Filters for categories instead of specific items

[sparr]

When filtering an inserter or cargo wagon slot or the various other interfaces that allow filtering, I'd like to be able to filter for a whole row of items (which seems to mostly correspond to item categories?) or even a whole tab.

Here are two currently valid filters in green, and my proposed new filtering functionalities in orange:

Screenshot_20200829_094951.png (129.44 KiB) Viewed 818 times

[robot256]

Install any mods and you will find that the organization of items in the crafting window is basically arbitrary and changes without notice. There are three levels of sorting to arrange the icons (tab, group, and sorting string) but so far I don't think anyone has used them to alter game mechanics. The groups are not distinguished graphically so the game would have to change to indicate it to the player.

What you are looking for could probably be implemented as a mod. However, it is also an excellent application for advanced circuit network logic. Look up some examples of "construction train stations" that load certain quantities of many items into one wagon, and many other similar tasks. By sensing what is available in the buffer chest, you can decide which item to send to the inserter to filter.

[NotRexButCaesar]

[...]

I think he wanted it for personal logistics to make things less tedious to change: this wouldn't work with the circuit network.

[robot256]

They said "when filtering an inserter or cargo wagon", hence my answer. You can even have several constant combinators with different "groups" configured and manually enable and disable them to change what you get.

But for personal logistics? To request 100 of each type of power pole, or chest, or belt with a single entry? Maybe, but it'd only be useful for a couple of categories. Mods that let you save and restore personal logistics configuration will probably be more useful.