Toggle items (accumulators) on power consumption graph

[JasonC]

In 0.12.29, accumulator charging renders the electricity consumption graph essentially useless, because the charge rate is so much higher than everything else that it makes the scale too high:



And in this example, a small child scribbled red lines all over my graph:



For each of the time ranges:

• 5s: The graph is not useful for the earlier half of each game day while accumulators charge.
• 1m: The graph is not useful for the majority of each game day.
• 10m, 1h, 10h, 50h: The graph is never useful.

That's a lot of time for the graph to spend being less than useful. Since it's good when things are useful, my suggestion is: Clicking an entity icon on the graph should toggle its visibility on the graph (adjusting the scale accordingly).

That alone would solve the above issue, but in addition I think that when an item is hidden, it also shouldn't take up one of the slots for lines that get a color; and if this is done for the production graphs as well, it'd mean you have a way to see a bit more detail in the graphs about the lower production items if you want.

I think implementing this as described above would be a relatively straightforward new feature that would make both the power and production graphs tremendously more useful and usable.

PS As a somewhat related bonus, it'd be really handy if the current scale value (i.e. max energy consumption in the selected time range) was displayed on the graph; maybe a number in the top left corner of each graph.

[mattj256]

Here's some related links:

• viewtopic.php?f=6&t=4780 Complete production statistics ("check box at the side of the production stats would be a good addition so that you could then toggle on only the items that are of interest")
• viewtopic.php?f=80&t=19987 Frequently Suggested: More Game Information (Statistics, Monitoring, Graphs)
• viewtopic.php?f=92&t=14388 Mod: Advanced Logistics System

• 5s: The graph is not useful for the earlier half of each game day while accumulators charge.
• 1m: The graph is not useful for the majority of each game day.
• 10m, 1h, 10h, 50h: The graph is never useful.

Hmm. I've logged around 70 hours of playing time and I've never noticed this to be a problem. On further investigation, I realized that I've either been focused on the production side, or else the numerical list (not the graph) on the consumption side. When I go to that screen the questions I'm asking tend to be: "why am I having a blackout?" or "do I need to build more solar panels?" or "where should I put efficiency modules?"

in this example, a small child scribbled red lines all over my graph

Can't argue with that.

In 0.12.29, accumulator charging renders the electricity consumption graph essentially useless

my suggestion is: Clicking an entity icon on the graph should toggle its visibility on the graph (adjusting the scale accordingly).

Let me make a counter-suggestion: add an option to "show accumulator statistics in electrical production graph" on the graphic options screen:



My reasoning:

• The specific problem you're mentioning is only in the electrical consumption graph. (Not electrical production, not the numerical table at the top, only the graph.) I'm trying to think of the simplest solution for that problem.
• Toggling visibility for electrical production and consumption on an item-by-item basis is a feature that some people would use and some people wouldn't. My gut feeling is that there isn't enough community demand for it to justify the development cost. I think this would be great as a mod, I just don't know that it belongs in the vanilla game.

I think implementing this as described above would be a relatively straightforward new feature that would make both the power and production graphs tremendously more useful and usable.

I respectfully disagree: I don't think this is a feature that enough of the community would value. You are invited to prove me wrong.

PS As a somewhat related bonus, it'd be really handy if the current scale value (i.e. max energy consumption in the selected time range) was displayed on the graph; maybe a number in the top left corner of each graph.

This may be buried (and lost) unless you make a separate thread for it.

[JasonC]

Let me make a counter-suggestion: add an option to "show accumulator statistics in electrical production graph" on the graphic options screen

I would settle for that as well. It would accomplish the same thing for me. My reasons for suggesting a general toggle:

• Accomplishes my personal goal plus adds a host of other possibilities (who knows who might find it useful) in one fell swoop.
• Assuming all four graphs (production and consumption, electrical and commodities) share the same code, you get the feature on all four, instead of just on electrical consumption.

So it's a lot more bang for the buck, even if you or I wouldn't personally use all of the things it adds. But I'd be fine with just an option to hide accumulator stats in the graphic options, too. I have no guesses about which one would be "easier" to implement.

I look at the electrical consumption graph pretty regularly for a lot of reasons, one of the bigger ones is I generally know what patterns different parts of my factory have and I check it when I want to know when certain things are happening.

Thanks for the other post links. Those are all cool suggestions, a bit more than I'd use myself but I'm all for it. For me, the only real change to the graphs I want is the one I mentioned here (and the scale value display too).

[Koub]

The devs are adding this feature for 0.13 (if I'm not misunderstanding what's requested) :
http://www.factorio.com/blog/post/fff-133 search Ease of use 2.

[JasonC]

The devs are adding this feature for 0.13 (if I'm not misunderstanding what's requested) :
http://www.factorio.com/blog/post/fff-133 search Ease of use 2.

From there:

The production statistics now contain the overall sum. It is now also possible to select individual items in the production/electric statistics, to limit the graph to only show these items. As the graph is now, it doesn't show the production for small scale items well, when the production of the other items is so large.

Nice!!!

Add to the growing list of reasons I'm super excited to see 0.13.

[mattj256]

The devs are adding this feature for 0.13

That's great!

Add to the growing list of reasons I'm super excited to see 0.13.

Me too.