Multiple logistics networks

Post your ideas and suggestions how to improve the game.

Moderator: ickputzdirwech

Post Reply
Kiralv
Burner Inserter
Burner Inserter
Posts: 7
Joined: Fri Aug 26, 2016 2:00 pm
Contact:

Multiple logistics networks

Post by Kiralv »

Hi, i like the game a lot and have been playing for a while. I use many mods and also for the current playthrough i am limiting myself not to use logistics robots. it makes things challenging but also more fun.

There is one issue with the logistics networks, only one can be active at a given place if i place 2 roboports close enough they will connect and often thats what you want but in some cases its not.

this is probably mostly for modded games where there are loads of new items to deal with, but i will write a short scenario where this is important:

a long processing chain produces various raw ingredients , if you use bobs mods thats around 15 different metals they go to the same storage warehouse. there is limited space around the warehouse so some of them can be processed into more complex things like cables gears and boards but usually there is not enough space (i use factorisimo buildings to do much of that and even if you put 2 of them on each side of your warehouse its not enough to make half of the stuff you need to make all the science packs) so an option would be to do some stuff around your warehouse and then send some of it to a new warehouse where further manufacturing happens, but if you want to keep the ratios in check you need a filter inserter for each type of item you are sending further. and its a bit tricky to place the logistics networks so that you could make sure that there is enough stuff at the first station and also that enough stuff is sent to the next one. if multiple logistics networks were available i could do something like [logistics network 1] iron plates > 1000 [logistics network 2] iron plates < 500 it would really help to distribute stuff

solution :

add a button to a roboport saying create a new logistics network(probably with option to name it) and a button to reconnect to an existing network.
any inserter or other objects that have access to logistics network should have ability to choose the logistics network
if its not too much trouble maybe every object that has access to logistics network could have multiple connected at the same time

User avatar
Filter62
Long Handed Inserter
Long Handed Inserter
Posts: 58
Joined: Mon Sep 04, 2017 6:54 pm
Contact:

Re: Multiple logistics networks

Post by Filter62 »

I guess tool for connecting roboports will be much easier, it will work like with wires.

Kiralv
Burner Inserter
Burner Inserter
Posts: 7
Joined: Fri Aug 26, 2016 2:00 pm
Contact:

Re: Multiple logistics networks

Post by Kiralv »

i guess that would work, basically anything that allows the logistics networks to overlap with the option for them to be separate would be great. but the inserters or other entities will still need an interface button or drop down to allow to select the one that should be used when connecting to a network

ItsDarthChaos
Burner Inserter
Burner Inserter
Posts: 19
Joined: Fri Sep 08, 2017 6:23 am
Contact:

Re: Multiple logistics networks

Post by ItsDarthChaos »

This really would be as simple as adding a colored network selection. For example, you have a smelting operation in close proximity to your rail depot. You don't want your robots dedicated to transferring from one train to the smeltery to be diverted by a train that is being loaded with plates, so you set the network that the smeltery is on to a different channel, and all your logistic bots stay on their desired task.

Koub
Global Moderator
Global Moderator
Posts: 7175
Joined: Fri May 30, 2014 8:54 am
Contact:

Re: Multiple logistics networks

Post by Koub »

Maybe you'd like to have a look at previous suggestions that were made on similar topics :
This is almost exactly what you're discussing about :
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=8849
These are logistic network related :
viewtopic.php?f=80&t=43460
viewtopic.php?f=80&t=18093
Koub - Please consider English is not my native language.

User avatar
Omnifarious
Filter Inserter
Filter Inserter
Posts: 267
Joined: Wed Jul 26, 2017 3:24 pm
Contact:

Segmenting logistics networks for robot availability

Post by Omnifarious »

I love the green requester/provider chest. It solves a problem I've been trying to figure out how to solve with circuit networks for awhile. But it doesn't solve the problem the news post talked about, the fact that you have to segment your logistics networks.

My main problem isn't distributing items. I could use a passive provider chest and some circuits to easily make a train distribution network that would make sure there were always a certain number of certain items available reasonably locally to where they'll be needed. I already have such a system for providing my segmented logistics networks, and there is no reason it wouldn't work if I didn't segment them.

No, the reason I segment my logistics network is because I want to make sure there are always robots near certain areas. Construction robots in particular. I don't want it to take 2-3 minutes for a construction robot to fly its way across the map to repair a turret or wall on my border.

I can't solve this distribution problem with the circuit network in any reasonable way. There isn't even a way to read how many robots are in a given roboport (as opposed to number available to the network as a whole).

I'm not sure how to solve this problem reasonably.

The best I can come up with is allowing you to create sub-segments in your logistics network and define minimum robot levels. But that seems like it would have a complicated UI.

Maybe you could set particular roboport as a 'controller'. Or maybe even have a special, more expensive kind of roboport that filled this role. Then every roboport you place would automatically be a part of the nearest controller's area of influence, and if you didn't like that, you could change which controller's network is was a part of, though that raises the interesting issue of what to do with a roboport that's really far away from all the other roboports that are part of a particular controller's group... probably best to just always have it be the nearest controller.

At the controller, you could set things like how many robots of which kind must always be in its network and are not allowed to travel outside it.

You might also set a limit on a controller's sphere of influence. For example, maybe its influence will not travel more than 5 hops along the roboport connectivity network. Or maybe it can only influence a large square around itself (perhaps something like 500 tiles (aka 5 roboport construction zones)) or something like that.

Anyway, a solution to the nearby robot availability problem is the only thing that would enable me to stop segmenting my logistics networks.

Koub
Global Moderator
Global Moderator
Posts: 7175
Joined: Fri May 30, 2014 8:54 am
Contact:

Re: Multiple logistics networks

Post by Koub »

[Koub] Merged into existing topic on the same subject.
Koub - Please consider English is not my native language.

TI-89
Long Handed Inserter
Long Handed Inserter
Posts: 50
Joined: Thu Feb 09, 2017 2:00 am
Contact:

Re: Multiple logistics networks

Post by TI-89 »

Any logic between multiple logistic networks can be accomplished by placing roboports one tile apart. I made this a while ago, posted elsewhere -- all I did is set up very basic production each in an individual logistic network. I placed one bot in each network and let them spread themselves out. Basically the point is that any logic you want can be done by placing "Requester Chest"->"Provider Chest" and wiring the inserter. The inserter acts as an "interface" between networks, letting you choose what is shared/set thresholds to activate/etc.

The save is attached. It's really very simple, and once you get used to doing things this way, very powerful.
Attachments
MultipleNetworks.zip
(5.61 MiB) Downloaded 124 times

Engimage
Smart Inserter
Smart Inserter
Posts: 1067
Joined: Wed Jun 29, 2016 10:02 am
Contact:

Re: Multiple logistics networks

Post by Engimage »

My idea is to introduce "logistic subnetworks". Would work just like VLAN switching.
This idea removes the need of separating roboport networks into different networks but it allows to implement all your needs.

In general - all logistic chests are placed into default VLAN (#1) which would mimic the current behaviour.
However you might assign a specific VLAN to a chest (or even assign several of them which is kinda more complex). When assigned a specific VLAN the chest can only transfer items to this particular VLAN and will not communicate with others.
This VLAN will not interfere with construction bot behaviour and player logistic requests.

mrvn
Smart Inserter
Smart Inserter
Posts: 5682
Joined: Mon Sep 05, 2016 9:10 am
Contact:

Re: Multiple logistics networks

Post by mrvn »

+1 of making a tool that works like wires.

When you hover over a roboport you see yellow lines connecting them. Add the same to logistic chests and any entity connected wireless. The tool would be used to add or remove those lines. You want to connect an inserter to a certain logistic network then click the inserter and roboport with the tool to draw a yellow line. Want to separate two roboports then select them with the tool to cut the yellow line.

User avatar
Omnifarious
Filter Inserter
Filter Inserter
Posts: 267
Joined: Wed Jul 26, 2017 3:24 pm
Contact:

Re: Multiple logistics networks

Post by Omnifarious »

TI-89 wrote:Any logic between multiple logistic networks can be accomplished by placing roboports one tile apart. I made this a while ago, posted elsewhere -- all I did is set up very basic production each in an individual logistic network. I placed one bot in each network and let them spread themselves out. Basically the point is that any logic you want can be done by placing "Requester Chest"->"Provider Chest" and wiring the inserter. The inserter acts as an "interface" between networks, letting you choose what is shared/set thresholds to activate/etc.

The save is attached. It's really very simple, and once you get used to doing things this way, very powerful.
I can see how that would work. It's just a version of what I'm doing with trains without the trains. :-)

But I still can't see how you would use that to reliably maintain robot levels in various networks while letting a large pool of robots to still transit quickly across networks to respond to demand. You can use inserters to add and remove robots, it's true. But you can't even tell if a given roboport has a robot in it before you decide to remove it. And it's basically impossible to call a robot to a particular roboport. The best you can do is use a requestor chest and hope the logistics robot that delivers to it holes up in the roboport next to it for long enough for you to remove it.

As for the people who want different logistics networks covering the same area, I think you're mildly nuts, and I can't see any way to implement that in a way that's not hopelessly complex, and most of the mentioned ideas would be hard to implement efficiently.

mrvn
Smart Inserter
Smart Inserter
Posts: 5682
Joined: Mon Sep 05, 2016 9:10 am
Contact:

Re: Multiple logistics networks

Post by mrvn »

Omnifarious wrote:As for the people who want different logistics networks covering the same area, I think you're mildly nuts, and I can't see any way to implement that in a way that's not hopelessly complex, and most of the mentioned ideas would be hard to implement efficiently.
What would be complex about the "wire" idea? From the users side you would hover over a chest and see the yellow line connecting it to the roboport it is connected to. From the programmers side each entity gets a pointer to the logistic network it is in (if it doesn't already have that). As for efficiency... I don't see how the logistics code would change much at all. Only difference would be that instead of picking a logistic network by the position of an entity you would use the pointer. Should even be faster.

Post Reply

Return to “Ideas and Suggestions”