Add a space saving"circuit box" for combinator setups

[TyrHeimdal]

So I'm imagining a combinator/circuit box. Let's say a 4x4 size item where you can attach red and/or green wires as input, and red and/or green wires as output.

The box itself can be opened much like the power armor "inventory".

Example of how it could look/work

circuit box suggestion.png (249.6 KiB) Viewed 6092 times

Inside this inventory, you can place all the different combinators and even perhaps lamps(?), and configure and connect them to each other to do what ever operation you are planning on doing. You connect a red and/or green wire from the internal input-node to items in the box cicuit box inventory to get the signals from outside the box.

Items can be rotated inside in the grid.

When all the logic is done, you connect a red and/or green wire to the output node, and the box sends those signals out to the output end of the box on the outside.

Thoughts?

[Tekky]

A very interesting suggestion.

It would also be nice if the contents of these "circuit boxes" could be blueprinted (and also have blueprint strings), so that they can be shared by players. Also, it should be possible to add some description/comments to the "circuit box", so that other players can see what it does without having to study it.

One problem I see is that the size of the grid may not be sufficient for complex circuit layouts, so that several "circuit boxes" would be required, which would make it a bit messy. This could be avoided by adding scroll bars and making the grid have virtually unlimited space, but is this desired?

[The Eriksonn]

I would like smaller tiers of these, like a 2*2 entity with 5*5 inventory

[mp0011]

+1

Hower, I just use Locomotives instead, because it can process *any* number and *any* signal combinations, literally replacing any amount of "circuits boxes". For deciding only however, not calculations...

[TyrHeimdal]

could you explain the locomotive approach?

[mp0011]

could you explain the locomotive approach?

Each Locomotive can compare any number of signals before leaving station. It is stationary at Station LOGIC#1, with no fuel. If I set multiple conditions, eg oil < 40k AND solid_fues<20k OR signal_from_other_source = 40 AND something (any combination is possible here) to go to station LOGIC#2, Locomotive tries to (disconnects from Train Stop causing signal from it goes to "0"). It has no fuel, so it does not go anywhere. Station Login#2 is one tile further, connected to simple clock, so it is disabled every second for about 0.25s, just to reset train destination to original station. Train is already at LOGIC#1, reconnects to station, and cycle repeats...

Basically, if conditions are fulfilled, train ID is T=0, if not T!=0. I had just working prototype, but it works "good enough". Setup takes same space as about 16 comparators and do not require lot of wiring. Everything is set inside one locomotive, so reprogramming is easy (drag and drop!).

Code: Select all

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[Caine]

That's a pretty clever trick. I will have to remember that one, thanks for sharing.

[bobingabout]

This is definitely not a new idea, in fact the idea itself is as old as combinators themselves.

and for the record, I very much want this.

[Jap2.0]

Microprocessers ?

[bobingabout]

Microprocessers ?

Even before those... the first series I am aware of such was a "Programmable array logic" type chip, created back in the late 70s. it was literally just a bunch of NAND gates in a grid array, and by burning out fuses by "programming" it, you could create what would previously be a whole circuit with dozens of chips inside a single chip.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Programmable_Array_Logic

I would say that this request is on par with a PAL chip, rather than a microprocessor, or even the PAL equivalent of today, FPGAs. (seriously, modern FPGAs more resemble a microprocessor than their PAL ancestors, the latest Amiga accelerators I've seen were built on an FPGA, they literally burn the Amiga internal CPU architecture with logic gates inside the FPGA.)

[Jap2.0]

Microprocessers ?

Even before those... the first series I am aware of such was a "Programmable array logic" type chip, created back in the late 70s. it was literally just a bunch of NAND gates in a grid array, and by burning out fuses by "programming" it, you could create what would previously be a whole circuit with dozens of chips inside a single chip.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Programmable_Array_Logic

I would say that this request is on par with a PAL chip, rather than a microprocessor, or even the PAL equivalent of today, FPGAs. (seriously, modern FPGAs more resemble a microprocessor than their PAL ancestors, the latest Amiga accelerators I've seen were built on an FPGA, they literally burn the Amiga internal CPU architecture with logic gates inside the FPGA.)

Very interesting stuff.

I even knew some of those words .

[Impatient]

I very much like this idea.



FYI: If this idea gets implemented one day and it takes a while, or it does not get implemented ever, you might want to take a look at the mod "real estate" and similar mods.

https://mods.factorio.com/mod/Free_Real_Estate_fix
https://mods.factorio.com/mod/Factorissimo2

these mods allow to set up buildings which the player character can enter and then provide much more space at the players disposal to set up whatever production line or circuitry. When exited just the 3x3 or 5x5 building is shown in the game.

[AileTheAlien]

Personally, I think this belongs as a mod (like Factorisimo) and not vanilla. You've already got blueprint strings in the game, and a rail-world setting if you need more space.

[Atlas]

I think we need some sort of programmable electronics for complex operations that doesn't need the area of Grand Canyon. After all, Factorio is set in the future, you have self driving trains and flying robots, but even a simple decider is as big as a car and something a little more complex would make Eniac look like a portable device.
I myself had an idea of a programmable computer, but this seems more Factorio-like. I like it.

[<NO_NAME>]

It would be especially useful because it would have a clear input and output. At this moment, blueprinted combinators create spaghetti-like mess. You have to put a lot of work to even mark where to connect input signals and where output ones. And if you place two such blueprints too close to each other, it becomes utterly unreadable.

[stokmeister]

TL;DR

A "house" where you can build a small circuit network in with a external input and output, but will look neat on the outside.

What ?

Build a building with empty slots on a the map. Open it (like you open armor) and start putting combinators inside of it. Put conditions on the combinator and wire it up. After that, give the building some input and output on to the main network an voila, a neat looking (for exemple) set/reset-switch with only a input and a output. Make sure to give the building a name so when you come back in a few years you still know what the building is doing.

Circuit Network-Housing.png (1.45 MiB) Viewed 5249 times

Why ?

Cable-management is a b*tch, like this the factory can have a lot of smart systems but without looking like a mess.

[Tekky]

This has already been suggested one year ago in the following thread:

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=57067 Add a space saving "circuit box" for combinator setups

EDIT: In the mean time, the threads have been merged. Therefore, my above link now points to the current thread.

[steinio]

I don't know if Factorissimo can circuit network.
But it's a house already.

[Koub]

[Koub] Merged into older topic with same suggestion