Control Roboport Repair Pack and Bots Amount

[ab-tools]

Hello,

I'm trying to control how many repair packs and construction bots are placed into the roboport by the inserters next to it:
But looks like I can make this work only either for the repair packs (when the mode is set to "Read logistic network contents") OR construction bots (when the mode is set to "Read robot statistics"), but not for both.

What I'm doing wrong here?
What is the best way to control the maximum amount of both repair packs AND construction bots being inserted to a roboport by inserters?

Best regards and thanks in advance for any tip on this
Andreas

[ab-tools]

... just adding two more screenshots with the inserter conditions to make the situation more clear:
As mentioned in the initial post this work fine for the repair packs (when the mode is set to "Read logistic network contents") OR for construction bots (when the mode is set to "Read robot statistics"), but not for both at the same time.

Best regards and again thanks for any help on this
Andreas

[DaveMcW]

The best fix is for the developers to reduce the number of repair pack slots. We have been asking for years and it still has not been done.

The next best fix is to put repair packs in a passive provider chest, not the roboport. The robots pick up repair packs from logistic chests if the roboport is empty.

[Mr. Tact]

The robots pick up repair packs from logistic chests if the roboport is empty.

They haven't always done that though, right?

[Loewchen]

The robots pick up repair packs from logistic chests if the roboport is empty.

They haven't always done that though, right?

Yes they have, the repair pack slots were always there so bots don't have to drop the packs into storage chests before returning, since those chests might be far away. If you fill up roboports with repair packs you are simply doing it wrong and force bots to make a detour, just have repair packs in the logistic network or if you need fast response time in a buffer chest next to the port.

[ab-tools]

Hello,

first thanks for your quick replies!

Well, the reason why I'm doing it like this in the first place is that I have a clearly convex base as you can see on the screenshot below and I really would like to keep it like this, but this leads to bots constantly traveling over enemy terrain and get killed. I understood from various other complains about this that there won't be any solution to that (like forcing bots to stay inside the network area which would be my preferred solution) anytime soon.

As I'm only using bots for repair anyway, nothing else, I thought I just place enough roboports to cover everything with construction (and thus also repair) area. But I obviously need to get the repair packs (and also construction bots in case one still get destroyed for some reasons) to every roboport:
That's why I put the bots plus the repair packs directly in the roboports using inserters.

Using an extra storage chest makes it a bit more complicated, but yes, that would be possible.

But it's a pity that I cannot check both states (logistic network and robot statistics) at the same time, even not when two different wires are used from two different inserters...

Best regards
Andreas

[DerGraue]

But it's a pity that I cannot check both states (logistic network and robot statistics) at the same time, even not when two different wires are used from two different inserters...

Umm.. has it not occurred to you that you can just use two roboports and use one to read the robot statistics and one for the logistic network?

But I obviously need to get the repair packs (and also construction bots in case one still get destroyed for some reasons) to every roboport:

Wrong! You do not have to insert the repair packs into every roboport to cover the area to repair, it just needs to be in the logistic network. Every bot and roboport in the same network can access those packs.

More importantly, since all those roboports are linked in the same network you also get the output of all linked roboports combined, so if you set your inserter to "insert if less than 50" and you have several of them it is possible that for example a single roboport contains 50 repair packs and all other roboports 0. And the inserters won't work, because they are set to less than 50.

Just do it like it was suggested: Place a few passive provider chests in some key locations and limit them to stack size 1, let them fill with one stack of repair packs. Done.
Then you also won't have the problem that bots fly over biter territory with your convex base, if you set it up correctly.

[ab-tools]

Hallo DerGraue,

thanks for your reply.

Wrong! You do not have to insert the repair packs into every roboport to cover the area to repair, it just needs to be in the logistic network. Every bot and roboport in the same network can access those packs.

Yeah, I know!

But exactly that's the problem:
I need to make sure that the roboports are NOT connected by the logistic network as otherwise the bots are flying across the enemy areas between the roboports.

Therefore, I disconnected them now so that only the construction area overlaps (you can see it on the new screenshot below).
That's why I need to feed every roboport with repair packs (and construction bots themselves).

I decided now that I don't care about the 700 repair packs per roboport as they are very cheap and only limiting the construction bot amount per roboport now.

Best regards
Andreas

[Zavian]

I decided now that I don't care about the 700 repair packs per roboport as they are very cheap and only limiting the construction bot amount per roboport now.

Pretty sure that is less than ideal. If a bot grabs a pack, then the supply train fills the roboport, then the bot won't be able to return the pack to the roboport. (indeed it won't be able to drop the pack anywhere, unless you have a storage chest in the logistic network).

Personally I would just use a chest provider beside the roboport to store repair packs, and insert the construction bots directly into the roboport (limited by circuit connection). What you should be able to do, is use one inserter to load the construction bots, and another inserter to load repair packs. For the second inserter, don't use a circuit wire, instead tell it to connect to the logistics network, and limit repair packs that way.

[ab-tools]

You're absolutely right, Zavian, thanks a lot for your reply!

Really not sure why I didn't come to the same idea myself, but, of course, the inserter for the repair packs does not need to be connected to the roboport at all, but just to the logistic network itself!

So I can have the roboport in the "robot statistics" mode for the construction bots inserter and the repair packs inserter just gets the information about the repair packs from the logistic network directly - without the need of any additional provider chest.

That's indeed the best and simplest solution to this problem!

Best regards and thanks again for this idea and your support, appreciated
Andreas