Quality of Life: Ability to search a factory/planet for modules.

[Chumfactor]

Simple use case: I'd like the ability to see where I still have Efficiency Module 2-s -- of a specific quality! -- so I can replace/upgrade them.

There are, literally, dozens of similar examples: Where else do I have Speed Module 1s? Where else do I have Common Quality Module 3s? Etc.

I'd love the ability to search to see if I missed any during an upgrade.

---

Similar-but-related: Where am I still using Assembly Machine 2s? (Those are easier to scan for on the map, because: color, but it's still be nice to search to make sure I didn't miss any. Regardless, Modules is the big one!)

[Muche]

For this case (searching for the last remaining instances of something) I use Upgrade planner.

Set up the searched modules/entities of desired and/or conditional quality.
Then start sweeping the map. When something is found, the counter increases.
When you sweep from north southward, you have one approximate coordinate, when you sweep from west eastward, you have another. Zoom in and repeat. After that module is replaced, you can repeat the whole process to find another spot.
Just remember to press Q to cancel the upgrade, as letting go of the mouse buttom will confirm the upgrade.

Or just set up the wanted module upgrade directly in the planner.

[Chumfactor]

A nice workaround, thanks.

I still think my suggestion is a good Quality Of Life improvement; the folks at Wube often seem interested in such things.

[Chumfactor]

For this case (searching for the last remaining instances of something) I use Upgrade planner.

Set up the searched modules/entities of desired and/or conditional quality.
[...snip]

Ok, so I went back to double-check this -- in my upgrade planner (2.0.32), I can't find any settings. It's just an icon that I can click (or option-U) to activate. It upgrades inserters, track, assemblers, etc., but also does not touch modules.

Are you using some mod or another? I'm on Vanilla Space Age.

[Muche]

Also on vanillaSA. Selecting a module directly will then try to search/upgrade it regardless of which machine it is in (if so desired).

UpgradePlanner-EModule2Q3.jpg (124.25 KiB) Viewed 341 times

[Chumfactor]

Sorry if I'm being dense...

(NEW BUG: this UI is difficult to discover!)

...but I'm not getting the steips I need to bring up the UI in the picture. It looks like a wonderful tool, but I don't get how to get at it. Again my apologies if I'm just missing the obvious, but can you give me a step-by-step? Something like...

* Launch Factorio.
* View Nauvis in Map View.
* OPTION-U to bring up the Upgrade planner.
* Uh... "click on somehing-or-other to get the cool UI window"

I think if I could get to the pictured-window, I could investigate-myself what you're describing, but I've been playing since 0.16 and don't think I've ever seen that!

Thanks!
~Ted/Chumfactor

P.S. In all my uses of Upgrade Planner, one swath-selects a bunch of items and they are automatically upgraded to the next-higher thing. It's always been a very simple tool, IME!

I select it by clicking this icon (or pressing OPTION-U):

Screenshot 2025-02-07 at 1.05.03 PM.png (379.39 KiB) Viewed 321 times

Once selected, my UI looks like this (green square):

Screenshot 2025-02-07 at 1.05.03 PM.png (379.39 KiB) Viewed 321 times

[nethus]

Sorry if I'm being dense...

(NEW BUG: this UI is difficult to discover!)

...but I'm not getting the steips I need to bring up the UI in the picture.

Select the upgrade planner, open your inventory and drop it in there. You'll see a green rectangle, by right clicking it you can edit it. It'll open that window you're looking for.
You can put upgrade planners in your blueprint library as well

[Muche]

I see.
Click the tool / Alt+U, then click on the quickbar. This will place an empty planner into your inventory and link it to the quickbar.
Then right click the planner (the one in the quickbar is more accessible). This opens the UI shown above.
Similarly for Deconstruction planner. This way one can set up a deconstruction planner of only ghosts, items on ground and module/item requests, for example.

Quickbar-Planners.jpg (41.17 KiB) Viewed 312 times

[Chumfactor]

Aha!

Ok, well... In Space Age, I'm rarely on the planet I want to adjust; I do almost everything remotely. In fact, if I don't drop out of map mode and zoom in, I often can't even remember what planet my "Steve" is on! (I think he's sitting around Vulcanus right now, as we recently got our first railgun and wanted to try it on Demolishers. Great for medium, less-great for Big; more to do!)

ASIDE: Same issue with blueprints. MAN I wish I could use my blueprints without physically being on that planet!

Anyway, I now know how to bring up the cool UI and have done it once just to be sure.

Thanks!

EDIT: Oh-ho!!! And now I just read further in this thread and learned that having it in my quickbar lets me access remotely. SWEET!!!

Thanks again!