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A slider to multipy values in a logistics request
Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2025 10:30 am
by brucemalt
TL;DR
Changing the composition of a request setup requires a lot of typing in numbers, but the ratios usually stay the same, so it would make sense to have a "multiplier" slider that can adjust the contents of such a group.
What?
I would something like the slider UI that is already present in the personal logistics to be added to request chests or other requests, to allow smoother selection of material.

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into

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give it a multiplier, set the default to 1, leave the "standard" copy paste recipe as it is. Done. I think this probably makes the most sense on a chest by chest basis.
In this case, I don't want 600 steel to sit in a chest doing nothing, when I'm spinning up vulcanus. I would set the multiplier to 0.1 and only get 60 steel, 36 chips, 60 tungsten and 24 reinforced concrete. Maybe more important than the material is the time that the logistics robots spend on transporting it.
So I definitely want to adjust this, the question is how.
Why?
- I don't need resources to sit in chests, I want them to be used in the things that I really want to make. So, this is partly my fault, because I copy pasted from the recipe to the chest. I think I remember reading the requests that are auto generate from the copy paste action are based on per second production? That's sometimes / often not the amount of resources I actually want to sit in those chests. A similar problem is the combination of things sitting in the chest, and in the assembler while then also not being used. But "fixing" that is hard, I can't think of a better way to do it.
Anyway, I could and can adjust these values by hand/typing.
BUT
- the fun part of factorio is not typing, it's in interacting with everything else.
- the UI code for a slider already exists, so I hope it's easy-ish to do?
- s/ I'm trying to get the 40h speedrun achievement and these two seconds spent typing in numbers have RUINED my run. /s

- Ok, that last part was a joke, but having to type stuff in again was annoying enough to me to interrupt the game and type this out. So... this may seem small, but you understand UI/UX quality very well, so I don't need to explain why that's important. Would this feature be a big deal? No. But then again, yes. You get it.
I tried searched the frequent suggestions and this wasn't in there. So, I hope this is a good one!
Re: A slider to multipy values in a logistics request
Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2025 10:58 am
by mmmPI
you can already do that in game if you press the "rename" button for the logistic group, it will show a place where you can add a multiplier
Re: A slider to multipy values in a logistics request
Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2025 2:40 pm
by brucemalt
Ok, so the multiplier is already in there, that's even better!
But I still have to open 2 text/number input fields and put stuff there... every time I want to change things.
So I guess, it's 50% already done and that would make it even easier to add a slider
As another note, if that's already happening, it would be a cool addition to default the name of the newly created set of requests to the name of the recipe, if that's available. Or maybe "thing+_foo" modify it.
(I just really don't want to type)
Also, something I just found, doing that can round down to 0, which is bad, for obvious reasons. I would rejoice if this were improved

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Re: A slider to multipy values in a logistics request
Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2025 4:38 pm
by Muche
brucemalt wrote: Sat Mar 01, 2025 2:40 pm
As another note, if that's already happening, it would be a cool addition to default the name of the newly created set of requests to the name of the recipe, if that's available. Or maybe "thing+_foo" modify it.
As named logistic groups are shared globally, new groups appearing "magically" might be confusing and not always wanted.
For example, having a group named "Hazard concrete" that contains "10 Concrete" doesn't seem that useful.
Re: A slider to multipy values in a logistics request
Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2025 4:51 pm
by mmmPI
brucemalt wrote: Sat Mar 01, 2025 2:40 pm
So I guess, it's 50% already done and that would make it even easier to add a slider

(I just really don't want to type)
You can use blueprints, if you are attempting to win under 40 hours, you can have a constant combinators with the receipes in them , saved in a blueprint, importing it in a game would import all the groups and their custom limits.
You can also use an arithmetic combinator to multiply what you can read as the ingredients from the machine for the chest request. This will make a slider !
Re: A slider to multipy values in a logistics request
Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2025 5:25 pm
by brucemalt
mmmPI wrote: Sat Mar 01, 2025 4:51 pm
You can use blueprints, if you are attempting to win under 40 hours, you can have a constant combinators with the receipes in them , saved in a blueprint, importing it in a game would import all the groups and their custom limits.
Hm, that is true, I can use blueprints, but if I use blueprints, it has the limits saved already, then I wouldn't need the combinator.
mmmPI wrote: Sat Mar 01, 2025 4:51 pm
You can also use an arithmetic combinator to multiply what you can read as the ingredients from the machine for the chest request. This will make a slider !
I'm not following, how do I get the UI for the slider here? You mean this one?

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Hm, no this seems to round down to 0 as well. I am aware, it is probably possible to arithmatic combinator my own round but not to 0 function. But what I wanted was a QoL improvement.
Re: A slider to multipy values in a logistics request
Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2025 5:37 pm
by mmmPI
mmmPI wrote: Sat Mar 01, 2025 4:51 pm
You can also use an arithmetic combinator to multiply what you can read as the ingredients from the machine for the chest request. This will make a slider !
brucemalt wrote: Sat Mar 01, 2025 5:25 pm
I'm not following, how do I get the UI for the slider here? You mean this one?
Hm, no this seems to round down to 0 as well. I am aware, it is probably possible to arithmatic combinator my own round but not to 0 function. But what I wanted was a QoL improvement.
Yes this is a slider to me ! It does start with a default value of 0, you can change without typing how many ingredient you want in the chest while keeping the ratio nice !
brucemalt wrote: Sat Mar 01, 2025 5:25 pm
Hm, that is true, I can use blueprints, but if I use blueprints, it has the limits saved already, then I wouldn't need the combinator.
You can import a single constant combinator with all the logistic group for your speedrun attempt already saved then you'd only have to pick a name on the list and not use the actual combinator to set up chest request.
Or you can use the arithmetic with the slider that start at 0.
Both are ways to avoid having to manually enter the request of material and keep the ratio nice i thought, and one of them has the slider ! ( which is not super precise )
Re: A slider to multipy values in a logistics request
Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2025 5:57 pm
by brucemalt
mmmPI wrote: Sat Mar 01, 2025 5:37 pm
you can change without typing how many ingredient you want in the chest while keeping the ratio nice !
Ok, I understand what you mean, but I tried this: I tried entering 0.1 and it looks like it automatically converts float to in by dropping everything behind the decimal.
2.8 and 2.3 -> 2
and
0.1 and 0.9 -> 0
Re: A slider to multipy values in a logistics request
Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2025 6:06 pm
by mmmPI
brucemalt wrote: Sat Mar 01, 2025 5:57 pm
Ok, I understand what you mean, but I tried this: I tried entering 0.1 and it looks like it automatically converts float to in by dropping everything behind the decimal.
2.8 and 2.3 -> 2
and
0.1 and 0.9 -> 0
That's bound to happen on a slider !
And circuit networks for request can only use integer number, so if you were to request 0.5 times the receipe that require 10 iron plate, that means 0, instead you need to use the division operation on the arithmetic, and divide by 2

I must be missing something here x)