Create logistic group from blueprint

[Koub]

TL;DR

With the logistic groups announced, I think it's time to revisit this suggestion : Allow the engineer to create a logistic group in one operation by importing a blueprint item list.

What ?

The core idea is we need some kind of interaction between blueprints and logistic requests, and the logistic groups are (were) one of the missing steps for that. Now that we can (will be able to with 2.0) group a set of individual logistic requests into a coherent whole, the last thing we need is use the contents of a blueprint to feed the logistic group. The things I will want to do at some point :
1) I have a blueprint ([Edit] : Or a "Copy" selected) in hand, or I'm browsing my BP library, I want to :
- create a new logistic group with the items listed in the blueprint/blueprint book
- add to an existing logistic group the items listed in the blueprint/blueprint book

2) I am in my inventory preparing something, I want to be able to :
- Create a now logistic group by importing a blueprint/blueprint book from my library (or my inventory if blueprints in the inventory are still a thing in 2.0)
- Add to an existing logistic group the contents of a blueprint/blueprint book from my library

Cherry on top : QoL minor feature like pre-filling the new logistic group's name with the BP/BP book's name

Why ?

I think the why is pretty obvious, given it's one of the oldest feature requests regularly re-requested for 8 years.

I'm aware having two paths to access the same core feature is twice the work, but I'm sure there are clever ways to do that to minimise the double work (like for example invoque the same interface from two starting points). I totally see myself using both, hence the suggestion to allow both.

[Edit] : In the 1) Blueprint in hand, I added a nuance : as soon as I have "Copied a zone on screen, even when there is no actual blueprint in hand, I want to be able tu use that feature.

[morsk]

edit: Er, I misunderstood the suggestion and thought it was something else. I don't have anything to say about this, unfortunately. Except that obviously some people want it, and it would be convenient.

[Qon]

What if you place down multiple copies of a blueprint? Or build an outpost with several blueprints, both walls and miners/production and train station?

I have another idea for a feature request that sounds very useful in my humble opinion, and it follows logically from the new logistic group feature (and the new remote building):

With the new logistic groups, you can add a new group, for example "outpost building", manually add everything you would need like a few hundred walls and rails, belts, electric miners, pipes and flamethrowers etc. Then when you build a new outpost, you turn on this group, let the bots deliver everything, physically go to your outpost, build everything. Turn off the logistic group, go to your base and let everything auto-trash out of your inventory.
However this has as problem sometimes you have a bigger outpost (because for example two resource patches are very close) and you need to travel to the base again to get more material. It costs quite some time already.

So I would suggest this feature:

The ability to automatically fill your new logistic group with items from a rectangle you draw with your mouse (similar to blueprints). The exact amount of items.
You will never have too little and also you don't need to trash everything you don't need afterwards. And takes into account all specific things you need for the new outpost that others don't have for some reason. Takes enough oil pumps etc

So then you would simply use remote building (similar to sattelite view now in space exploration) and build the whole outpost as ghosts from the safety of your base.
Then, when ready, add a new logistic group, draw a rectangle with the mouse selection across your whole ghost-outpost, and the new logistic group contains all items you need in the exact amount. Bots deliver them.
Then you physically go to your outpost, let your personal roboport build everything to the last detail automatically.
And then your outpost is quickly finished. And you can discard the new logistic group.

Being able to mark an area of ghosts sounds better to me in those cases. You can make a temporary blueprint of the entire thing and use your (Koub) feature request though so I guess in practise it doesn't matter. Just shift+copy and press the "make logistics group" button.

But for me, the ghost scanner mod (but performant lol) is kind of what I actually want. So I can request a builder train filled with the right items automatically with combinators.

[Koub]

But for me, the ghost scanner mod (but performant lol) is kind of what I actually want. So I can request a builder train filled with the right items automatically with combinators.

That would be the epitome of Factorioness, ultimate automation indeed. Why bother moving when the factory can order and get the items delivered, and the building be automated ? That would call for some kind of roboport wagon, in order to be able to plonk down at least the first roboport on site. I know there are mods for that. Still, with both features, vanilla would feel more complete. I know the spidertron can achieve that purpose, but it's very endgame.

However, before achieving this level of automation, my feeling is that the feature I requested could be a good intermediate step. I would feel overwhelmed if I had to go from the current local power armor roboport building to automated distant auto building factory through combinators. The "request in bulk, at my mall and get on site to build the outpost" feels more achievable.

[Illiander42]

If we're adding in blueprint interactions, could we also get blueprints able to use their item list to set combinators and requester/buffer chests?

[computeraddict]

If we're adding in blueprint interactions, could we also get blueprints able to use their item list to set combinators and requester/buffer chests?

This would accomplish that as buffers and requesters are getting access to the logistics groups feature.

[Koub]

I edited my first post to specifically describe a use case that wasn't explicitly described (I kind of assimilate having a blueprint in hand and having copied something with the selection tool, and this bold assumption might be false).

I think that's what Qon described here :

Being able to mark an area of ghosts sounds better to me in those cases. You can make a temporary blueprint of the entire thing and use your (Koub) feature request though so I guess in practise it doesn't matter. Just shift+copy and press the "make logistics group" button.

[stdmtc]

In the blueprint preview you can see all the content needed to build a blueprint. I think it would be nice if you could have for instance a requester chest or a constant combinator be set to the content of a blueprint. It would also be nice if you could get a temporary personal logistics request that would fetch the content of a blueprint and then remove those requests after its been fetched.

[Koub]

[Koub] Merged into existing thread with the same suggestion.