sucking direction of the vactubes could be changed by pressing/placing a cube on a button?

https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/102940520/209466119-381624c7-cd4a-49f2-9938-0600d4dfe6bd.mp4

Would it be possible to add the ability to intersect vactubes with one another as well?

And also a counter that determines the amount of items needed to activate a switch?

https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/102940520/209466223-72b425cb-cd4c-41cb-896b-a6ab31c0ab74.mp4

Why should this be implemented

I think adding these features would further diversify how puzzle creators use vactubes in their levels

(i.e. Pressing buttons to direct cubes in vactubes to go towards other sections in test chambers)

Additional information

The screenshots and videos are provided in Description of the feature Also, check out Portal: Gamma Energy mod, test chamber 23 for further reference. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVrDdrMkLW4

[Critfish]

Interesting. I feel like vactubes are currently near-useless as a puzzle element, so adding some more versatility to them couldn't hurt. I do wonder how the T-junctions would function in the puzzlemaker though.

I'm not sure about the counters. Most good puzzles don't really use any more than three cubes, so having what are effectively glorified multi-cube buttons seems like a waste.

[FenceAKAGlasnost]

Most good puzzles don't really use any more than three cubes

But in the video, the counter only counts the items connected to the tubes, I guess that could be a tube-exclusive element instead of replacing the traditional buttons.

In a way, they could also be used to save chamber space, so instead of placing # number of buttons, they could be condensed into a counter instead.

[HeimlichLaboratories]

The problem is how would they be placed in the editor, you can't really have floating items

[FenceAKAGlasnost]

The tubes are all connected to a surface though.

Or, we could just fill out the empty spaces by editing the chamber shape.

[HeimlichLaboratories]

The tubes are all connected to a surface though.

Or, we could just fill out the empty spaces by editing the chamber shape.

The video you sent has corners not attached to a surface. You can't do this in the editor

[FenceAKAGlasnost]

How I wish there were air blocks in the editor

The video you sent has corners not attached to a surface. You can't do this in the editor

Then, attach them to a surface in the editor.

[FrozenDragon0]

How I wish there were air blocks in the editor

Would be nice but any floating items without support isn't possible unfortunately.

[Nixel1324]

Just discovered a way floating vac tubes are possible, even in the current version of BEE2! It's a bit of a finicky hack, but it's something:

Place the vac tube on a light bridge, then turn "start enabled" off. It does seem to be limited to horizontal bridges, so for (corners to) vertical tubes, further research is needed.

[jb0lt]

This behaver comes from cubes and turrets generating to accommodate light bridges and stay on top of them

[Hazmatron7]

It would be nice to see T-junction vactubes.