Thoughts on implementing cargo planes in the AircraftDrones Mod

[IngoKnieto]

I'm currently thinking about how to implement a cargo plane feature in the Aircraft Drones Mod (https://mods.factorio.com/mod/AircraftDrones), and I would like anyones opinion - especially other modders opinion - on my current concept.
My goal is to implement a solution similar to LTN, where you put a requested amount on one airport, and a provided amount on another airport, and if the provided amount matches the request, then a cargo route is made automatically.

This is how that could work, see the picture for more details:

• 1. A new storage "warehouse" needs to be connected to an airport, that means wire connection between hangar, runway and warehouse.

• 2. The warehouse has an interface where you need to put the provider signal or the requester signal. In the picture you see a warehouse with a requester signal of 50 and a 4000 iron plates signal, and a warehouse with a provider signal of 3000.
  (The requester signal here is in percent, but that's just an idea I'm testing - it could also be any given amount)

• 3. If a requester warehouse gets below its limit (in the example 50 % of 4000 iron plates = 2000 iron plates) and a provider warehouse has iron plates above the provided amount (3000 in the example), then the script will look for an airport with a cargo drone in range and start the cargo route.

• 4. Cargo route means:
  - cargo drone will fly to the provider airport
  - it will land and go to the provider warehouse
  - when its inventory matches the provided amount it will start again and fly to the requester airport
  - it will land and go to the requester warehouse
  - when its inventory is empty it will fly back to its original hangar

With this concept you could bring in ressources from a mine to your main factory or also provide an outpost with necessary items.
The biggest PRO of this concept is that I could program it, the biggest CON probably that I have no idea how to include merged routes in it - there would probably be only one active cargo drone possible between two warehouses.

There might be more cons to this concept, or use-cases for cargo planes I didn't think of, or modding possibilities I'm not aware of... If you are, tell me - that is why I'm writing this post.

cargo_drones.png (3.48 MiB) Viewed 934 times

Before you answer with a long feature request list please consider that I'm coding this mod in the evening in my free time after I've already coded things the whole day at work...

PS: Graphics are wip, I need somebody to to that for me...

[Illiander42]

I'd ask about using this mod for warehouse graphics: https://mods.factorio.com/mod/Warehousing (It's MIT lisenced, so should be a formality)

As for request/provide functionality - I'd reccomend doing the same thing LTN does: Requests are negative signals, provides are positive signals, planes move supplies from positive to negative - that way you don't need to mess about using specific wire colours.

Also, if you need a second brain on something, let me know - I'm happy to help