Create module request when placing ghost over existing building

[MEOWMI]

It's actually similar if you want to update entity settings remotely... most commonly for me, changing circuit conditions or splitters. Very cumbersome to do remotely.

That does work with the temporary blueprint method above. It is just modules that are the exception.

Wait, what exactly is the exception again? Either way you're placing down entities then setting them up (or finding existing ones) before ctrl+C or BPing. Your method also suggests modules are replaceable in which case there is no exception. I don't quite follow the reasoning in either of the two cases.

[SoShootMe]

That does work with the temporary blueprint method above. It is just modules that are the exception.

Wait, what exactly is the exception again? Either way you're placing down entities then setting them up (or finding existing ones) before ctrl+C or BPing. Your method also suggests modules are replaceable in which case there is no exception. I don't quite follow the reasoning in either of the two cases.

From the point of view of changing things remotely, adding modules is the exception to what you can change for existing entities: there is no way to do it except deconstructing first. However, you can change existing modules using the upgrade planner.

From the point of view of placing a blueprint or pasting over existing entities compared to placing ghosts, modules are the exception in that they are the only thing that won't be updated to match the blueprint. Again, you must deconstruct first. As others have written, Squelch was mistaken: the temporary blueprint method does not generate module requests - in fact, as far as I can see, it behaves the same as pasting or placing a blueprint from inventory or library.

To me, the suggestion in this thread is similar to others around construction orders being created when placing a blueprint over existing entities, such as creating upgrades for belt or assembler tier changes (as added for ghosts in 1.1.0).

[Squelch]

Wait, what exactly is the exception again? Either way you're placing down entities then setting them up (or finding existing ones) before ctrl+C or BPing. Your method also suggests modules are replaceable in which case there is no exception. I don't quite follow the reasoning in either of the two cases.

Yes I initially said that modules could be changed using the temp BP method, and this was corrected in a follow up post. I have now struck through that assertion in my post so as to leave no doubt or confusion.

I quoted and replied to your post to point out that your particular complaints are already covered using the tmp BP method. As @SoShootMe says, it's just that modules are the exception, and require a deconstruction first, or needs to be within character reach if we want to add modules to an empty machine.

However, you can change existing modules using the upgrade planner.

Thank you. That's a good tip for existing modules.

[-DeadlyKitten]

+1
allowing copy paste/ blueprints/ setting copy paste to add module requests would be very nice to have

[ickputzdirwech]

[ick] Merged two posts with same suggestion.

[ickputzdirwech]

I ran into this issue again today and it's really annoying. If you want to do anything other than simply filling all slots with the same module you pretty much have to install module inserter. Very nice mod, but implementing this suggestion would be even easier to use. Therefore a definite +1.

[swindle]

I wish there was a Kickstarter campaign to finance this feature - either as a native feature or to develop a mod. I'd be willing to chip in.

[Illiander42]

TL;DR

Copy->Paste machine settings also does modules.

Blueprinting over machines adds modules.

Mod link (I am not the mod author.)

What ?

From the mod description:

First, place some modules into a machine, and then copy that machine's settings (by shift + right click)
into another machine (shift + left click) and voila, the modules are copied (inserted from the player's inventory) as well!

The inserted modules will be sorted in the same order. You can also copy from a machine with no modules to remove all modules.

If the player doesn't have enough modules, a logistic request can be automatically created (turned on by default)
to fill those modules from the logistic network. However, the additional modules will not be sorted

Why ?

Because ripping up a production line just to replace it with the identical machines but with modules in them is unnecessary make-work for the construction bots.

[Koub]

[Koub] Merged into older thread with same suggestion.

[Illiander42]

Can we get confirmation that this is now vanilla, or are you saving it for a FFF?

Because not doing this with the new Ghost mechanics just seems cruel.

[Hares]

I hope these changes will be implemented in 2.0 since it already has a bunch of QoL changes, some related to the ghosts.

[kajacx]

TL;DR

Copy-pasting a machine recipe should also copy it's modules.

What ?

When you copy a recipe from one machine to another, you almost always want to copy the modules as well. When in-person, the modules can be inserted from the player's inventory. When pasting a blueprint or in radar view, pasting a recipe over a machine could create a construction request to insert the modules (or remove the old ones).

Why ?

While you can insert modules into a machine relatively easily, this has many limitations:

• Only available in-person
• Cannot insert "mixed" modules (like 1 productivity and 1 speed for example)
• Cannot remove modules
• Cannot replace existing modules with different ones (unless its an upgrade of the same type of module)
• Cannot insert "only some" modules (for example only 1 module even when the machine has more module slots)

Copy-pasting modules would solve all of these. The is a mod for that, but the mod can only go so far and it doesn't address the fundamental issue that copy-pasting modules should be in the base game.

How do I know it should be in the game? I will let the Factorio devs speak for themselfs in the first gif of the FFF 380, where the player sets new module via the remote view. This is great, but imagine how painstakingly horrible it would be to manually set the modules for every machine in that row. You would definitely want to just copy the modules from the first machine to the other ones, which is why copy-pasting modules should be in the base game.

[Illiander42]

You can already set single modules via Z-swiping, as long as the machine recipie doesn't take that module.

I think 2.0 gives us this from map view?

[Koub]

[Koub] Merged into an older thread with the same suggestion.

[kajacx]

TL;DR

Enable copy-pasting modules together with recipes from one machine to another machines and when pasting blueprints.

What ?

Copy modules together with recipes when copy-pasting settings or when pasting a blueprint. When copy-pasting settings in person, the modules can be inserted from the player's inventory if the player has the modules on them. Otherwise, a construction request can be created to insert the modules. Bonus points if modules are sorted after all are inserted, same as the module inserter mod does it.

Why ?

Most of the times when copying recipes, you also want to copy the modules as well. You can insert modules manually, but this has many limitations:

• Only available in-person
• Cannot remove modules
• Cannot replace one type of module with another one (for example speed -> productivity)
• Cannot insert mixed modules (for example one speed and one productivity)
• Cannot insert only some modules (for example inserting only 2 modules, even when the machine has 3 module slots)
• Even in-person, you have to have the modules on-you (no way to easily create a construction request if you don't)

Copy-pasting modules would fix all of these issues. Look no further than to the first gif in FFF 380 for an example use case. Imagine how painstakingly horrible it would be to manually place the modules in every single machine in that row. God forbid if you have more rows that need updating.

Now there are some existing workarounds, but all of them are lacking in some way. There is the copy paste modules mod with the already mentioned module inserter mod, which solves most (but not all) of the issues, but core gameplay functionally should be in the base game, not in a mod. Imagine if the remote view update didn't happen and you had to use a satellite view mod to interact with other planets, and everyone who complained about it would be told "just use the mod lol".

Also the Upgrade planner for no module to module change is certainly welcome and can help in some situations, but it doesn't cover all use-cases (doesn't seem to support removing modules or placing mixed modules) and it' slightly less easy to use than just copy-pasting modules, especially when pasting a blueprint.

There is also the Superimposing moduled blueprint onto unmoduled entities, but that is only about copy-pasting blueprints, whereas this post is about copy-pasting modules with shift+right/left click as well, so it's not really a duplicate.

[FuryoftheStars]

Just a bit down right here on the front page:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=92862

Note to moderators: I don't know if this other topic is being missed because it doesn't specifically have copy/paste in the title? I know many are not bothering to search, but just thinking of possibilities, here.

[kajacx]

I know many are not bothering to search, but just thinking of possibilities, here.

I did bother to search, but it seems the title of that post changed since I linked it? Or I copy-pasted wrong post title, which is also possible.

There is also the Superimposing moduled blueprint onto unmoduled entities, but that is only about copy-pasting blueprints, whereas this post is about copy-pasting modules with shift+right/left click as well, so it's not really a duplicate.

[Koub]

Note to moderators: I don't know if this other topic is being missed because it doesn't specifically have copy/paste in the title? I know many are not bothering to search, but just thinking of possibilities, here.

The older thread focuses on a solution, the newer focuses on an issue. I wasn't really sure if I should merge both threads, or if I should consider they are two distinct, albeit similar, suggestions. They do overlap, but wasn't sure they overlapped enough to merge them.

[...]

@OP : If you think your post is close enough from the post about the superimposition (on the issue you want to solve), I'll be happy to merge both, to keep them together.

[kajacx]

@OP : If you think your post is close enough from the post about the superimposition (on the issue you want to solve), I'll be happy to merge both, to keep them together.

It seems that the other post is a subset of this post, since this post is about BOTH copying settings and pasting a blueprint, whereas the other thread is only about placing a blueprint, so I guess you can merge them, as long as the suggestion to copy modules when copying settings isn't lost in the merge.

[Koub]

[...] so I guess you can merge them, as long as the suggestion to copy modules when copying settings isn't lost in the merge.

Fear not, merging threads is like chemical reactions : nothing is created, nothing is lost, everything is transformed
[Koub] Merged both topics with suggestions about similar issues.