Roboport repair pack inventory

[zigdon]

Is there a way to know how many repair packs a roboport has, or to limit how many it would take?

I'm buiding outpost logistic networks, and have a train deliver them supplies. I can use circuit networks to limit how many bots each outpost has, but I haven't found a way to not have to fill the roboport full of repair packs without doing so manually.

Anyone have a solution here that doesn't involve mods?

[Slayn25]

Instead of putting repair packs in the roboports you could just have a storage chest with them in it.

[zigdon]

Would construction bots use repair packs from storage chests too? That would be ideal.

My experimentation doesn't seem to show that they would?

[ChurchOrganist]

You could do as I do and have the train deliver them direct into passive providers,

The construction bots will then take them to roboports as they need them.

[Deadly-Bagel]

Construction bots will take repair packs and items (to fulfil blueprints or replace destroyed entities) from Passive Provider Chests and Storage Chests within their Logistic Network, though they'll take any extra back to their Roboport and use them until depleted. Tbh I'm not actually sure if the chests have to be in the Logistic zone or if they can be in the outer Construction zone.

[posila]

Actually our "design" is that repair packs should be put primarily to logistic chest (storage or provider) and slots in roboport are just for robots that are returning from repair job with some repair packs left. So putting repair packs to storage chest is preferred solution.

[DaveMcW]

If a roboport is full of repair packs, unused packs are destroyed when robots enter it. To avoid player complaints about this, they have ridiculously huge repair pack storage.

Instead, we have player complains about every roboport stealing 700 repair packs from the factory.

I would prefer a single slot for repair packs. Or if that is unacceptable, an X slider to manually limit it to a single slot.

[JoeWhizer]

Actually our "design" is that repair packs should be put primarily to logistic chest (storage or provider) and slots in roboport are just for robots that are returning from repair job with some repair packs left. So putting repair packs to storage chest is preferred solution.

Good to know - I have an additional one to that topic:

Just from a mechanical point of view, do the bots also take them from a requester chest?

Say you would spread some requester chests over the base to have the repair kits quickly accessible everywhere, would it be necessary to insert them into storage/provider chests or are the requester chests already sufficient for that task?

Cheers,
Joe

[Deadly-Bagel]

No, a Requester Chest is there to request items, not provide them. Yeah there's a bit of contention here as to how to distribute repair packs through the base, I came up with a solution somewhere that involved using storage chests dotted throughout the base limited to say 2 slots and a circuit condition limiting repair packs to that number of chests times (stack size - 1). Go around each chest and deposit one repair pack in each, and make sure you have ample storage for your main base. When repair packs are added to the logistic network they will be taken to the storage chests already containing repair packs and they are distributed where you need them.

[JoeWhizer]

well okay, then my solution would be to have a couple of requester chests asking for, lets say 1 stack of those repair kits and have an inserter and a passive provider with cable condition to only insert if there are less than 10 kits or something in the provider chest.

I will do some testings tonight with this.

[Deadly-Bagel]

But then the bots will pick up from the provider chest and put them into the requester chest.

However this shouldn't be toooo much of a problem as long as you have a solid supply of Repair Packs in Active Provider or Storage chests, as these take priority over Passive Providers. However if you run out your logistic bots are going to go mental...

[Fish]

Actually our "design" is that repair packs should be put primarily to logistic chest (storage or provider) and slots in roboport are just for robots that are returning from repair job with some repair packs left. So putting repair packs to storage chest is preferred solution.

I've been doing it wrong this whole time.
I always put the repair packs in the roboport, I didn't know they also could be picked up from logistic chests.
This actually makes things a lot easier.

[JoeWhizer]

But then the bots will pick up from the provider chest and put them into the requester chest.

However this shouldn't be toooo much of a problem as long as you have a solid supply of Repair Packs in Active Provider or Storage chests, as these take priority over Passive Providers. However if you run out your logistic bots are going to go mental...

LOL - I don't thought about that. I will still test it later on, but yeah - now it doesn't sound like a good idea anymore...

[Kelderek]

Actually our "design" is that repair packs should be put primarily to logistic chest (storage or provider) and slots in roboport are just for robots that are returning from repair job with some repair packs left. So putting repair packs to storage chest is preferred solution.

I've been doing it wrong this whole time.
I always put the repair packs in the roboport, I didn't know they also could be picked up from logistic chests.
This actually makes things a lot easier.

It is important to note that only the bots stationed (idling) at a roboport can access the repair packs inside it. So, for example, if you have a small defense wall covered by two connected roboports, if all the bots happen to be in one port and the repair packs in the other, they will never know they exist. Keeping repair packs in logistics chests will solve this issue.

[Kane]

Actually our "design" is that repair packs should be put primarily to logistic chest (storage or provider) and slots in roboport are just for robots that are returning from repair job with some repair packs left. So putting repair packs to storage chest is preferred solution.

Nice nice. So any idea when it will actually be fixed or is it more way down the road if bots get a face lift?

[Shokubai]

Is there a way to know how many repair packs a roboport has, or to limit how many it would take?

I'm buiding outpost logistic networks, and have a train deliver them supplies. I can use circuit networks to limit how many bots each outpost has, but I haven't found a way to not have to fill the roboport full of repair packs without doing so manually.

Anyone have a solution here that doesn't involve mods?

A couple simple solutions.

If your outpost is on a different logistic network(its Own). You can set up a speaker wired to your roboport(s)+logistic chests that gives a visual/audio alert when repair packs is above or below some number.

Another option, again with a local bot network, would be to set a requester chest with an inserter at each roboport for something like 5 repair packs. You could add a wire here to prevent placing packs in a specific port if that one port had x packs already. Assuming you are delivering by train...dedicate 3-4 slots in one train car to packs. The output of this train needs filter inserters to unload into a provider chest with a condition like Packs<[some number]. This way your local network will only ever take X amount of packs from the train. I use this sort of system for base supply on "railworld" maps. I run a supply train of this sort of thing, ammo, replacement turrets, walls, etc... and limit the local inventory with logic conditions on the unloading inserters.

If you have a global network of roboports instead of many local ones...Storage chests are your answer. You probably want to do something to control how many packs you are allowed to place in each group of storage chests. This could be like above with a wire connecting each to an inserter set to Packs < some number. This way, again, you only unload items from the train IF your local supply reaches a threshold.

[Killcreek2]

... Another option, again with a local bot network, would be to set a requester chest with an inserter at each roboport for something like 5 repair packs. You could add a wire here to prevent placing packs in a specific port if that one port had x packs already.
...

Tried it, does not work.

Tested in 0.14 & 0.15x: inserters will not remove repair packs from roboports, and the port does not report its repair pack contents via the circuit or logi networks at all. Makes it currently impossible to either remove extra partial packs or add in exact amounts directly.

You can use that same method to control the number in nearby storage chests, but partially used ones will still stockpile in roboports whenever a bot gets assigned to a new repair job *while already outside*.

Not a big problem if you are swimming in resources, but quite irritating for those of us who like precise control.

[Shokubai]

... Another option, again with a local bot network, would be to set a requester chest with an inserter at each roboport for something like 5 repair packs. You could add a wire here to prevent placing packs in a specific port if that one port had x packs already.
...

Tried it, does not work.

Tested in 0.14 & 0.15x: inserters will not remove repair packs from roboports, and the port does not report its repair pack contents via the circuit or logi networks at all. Makes it currently impossible to either remove extra partial packs or add in exact amounts directly.

You can use that same method to control the number in nearby storage chests, but partially used ones will still stockpile in roboports whenever a bot gets assigned to a new repair job *while already outside*.

Not a big problem if you are swimming in resources, but quite irritating for those of us who like precise control.

Was worth a shot.