Factorio Forums

TL;DR

Allow a user to directly create a parameter signal as a filter, or as a signal in a combinator.

What?

Inserters with parameters as filters can be created, but only by placing down a generic blueprint (see the image below). The same goes for recipes, signals, train stop names, etc.

I'd like to be able to explicitly set parameters as a filter, to better support creating and updating generic blueprints.

Why?

If I want to edit a generic blueprint, like any other blueprint, I put it down, edit it, then re-do the blueprint. To do so, I place it down, then click the tick button before selecting parameters, and it leaves me with a parameterized blueprint on the ground (see above). This is extremely handy for updating blueprints, but it doesn't work if I need to add any parameters anywhere.

In the image above, I put down my generic blueprint for a train stop. Let's suppose, however, that I didn't have the filters on the inserters and wanted to add them to the blueprint. Currently, I would need to:
1) Place down the current blueprint, and select some set of parameters (eg. iron ore)
2) Configure the inserters to use iron ore
3) Click "select new contents for the blueprint"
4) Click "parameterize the blueprint" and reconfigure it to use the correct parameters

Ideally, I'd like to be able to:
1) Place down the current blueprint and don't parameterize it.
2) Configure the inserters to use "parameter 0"
3) Select new contents for the blueprint

I understand that this could lead to weird things where you could have parameter 0 as a filter for both an inserter and a pump, but that's already possible, as I can already place a "parameter 0" inserter on the ground, and a "parameter 0" pump via the mechanism described above.

You can already do that by enabling Show parameters in selection lists in Settings/Interface.