Thoughts about Combinators

[DerivePi]

Looking forward to the combinator implementation, I wanted to explore some in game possibilities as well as solicit other player's ideas for what the combi's will be used for.

The timer - the top timer is for continuous operation (illustrated in the Friday announcement). The bottom timer has a start and stop for use at something like a train station (the 603 ticks is because I think there is a 3 tick overrun before the timer is stopped)

TIMERS.gif (54.02 KiB) Viewed 16336 times

The Mining Supervisor

MINING.gif (65.07 KiB) Viewed 16336 times

This is a remake of a previous idea but now using the combinators. I think we can combine the decision and arithmetic combinators into a single type. How the colored lights will operate is still not clear to me.

Outpost Requester Chest - order online and have it delivered!

OUTPOST REQUESTER CHEST.gif (55.97 KiB) Viewed 16336 times

For this to work, several things have to be addressed - 1st, when subtracting, the wires coming in can't be combined. I don't know a better way around this? Second, a smart inserter with a connected filter list would go a long way in simplifying this. An third, an "All Items" item would group everything together nicely.

[sillyfly]

Shouldn't the middle combinator in the 10 sec timer be outputting calculated value, rather than 1 unit?
If it always outputs 1 unit, it's input will be constantly at 2, and won't count up. Won't it?

Edit: Or is the white button the selected option? To me it's very clear that the black one is 'selected', so maybe it would be wise to make a clearer visualization...

[DerivePi]

Or is the white button the selected option?

- yes, the white button is the selected one.

I think you can use a combinator to swap furnace production between iron and copper depending on which plate product is least. Should be fun.

[sillyfly]

yes, the white button is the selected one.

I think what confused me is that, in all radio buttons I ever seen, when an option is selected the middle is in a different color than the outer ring, so I automatically assumed a solid color is not-selected:

[sillyfly]

One idea I had is to use the combinators to balance several train stops with the same name - If one has significantly more resources than the others you could make the signal leading into it red until it balances out again. Of course, this is made redundant if you use logistic bots, but I don't always use them in all stations...

[Twinsen]

The "All items" option will exist.

But there is a problem with the "Outpost Requester Chest" example. Red and green are summed in the combinator and it is considered "input". This means that when you do "all items - all items" you get 0.
The way to do it is to multiply the current storage with -1 then simply connect the wires.

[DerivePi]

The "All items" option will exist.

But there is a problem with the "Outpost Requester Chest" example. Red and green are summed in the combinator and it is considered "input". This means that when you do "all items - all items" you get 0.
The way to do it is to multiply the current storage with -1 then simply connect the wires.

Ah! Very good. Here is the revised schematic -

OUTPOST REQUESTER CHEST-REV.gif (49.45 KiB) Viewed 16197 times

One idea I had is to use the combinators to balance several train stops with the same name - If one has significantly more resources than the others you could make the signal leading into it red until it balances out again. Of course, this is made redundant if you use logistic bots, but I don't always use them in all stations...

I am running into 2 problems. Perhaps you have a solution - 1. Can we sum all of the items stored using a combnator? If we select "All Items" X 1 and then output "Signal A" would all the items be summed and that integer assigned to "Signal A"? Then we could compare "Signal A" to the other Signals and then turn on the signal that has the least material stored.
2. A red signal could trap a train just before the station on a spur that can block the other routes completely.

Anyhow, I like it. Definitely something that should be solved.

[Lupoviridae]

What I would love to see for the multicolored lights; a single row at the bottom of the combinator window with something like:

If (Input A) (Iron Ore) >603, Light (Green); else light (red);

With each item in parenthesis being a drop-down menu.
Each combinator would then have a single light on it, with no separate light module.

[MF-]

I think what confused me is that, in all radio buttons I ever seen, when an option is selected the middle is in a different color than the outer ring, so I automatically assumed a solid color is not-selected:

The images worked for me, because I didn't "see" a radio-button in the outline.
Instead I saw two LED status lights / illuminated buttons, one of them being lit.

I guess that's because I like to think the UI is a "control panel of a physical machine".