[MOD 0.12.26] Picker: Easily select items from inventory

[Tinyboss]

Type: Mod
Name: Picker
Description: Gives you an eyedropper-like tool to select items by putting the cursor over objects in the world. E.g. mouse over an assembler and press 1 to select assemblers from your inventory.
License: Public domain
Version: 0.1.0
Release: 2016-03-15
Tested-With-Factorio-Version: 0.12.26
Category: Convenience
Tags: Inventory, Convenience
Download-Url: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/118 ... _0.1.0.zip
Website:

0.13 version available on the mod portal

Latest portal version is 1.0.0:
- Now able to select rails
- Now able to select an item if something else is currently in hand

License

License
I place this mod in the public domain. This means you can do anything you want with it, without asking my permission.

Long description

Long description
Picker makes it easier to select items from your inventory. It adds two new tool items, the Basic Item Picker and Advanced Item Picker, which are intended to go in the player's quickbar for easy access. Selecting the Item Picker (via hotkey) with the mouse cursor over an entity in the world will select that item from the player's inventory, if they have any.

For example: if I'm expanding a production area and I need to place a smart inserter, which I don't keep on the quickbar. I place my cursor over a nearby (previously built) smart inserter and press 1, then the smart inserters from my inventory are instantly selected.

The Basic Item Picker works within the player's usual building/interaction range, and is crafted with 1 iron plate and 1 copper plate. The advanced version works anywhere on screen and is made with 2 steel plates and 1 advanced circuit.

These tools aren't consumed and don't have durability. You only ever need to make one of each.

Note: Because of the "hack" I used to get the item picker to work, you can't move it around your inventory with the mouse like other items. Use shift-click to move it between your quickbar, main inventory, and containers.

Pictures

Pictures

Known issues

Known issues
Because of the "hack" I used to get the item picker to work, you can't move it around your inventory with the mouse like other items. Use shift-click to move it between your quickbar, main inventory, and containers.

Bug: If the item picker is activated while the cursor is already holding something, it has to be activated a second time to do its normal function.

Version history

Version history
0.0.3 (2015-08-10):
- Initial release.
0.0.4 (2015-08-12):
- Basic Picker no longer requires electronic circuits.

[billw]

Awesome. I am trying it now! Two issues I ran into:
If you build it to your inventory you can't put it in the shortcut bar because you can't move your mouse to the shortcut bar without it deselecting. And when I did it just disappeared when I tried to move it and I had to build another.

[Tinyboss]

Awesome. I am trying it now! Two issues I ran into:
If you build it to your inventory you can't put it in the shortcut bar because you can't move your mouse to the shortcut bar without it deselecting. And when I did it just disappeared when I tried to move it and I had to build another.

Yeah, there's definitely room for improvement on moving it around your inventory. Try clearing out a spot on your quickbar before building it. Or, with it in your main inventory, shift-click it to send it to your quickbar.

Hopefully once you get it into the slot you want, you never have to worry about moving it again. But it's definitely something I need to improve on.

If you ever want to get rid of it, you can put it into a container with shift-click.

[billw]

Yeah I figured out how to work around it, just might be worth noting in the known issues.
Anyway I used it more for the last few hours and its definitely handy, good job!

[Darloth]

Really useful, I prefer this to the Eyedropper.

I do have one small request though:
When using bob's electronic mod, or any other mod that makes the start game phase take longer, even getting to the yellow Picker can actually be quite a trial.

Could you make the yellow one even cheaper, please? Maybe just iron and copper plates?

[Tinyboss]

Really useful, I prefer this to the Eyedropper.

I do have one small request though:
When using bob's electronic mod, or any other mod that makes the start game phase take longer, even getting to the yellow Picker can actually be quite a trial.

Could you make the yellow one even cheaper, please? Maybe just iron and copper plates?

I've never used any of those mods--I had no idea electronic circuits could be a chore! I changed it to an iron plate and a copper plate and uploaded the new version. Thanks for letting me know!

[Tinyboss]

I finally got around to updating this for the scripting changes introduced in 12.11 (I haven't been playing Factorio lately).

[Liquid5n0w]

Any chance this will get updated to 0.13? Or if I change the files will it work with 0.13 I wonder...

[Tinyboss]

Any chance this will get updated to 0.13? Or if I change the files will it work with 0.13 I wonder...

It's done and on the mod portal. I've also simplified it to just add a hotkey to the Options->Controls->Mods page called "select entity". No more need to create items that behave weirdly when you try to move them around your inventory.

[Koub]

Hi OP. I took the liberty to add that you mod is available on the mod portal for 0.13. Feel free to change my edit if you don't like it .

[Liquid5n0w]

Any chance this will get updated to 0.13? Or if I change the files will it work with 0.13 I wonder...

It's done and on the mod portal. I've also simplified it to just add a hotkey to the Options->Controls->Mods page called "select entity". No more need to create items that behave weirdly when you try to move them around your inventory.

Thank you very much! your work really helps the game be more enjoyable!

[Tinyboss]

Thank you very much! your work really helps the game be more enjoyable!

Thanks for taking the time to say so, it's great to hear!

I've uploaded a new version 1.0.0 to the mod portal. Details in OP.

[Liquid5n0w]

Quick update to being able to use it while holding something. Thank you that was bugging me!

[Nexela]

2 Minor bugs

Missing Locale entry for hotkey

[controls]
picker-select=Item Picker

Also no item message outputs entity.name should be changed to output entity.localised_name

[Tinyboss]

2 Minor bugs

Missing Locale entry for hotkey

[controls]
picker-select=Item Picker

Also no item message outputs entity.name should be changed to output entity.localised_name

Thanks for the report! Somehow an old locale.cfg made it into the 1.0.0 release. I made a 1.0.1 version that restores the hotkey description.

I need to do a little more reading to understand how localised strings work, and it's too late for that tonight, so it'll have to wait, but it's now on my list.

[Nexela]

No problem this is an awesome addition to my game, I changed my keybind to Q it negates the switching back to what was in my hand but I think it is a lot more intuitive. Q to remove item, if hand is empty Q to pick entity

[Tinyboss]

No problem this is an awesome addition to my game, I changed my keybind to Q it negates the switching back to what was in my hand but I think it is a lot more intuitive. Q to remove item, if hand is empty Q to pick entity

Wow, I never thought to do that but it works really well. I'm going to add that suggestion to the mod description.

Edit: Actually...I could update the mod to clear your cursor if you're not hovering over an entity, and then it could completely replace the standard "clear cursor" command. Best of both worlds? What should happen when you are holding a stack of assemblers, then you try to pick an inserter, but you don't have any inserters in your inventory? I'm thinking it should clear the cursor, what do you think?

[Nexela]

What should happen when you are holding a stack of assemblers, then you try to pick an inserter, but you don't have any inserters in your inventory? I'm thinking it should clear the cursor, what do you think?

Not sure how I would feel about this one without trying it. On one hand I would be trying to "change" to something, but on the other hand maybe if I realized I don't have said something I could keep building what is currently in my hand.

But I guess it would be more intuitive if it cleared, I would have to try it and see.

[British_Petroleum]

This is probably my new favourite mod. So simple yet so convenient.

[Elwin]

Hey thanks for an awesome mod!

How about if you pick a belt or inserter, it would rotate it the same way?