Idea: Side Inserter

[Mur]

Injectors can only inject x -> x Sometimes when making things like manufacturing items, I need to put things in chests in small spaces. I was thinking if maybe you can make loaders be able to load like an L

[mindreader]

Good idea.

Or add same function to inserters as there is for transport line.
In this case button "R" is ocupied with "turn" fuction, so you can do it like "Shift+R" for "Curve" function.

[Mur]

Honestly I think that would be the best way, then you don't need to create a ton of them

[slpwnd]

Interesting ideas guys.

There are two main reasons why this is not in the game already:
1) Simplicity
We have strived to have couple of simple elements (i.e. inserters, belts, containers) that can be combined in complicated ways. That is a sort of thing we believe makes the game really interesting. Emerging complexity from few simple rules (game of Go anyone ?). ATM It is possible to simulate the functionality of the L inserter with regular inserters. However if this would prove to be useful and would allow combinations and setups we haven't thought of then great!

2) Visualisation.
It is not obvious to us how to visualise where is the inserter going to put the item. We think it is really important that by looking at the picture of the factory it is possible to deduce what is happening. If you have any ideas how to do that please tell us !

Oh and I changed the name to "Side Inserter". Hope you don't mind.

[slpwnd]

One more thing. In case we decide to go with this in the future I like the variant with "rotating" the existing inserters better.
Two reasons:
1) Less items / recipes / entities
2) Can be combined with all the existing inserters (burner, long hand, simple, smart, etc.)

[rymn]

Good idea.

Or add same function to inserters as there is for transport line.
In this case button "R" is ocupied with "turn" fuction, so you can do it like "Shift+R" for "Curve" function.

Had the same idea. Great illustration.

I think it would be nice to be able to choose which side of the belts they pick from our put to. Near side, far side, center or any available!

To address the issue of complexity, they should operate the way they do currently. Anyone interested in the complexities of building super compact factories can find use the turning and belt position features. Anyone that costs not to use those features will play the game as we do now.

[Jaque_Thay]

One way I can see of doing it is to have an animation showing where goods are drawn from (it's a good idea to keep things visual) then letting the inserter drop goods into the selected location.

Right now inserters go X > X or

X
^
X

And this works fine with the 'r' to rotate system. For advanced users though I think this might work well. I = inserter. O = origin. D = potential destinations.
D O D
D I D
D D D

Right now, the inserter takes from top-middle and deposits in bottom-middle - or with 'r' takes from centre-left and deposits centre-right (or vice versa). With the use of shift + r though it could be possible to turn 45 degrees rather than 90 and set a diagonal destination (to avoid having to press 'r' 8 times to cycle back to the start).

There's a second problem raised by this - at present inserters collect from the opposite side to where they drop off. Nice and easy. That would be broken by this method, so instead I'd suggest linking the inserter to its input the same way underground belts link when they are placed.

[rdrdrdrd]

Good idea.

Or add same function to inserters as there is for transport line.
In this case button "R" is ocupied with "turn" fuction, so you can do it like "Shift+R" for "Curve" function.

Had the same idea. Great illustration.

I think it would be nice to be able to choose which side of the belts they pick from our put to. Near side, far side, center or any available!

To address the issue of complexity, they should operate the way they do currently. Anyone interested in the complexities of building super compact factories can find use the turning and belt position features. Anyone that costs not to use those features will play the game as we do now.

Yes this is the biggest feature I find myself wanting for inserters

[rymn]

Good idea.

Or add same function to inserters as there is for transport line.
In this case button "R" is ocupied with "turn" fuction, so you can do it like "Shift+R" for "Curve" function.

Had the same idea. Great illustration.

I think it would be nice to be able to choose which side of the belts they pick from our put to. Near side, far side, center or any available!

To address the issue of complexity, they should operate the way they do currently. Anyone interested in the complexities of building super compact factories can find use the turning and belt position features. Anyone that costs not to use those features will play the game as we do now.

Yes this is the biggest feature I find myself wanting for inserters

I agree, and after I learn to mod this game I will be making side inserters!

[ssilk]

Side inserters are available as mod, but here it is explained by Kovarex himself, why they are not in the vanilla.

[tom89194]

Where is that explained?

[Koub]

Was not Kovarex, but slpwnd
https://forums.factorio.com/forum/vie ... p=177#p177