Factorio Forums

What?

Inside blueprint parameter formulas: Give access to variables that correspond to the absolute coordinates of the placement location, and when dragging, the coordinates relative to the first location. (Or the coordinates of the first location which can be used to compute relative coordinates.) And maybe a variable that is incremented for each successive placement.

Names could be x and y for absolute coordinates. off_x and off_y for offsets from first when dragging. I do not recommend dividing by the blueprint grid width and height, because it would needlessly complicate rotation and flipping. Tile coordinates are easily defined. Say, by using the center (flag) location.

Why?

This is likely simple to implement, and is rather versatile. Use cases:

• Ability to unique ID different machines based on coordinates (Useful, when they interact through a network)
• Quickly drop down constant combinators that successively use different values
• N rows of display panels with selector combinators to display the first/last N signals
• Row of assembling machines that enable based on incremental threshold conditions
• Row of generic assembling machines that take turns picking recipe
• Any general case of massively-repeated blueprint where it matters that different instances receive different constants. It is tedious to enter a different variable each time.
• Lamp phases

+1

thats actually the most ideal solution to a circuit logic that I've been cooking for months now

+1

Even when I wouldnt use it much, this would be a game changer.