Why isn't drone content considered apart of the logi network

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strangescript
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Why isn't drone content considered apart of the logi network

Post by strangescript »

I was frustrated to learn that while a logi drone is carrying around cargo, that cargo is not considered apart of the network (from reading logi network content from a roboport).

This creates issues when using active providers. For example...

An inserter is turned on when something is not in the logi network contents (its pulling from a belt or a train or dumb chest).

It inserts it into an active provider then turns off. A logistic drone comes by and picks up the items to put in central storage.

Suddenly the inserter turns on again thinking there isn't enough of item X in the network, putting too much of X in the network.

This sucks and creates all sorts of race condition issues.

quyxkh
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Re: Why isn't drone content considered apart of the logi network

Post by quyxkh »

Items in requester chests aren't counted either -- just like items in a logi bot, they're not available to satisfy requests.

If a logi bot picked it up and you're going for max performance, it's almost certainly going to a requester chest. Storage chests are for slop, for buffering output when you're dealing with spiky demand or just don't want to bother jitting your production. If a logi bot picked it out of a storage chest, it _is_ going to a requester chest.

strangescript
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Re: Why isn't drone content considered apart of the logi network

Post by strangescript »

quyxkh wrote:Items in requester chests aren't counted either -- just like items in a logi bot, they're not available to satisfy requests.

If a logi bot picked it up and you're going for max performance, it's almost certainly going to a requester chest. Storage chests are for slop, for buffering output when you're dealing with spiky demand or just don't want to bother jitting your production. If a logi bot picked it out of a storage chest, it _is_ going to a requester chest.
I understand what you are saying but this also implies you can't have bots reorganize inventory without screwing up your logistic network numbers and active providers are regulated to simply empty chests you want to scoop up.

I think this will also be an issue, perhaps more so, when they add in the green buffer chests in .16. Storage -> Buffer chest will be a legitimate movement that will momentarily take things out of the logistic network even though its not really.

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MeduSalem
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Re: Why isn't drone content considered apart of the logi network

Post by MeduSalem »

Honestly it doesn't matter that "in-flight" items aren't part of the logistic network content because of how the system is balancing itself out periodically over time.

Of course if a bot takes out stuff from a chest it will momentarily cause more items to be produced to make up for the temporary "loss", so eventually you will have more items (the additionally produced ones + in-flight stuff) than you actually wish to have in the logistic network. Where exactly is the problem with that?

At least it doesn't cause any race conditions. You will just reach the logistic network cut-off you set for an item type a few items later.

Instead it also means next time something is requested you have to produce fewer items since the system already produced some more in advance the last time.

Basically the usual production/delivery of logistic networks will always end up resembling a sine wave... on the crest you will produce more items than required (due to counter-acting flight time) and on the trough you will produce less than required (due to using up the additionally buffered items)... but the average is exactly what you are consuming:
Diagram1.png
Diagram1.png (15.43 KiB) Viewed 2351 times
That's just normal behaviour with delayed item delivery in contrast to constant item delivery like for example belts have.



Instead I think that in-flight items aren't considered a part of the logistic network contents can be a gift in determining lack of throughput. Because if you see negative numbers on some items in the logistic network contents then you know that you are consuming more than you are producing. You wouldn't be able to see that as clearly if the in-flight items would be counted towards the logistic network contents.

FrodoOf9Fingers
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Re: Why isn't drone content considered apart of the logi network

Post by FrodoOf9Fingers »

It's a little weird...

The items held by bots are noticed by the receiving entity (look at a requester chest that is being filled and it will show what is being delivered). It shouldn't be hard to include that number of requester chests in the overall logistic network numbers.

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Re: Why isn't drone content considered apart of the logi network

Post by mathturtle »

What is stranger is that you can't tell from the logi network view or the circuit network if there are requests that can't be met at all. If there is no iron ore at all and a request for 50, then any view of the network will tell you there is 0, when I think it should say -50. So there is no difference between "exactly enough to meet current requests" and "none at all". You only get negative numbers if there is some but not enough (and that only when you have upgraded your robot capacity bonus so they can pick up more than is available).

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Re: Why isn't drone content considered apart of the logi network

Post by Avezo »

Oh I need this so much! Recently I started trying to make universal supply/garbage train stations and the fact that items carried between active providers and storage chests aren't counted causes infinite loop with trains loading and unloading any given item.

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