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Integrated Circuits

Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2018 9:28 pm
by clingbeetle
Hey guys,

Factorio is my favorite game of all time, hands down. I've put many hours into it but just recently I've been playing around with circuit networks. I love that circuit networks are in the game, but currently the need to place down each component in the world and wiring everything up to the inputs and outputs is a bit tedious, especially if you're doing more in depth processes. I don't think they should be completely replaced, but I would like to see the addition of integrated circuit networks. So basically you would create a circuit, then you can open up a ui and place objects onto the circuit like arithmetic and decider combinators, and wire them up just like you would in game, but everything is kept in a single circuit in your inventory. Then you could place down something like a circuit reader in the world, then just stick your integrated circuit into it and connect all your inputs. This could allow for incredibly complex circuit networks that dont require you to build a massive structure.

Re: Integrated Circuits

Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2018 12:19 pm
by mrvn
clingbeetle wrote:
Thu Dec 06, 2018 9:28 pm
Hey guys,

Factorio is my favorite game of all time, hands down. I've put many hours into it but just recently I've been playing around with circuit networks. I love that circuit networks are in the game, but currently the need to place down each component in the world and wiring everything up to the inputs and outputs is a bit tedious, especially if you're doing more in depth processes. I don't think they should be completely replaced, but I would like to see the addition of integrated circuit networks. So basically you would create a circuit, then you can open up a ui and place objects onto the circuit like arithmetic and decider combinators, and wire them up just like you would in game, but everything is kept in a single circuit in your inventory. Then you could place down something like a circuit reader in the world, then just stick your integrated circuit into it and connect all your inputs. This could allow for incredibly complex circuit networks that dont require you to build a massive structure.
You can do that in factorissimo but transfering circuit signals in and out of the factory building is a huge drain on UPS so it's not really feasable as replacement for general circuit building.

Re: Integrated Circuits

Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2018 12:59 am
by Oktokolo
clingbeetle wrote:
Thu Dec 06, 2018 9:28 pm
I love that circuit networks are in the game, but currently the need to place down each component in the world and wiring everything up to the inputs and outputs is a bit tedious, especially if you're doing more in depth processes. I don't think they should be completely replaced, but I would like to see the addition of integrated circuit networks.
You might find one of the following mods usefull. They all implement microcontrollers in different ways and can be combined with vanilla combinators:
Programmable Logic Controller Unit
Advanced Combinator
Microcontroller

Integrated Circuitry

Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2020 12:06 pm
by Optymistyk
I am the kind of guy who designed a Minecraft redstone calculator at 14. In short I like to nerd out. I enjoy using the circuit network to create overcomplicated solutions to simple problems. The thing with the circuit network is that it can get really messy. Unlike Minecraft where you can place wires in three dimensions so that they don't overlap(and that you can paint any colour), in Factorio it's very easy to end up with tangled-up wires that are a nightmare to keep track of

Image

I'm sure the guys who made a raycasting engine and a Pacman game in Factorio would agree.

It also doesn't make much sense that in the game you're using turrets and bots with advanced tracking and targetting systems that are really small, yet even a single combinator that does 2+2 is the size of a gosh darn wardrobe

Image

There's a mod I started using called Integrated Circuitry that helps mitigate this problem to some extent. First, it provides dedicated poles for circuit network wiring to make your circuitry more orderly. Secondly, it allows you to put multiple combinators into a small 2x2 entity, drastically reducing the size of the whole thing.

Image

While this mod is great and I think it should be part of Vanilla to begin with, I think it could be further improved to take Factorio engineering to new heights. While the mod allows you to build really tiny circuits, it doesn't allow you to copy them easily - every time you want to re-use the circuit you have to build it from scratch manually. Now, imagine if you could design your own tiny Factorio computer(or whatever you fancy), then mass produce it and put it wherever you want in a small 2x2 entity like that. You'd start seeing smart bases and circuit wizardry way more often as they become easier and more viable to apply in-game. To me Factorio is all about interesting solutions and this single feature would enable a world of possibilities.

Re: Integrated Circuits

Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2020 1:06 pm
by Koub
[Koub] Merged into older thread with same suggestion.

Re: Integrated Circuits

Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2020 4:28 pm
by valneq
I kind of feel like we should mention
https://mods.factorio.com/mod/circuitissimo
in this context, too.

Re: Integrated Circuits

Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2020 5:05 pm
by Optymistyk
valneq wrote:
Sat Nov 14, 2020 4:28 pm
I kind of feel like we should mention
https://mods.factorio.com/mod/circuitissimo
in this context, too.
Yeah I just installed circuitissimo and it's almost what I had in mind.
The only problem is once again copying circuits. Blueprinting does not work at all as it doesn't include all the combinators inside. The only way to copy an integrated circuit in Circuitissimo is by shift-right clicking, shift-left clicking. And it works good enough if you happen to have a working circuit nearby that you can copy. But if you don't - tough luck, you have to do it from scratch

Re: Integrated Circuits

Posted: Sun Nov 15, 2020 7:50 am
by ssilk
You can request that feature from the author of circuitissimo. Not here. :)

Re: Integrated Circuits

Posted: Sun Nov 15, 2020 12:34 pm
by Optymistyk
ssilk wrote:
Sun Nov 15, 2020 7:50 am
You can request that feature from the author of circuitissimo. Not here. :)
I did, but I think he died (or at least left Factorio).
I'm also not sure if this is even possible to do in a mod. If it was wouldn't someone have done it already?

Re: Integrated Circuits

Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2020 9:53 am
by Kyralessa
Optymistyk wrote:
Sun Nov 15, 2020 12:34 pm
ssilk wrote:
Sun Nov 15, 2020 7:50 am
You can request that feature from the author of circuitissimo. Not here. :)
I did, but I think he died (or at least left Factorio).
He updated one of his mods two days ago. I think it's fairly likely he still exists.

Re: Integrated Circuits

Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2020 8:48 pm
by McDuff
Another way of approaching this idea.... (self plug)
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=90147

Re: Integrated Circuits

Posted: Wed Nov 18, 2020 1:42 am
by ssilk
There is also this mod: https://mods.factorio.com/mod/ImprovedCombinator

Hope it works...

Re: Integrated Circuits

Posted: Wed Nov 18, 2020 5:44 am
by Impatient
ssilk wrote:
Wed Nov 18, 2020 1:42 am
There is also this mod: https://mods.factorio.com/mod/ImprovedCombinator

Hope it works...
+2

Thanks for mentioning this!