Blueprint import with missing signals

[Optera]

Problem

When importing blueprint strings combinators are skipped entirely if they contain missing signals.
This breaks entire blueprints, leaving you guessing how the missing combinator was connected.

Solution

A better way of handling missing signals would be to include the combinator in the bp and just skip setting the signal.

[ssilk]

How will you find those combinators then? Seeing that there is doming wrong with them?

[Optera]

I could ask the same question about the current implementation:
How do you find missing combinators in a bp?
I you are lucky you have a screenshot to compare, but a) that's not always the case and b) when you have huge bp with 100+ combinators it's also not doable.

Blueprints with missing signals could be marked with the question mark, like those missing entities.
Ideally every entity capable of storing signals in a bp would have a flag to remember it has missing signals. When placing the bp those combinators could flash the selection box in red.

[ssilk]

[plepper1]

I have some blueprints that I made back around 0.16.something that I still use.

Somewhere in the 0.17 tree, a migration removed all of the 'wood' signals from the BPs - but the combinators still show up with the other options set. They're just missing the output signal.

/shrug

I'm assuming some internal representation of wood changed and was migrated out. Some year I may get less lazy and re-make them, but until then I just set the output when I drop them down.

Sounds like what you're asking for.

[Optera]

I have some blueprints that I made back around 0.16.something that I still use.

Somewhere in the 0.17 tree, a migration removed all of the 'wood' signals from the BPs - but the combinators still show up with the other options set. They're just missing the output signal.

/shrug

I'm assuming some internal representation of wood changed and was migrated out. Some year I may get less lazy and re-make them, but until then I just set the output when I drop them down.

Sounds like what you're asking for.

No, I'm not asking for migration of renamed signals.
Migration can't resolve missing signals from a mod when the mod is not installed, which is a much more common cause for missing signals.

[ssilk]

I thought a bit and I think it’s a very good idea. I wouldn’t limit the flagging not only to the point where a blueprint is involved. I would change it like so:

Any entity capable of handling signals should flag (non blinking, just a small “missing” icon in alt mode), if:

- the input and/or output isn’t wired.

To be discussed: Constant combinator has no input of course, a decider without output makes also no sense, but does a decider combinator makes sense without input? Eventually...

- the programming of the entity is not complete.

To be discussed: a constant combinator without any programmed signal?

Also to be discussed: how should this work with modded entities? Simply based on this rules, or should the modder set those flags (or both).

[SupplyDepoo]

I thought a bit and I think it’s a very good idea. I wouldn’t limit the flagging not only to the point where a blueprint is involved. I would change it like so:

Any entity capable of handling signals should flag (non blinking, just a small “missing” icon in alt mode), if:

- the input and/or output isn’t wired.

To be discussed: Constant combinator has no input of course, a decider without output makes also no sense, but does a decider combinator makes sense without input? Eventually...

- the programming of the entity is not complete.

To be discussed: a constant combinator without any programmed signal?

Also to be discussed: how should this work with modded entities? Simply based on this rules, or should the modder set those flags (or both).

Doesn't the optional alt-mode display of signals already sufficiently address that?

[ZlovreD]

What if add a list or a hint about missing objects / signals to the blueprint editor? And/or maybe viewing in "alt-mode"?
Just to point out a player that there are errors in the imported blueprint.