Tunnelmaker 2.0

A Minetest Mod to easily create arbitrarily curved tunnels, pathways, and bridges.

By David G (kestral246@gmail.com), with significant contributions by Mikola.

Warning: Version 2.0 only supports Minetest 5.0+.

For Minetest 0.4.x, use the git branch legacy, or the following zip file: tunnelmaker-legacy.zip.

Quick Use Guide

• Requires "tunneling" privileges to use: (/grant <player> tunneling).
• No crafting recipe: (/give <player> tunnelmaker:tool1).
• Left-click mouse to dig just about any node with one click.
• To dig train tunnel:
  • Point cursor at ground level.
  • Point character in direction to dig (inventory icon will change to show direction).
  • Right-click mouse to dig tunnel.
  • Note that reference nodes are placed in the ground. Just follow these to make nicely curved tunnels. Don't worry, they can be easily removes when done digging.
• Shift-left-click brings up User Options menu.

Features (Does way more than just dig tunnels!)

• Create paths, bridges, and tunnels in all sixteen possible advtrains track directions with one click.
• Also digs up or down in the eight possible advtrains slope track directions.
• New User Options menu to set digging mode and other options.
• Mode 1: General purpose excavation with unlined and lined tunnels.
• Mode 2: Advanced trains mod with gravel embankment, arched and optionally lined tunnels, and two widths of bridges.
• Mode 3: Bike mod with two widths of cobblestone pathways and bridges, along with unlined tunnels.
• Supports
• Adds reference nodes to help digging and laying advtrains track—now easy to remove when done.
• Adds glass enclosure when in water to create water tunnels.
• Requires "tunneling" privilege, and checks protections before digging.
• No crafting recipe, so needs to be given to player.
• Works in both creative and survival modes, but tunneling does not place any nodes into user's inventory.
• Supports client-side translation files. Currently supports German (recently provided by xenonca), Russian (by Mikola), and my attempt at French. Other languages will be gratefully accepted. (Reference template file is available in locale directory.)

Controls

• Left-click: Super dig one node. One click digs nearly any node (non-repeating) and places it in player's inventory.
• Shift-left-click: Bring up User Options menu. (Can also use Aux-right-click for Android.)
• Right-click: - Dig tunnel in direction player pointed. Note that this won't place any of the dug nodes in player's inventory.
• Shift-right-click: Cycle through vertical digging modes, up, down, and horizontal.

How to enable

• Install tunnelmaker mod, requires default and stairs. For nicer bike path ramps, I recommend installing the angledstairs mod, which was used for the picture above, but it's not required.
• Grant player "tunneling" privilege (/grant <player> tunneling).
• To give player a tunnelmaker tool use (/give <player> tunnelmaker:tool1).

How to dig

See diagram below that shows track configurations supported by advtrains.

• Move to digging location and highlight node at ground level. (Gray node in diagrams marked with an '×'.)
• Point player in desired digging direction. (Inventory icon will change to show current direction.)
• Right-click mouse to dig tunnel.

Digging for slopes

Note that advtrains only supports sloped track for orthogonal and diagonal track directions.

• Move to digging location and highlight node at ground level.
• Point player in desired digging direction.
• Shift-right-click mouse to select vertical digging mode. Inventory icon will cycle through possible modes with each click: 'U' for digging up, 'D' for digging down, and no letter for default horizontal.
• Right-click mouse to dig tunnel.
• There is a user option to control whether to reset direction after each dig or not (see below).

User Options menu

Shift-left-click to bring up this menu.

Descriptions of all the options:

• Digging mode Select one of the three digging modes: General purpose, Advanced trains, or Bike paths.
• Wide paths / lined tunnels Select between narrow and wide paths, and whether tunnels are lined with stone or not.
• Continuous up/down digging Don't reset up/down after each dig.
• Clear tree cover Remove all plant material above dig up to 30 nodes above ground. CPU intensive, so shuts off after two minutes.
• Remove reference nodes Easily remove reference nodes by walking over them. Also shuts off after two minutes.
• Lock desert mode to: either "Desert" or "Non-desert" Option only available when "add_desert_material = true" has been added to minetest.conf. Overrides use of desert materials in desert biomes. Useful for transition regions.

minetest.conf options

• Several options to change defaults for the User Options menu. See settingtypes.txt for details.
• add_desert_material (default = false): When enabled, this mod will use desert materials when digging in desert biomes. This will also add an additional entry to the User Options menu.
• tunnel_lights (default = desert:torch): Use this to change type of light placed in tunnels. Some examples are: default:mese_post_light; morelights_vintage:lantern_c; ilights:light; and mydefaultlights:ceiling_light_white,20. This last one requires the ",20" on the end, which defines the param2 rotation needed to put the lamp on the ceiling.
• train_tunnel_height (default = 5): Can increase train tunnels up to a height of 8.
• train_tunnel_arches (default = true): Disable to get rid of arches to give more modern rectangular tunnels.

Advtrains digging reference

The following diagrams show how to make curved tunnels that support the different track configurations used by advtrains. There are three basic directions that are supported: 0° (orthogonal, rook moves), 45° (diagonal, bishop moves), and 26.6° (knight moves, two blocks forward and one block to the side).

• Note that it's always possible to dig in any direction, but turns with angles other than those shown won't be supported by advtrains track.
• Also note that there are other limitations to advtrains slope track. Documentation TBD.

License

• textures: License CC0-1.0
• code: My changes to original code are CC0-1.0
• original compassgps license: Original code by Echo, PilzAdam, and TeTpaAka is WTFPL. Kilarin (Donald Hines) changes are CC0 (No rights reserved)

Thanks

• advtrains / orwell96, et. al. - For providing the amazing advtrains mod that this mod tries to make just a little easier to use.
• compassgps / Kilarin (Donald Hines), et. al. - Top level code to change icon based on direction player is pointing.