Add the ability to read distance along a space route via scripting

[bunshaman]

Hello, I think this would be fantastic because as of right now, the only way of obtaining the distance a platform has traveled is by summing up a platforms speed over an interval of time. This works alright at best, and can only be very general. There is no way of telling whether a platform is traveling from A to B, or B to A. All the platform knows is it is traveling and has been at A or B last, and is aiming to get to C. This was a rough analogy, but there is stuff left to be desired for scripting here.

For an in game example, I am trying to run some scripts when a platform is traveling from the solar system edge (SSE) to the shattered planet (SP). I can detect when the last space location was SSE, and if the next station is the SP. However, when the platform turns around, it still believes the last space location was SSE, and now the next station may or may not be SSE, so its return trip is not entirely clear where it ends.

[curiosity]

Writing distance would also be useful.

[Khazul]

Hello, I think this would be fantastic because as of right now, the only way of obtaining the distance a platform has traveled is by summing up a platforms speed over an interval of time. This works alright at best, and can only be very general. There is no way of telling whether a platform is traveling from A to B, or B to A. All the platform knows is it is traveling and has been at A or B last, and is aiming to get to C. This was a rough analogy, but there is stuff left to be desired for scripting here.

For an in game example, I am trying to run some scripts when a platform is traveling from the solar system edge (SSE) to the shattered planet (SP). I can detect when the last space location was SSE, and if the next station is the SP. However, when the platform turns around, it still believes the last space location was SSE, and now the next station may or may not be SSE, so its return trip is not entirely clear where it ends.

I cannot say I have noticed any issue with planet signals, but then I have not been staring at them while a ship does an auto-turn around between system edge and shattered planet. What you describe sounds like a bug if true and assuming that your planet checking circuit is correct which it may not be.

What circuit are you using to check your location? I assume it is basically:

12-20-2024, 15-34-34.png (20.23 KiB) Viewed 889 times

Which will be true if travelling to/from Shattered Planet or stopped at Shattered Planet (latter unlikely).

[bunshaman]

Hello, I think this would be fantastic because as of right now, the only way of obtaining the distance a platform has traveled is by summing up a platforms speed over an interval of time. This works alright at best, and can only be very general. There is no way of telling whether a platform is traveling from A to B, or B to A. All the platform knows is it is traveling and has been at A or B last, and is aiming to get to C. This was a rough analogy, but there is stuff left to be desired for scripting here.

For an in game example, I am trying to run some scripts when a platform is traveling from the solar system edge (SSE) to the shattered planet (SP). I can detect when the last space location was SSE, and if the next station is the SP. However, when the platform turns around, it still believes the last space location was SSE, and now the next station may or may not be SSE, so its return trip is not entirely clear where it ends.

I cannot say I have noticed any issue with planet signals, but then I have not been staring at them while a ship does an auto-turn around between system edge and shattered planet. What you describe sounds like a bug if true and assuming that your planet checking circuit is correct which it may not be.

What circuit are you using to check your location? I assume it is basically:
12-20-2024, 15-34-34.png
Which will be true if travelling to/from Shattered Planet or stopped at Shattered Planet (latter unlikely).

Ah, I am talking about scripting with Lua, not in game circuit conditions

[Khazul]

Hello, I think this would be fantastic because as of right now, the only way of obtaining the distance a platform has traveled is by summing up a platforms speed over an interval of time. This works alright at best, and can only be very general. There is no way of telling whether a platform is traveling from A to B, or B to A. All the platform knows is it is traveling and has been at A or B last, and is aiming to get to C. This was a rough analogy, but there is stuff left to be desired for scripting here.

For an in game example, I am trying to run some scripts when a platform is traveling from the solar system edge (SSE) to the shattered planet (SP). I can detect when the last space location was SSE, and if the next station is the SP. However, when the platform turns around, it still believes the last space location was SSE, and now the next station may or may not be SSE, so its return trip is not entirely clear where it ends.

I cannot say I have noticed any issue with planet signals, but then I have not been staring at them while a ship does an auto-turn around between system edge and shattered planet. What you describe sounds like a bug if true and assuming that your planet checking circuit is correct which it may not be.

What circuit are you using to check your location? I assume it is basically:
12-20-2024, 15-34-34.png
Which will be true if travelling to/from Shattered Planet or stopped at Shattered Planet (latter unlikely).

Ah, I am talking about scripting with Lua, not in game circuit conditions

My bad - have you looked inside the schedule records indexed by current (IIRC) to get the target location?
Adding distance could be useful too.
I was thinking circuits because I did a similar thing in circuits to read the speed every second and sum it every second to get an approx distance travelled - it was done as a fallback trigger on shattered planet runs in case something else was wrong and the normal return trigger failed.

Looking at the space location it looked like that should have everything until words to effect of 'currently stopped at or nil'.

[Rseding91]

This should be doable (read and write) however I'll need to talk to one of the other developers to make sure the state transitions are handled correctly. So, I'm not sure when it will be done.

[bunshaman]

This should be doable (read and write) however I'll need to talk to one of the other developers to make sure the state transitions are handled correctly. So, I'm not sure when it will be done.

This would be a life saver, no rush at all.

[bunshaman]

Hello, I think this would be fantastic because as of right now, the only way of obtaining the distance a platform has traveled is by summing up a platforms speed over an interval of time. This works alright at best, and can only be very general. There is no way of telling whether a platform is traveling from A to B, or B to A. All the platform knows is it is traveling and has been at A or B last, and is aiming to get to C. This was a rough analogy, but there is stuff left to be desired for scripting here.

For an in game example, I am trying to run some scripts when a platform is traveling from the solar system edge (SSE) to the shattered planet (SP). I can detect when the last space location was SSE, and if the next station is the SP. However, when the platform turns around, it still believes the last space location was SSE, and now the next station may or may not be SSE, so its return trip is not entirely clear where it ends.

I cannot say I have noticed any issue with planet signals, but then I have not been staring at them while a ship does an auto-turn around between system edge and shattered planet. What you describe sounds like a bug if true and assuming that your planet checking circuit is correct which it may not be.

What circuit are you using to check your location? I assume it is basically:
12-20-2024, 15-34-34.png
Which will be true if travelling to/from Shattered Planet or stopped at Shattered Planet (latter unlikely).

Ah, I am talking about scripting with Lua, not in game circuit conditions

My bad - have you looked inside the schedule records indexed by current (IIRC) to get the target location?
Adding distance could be useful too.
I was thinking circuits because I did a similar thing in circuits to read the speed every second and sum it every second to get an approx distance travelled - it was done as a fallback trigger on shattered planet runs in case something else was wrong and the normal return trigger failed.

Looking at the space location it looked like that should have everything until words to effect of 'currently stopped at or nil'.

I have checked this way. The issue with checking the target location is a platform could be heading from A to D, but has to go through B and C along the way. By passing through B and C, it changes the last visited space location.

[Genhis]

Implemented for 2.0.34.

[Chumfactor]

Implemented for 2.0.34.

Hmmm, not seeing distance-travelled in 2.0.41. Where should I look instead?

Screenshot 2025-03-14 at 4.36.50 PM.png (100.33 KiB) Viewed 64 times

[Rseding91]

Implemented for 2.0.34.

Hmmm, not seeing distance-travelled in 2.0.41. Where should I look instead?

Scripting: https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/cla ... l#distance

What you're showing is the game player circuit control interface.

[Chumfactor]

Ah yes, I misread the OP.

New request: that value (distance travelled) available to game-UI circuitry.

Similar reasons as OP (and more!), but for us non-scripting ("vanilla" ) players.