Stormworks: Basic Engines

This tutorial is a simple introduction to how to make an engine in stormworks utilising preset parts. While Stormworks has a highly in-depth system of modular engine parts and microcontrollers, it's not required to know actual mechanical engineering to produce a working drive system in the game. To facilitate things, the Stormworks devs have kindly provided three sizes of prebuilt basic engines; which are more than sufficient for quickly powering a vehicle. All you've gotta do is hook em up to air, fuel, coolant and the actual generator wheel or propeller. This tutorial will explain how to go through those steps. The specific design that it'll be walking through is a compact boat engine built around the Medium Engine block.

First things first- arranging your inventory. A basic engine will require the following parts:

Small/Medium/Large Engine

Fluid Heat Radiator

Small/Medium/Large Fluid Tank

Fluid Port

Gearbox (if utilising your engine for thrust)

Various pipe segments

A Key Button

A Throttle

Something to hook the engine up to (propeller or a generator)

The Medium engine block possesses labelled ports for piping to connect to. In order to connect one component to another (let's say, for instance, the fuel tank and the engine), you simply have to place a series of pipes connecting the appropriate ports. Firstly, place down the Fluid Radiator and connect both ports to the Medium Engine's In Coolant/Out Coolant ports. Secondly, connect the fuel tank to the port marked "Fuel". Congratulations, your engine now has access to diesel and coolant.

An internal combustion engine requires proper air circulation; specifically intakes and exhausts. For these, the fluid port block comes in handy. Therein, Step Two is to connect (via pipes) Fluid Port blocks to the Air and Exhaust slots on the engine. Ensure that each intake and exhaust has its own separate Fluid Port; and each Fluid port has access to air.

Your engine now has all the components required to function- if only someone could start it up. To ensure that your engine is actually controllable, place down a key button (as a starter) and a throttle (as a, well, throttle). Open up the Logic menu, select the Data option on the sidebar and connect the red circle marked "Medium Engine-Starter" to the red circle "Key Button-Activated", and the green circle "Medium Engine-Throttle" to the other green circle "Throttle Lever-Throttle." Your engine's power and starter can now be controlled by pushing the throttle and turning the key button.

The gearbox and control surfaces require electric power to function. To ensure they receive it, place a battery somewhere on your engine, open up the Logic menu, select the Electric option and connect the battery's yellow circle indicator to the yellow circle indicators on the key button, throttle and gearbox.

Your engine is now fully functioning! However, it is somewhat useless without something to actually propel. So, the final step on your engine-building odyssey is to attach a gearbox and propeller. Ensure that the gearbox is connected to the orange "Power" port on the engine, and the blue arrow on the gearbox is pointing in the direction of the propeller.

Well done, you figured out how to make a functioning engine in Stormworks: Build and Rescue. Now, good luck building a buoyant hull (the game's physics are unforgiving, you're gonna need it).