Trains GUI search needle in a haystack / Highlight trains going to the selected train stop

Amarula · Post by **Amarula** » Sat Apr 10, 2021 5:36 pm

TL;DR

Trying to find a needle (one train waiting at the head of the queue) in a haystack (50+ trains all waiting to get to the front of the queue)

What ?

My suggestion is to sort the search results in the Trains GUI by any differences in the trains matching the criteria, particularly such as state (Waiting at versus Heading to).

The new Trains GUI is amazing, and the search function is great.
In my use case, I have a storage area organized as a queue for available trains. There are always a few, but sometimes such as when I am doing massive deconstruction to redo a large area of my base, there are dozens or hundreds. When I need a train, I grab the next one from the front of the queue.
Currently all trains meeting the search criteria are included in the search results in random order. When there are only a few, it is easy to grab the one from the front of the line. When there are dozens, I either hunt through pages of trains trying to find the one that is Waiting rather than the dozens that are Heading to the queue station, or I click on the first one, go to map view, and then select the train at the head of the queue.

: Screenshot from 2021-04-10 13-33-13.png (500.51 KiB) Viewed 5259 times

Why ?

Sorting the search results by any differences such as Waiting at versus Heading to would make the GUI even better to use when trying to find the needle in the haystack...

ptx0 · Post by **ptx0** » Sat Apr 10, 2021 6:02 pm

totally agreed.

i had to create a mod to announce train arrivals because figuring out the busiest routes on my network was almost impossible with the trains overview UI.

NotRexButCaesar · Post by **NotRexButCaesar** » Sat Apr 10, 2021 6:23 pm

I think sorting by distance (low to high) would be best and most simple.

Post by **ssilk** » Sat Apr 10, 2021 11:23 pm

What I also miss is a more streamlined switch between the windows.

Click on a train, open map view, switching back: in the train overview again.

ptx0 · Post by **ptx0** » Sun Apr 11, 2021 1:45 am

also sometimes it says "standing at >>>station<<<" instead of "next destination full".

the new trains UI is nice but has some UX problems.

Amarula · Post by **Amarula** » Sun Apr 11, 2021 2:14 pm

A related problem, again after doing massive deconstruction: I have a station where I park trains full of odds and ends. When I send a train to park there, I mark what is in the load using the Item Count condition. When I want to take a train, it would be great if the list was sorted by the condition, again so I don't have to hunt for the needle in the haystack: all the trains with Advanced Circuits would be sorted together in the list, and I can scroll past all of them to get to the Basic Circuits I am looking for...

Post by **ssilk** » Tue Apr 13, 2021 6:49 am

@Amarula: That’s surely not, how that is thought.

why not loading the trains automatically to bring the stuff automatically to the stations, where you need them?

That reminds me to this:

Factorio is about automation, not doing things by hand! This wish will not be implemented.

Perhaps you should look out for some mods to help you out with your workflow. There are wonderful mods, perhaps something that might fit.

@ptx0: if you think that’s an error make that a bug report.

AdamK · Post by **AdamK** » Wed May 12, 2021 7:42 am

What:

Train stop window should show not only all the trains that have it in its schedule, but somehow highlit the ones that are actually going to this station (preferabloy show them first)

Why:

In the setup with many trains going to many stations of the same name, it is hard to find which exact traing is going exactly where and debug a problem it there is one.

Amarula · Post by **Amarula** » Wed May 12, 2021 12:05 pm

Yes!
See also viewtopic.php?f=6&t=97763

Post by **ssilk** » Thu May 13, 2021 4:07 am

merging with older topic

BenSeidel · Post by **BenSeidel** » Wed Mar 23, 2022 3:44 am

When you select a train stop it should highlight all the trains that are currently heading to that specific stop.

: Selected train stop.png (171.01 KiB) Viewed 4556 times

it could also be extended to the train management UI, highlighting all trains going to any of the selected stops.

Why?
Because in large bases you can easily see if a train is going to a stop or how many trains are going to that stop. Something you can't do unless you open each train and look at what stop it's heading to (as it could be heading to another stop with the same name).

Post by **ssilk** » Thu Mar 24, 2022 4:06 am

moved to similar topic

Amarula · Post by **Amarula** » Thu Mar 24, 2022 6:33 pm

ssilk wrote: ↑Thu Mar 24, 2022 4:06 am moved to similar topic

Thank you for all the work you do, the incredible attention to detail, to keep the forums if not tidy at least as tidy as possible. Thank you!

Post by **Klonan** » Thu Mar 24, 2022 8:46 pm

BenSeidel wrote: ↑Wed Mar 23, 2022 3:44 am When you select a train stop it should highlight all the trains that are currently heading to that specific stop.

Sneak peek of 1.2:

: factorio-run_Z8vTqM73fH.png (20.38 KiB) Viewed 4402 times

BenSeidel · Post by **BenSeidel** » Fri Mar 25, 2022 1:17 am

/bow to the gods!

Post by **ssilk** » Fri Mar 25, 2022 6:39 am

moved to implemented

I like doing this.

Amarula wrote: ↑Thu Mar 24, 2022 6:33 pm Thank you for all the work you do, the incredible attention to detail, to keep the forums if not tidy at least as tidy as possible. Thank you!

We have a proverb in Germany: “geht runter wie Öl” (runs down like oil). “Öl” changed its meaning within the times and it meant not oil, but the taste of beer. In Scandinavian countries “Öl” is still beer. So to make long things short: thank you.

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