Friday Facts #88 - Combinators

[Twinsen]

How often does combinators update?

Once per game tick. 60 times/second

Can you change the timers update rate?

No, but by setting the correct numbers in the condition you can create any delay you want. From 16ms to one year

Does smart inserters still work the same way?

Yes. The only major difference is that you set one Circuit network condition instead of a condition for each wire.
The condition is more flexible: you can compare two items, not just item and number.

[quinor]

I must say that, christmas came earlier this year... Graphics are amazing, principle of operation - awesome, can't wait .12! What I also like is that it's entirely different than in minecraft. Only thing I'm worried about is if I'll have enough time to play it!

[Smarty]

oh you just created a lot more bugs

[masat]

So, looking at that gif of the ~1Hz blinking light, you had the counter overflow at 60 as a test I guess? Count from 1 to 60, compare with >30 -> blinking output? Or did you add more than one each tick?

Very exciting stuff again this week, really looking forward to 0.12

Edit: Well you said up to 1 year, so dividing that by 16ms makes for about 2 billion. So I guess signed 32bit integer limit? but overflowing to 0 instead of negative?

[Remix00zero]

Seeing that video with all the lights and combinators actually makes me concerned about the future "readability" of the circuit network.
The current wire visuals don't really make it easy to see all the connections if there are so many of them (and there definitely will be once this gets into the game).
Troubleshooting our logic networks may be difficult without a clearer wire system, it's not TOO bad, but it could be better.

[jerrycheng]

Could anyone explain the logic part of memory cell part please?

[Drury]

I must say that, christmas came earlier this year... Graphics are amazing, principle of operation - awesome, can't wait .12! What I also like is that it's entirely different than in minecraft. Only thing I'm worried about is if I'll have enough time to play it!

Redstone is both amazing and atrocious. Had a great time building digital gizmos, wished they were more compact.

This is actually very much like Garry's Mod's Wiremod.

[jerrycheng]

Could anyone explain the logic part of memory cell part please?

I was able to draw the truth table of the timer but unable to draw it for the memory cell according to the picture.

[FrozenOne]

The output leads back to input. So if you put in 1 red, and because 1 red > 0 green, the red goes out, but also goes back to input so it cycles around and remains even if you turn off the 1 red from input.
Until you put in 1 green. Then 1 red is not > 1 green, so output is turned off.

steps......input....Output
............0R 0G.....0R
SET.......1R 0G......1R
SET.......2R 0G.....1R
...........1R 0G.....1R
...
RESET....1R 1G.....0R
RESET....0R 1G....0R
...........0R 0G....0R
...

The important is, after SET (1R) signal it remembers 1R, and after RESET (1G) it remembers 0R.

[Drury]

I hope you plan a train sensor, that'd be useful. Or allow plugging train signals as inputs, maybe even a special type of signal that's controlled by circuit network. It'd simulate an occupied block behind it if powered and vice versa.

Speaking of trains, if them going full speed in both directions is not planned, at least a turntable would be appreciated. Although I guess increasing their max speed going backwards is easier. It really is quite annoying, not to mention unrealistic. Also it's quite rare that trains with engines on both sides don't have both engines contributing, it's rather ineffective to carry the other engine as dead weight. Rather annoying in Factorio as well.

Anyway, back to circuits, a speaker type of device would be nice. For alarms and such.

I wonder if it's possible to have some accumulators plugged into red lamps that come on when there's a power outage, that'd be fun.

[ssilk]

I must say, when I saw the Combinators working last week in Prague and now, I wouldn't believe it.

Awesome job, Robert (and of course Albert).

...mining outpost, you can put those items on a circuit network and your main base will fill a train with those items and automatically send the train to the outpost.

So the logical next thing to avoid laying that many cables from an outpost to the center is
- wireless connections
- automatic cabling for that long distances or
- hidden connection within the railway...

[jerrycheng]

The output leads back to input. So if you put in 1 red, and because 1 red > 0 green, the red goes out, but also goes back to input so it cycles around and remains even if you turn off the 1 red from input.
Until you put in 1 green. Then 1 red is not > 1 green, so output is turned off.

steps......input....Output
............0R 0G.....0R
SET.......1R 0G......1R
SET.......2R 0G.....1R
...........1R 0G.....1R
...
RESET....1R 1G.....0R
RESET....0R 1G....0R
...........0R 0G....0R
...

The important is, after SET (1R) signal it remembers 1R, and after RESET (1G) it remembers 0R.

Thank you very much.

[Xarph]

Can we get a space-radio type item that can write out and read from a text file?

[jerrycheng]

I have created the truth tables for the twinkling light.

For the left combinator, if K_n<500,output K_n; else output 0. K_n equals to constant input(C_input) plus K_n-1.
C_input...K_n-1...K_n...Output
1...........0.......1.......1
1...........1.......2.......2
1...........2.......3.......3
... ... ... ...
1..........498... 499....499
1..........499... 500..... 0
1...........0.......1.......1
1...........1.......2.......2

For the right combinator, if input<250,output 0; else output 1.

[sillyfly]

These look amazing! Can't wait until 0.12 is out so we can all play with them.

[Drury]

I must say, when I saw the Combinators working last week in Prague and now, I wouldn't believe it.

Awesome job, Robert (and of course Albert).

...mining outpost, you can put those items on a circuit network and your main base will fill a train with those items and automatically send the train to the outpost.

So the logical next thing to avoid laying that many cables from an outpost to the center is
- wireless connections
- automatic cabling for that long distances or
- hidden connection within the railway...

If you have a mining outpost, chances are you're powering it from your base (I always do, it's so much simpler than setting up generators on the spot). You can just use the pylons, easy peasy.

[Boogalo]

Train rails that carry power are a fantastic idea.

Carry power to outposts without running power poles, and make tracks even more deadly to players.

[Gymble]

Yes, this is planned. I should have mentioned this. You will be able to have special signals like "Signal 1", "Signal 2", "Signal 3" ... "Signal Blue", "Signal Green"... "Signal A", "Signal B", "Signal C" ...

Having special signal will be great.
Have you considered providing custom named signals?

It would be so great if we could create signals like "Output 38 copper stock" or "Enough green chip in module area".

Also it could be usefull to be able to propagate a signal over huge area without being forced to wire.

[vedrit]

and make tracks even more deadly to players.

This is a terrible idea until safe ways to cross tracks are made.

[Gully]

This looks great. So many possibilities, I'm excited about the next version.

The video reminded me of Blinkenlights, just showing large arrays of... well, blinking lights