[MOD 0.12.x][0.14.x] SmartLoader_0.3.5 (12.10.16)

[Adil]

Type: Mod
Name: SmartLoader
Description: Adds a couple of buildings to simplify setting up supply trains.
License: CC BY 3.0
Version: 0.3.6
Tested-With-Factorio-Version: 0.12.30, 0.14.13
Category: Item
Tags: Inserter, Rail transportation
Download: Attached.

Long description

Little Diesel Locomotives That Could carrying ammo, turrets and other supplies are fascinating concept. Yet loading a single wagon of such supply train with a variety of items might become a hassle since a single inserter is prone to jam if the item stack size is not divisible by the inserter grab size or if the supplies flow is irregular. Building Turing-complete machines in order to ensure that a remote outpost takes from train exactly the amount of resources it should isn't very nice either. The goal of this mod is to simplify the outpost supplying so that player could focus on things other that hauling bullets to a dozen of remote bases.

This mod introduces a new inserter, smart loader, which is capable of detecting the situation when it's trying to shove in the items which wagon won't take (i.e. the remainder of item stack which was used to fulfill the limit of requested item). When such situation occurs, it rotates backwards to put the offending item to where it came from and continues the loading process.

This new inserter can be connected to circuit network (without connection it always on) but doesn't have filter in it as it's designed for loading the entities that have.
The smart loader recipe is unlocked by low tier research which comes after rail transportation.

Version 0.2.0 also introduces smart unloader addon, which is placed atop of any inserter capable of filtering (well, it can be placed atop of everything, but does nothing,). After placed, it can be selected by its top left corner. Clicking on it brings up the constant combinator gui. There you can set the desired amounts of items. The smart unloading controller will poll the drop target of inserter and if some of the items is below the threshold it will be added to inserter filter.

Images

Version history

0.1.0 Initial release.
0.2.0 Added smart unloaders.
0.2.1 There was a release?
0.2.2 Fixed "enable all filters" bug.
0.3.0(17.10.2015): A trivial update to 12.11
0.3.1(29.10.15) Fixed "enable all filters" bug, again.
0.3.2(16.04.16) Stability improvements.
0.3.3 (24.04.16) Various fixes. Thanks Nightingale.
0.3.4 (2.05.16) I think I've fixed something
0.3.5 (12.10.16) Update to 0.14.x
0.3.6 (28.01.16) I tiny fix of info.json description, new version just in case.

Updating

To upgrade from the version 0.1.0 type the following into console right after the loading:

Code: Select all

/c remote.call('SmrtLdr','migrate2')

That mehod causes trouble, contact me here.
If you install some other mod, which alters filter slots of any inserter type the following in console:

Code: Select all

/c remote.call('SmrtLdr','flush_filters')

Bugs and problems

It only unjams when trying to put item in something. It won't turn back if it cannot place item on the ground. This is almost by design. Otherwise script might become too performance heavy. (at least for such a small mod)

[Zuzak]

Brilliant!
A supply load station that can truly work with a single pair of requester chest and inserter!
Far better than my old way of single item type per pair.

Thank you.

[Adil]

You're very welcome.

[Urbs]

Excellent mod!

Will try it out tonight!

[Adil]

Found a bug when smart unloaders were enabling all the filters after the first unmet one. Either download the latest version or simply comment no longer needed line 120. (The game bug making this needed was fixed.)

[Adil]

Version 0.2.2 fixed error after robots deconstructing the unloader module.

[StoneLegion]

Very interesting. I like the idea a lot not sure if I quite like the models in fact I do but they clash a lot with the current ones to me. But really nice mod.

[Adil]

Updated mod to new coding standards.

[MNorman]

Version 0.3.0 seems to have reintroduced the bug described on Sep 14 (enabling all filters after the first unmet one). The workaround still works.

[Adil]

Welp, I'll upload the new version.
Sorry, I've got no idea how that got back.

[Zeeth_Kyrah]

I've been enjoying this mod lately. I have noticed, the smart filter thing that keeps inventories loaded with specific amounts (dang I forget the name the instant I want to talk about it) -- I've been using it to keep a cargo wagon in my ore train loaded with a small amount of coal and repair packs for my mining outposts, but the smart inserter that's being controlled always loads 2-3 items when the train pulls up before stopping, even if the wagon already has more than the amount I said to keep. I think it's because it takes a second to recognize that yes, the inserter has something to load again. I'd like to suggest that the filters be cleared when an inventory goes away, to prevent this. Then later if an inventory is placed next to the inserter, a normal update check would see if anything needs to be loaded.

[Darkestnoir]

Code: Select all

__SmartLoader__/control.lua:76: LuaEntity API call when LuaEntity was invalid..

Getting this sometimes in mp with my friends.

[JasonC]

SmartLoader 0.3.1, Factorio 0.12.29, I consistently get this error after deleting Smart Unloader Controllers with construction robots:

[Adil]

Released new version, that should deal with all kinds of such errors.
Also, now smart unloaders will only unload to containers. This is needed to prevent them from repeatedly snatching a few items above the treshold.

[JasonC]

Released new version, that should deal with all kinds of such errors.
Also, now smart unloaders will only unload to containers. This is needed to prevent them from repeatedly snatching a few items above the treshold.

Aw man! The smart unloader was a smarter loader than the smart loader

Let's say, with the latest version, that I want a train car to be loaded to always contain a specific number of items, say 1000 circuits, 1000 advanced circuits, and 1000 processing units (like using the smart unloader to load into the car but if the smart unloader never went over the threshold). Can I do that with these inserters? I'm having trouble making the smart loader work for me.

Cool concept by the way. Thanks for the work.

[Adil]

I guess?
You do know you can set allowed items in vagons by clicking middle mouse onto the slot, right? (And your proposed numbers are multiples of the stack sizes for items concerned?)

Smart loader is designed to not have the flaw of vanilla inserters which can get stuck with items, that cannot be placed in the container. Say if you had a wagon with 999 circuits in it with all other slots reserved for other items, vanilla inserter with stack bonus would grab 5 circuits from chest, insert one and stand still holding 4 remaining in hand. Smart loader will put the excess stuff back in the box and grab next type of item that can be inserted, so it's just unjammable inserter.

Also, this:

Also, now smart unloaders will only unload to containers.

only means they won't unload to ground or transport belts, which was meaningless usecase of them anyway.

[JasonC]

You do know you can set allowed items in vagons by clicking middle mouse onto the slot, right?

WAIT. REALLY???

OMG. No I honestly had no idea. I never knew what "Set Filter" / "Clear Filter" was in the control menu (always assumed it was just some inserter filter shortcut that I didn't need) and my laptop doesn't have a middle mouse button, so I ran out of mouse buttons and never tried it.

This changes everything.

Also the Smart Loader makes way more sense now. It's brilliant, the vanilla inserters really ought to behave that way.

Thanks, now I'm off to plug in a real mouse and redesign my entire rail system. I was literally just about to start learning Lua just to write a mod that did this to train cars...

[nightingale]

I can't believe I didn't know about this mod until now. Really, really, really need this for my Bob's mod campaing where I've shipping everything including most intermediate items with trains to a central warehouse. Will be trying this out tonight, and a massive THANK YOU in advance to you, Adil.

[nightingale]

I found a bug - SmartLoaders stop being smart if you put more than 120 of them down. The following statement in the on_tick handler is what's causing the problem:

Code: Select all

        if #global.ents<interval then
            global.next_check=global.next_check+math.floor(interval/(#global.ents))
        else
            global.next_check=1
        end

Once you have more than interval (120) smartloaders down, next_check will get set to 1, which causes the following check to never be able to pass:

Code: Select all

        if event.tick~=global.next_check then return end

I fixed it by changing the above from a ~= to a < (which is a much safer check), although setting next_check to next_check+1 is probably what was intended.

I also, made a change to loader_check, changing this:

Code: Select all

    if loader.drop_target and loader.held_stack.valid_for_read and not loader.drop_target.can_insert(loader.held_stack) then

to this:

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    if loader.held_stack.valid_for_read and (not loader.drop_target or not loader.drop_target.can_insert(loader.held_stack)) then

That way the loader doesn't sit with something hanging in its hand if the train goes away. For my particular use case, the odds are that the next train would want something different, but it was more for aesthetics (and so I know the mod is working). It might break a smart loader putting something on the ground for another inserter to pick up... but that seems like a silly use case for this particular entity.

[Adil]

I see you really indulged in this mod
Did they rotate correctly by the way? I've looked over the code and now don't think the simultaneous rotation was done correctly as well.
I've been using that ~= because it seemed to me that it should be faster. This day I know there are other things that in that code that don't make it fastest much more than that arithmetic.
I'll release the updated version now, thanks for the help. Since you've probably got a sizable base with those, could you note the old and the new update times of the mod?