[Idea] On/Off Inserter Switch

[Gafda]

Hi, my idea is the next one : Add some switchs to control the inserters.
For example, you want to disable one of your factory, juste switch off the linked inserters.
So, it permits say which belt is used or not.

I hope you like it.

[rymn]

How could this be useful? Are you thinking to limit taking resources of a main belt?

[slpwnd]

Good point. We actually had this in the game some time ago. However it got broken and we haven't fixed it yet.
If you open the yellow inserter GUI you can see only big button with the inserter animation. It is not clickable but it used to be and it would switch off the inserter.

In case this will go back in we will need to:
1) figure out how to visualize the switch on / off control - maybe something like a two position switch similar to the one for regular light in the room would do.
2) figure out how to visualize that the inserter is switched off - maybe the icon / note in the entity info would suffice

This feature was used for inserters / assembling machines / steam engines / etc.

There are certainly uses for this. Especially in the earlier stages when your factory is not yet a completely self sufficient system - Imagine you built too many assembling machines in the production line. Then you can just switch off two of them and be fine - now simulated by disconnecting the belts / power supply / inserters connection."

[Gafda]

Good point. We actually had this in the game some time ago. However it got broken and we haven't fixed it yet.
If you open the yellow inserter GUI you can see only big button with the inserter animation. It is not clickable but it used to be and it would switch off the inserter.

In case this will go back in we will need to:
1) figure out how to visualize the switch on / off control - maybe something like a two position switch similar to the one for regular light in the room would do.
2) figure out how to visualize that the inserter is switched off - maybe the icon / note in the entity info would suffice

This feature was used for inserters / assembling machines / steam engines / etc.

There are certainly uses for this. Especially in the earlier stages when your factory is not yet a completely self sufficient system - Imagine you built too many assembling machines in the production line. Then you can just switch off two of them and be fine - now simulated by disconnecting the belts / power supply / inserters connection."

Okay !

[Wubbi]

As you were talking about the Inserter-GUI: What do you think about adding a switch to change where the inserter will place items on a transport belt? At the moment i always need a lot of space just to curve some belts so that different items comming from the same side of the factory (via inserters, e.g. from assembling machines) land on two different lines on the output-belt. Sure, i could use filter inserters at the end of the line and seperate the items there, but the overall efficiency would be lower that way.

[azoundria]

I think the best way to display a disabled equipment would be an icon like this:



Which would appear over disabled devices in case you didn't realize what you were doing.

[ssilk]

This won't be implemented or is implemented (depending on standpoint). Smart inserters turn on/off automatic and with 0.12 we get much more control over it and might also be able to turn on/off other inserters by turning off the power network they are in.