[2.0.15] Recycler output not stacking correctly

[ManselD]

In the example below you can see a belt which has some stacks of various resources, and the internal buffers of both recyclers have copper/plastic.
I would expect the recyclers to output their contents to create full stacks. Since the belt is looped, and there is still space for the remaining recycler's outputs to be stacked onto the belts. If there was simply no room for the recyclers to dump their output onto the belts, then it would make sense that they'd both stopped processing. But they're acting as if they are unable to do anything more, even though there's clearly space.

This issue being solved would massively improve throughput, stacked belts are so good and it would be nice to be able to utilise them properly, much like we can with big miners and such.

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Please let me know if it would be useful to have my save file, but I believe this issue is very easily replicable.

[LCStark]

Don't think that's a bug. From the FFF that introduced us to the stack inserter (still called bulk back then):

• Inserters can only put items into empty spots on belts, no putting onto existing stacks.
• Side-loading and splitters do not modify the stack heights at all.
• If only Bulk inserters interact with a belt, there will be only maximally full stacks.
• If an inserter taking items from the belt has a smaller hand than the belt stack size, it will only take as many items as its hand can carry - leaving a non-full stack in place.
• If you want to re-stack the belt to the maximum, you can pick up and re-drop the items with the bulk inserters.

[ManselD]

That's interesting - why would this functionality be intentional? This just gives the player a problem in which there is no nice solution.
Ok so I have to pick up the items again just to get a proper stack? Why?
In my opinion the way stacking currently works is illogical, it should either create a full stack, or add to the stack as much as possible until the stack is full. This way of working doesn't add fun to the experience - it seems a very weird thing to intentionally do.
Not aiming this at you directly, just asking questions to the devs and sort of talking out loud.

[McFrugal]

Don't think that's a bug. From the FFF that introduced us to the stack inserter (still called bulk back then):

• Inserters can only put items into empty spots on belts, no putting onto existing stacks.
• Side-loading and splitters do not modify the stack heights at all.
• If only Bulk inserters interact with a belt, there will be only maximally full stacks.
• If an inserter taking items from the belt has a smaller hand than the belt stack size, it will only take as many items as its hand can carry - leaving a non-full stack in place.
• If you want to re-stack the belt to the maximum, you can pick up and re-drop the items with the bulk inserters.

What you quoted only involves inserters and side loading or splitters, which are not being used here. Machines that have automatic outputs, such as recyclers and miners, stack automatically, which was NOT mentioned in that FFF. The problem demonstrated seems to simply be that those machines don't perfectly stack onto belts at every opportunity.

[LCStark]

What you quoted only involves inserters and side loading or splitters, which are not being used here. Machines that have automatic outputs, such as recyclers and miners, stack automatically, which was NOT mentioned in that FFF. The problem demonstrated seems to simply be that those machines don't perfectly stack onto belts at every opportunity.

Well, yes and no. Besides mentioning stacks and side-loading, there's also this point:

If only Bulk inserters interact with a belt, there will be only maximally full stacks.

I take it as "only the inserters wait for a full stack before outputting it". Which does make sense, especially for recyclers, as they could easily clog their outputs with multiple products and qualities if they were waiting for a full stack. So instead they stack as much as possible while still outputting everything immediately.

[Rseding91]

Thanks for the report. Assemblers do not goarantee output full stacks because they would simply get stuck with any variable output recipe. If you want full stacks every time you need to output to a chest and then use a stack inserter. But it will jam up when the recipe produces variable outputs showing you really don’t want to do it.

[BlueTemplar]

much like we can with big miners and such

Are you saying that other such entities, like Big Drills, are actually able to stack ?

Also, in case you didn't knew it, and unlike (all?) other such entities, you can actually take items directly from Recyclers with inserters.

[LCStark]

Are you saying that other such entities, like Big Drills, are actually able to stack ?

Yes they can, here's the video from the FFF:

[Loewchen]

Open a gameplay help topic if you want to discuss this further.