Modifying contents of logistic network

[zieggenfus]

Did a search, didn't find anything. I have a feeling what I want isn't possible, but....


What I want:

• Connect a device to logistic network.
• Enable device based on content of logistics network (duh), but I wish my enable condition to be
  '[signal] < 0'.

How I would like it to work, but doesn't:

Connect a combinator to a roboport with [signal] set to 'value'.
The logistic network contents are modified by 'value' in normal circuit fashion.

Example:

I want a minimum of 1000 x [iron plate] available in the network.

Connect a constant combinator to a roboport, the combinator configured with [iron plate], -1000.

I want the count of [iron plate] in the logistics network to be reduced by 1000. Reducing it to a negative value if I have less than that amount available.

I connect my Foundry to the logistic network and set it's enable to
'[iron plate] < 0'.



I want to bypass the whole,

• Connect a constant combinator to an arithmetic combinator with a (example) 'red wire'.
• Configure the constant combinator with list of [items] and desired count.
• Connect a roboport, set to 'read ... contents', to the same arithmetic combinator with a 'green wire' (the other color).
• Subtract 'Each' green from 'Each' red, output 'Each', and connect the output to all your production devices (note that at this point the wire color is agnostic) with enable set to the appropriate '[item] < 0'.

Radars are a big help now, but I still hate dragging wires all over the factory, or placing multiple combinators. The more things you have to change, the more options you have to screw something up.

Mucking about with the networks contents would probably wind up biting me on the butocks, but I want to give it try.

[zieggenfus]

I think I got the colors switched on that 'subtract'.

I believe it should be:

• Subtract 'Each' red from 'Each' green, output 'Each', and connect the output to all your production devices (note that at this point the wire color is agnostic) with enable set to the appropriate '[item] < 0'.

[Nidan]

Not possible. The signals you get from the logistics network are always the items currently available to that logistics network. There's no method for changing them, other than putting items into or out of chests.

In your example I'd just set the inserter to iron plate < 1000.

[Tertius]

You can get rid of the arithmetic combinator by directly connecting the constant combinator to the roboport and set the logistics group multiplicator to -1, so the wire will directly carry the difference between desired and actual stock. If you need the unmodified logistics content, it's still on the other wire color available from the roboport or tap another roboport.

Doesn't help with the requirement of connecting all entities to the circuit network, though. Not possible wireless.


A nice addition, by the way, is the option to read the logistics requests from another roboport. If you add this to the demand from the constant combinator, this time with an arithmetic combinator, you get a dynamic demand that includes the personal player logistics and demand from requester chests and buffer chests. This can vastly reduce definitions in the constant combinator, since demand is also configured by requests in buffer chests.

Example: you request 5 personal personal batteries with your player logistics, and if the mall is capable to craft them, it will start crafting them on the fly, no pre-crafted batteries required.
Or you want 1000 iron plates as stock for your mall. Build a buffer chest that requests 1000 iron plates. Production stops immediately as soon as there are 1000 iron plates in the chest and restarts if any is extracted. No entry required in the constant combinator.