Logistic Provider Chest with minimum level
Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2016 10:19 am
TL;DR: A way to have local stock for your logistic network which does not lead to drones flying items in circles is needed.
In bases with large perimeters to keep in order I ran constantly into the problem that if an area is far from the provider/storage chest in which repair packs are stored the resupply time becomes more and more important. The same is even more critical when it comes to munition or an array of assembling machines supplied via drones (assembler builds faster that the drones restock the requester chest).
So for these cases and a lot more It would be great to have a local supply near all the requesters.
Provider/storage chest -> local provider chest -> requester chest / personal inventory
Building that with a requester, provider combination unavoidably results in drones flying in circles. (Request 50 rounds -> Smart Inserter puts rounds into provider if it has less than 10 rounds. Now the drones are restocking the requester form the provider I want to have a minimum level)
The only "solution" I have found so far is to either split the logistic network in sectors and resupplying each separately or produce things like munition locally. The first is a pain to maintain the second forces you to transport all needed materials to your outposts instead of just products.
In case of repair packs this can be achieved by supplying them via requester chest directly to a roboport. However I find 6 stacks excessive.
An other example: The drones at base could fill the local provider near your train station so the right amount is ready for you when you come back. That way the drones have to fly the short distance between you and the local provider rather than flying all over the base to find everything you want.
For bused materials I include limited provider chests into the bus so the items become available at multiple points. But that is hardly a solution for stuff like repair packs.
In bases with large perimeters to keep in order I ran constantly into the problem that if an area is far from the provider/storage chest in which repair packs are stored the resupply time becomes more and more important. The same is even more critical when it comes to munition or an array of assembling machines supplied via drones (assembler builds faster that the drones restock the requester chest).
So for these cases and a lot more It would be great to have a local supply near all the requesters.
Provider/storage chest -> local provider chest -> requester chest / personal inventory
Building that with a requester, provider combination unavoidably results in drones flying in circles. (Request 50 rounds -> Smart Inserter puts rounds into provider if it has less than 10 rounds. Now the drones are restocking the requester form the provider I want to have a minimum level)
The only "solution" I have found so far is to either split the logistic network in sectors and resupplying each separately or produce things like munition locally. The first is a pain to maintain the second forces you to transport all needed materials to your outposts instead of just products.
In case of repair packs this can be achieved by supplying them via requester chest directly to a roboport. However I find 6 stacks excessive.
An other example: The drones at base could fill the local provider near your train station so the right amount is ready for you when you come back. That way the drones have to fly the short distance between you and the local provider rather than flying all over the base to find everything you want.
For bused materials I include limited provider chests into the bus so the items become available at multiple points. But that is hardly a solution for stuff like repair packs.