Another kind of splitter (not smart)

[morse]

No, it's not a smart splitter request, it's a dumb splitter request

So, the belt can carry two lines of goods, but there is no easy way to combine them, and also no way at all to split them. So how about this (see attach 1): the splitter that splits two lines of the input belt into two separate outputs.

Likewise, it would be nice to be able to merge lines (see attach 2): a 1-by-1 device that will put the bottom line up or top line down, depending on the setup.

[kel]

how about a new "precison insterter" that can only take/place items from/to only one line, but can be configured to take from one specific line to another?

[ssilk]

There have been many discussions about functionality like this. There are two opinions:
- This can be easy rebuilt with existing belts. The belts are a kind of puzzle game - which is also the often stated opinion of the dev-team.
- Such new belt types makes things easier.

The problem I see in this is easy to understand: This is a suggestion about 2 new types of belt transport system (belt/splitter etc.). And there are about a doozen more ideas for such functionality. Everyone has own ideas, of what should be done with the items.

All of them need a new belt type. Of course in 3 variants (basic, fast, express). This simple calculation shows: Not possible to implement. Only possible by mods, which implement special behavior.

[morse]

- This can be easy rebuilt with existing belts. The belts are a kind of puzzle game - which is also the often stated opinion of the dev-team.

This is only true for the line merging, line splitting is impossible to make.

[bobucles]

OP, you can already merge lanes by running into a belt T-intersection. Both lanes will merge into the crossing lane.

line splitting is impossible to make.

False. An underground belt T-intersection only allows one lane to move, which gets pushed sideways.

Set up a splitter and 2 underground belts, one allowing left handed traffic and one allowing right handed traffic. You have now split a belt line.

[ssilk]

@morse: take a deep breath of wiki or gameplay help

https://forums.factorio.com/wiki/inde ... /More_uses
https://forums.factorio.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=18
https://forums.factorio.com/forum/vie ... =18&t=5553

[morse]

Ok, I stand corrected. It IS possible.

Still, it looks more like a bug abuse than a legit way of doing this.

[Gammro]

It's been called exploiting a bug by some people, yet the developers don't change this behaviour(didn't they also approve of it?). I call it good engineering when it's apparently just taking advantage of a property of in-universe physics. There's literally a cap on only one half of the tile, it's only logical given the graphics.

[ssilk]

Hm. In my eyes the graphics of the belts needs a bit of rework at all. Not only the underground belts, but also be able to see which belt-type it is, when it is full with items. Or showing the beginning and end of a belt more clearly. Cause I admit: Others could say the current behavior of the underground belt is a bug: Why do you need to place two items to make a underground, instead of one? It's because of this. And this is true for other tricks you can do with the belts.