[Resolved 0.3.2] Splitter error - not splitting

[MF-]

I hit an issue with the splitter.
Instead of splitting 1:1 everything was going out of the same output and the other one stayed empty.

I saved, loaded. The situation reversed, first empty and the second one got all the items.
To be sure, here goes the save: http://www.ulozto.net/x3DhYWs/splitter-error-tgz

[MF-]

I tried replicating that setup next to this one and it was splitting correctly.
I assume there is something special in the timing I got in the save.

Sidebug:
I saw the bug, everything was coming out of the left output
Save-load cycle.
Now is everything coming out of the right output.
I assume it means that splitter state is not stored in the save, therefore splitter is not good for piece-perfect logic applications

[drs9999]

Hello,
i played around with your save.
When i load it i have the same problem you discribed but allways after a (random) amount of time the splitter works correctly (without reloading the save).
So not sure what the reason/ solution for this is...

[kovarex]

Hmm, I thought this might a feature, but people would probably thing it is a bug.

The issue is, that the splitter remembers how many items it sent left/right.
When the left is stuck it sends all to the right, and the right counter increases.
When the left is free again, it will send lot of items to the left to balance it.

[MF-]

Oh.
That could be an interesting feature when the belt is actually splitting (or used as an input overflow valve for slow machinery)
But in the side-balancing use case it IMO creates deliberate side imbalance.
That explains a lot of the oddity I've been observing.

Why did it start sending the items though the other output after the save-load cycle?

I am not sure whether I want the feature in or not.
I think my life would be happier without it, but I certainly haven't explored all the possible use cases of the splitter. So far all my splitters were only side-balancers.

[Nova]

Yes, that explains some of the confusing behavior of the splitter. ^^
This "feature" should at least be explained somewhere for the splitter - it is not really intuitive.
Maybe we could just make an option for this in every splitter - right click and choosing an check box.

[MF-]

Given that the features induces strange and unintuitive behaviour, I guess it should be disabled (at least by default?)
IMO the checkbox would look a bit weird and many would not expect it's presence in the UI.
If we get a checkbox, one might also want a "ratio" slider in there.

Can someone present a setup that relies on this feature? I am not aware of any and that biases me.

[kovarex]

So I made change for the next release, the "memory of disbalance" of the left/right side is capped by 5.

[MF-]

That sounds like a good solution.
Is that 5 per item kind + side?

[kovarex]

That sounds like a good solution.
Is that 5 per item kind + side?

Yes, (Every item type has it's own counter)

[Tyvin]

Could that me configurable?
Might be neat if you could configure a split ratio on the splitter itself, like 1:1, up to 1:10 or something.

[MF-]

Could that me configurable?
Might be neat if you could configure a split ratio on the splitter itself, like 1:1, up to 1:10 or something.

That is an independent feature request and it should be published as such.
Don't forget to attach a nice use case for such feature.

[Dakkanor]

question, will there be more advanced types of splitter?

because having a smart splitter which auto sorts items with personal settings would be great, so great that im going to go post it as a suggestion....