Train stations and circuit networks [0.13]

[Jarin]

Messing around with the new circuits, I hooked up a smart loader to a train station, hoping that I could use it to load a specific amount of a given item aboard the train (In this case, empty oil drums), but that doesn't seem to be the case. It just keeps loading past the limit. Bug, or am I misunderstanding the design and the station doesn't send a stopped train's contents to the attached network?

[TheTom]

Have you considered showing us the configuration? There is this thing called a "screenshot".

[Case]

Inserters have a stack size ..if you try to deliver more than the stack size you end up with more items.

Example: Lets say you have max research for the stack size bonus. Your stack inserter gabs 12 items and put them in place - if you set your filter to lets say 5 you still get 12 items.

The (semi) solution is to set the filter to a divider by your current stack size. This solves not every problem but it weakens the problem a bit

[Gertibrumm]

For things like oil drums where you dont really need precision (unless you are a perfectionist) you can just enable the inserters if the demanded count was not yet processed.

If you really need exact numbers, just use smart inserters which I think are not effected by stack size bonus

[BillH]

Normal inserters will grab up to three items once you've researched the inserter stack size, so your granularity for setting limits is 3 if you want to be reasonably tight with your limits.

[Jarin]

I don't care about precision, I just want it to stop at some point.

http://imgur.com/a/i9poY

It's happily loading every empty barrel available.

[Unoxxis]

Have you checked the signals on that red wire? As far as I know the train stop DOES NOT send the train contents yet. Unfortunately...

[Jarin]

Have you checked the signals on that red wire? As far as I know the train stop DOES NOT send the train contents yet. Unfortunately...

Well that's unfortunate. I thought I'd seen otherwise in a FF blog, but on the bright side, in looking for that, I found a solution to my problem:
http://www.factorio.com/blog/post/fff-140
This mentions filtered slots... I was not aware you could filter slots in train inventories. So I can define a few slots for empty barrels and the rest for full and no problems.

As a side note, how do you check the signals on a wire, other than testing each individually. Is there a "network status" view somewhere?

[twepy]

To check the content of circuit network hover your mouse over an electricity pole which is wired with the signal wire and it shows the contents of the circuit network.

[ssilk]

Think this is similar: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=27596 Inserters moving stacks into nearly-full cargo wagons...

[Jarin]

Think this is similar: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=27596 Inserters moving stacks into nearly-full cargo wagons...

Nope, totally unrelated issue. I didn't know about that one though, so I'll have to watch out for it.

[Wezz]

Have you checked the signals on that red wire? As far as I know the train stop DOES NOT send the train contents yet. Unfortunately...

Well that's unfortunate. I thought I'd seen otherwise in a FF blog, but on the bright side, in looking for that, I found a solution to my problem:
http://www.factorio.com/blog/post/fff-140
This mentions filtered slots... I was not aware you could filter slots in train inventories. So I can define a few slots for empty barrels and the rest for full and no problems.

As a side note, how do you check the signals on a wire, other than testing each individually. Is there a "network status" view somewhere?

Thanks for reminding me about the cargo wagon filters. I've read that blog but totally forgot about it now when I only wanted a certain amount of piercing rounds in my wagon.

I'm really hoping they will make it possible to read the trains inventory one day.

Do you mean checking the signals like when connecting them to a power pole?