Factorio Forums

TL;DR

wire-color based select windows in the combinator-menu

What ?

As an addition to the Item based select window in the combinator-menu I would like to see an option to just being able to compare any incoming signal from different-colored wires. This would increase the range of possible signals and will reduce the need for multiple combinators if the combinators should deal with alternating/multiple signals. Since I would like to create systems, which are dynamic, static entries aren't helping.

There is also the problem, that item-counts from different wires but same item, are automatically added before they could be compared. In order to still do this, one signal must be converted to another item, just to able to set this up; this seems silly, unnatural and also space consuming. A conversion into another signal would be possible, but only for this item. If multiple items would need this, I would need to set up a converter for every single item.

I would like to see that the left select-window could get an additional option "read red wire content" and the right select window would get "red green wire content".

Why ?

Like this a lot more options would be opened for the circuit network, since this allows for "programming" with real logic combinations. Things like "same items" being compared wont screw up your system or put obstacles into ones programming-logic. Conversions won't narrow your possibilities with static replacements and it saves space. Thus it can be repeated quite often if needed and introduced into already existing narrow spaces. The new dynamic has a lot more potential for further expansion and use.

fiddling with the circuit network would become much more enjoyable for the late game as one will start to experiment with the system and eventually starts reworking the factory with implementing new solutions, that go beyond simple regulation. It could even be an option for research in order to limit the possibilities at the start.

Here is another suggestion related to distinguishing signals on the red wire from signals on the green wire:

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=44216 Additional Virtual Signals for Operating on Red and Green

However, the suggestion in that thread is not identical to your suggestion, it is just releated.

just for the form, I will redo my suggestion with the template.

TL;DR

wire-color based select windows in the combinator-menu

What ?

As an addition to the Item based select window in the combinator-menu I would like to see an option to just being able to compare any incoming signal from different-colored wires. This would increase the range of possible signals and will reduce the need for multiple combinators if the combinators should deal with alternating/multiple signals. Since I would like to create systems, which are dynamic, static entries aren't helping.

There is also the problem, that item-counts from different wires but same item, are automatically added before they could be compared. In order to still do this, one signal must be converted to another item, just to able to set this up; this seems silly, unnatural and also space consuming. A conversion into another signal would be possible, but only for this item. If multiple items would need this, I would need to set up a converter for every single item.

I would like to see that the left select-window could get an additional option "read red wire content" and the right select window would get "red green wire content".

Why ?

Like this a lot more options would be opened for the circuit network since this allows for "programming" with real logic combinations. Things like "same items" being compared wont screw up your system or put obstacles into ones programming-logic. Conversions won't narrow your possibilities with static replacements and it saves space. The new dynamic has a lot more potential for further expansion, since static elements are reduced greatly.

fiddling with the circuit network would become much more enjoyable for the late game as one will start to experiment with the system and eventually starts reworking the factory with implementing new solutions, that go beyond simple regulation.

I guess I will do the inserter/scanner related part in another proposal.

@Tekky
I do like the idea as well and I think it points in the same direction > more options with dynamic signals.

Sneaker2 wrote:just for the form, I will redo my suggestion with the template.

Why don't you simply edit your first post? There is little point in using the template in your second post, because people will only start reading your second post after having read your first post.

Added to viewtopic.php?f=80&t=50283 Separated Handling of Red and Green Wires
. viewtopic.php?f=80&t=30845 About Cables and Wires / Make Wires Free / Power Poles Contain Cables

I think there is a high game-potential if it would be enabled to handle red and green wires separated. Especially this would enable to have read and write access on the same entity at the same time, which would make some things lot easier and remove the need for mods like item-counter and so on... Of course this should be off by default, cause in most cases it's not needed.

I don't see viewtopic.php?f=6&t=44216 as a similiar suggestion. In my eyes the virtual signals are a direction, that should not be extended, cause they are functions, not signals.