Friday Facts #123 - Better circuit network (Part 2)

[slpwnd]

Here comes continuation of last week's Combinators oriented FFF: http://factorio.com/blog/post/fff-123

[Proxy]

looking Forward to a System that controlls/Regulates itself...
Ultimate automation!
EDIT: first, never had that before.

[keyboardhack]

A way to control everything in a factory in a complicated way? AWESOME!
This begins to remind me more and more of a train simulator

[clooner]

I Like the way that the downside is being sold as a feature

The extra space requirement means you need to plan your setups better.

[DaveMcW]

I would like a "push-button" entity, that when clicked, generates a circuit network value for 1 tick and then resets itself.

Or at least an easy way to make a power switch act like a push-button.

[Gouada]

Wait, so will we finally have something along the lines of "wait until full" for trains?
Also, will combinators be staying in the game?

[Rseding91]

Wait, so will we finally have something along the lines of "wait until full" for trains?
Also, will combinators be staying in the game?

If you haven't yet, I suggest you read the FF linked https://www.factorio.com/blog/post/fff-114

As for combinators: yes. They allow comparisons of signals that otherwise you couldn't do in the standard "circuit condition" interface.

[Martc]

I wonder, if smart inserter can be replaced by combination of Circuit Network Connector Writer and normal inserter. Because this way we could get long handed smart inserter without adding new entity.

Btw:

Posted by Robert on 2016-01-30

Message from the future!

[Twinsen]

I wonder, if smart inserter can be replaced by combination of Circuit Network Connector Writer and normal inserter. Because this way we could get long handed smart inserter without adding new entity.

That's exactly what you can do now. Circuit Network Connector Writer+Long Hand Inserter will work.

Btw:

Posted by Robert on 2016-01-30

Message from the future!

They are on to us, Doc, get to the DeLorean!

[roy7]

Will we still need to use a tank + a Circuit Network Connector to measure amount of available liquid, or will be able to measure the amount in a piece of pipe?

[_aD]

Will we still need to use a tank + a Circuit Network Connector to measure amount of available liquid, or will be able to measure the amount in a piece of pipe?

You'll need tank + connector to read off how many biters you have squished, and then claim your bounty pay.

[_aD]

A fabulous FFF, really interesting to read about the new idea and the why/how of it all. Sounds like a logical maturation of the networks and how they fit the game mechanics.

[mngrif]

This sounds AMAZING! Sure it will break some parts of my factory but it's all in the name of progress. Thanks \o/

[Twinsen]

Will we still need to use a tank + a Circuit Network Connector to measure amount of available liquid, or will be able to measure the amount in a piece of pipe?

You will need a Circuit Connector to read the contents of a storage tank. Not sure about pipe but I guess I can do that too.

[Smarty]

fancy!

Me likes it a lot

[nobodx]

Just to make sure I got this right:
If I have a chest (wood,iron,steel) and I place this connector next to it, I can see the chests content in the wire-network ?

And (since both are 1x1) I can use 1 connector to check the content of 4 chests (or control 4 whatever) ?

[Rseding91]

Just to make sure I got this right:
If I have a chest (wood,iron,steel) and I place this connector next to it, I can see the chests content in the wire-network ?

Yes

And (since both are 1x1) I can use 1 connector to check the content of 4 chests (or control 4 whatever) ?

That's something Twinsen would need to answer.

[daniel34]

Just to make sure I got this right:
If I have a chest (wood,iron,steel) and I place this connector next to it, I can see the chests content in the wire-network ?

Yes

And (since both are 1x1) I can use 1 connector to check the content of 4 chests (or control 4 whatever) ?

That's something Twinsen would need to answer.

The smart chest will be removed. Any chest can be read by attaching the Circuit Network Connector to it.

I'm not exactly sure what 'attaching' means in this context, but I would assume (and prefer) that it meant you can connect them with wires as it currently is with the smart chest, which would not only mean that you can connect 4 chests, but all the chests in wire-reach.
Especially in mid/end-gameplay most important chests are replaced by requester/provider chests anyway, so that functionality shouldn't be lost.

[Olix]

Hi, this blog post was interesting and I quite like the ideas, but you are very bad at naming things. 'Circuit Network Connector Writer'? It sounds like a class name from Java or similar.

I think you should try to think of some names for this and the other new objects that are more concise. For instance, I quite like the word 'Actuator' that is used by the Smarter Circuitry mod. And maybe 'Sensor' for the 'Readers'?

[Jonathan88]

Great ideas there! I am looking forwards to this a lot

One thing though, could you make it so that for a few weeks after the features are introduced, wires can still be directly connectible to their old entities. However, when you disconnect the wire, you cannot link it back without using a connector. This would give us more time to work on rewiring our factory. If it can't be done easily, don't worry