Rocket Silo should connect to circuit network

[djpimpstick]

TL;DR

Add status output from the Rocket Silo for logic/circuit networks.

What ?

Add signal output to the Rocket Silo. Function in a manner similar to the way the Roboports have signal output for the counts of logistic and construction robots.
The rocket factory could output its build progress as a percentage, satellite payload status, launching status, and total of launched satellites.

Why ?

This would allow better monitoring and control of the Rocket Silo and satellite supply chain, and allow creation of visual progress meters, notifications, and alarms.

[QGamer]

Good idea! +1

[adam_bise]

Good idea!

[Kyralessa]

I was sad when, wanting to make a row of lights showing how close to launch I was, I discovered I couldn't connect a green wire to the rocket silo.

[djpimpstick]

I was sad when, wanting to make a row of lights showing how close to launch I was, I discovered I couldn't connect a green wire to the rocket silo.

What she said ^^^^^^^

[Jürgen Erhard]

There is a mod for that.

Perfect, thanks!

Not perfect, because mod.

Inn a 2017 discussion (on a "not a bug" bug report because "broken as intended") on why rockets can be launched even if the silo's output buffer doesn't have enough space ("Rocket launches even when output slot is full"), posila said

Space science being current endgame content, we have decided players should solve problem of rocket silo output inventory being full by themselves. By either controlling launches by circuit network or making sure the output is always emptied.

But "controlling launches with circuit network" isn't quite possible when we cannot connect the silo to the circuit network. Maybe this was planned at that time.

[Zavian]

But "controlling launches with circuit network" isn't quite possible when we cannot connect the silo to the circuit network. Maybe this was planned at that time.

You can use a stack inserter to unload science packs into a chest, Then enable the satellite inserter if the science packs in the chest are less than some amount. That works fine to control launches.

[DaleStan]

That is not the original request by EntropySpark, though.

What?

Ability to connect a Rocket Silo to the Circuit Network, outputting the number of rocket parts built as a signal.

This can also be done without any changes. Instead of asking the silo how many rocket parts it's built, use pulse-output to ask the inserters how much they've inserted. I'd probably just pick one of the ingredients, but you could also use smallest. Or largest. You might get as much as a 2% flutter, but that should be close enough.

Neither the circuit-connected Rocket Silo nor the Inventory Sensor nor inserter-counting solve the original problem, though. In vanilla, at max speed, the rocket silo only spends about half its time constructing rocket parts. The other half of the time is spent running the launch animation. In either case, you still have pulses, just not as bad. You'll release roughly 25 science packs per second for 40 seconds, and then you'll release 0 science packs per second for the next 40 seconds, while the launch animation plays.

[Aardwolf]

+1 on this one, I was surprised this is not possible. It would be great to be able to read the percentage or total current progress with circuit network.

I wanted to connect lamp indicators to show progress. If you can read fluid levels from vats, why not also rocket progress from rocket silo?

Solutions stated involving reading inputs are useless if the rocket is already half-built when you start setting this up

[ribsngibs]

Reviving this ancient suggestion:

I'm trying to automate spidertron construction (as in, make an N spidertron per minute factory. Why? Why not??), which necessitates automating fish production, which means automating rocket launches with space science packs in it.

Currently, with the "Auto-launch with cargo" option selected, the rocket will launch when the first space science pack is inserted (with a stack inserter I can get 12 space science packs in, which means 12 fish per launch). As far as I can tell there is no way to delay the launch until 100 space science packs are inserted: 1) the rocket silo cannot be connected to the circuit network, and 2) once the rocket is prepared, cutting power to the rocket silo will not prevent the rocket from launching once cargo is added (e.g. turning off the rocket silo via power switch before inserting science packs will still result in a rocket launch after the first science pack is added). 3) Having multiple stack inserters all adding science packs on exactly same tick still only results in 1 stack inserter delivering its packs before the rocket launches.

So, basically I can only get 12% of the fish per rocket launch than I originally calculated.

It would be nice if I could use the circuit network to wait for 100 science packs to be inserted before launching the rocket.

[ssilk]

This is simple: you can add 10 inserters around the rocket launch, each picks up science packs from a chest. Don’t forget to switch their max. stack size to 10 each, and control them all with a circuit. When launch signal is send, all 10 inserters move at once, put each 10 science pack in and so your rocket will have 100 science packs.

[conn11]

Firstly previously done test confirm your results. Having a delay between cargo insertion and launch would also do the trick. Povided enough inserters are in place. On the other hand not having full fish efficency might be an intended behaiviour.

[conn11]

This is simple: you can add 10 inserters around the rocket launch, each picks up science packs from a chest. Don’t forget to switch their max. stack size to 10 each, and control them all with a circuit. When launch signal is send, all 10 inserters move at once, put each 10 science pack in and so your rocket will have 100 science packs.

Nope, it has been tested and wasn't achievable.
Try out this bp for yourself:

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[MassiveDynamic]

I thought I knew how to play this game and I have read this entire thread 3 times and I still don’t understand what you guys are talking about.

Are you saying that you can send space science into space by placing it in the cargo slot and get fish as a result?

I know I can insert a satellite and get science packs, or insert a dish and get a thank you message, but sending science to space to get fish?

I thought the way to automate fishing is to deconstruct a lake with bots.

Can someone please explain what I am obviously ignorant to?

[ickputzdirwech]

Are you saying that you can send space science into space by placing it in the cargo slot and get fish as a result?

This is exactly what happens. It will give you one fish per space science pack, but only a maximum of one stack which is 100. The problem is that you can only semi automate this if you want to use it efficiently. Because the rocket will launch as soon as anything is inside and you can only insert 12 space science packs max with a stack inserter at a time. Using multiple inserters doesn't work. So you have to switch the rocket to manual launch.

I thought the way to automate fishing is to deconstruct a lake with bots.

That's also only semi automatic since you still have to marc them for deconstruction yourself. Also fish don't respawn afaik. But since nobody (even on very large servers) would really need that much fish anyway the only real reason for the OPs suggestion to be implemented is that it would be pretty cool - a very good reason imo

[MassiveDynamic]

Hmmm. Learned something new today. Thanks.

[NotRexButCaesar]

Fair point, but as an alternative, how about putting Space Science production in some other building? Like a satellite uplink station. Keep the silo just for launches and handle the science elsewhere. There's precedent in mods for this, too. Beyond has a landing pad which can receive titanium ore from an asteroid mining drill launched in the rocket, though there's unfortunately no landing animation to go with it. Among the things the titanium ore can be used to make include a Science Pack 4, though it hasn't been updated for v0.15 yet.

I think of the satellite as doing the science and then transmitting the science back to Nauvis.

[ribsngibs]

This is simple: you can add 10 inserters around the rocket launch, each picks up science packs from a chest. Don’t forget to switch their max. stack size to 10 each, and control them all with a circuit. When launch signal is send, all 10 inserters move at once, put each 10 science pack in and so your rocket will have 100 science packs.

This doesn't work - it's one of the things I tried (as I wrote in my post: "3) Having multiple stack inserters all adding science packs on exactly same tick still only results in 1 stack inserter delivering its packs before the rocket launches.")

One stack inserter will deliver its packs - the other stack inserters will not and stay stuck with their arms extended.

[ssilk]

Hm. Sorry. It sounded too simple when I was writing It. A reason to do more experimentation.

[KoblerMan]

As I understand it, it's working as designed.

You can stop a launch by circuit network as things stand in 0.15 - by controlling the inserter that places the satellite. Keep the satellite out - rocket won't launch.

Sure, but this is sub-optimal. Nuclear reactor setups that prevent wasting fuel rely on this mechanic, and even then it's imperfect because you can't shut the reactor off, you can only starve it of fuel. So it prevents fine-tuning. I'm just glad someone modded this functionality in to nuclear reactors.

I feel the same logic applies to the rocket silo, maybe to a lesser extent, but then again as mentioned here:

[...]

Currently, with the "Auto-launch with cargo" option selected, the rocket will launch when the first space science pack is inserted (with a stack inserter I can get 12 space science packs in, which means 12 fish per launch). As far as I can tell there is no way to delay the launch until 100 space science packs are inserted: 1) the rocket silo cannot be connected to the circuit network, and 2) once the rocket is prepared, cutting power to the rocket silo will not prevent the rocket from launching once cargo is added (e.g. turning off the rocket silo via power switch before inserting science packs will still result in a rocket launch after the first science pack is added). 3) Having multiple stack inserters all adding science packs on exactly same tick still only results in 1 stack inserter delivering its packs before the rocket launches.

So, basically I can only get 12% of the fish per rocket launch than I originally calculated.

It would be nice if I could use the circuit network to wait for 100 science packs to be inserted before launching the rocket.

Conclusion: I agree with OP's suggestion. I really don't see why not, and maybe we can get the same thing for nuclear reactors in the base game while we're at it?