more functionality to blueprints/deconstruction planner via bots

[hale42]

TL;DR

better automation and smaller blueprints. bot placing blueprints. more options for blueprints/construction/deconstruction and a smaller blueprint library

What ?

Basically add the ability for bots to place blueprints
for blueprints to exist within blueprints (as well as deconstruction planner)
a few options would need to be added to the blueprint menu. I'd imagine they are little check boxes or something
auto destroy trees/rocks and/or cliffs and auto place landfill. both of these options would be nice anyway right now you cant see if you are placing over a building or its just trees/rocks/cliffs in the way so when you hit shift very little feedback is given.
something to add parameters to the size for deconstruction planner use (ie: deconstruct trees at 255, 25 and 25x25) just to replace the click of a mouse
a repeat value, meaning how many times the blueprint will auto place itself
for example:
you make a blueprint of 2 big electric poles at max distance in a line and still be connected. then the same blueprint again farther down (at the spot where you would place the blueprint manually to add a 3rd pole with the middle pole overlapping and turning blue). all of that in the same blueprint so that when you place it
1. the bots place the 2 power poles then
2. place the new blueprint. The 3rd pole will be a ghost
3. bot places the new pole then
4. -1 to the repeat value and restart step 2
what should end up happening is the cycle will repeat and a line of power poles until the repeat value hits 0

Why ?

most large blueprints are modular, this will drastically reduce the size of them, some of them anyway
It will also reduce the tediousness of placing large sections of wall/solar panels/rails/landfill and many many other things
it would also allow you to deconstruct in an order (x->y->z->then roboports->power poles) so your robos don't lose power and all the bots scatter. The same is true for construction placing whatever you deem fit in an order you want it placed
The creativity would really open up with this.

with one blueprint you could clear the area of rocks/trees/cliffs, then place landfill, then place a builder train and rails then whatever you wanted.

Edit: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=76499&p=460740#p460740 welp this is the nail gun. and he explains it better than i could. thank you ssilk

[netmand]

Holding Shift while placing a blueprint instructs bots to de-struct rocks/trees/cliffs where-ever they are in the way.

[urza99814]

Holding Shift while placing a blueprint instructs bots to de-struct rocks/trees/cliffs where-ever they are in the way.

OP mentioned that directly, but wants more control over it, possibly similar to these suggestions from earlier this month:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=78843
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=79023

Seems a pretty common suggestion... You try to place a mining drill blueprint, but you can't because there's a single square of water in the middle of the resource patch and you can't landfill from a blueprint. Then you waste a bunch of cliff explosives replacing impenetrable cliffs with weak, easily demolished walls because there's no way to place the blueprint WITHOUT auto-destructing the cliffs. Then you try to build in a forest and it autodestructs trees directly under the assembler, but not ones right in front of it, so you can't see what's happening in your factory unless you manually clear the land first anyway...

Lots of situations where more advanced blueprints could be useful... The question IMO is if it can be implemented in a way that makes it easier too instead of just more complicated. I'm already CONSTANTLY forgetting to check that box to remember station names, so as much as I think these options would be useful, I also fear that it'd be one more thing to forget to configure when making blueprints lol

[netmand]

... but wants more control over it...

yeah I get it. But to me these kinds of posts are like asking for an advanced hammer when really you want a nail gun.

It seems to me that they want to encourage the use of mods for these kinds of things.

[hale42]

... but wants more control over it...

yeah I get it. But to me these kinds of posts are like asking for an advanced hammer when really you want a nail gun.

It seems to me that they want to encourage the use of mods for these kinds of things.

really its better bot construction, but i have seen posts where people ask for smarter construction/deconstruction and some have replied that it would kill ups in the process.

and yes I want the highest level of control, I also would like a "fire and forget" type blueprint. this is a game about automation after all
right now as it stands the automation stops at a point.
I'm not sure what a nail gun would look like, but i know if they change the bot's behavior it may not suite everyone or every situation, however giving more control to the player to let them figure out seems like a good solution (more puzzles!)

the main thing is cant it be coded..

[hale42]

Holding Shift while placing a blueprint instructs bots to de-struct rocks/trees/cliffs where-ever they are in the way.

OP mentioned that directly, but wants more control over it, possibly similar to these suggestions from earlier this month:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=78843
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=79023

thank you for the links i will check them out

[netmand]

...the main thing is cant it be coded..

I wouldn't be so sure. Take a look at his: 13x9 Micro Factory
I dunno, although that mod may not exactly fit your ask, it sure does have elements of what you are looking to do. or maybe it can be used (I haven't tried). In any case, hope this helps.

[hale42]

...the main thing is cant it be coded..

Edit: the aspect that I think will be hardest/unable to code is the "place last" because it would require the game knowing whats in the blueprint (area and entities) and it would have to uniquely identify them from the rest of the game. As for the micro factory I would bet that its done by mathing the crap out of it, so he knows exactly how much of anything he needs for the current step and that could be used as the trigger for the next step.

I wouldn't be so sure. Take a look at his: 13x9 Micro Factory
I dunno, although that mod may not exactly fit your ask, it sure does have elements of what you are looking to do. or maybe it can be used (I haven't tried). In any case, hope this helps.

i downloaded recursive blueprints, that did it for auto-replicate, after making the "blueprint cannon" and making a line of destruction in the middle of my base i figured out how to use it haha. now i just have to figure out how to make it wait (a timer is something i have been meaning to do for a long time now anyway)