Factorio Forums

Feature request: When selecting an item that can filter like a filter inserter or splitter, and choosing the filter option, it opens a menu of every item in the game. It would be preferable if it either highlighted, or had some way to filter by, items in the attached entity. So if an inserter is pulling from a chest, recommend the items that are in that chest. If it's on a belt, recommend items that are currently on that belt.

It seems like this shouldn't be a major performance concern. Primarily because it doesn't need to happen for all filter items forever. Only for the one item you're currently looking at. Also, if there are performance concerns with checking the entire contiguous belt for items when the belt could be long, it could have a limit for attached belt length to check. Even a very low limit (like the nearest 5 belts) would often work.

You’re right, that could work in more than 85% of cases.
And it seems to be simple to implement it as mod first.

ssilk wrote: ↑

Sun Feb 28, 2021 5:21 am

You’re right, that could work in more than 85% of cases.
And it seems to be simple to implement it as mod first.

I agree that it would be OK for about 85% of cases. There are times when one wishes to filter a splitter with something like fish or decon planner to prevent anything going down one side, so it would need to account for that possibility. (A tick box: "Only include available items" or something on the UI?)