Train total Fuel / Energy (MJ) interput parameter

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Shakrii
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Train total Fuel / Energy (MJ) interput parameter

Post by Shakrii »

TL;DR
Train schedule option for Fuel (Any Locomotive / All Locomotive) to provided total fuel energy value (MJ) or total fuel item count independent of fuel type.
What?
Implantation of additional unsorted filters to provided total energy contained in locomotive (example: Mod: Inventory Sensor) and/or count of all contained fuel independent of type.
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11-20-2024, 22-53-32.png (5.04 KiB) Viewed 503 times
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11-20-2024, 22-54-00.png (13.79 KiB) Viewed 503 times
Why?
With the implementation train fuel interrupts and the vastly increased number of available fuels, their is no clean way (I have found) to implement the fuel depot interrupt (especially if you have different types of fuel depots or manually fill the train with a type of fuel other than the depot). If only the Fuel Parameter wild card is used, as soon as the first inventory fuel (which differs from that provided by the depot) drops below the threshold, the train will enter a continues loop of visiting the depot until it either depletes the said fuel or it is manually removed. This is also complicated by the changing of train fuel with research is unlocks (I never bother removing old fuel when I start using new).

I included my current solution below, but I have to manually replicate it for depot stations of different train formats (L_L, LL_, L__L, etc) and gets overly verbose as more types of fuels are handled.
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11-20-2024, 22-33-42.png (16.59 KiB) Viewed 503 times
By introducing either option (item count or MJ) it becomes possible to interrupt the train only when it is actually low on fuel and not low on one type of fuel. I personally would love to see the implementation of total energy (and for other buildings).
robot256
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Re: Train total Fuel / Energy (MJ) interrupt parameter

Post by robot256 »

Given the flurry of new features added in the last month, I would like to bump this feature request to the top. Allow us to set a "fuel energy remaining" threshold that includes the current-burning fuel and all the fuel in the fuel inventory. It will solve so many issues with the refueling interrupt system.

The fuel wildcard as it is currently implemented is a dead-end feature:

1. The wildcard can only select a single threshold count for all fuel types, leading to either coal trains getting stranded or nuclear trains getting stuck at the fueling station. The only reliable solution is actually to specify the fuel item(s) explicitly in the condition with their own threshold count, and not use the wildcard at all. This has been done many times, see:
Image (viewtopic.php?p=645132#p645132)

2. The wildcard does not detect the situation where there are no items left in the fuel inventory, again potentially leaving the train stranded. The above workaround solves this, but also means that trains burning nuclear or other long-lasting fuel (like modded battery-powered trains) will visit the depot more often than needed.

3. Adding an energy-based fuel wildcard will resolve or mitigate several other suggestion threads:
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