New Feature: Allow reordering logistics requester slots

[factoriouzr]

It would be nice to drag and drop logistics slots to re-order their position. This is useful to keep a consistent order in items requested for organization and readability (especially with mods adding more slots). Without this feature to reorder would require removing and re-setting all logistics slots after the insertion point.

This is not a crucial feature, but a nice to have and goes along with general gui polish and improvement, more interactivity, and modern features like drag and drop.

[ssilk]

Hmm. I suggest an autosort for the slots instead - like the inventory.
I think this is much simpler implemented and doesn't bother the player to learn how to order slots.

[factoriouzr]

the only issue with an auto sort is that it's arbitrary and can't be customized. I want my belt and my underground and my inserter and my splitter and power pole beside each other on the toolbar, thought this is not as big of an issue with the requester slots so either would work but a drag and drop would be better. It's also standard in GUI design.

[factoriouzr]

Add ability to drag and drop slots in toolbar, logistics request, logistics trash, trains and other containers.

Dragging a slot should insert the dragged slot where the mouse pointer is and move whatever is at that location and before to the left one.

This would allow reorganizing items in all these containers a lot easier and help keep things organized. For example, If the player requests 1 type of inserter, then later needs to request another type of inserter, they might have already used the other adjacent requester slots for other items. For oganization the player might want to put all similar items next to each other to see what they are requesting easier. Right now, it's not practical to do this as you would have to remove all subsequent items and manually re-add them all one space shuffled over. When you have lots of items this is just tedious and not workable.

This feature would be useful in the same way for cargo wagons. Realizing you need another stack of an item when you have reserved 3 full cargo wagons of things is a pain to add if you want to stay organized. The only real option is to put the new stack in the next free space. This is usually not next to the same item which you already added previously.

I know you guys are reworking the GUI and a GUI update is much requested. This is just something else to keep in mind and implement to bring the GUI to a modern standard or pick the library you want to use wisely so it allows for things like this.

[ssilk]

Hm. English seems not to be your first language. I need to say in your interest, that it's difficult to follow this suggestion.
Can you eventually create some screenshots and explain it with pics, what you mean.

[factoriouzr]

Hm. English seems not to be your first language. I need to say in your interest, that it's difficult to follow this suggestion.
Can you eventually create some screenshots and explain it with pics, what you mean.

Simple allow dragging and dropping slots (eg. logistics requester slots). Have you ever dragged and dropped something in a GUI (eg an image in a document) and had the rest of the elements move out of the way to make room for the element you are dragging? This is the feature I want. To drag and drop logistics slots so that you can change their order without clearing them and setting them all up again.

[kaavik]

I have this problem too.

The issue is that a user typically adds items to Logistics slots as the need arises. As time progresses, the user has a lot of items specified but they are not in any useful order. If they auto-sorted using the same logic as standard Inventory, that would work well enough because users eventually learn / memorize the Inventory order. Alternately, a click/drag or manual-sort option could be useful but AT LEAST please enable the auto-sort - even just as a simple checkbox - so that people who want to use the "standard" inventory sort, can have a familiar ordering.

NOTE: The issue is exacerbated by the fact that the logistic request limits (which is a GREAT feature!!) overlay the icon and partially obscure the icons such that it is EVEN MORE DIFFICULT than it would already be to find the item you're looking for (e.g. to adjust number of concrete requested to build a new rocket silo).

I continue to play of course, but would enjoy the late game MUCH MORE if there was a way to auto-sort the same as Inventory view and/or manually [re]sort existing logistic requests.

[kaavik]

TL;DR

Personal Logistics GUI does not sort properly in 0.18.34 (and earlier versions).

PROBLEM: Sorting does not work for Personal Logistics GUI

The issue is that once a user gets personal logistic slots, they typically add items to as the need arises and NEVER REMOVE THEM (and you can't list the same item twice). As the game progresses, the user continues adding item requests and has a lot of items specified but they are not in any useful order.

SOLUTION #1:
If they auto-sorted using the same logic as standard Inventory, that would work well enough because users eventually learn / memorize the "standard" order from Inventory GUI.

SOLUTION #2:
Allow users to click/drag or other method to manually sort via some means WITHOUT having to remove their current inventory settings. This might be accomplished using similar drag interface as used in Character GUI for weapons and/or equipment for Power Armor.

Why it matters

While arguably trivial, it adds time/delay to making adjustments to logistic requests (because if you already have a lot of logistic requests configured but can't find the request you need and the GUI doesn't allow you to re-add / replace it (which makes sense) so you have to keep searching for the original request to update it). The issue is further exacerbated by the fact that the logistic request limits overlay the icon (which is a GREAT feature!!) and partially obscure the icons such that it is EVEN MORE DIFFICULT than it would already be to find the item you're looking for (e.g. to adjust number of concrete requested to build a new rocket silo).

[boskid]

I do not remember ever seeing sorting logistic requests. Because of this it does not belong to "bug reports" but to "ideas and suggestions"

[ssilk]

merged double post into same zombie post — ssilk
@kaavik: please do not double post to different boards.
@boskid: kaavik has found it.

Interesting: the OP is now 4 years old and still relevant.

NOTE: The issue is exacerbated by the fact that the logistic request limits (which is a GREAT feature!!) overlay the icon and partially obscure the icons such that it is EVEN MORE DIFFICULT than it would already be to find the item you're looking for (e.g. to adjust number of concrete requested to build a new rocket silo).

Ha! Now I had that, too. It’s indeed quite difficult to see the icons behind the numbers, I searched for over 30 seconds going several times through all slots and still didn’t see it.

Who has also had this kind of problem?

[Hellspawn]

Hi I just wanne hope in a give that idea a big +1!

I play a Seablock A+B Game with a hell of a lot of items i wanne requesting/get ride of with the help of the logistic slots. I have almost 300 different slots in use and it´s really anoing to try to find the item you looking for to change its value.

Thank you!

Regards,

Hellspawn

[foamy]

I only found out a couple of days ago that there's a search function, which has been a life-saver, but the ability to reorganize my logistic request slots would be fantastic.

[-DeadlyKitten]

TL;DR

One sentence to describe your idea with a bit different words than in the subject

when you click on a request slot when there is already a request slot move the request location instead of giving an error

What ?

when in the invintory looking at the logistic menu, click on an empty box and request something already requested in another slot. an error will open with 'this item is in another slot'. my suggestion is to instead open the item request menu with the current configuration (lower/upper limits set as they currently are) and if the user presses enter/ clicks the green check to apply the change then put the item request in the new slot and empty the old slot.

Why ?

I think it will increases the value of Factorio as a game because it will
a) allow for much easier rearrangement of the request slots,
b) remove the need to tediously search dozens or (in modded games) hundreds of items to find the item whose request you want to remove.

[Sad_Brother]

+1

[NotRexButCaesar]

+1 searching for the request is quite annoying.

[ssilk]

Counter suggestion would be to highlight the doublette. That would be also less invasive.

I’m sure that has been already suggested, but could not find it.

[Sad_Brother]

But this suggestion allow to change location easily.

[ssilk]

We don’t need to invent the wheel new. If I want to move things, I want to drag and drop it.

[-DeadlyKitten]

a combo of both features would def be nice

[dugen]

TL;DR

When you try to assign an already configured request into an empty space, instead of "Request for this item already exists" populate a panel with the current request configuration, and if they save it, move the request to there.

What ?

Sometimes I want to rearrange the layout of the logistics requests to group things logically. This could be made much easier with this simple change.

.

Why ?

Because it's better.