Factorio Forums

Hi all!

I'm curious as to how to count items with the circuit network, then display it in the world so that I can see at a glance how many items I have.

The purpose is for my train stations so that I can see there's 20k iron ore in the buffer or none and know that I need more.

I've a basic understanding of the circuit network and logic, but when we get to more than controlling sections of factory based on inputs, I get a bit confuddled.


A) 7 segment display-like system or "pixels"?
B) Is the circuitry going to be bigger than a reasonable train station?
C) Basically, how would I do this?

This thread has a collection of many ways to do it: viewtopic.php?f=193&t=19825

DaveMcW wrote:This thread has a collection of many ways to do it: viewtopic.php?f=193&t=19825

Thank you. I think I can figure out how to adapt those to my uses. Perhaps I can learn how it works too!

There are also two mods that enables to see values of circuits. One is Nixie Tubes, the other I currently don't remember. Perhaps there are more meanwhile?

The easiest solution that I have come up with, as a combinator-challenged player, is as follows:

Wire your buffer chests together and connect them to a Decider combinator
(For example purposes, I will assume that you would like 10k ore in your buffer)
Set the Decider to
<Resource> < 10k
Red 1
Then wire it to the lamp and set the lamp condition to
Use colors
Red > 0

If you want something a little more complex, you can use 6 combinators as follows:
Input wire from buffer to deciders 1, 2, 3, 4
Output from 2, 3 to Input 5
Output from 3, 4 to Input 6
Output 1, 4, 5, 6 to Lamp

Decider 1
Ore > 20k
Blue 1
(Something wrong, I have WAY too much ore in the system)

Decider 2
Ore < 20001
A 1
(Running smoothly, sufficient ore in buffer)

Decider 3
Ore < 10k
B 1
(Yellow alert, buffer below requested level)

Decider 4
Ore < 5000
Red 1
(Red alert, imminent danger of starvation)

Decider 5
A > B
Green 1

Decider 6
B > Red
Yellow 1

Lamp
Use Colors
Anything > 0

If I have remembered my circuit correctly, that will show a blue light for major overstock, a green light for stock within parameters, a yellow light for low stock and a red light for very low stock.

I'm sure the are better-optimised ways of doing this, but at least this version is comprehensible to those of us without degrees in programming or IT system design