Factorio Forums

What did you do?

• Used /editor command
• Placed a splitter connected to a Circuit network
• Checked the "Set filter" option
• Tick once
• Press Q to Pipette the "no-item" from the Splitters filter (I was planning to use it as a Virtual Signal)
• Press Q again to clear cursor

What happened?
There is a "no-item" item in the Editor Player inventory! It can be dropped on the Ground or Belts, set as a Request in a Logistic Group, Handled by Inserters / placed in Chests etc. It cannot be Recycled. What did you expect to happen instead? It might be obvious to you, but do it anyway!
Item would remain as a virtual-signal / Ghost item.

Does it happen always, once, or sometimes?
Only in Editor mode. In Normal mode a "Ghost" is given instead. "no-item" was added in 2.0.67. Unlike the similar "red/green/copper-wire" items it is missing the "only-in-cursor" flag which makes those disappear when deselected. I do not think that "spawnable" is appropriate to add, since this is not a Shortcut item (like the "copy-paste-tool" or a "blueprint").



Thanks for reading!

This is the case for lots of things. You can actually get virtual signals as inventory items with a bit of trickery! As I understand it's because they're all technically items due to how the game works, just normally there's not a way to obtain them.

Techjar wrote: Tue Sep 23, 2025 4:50 am This is the case for lots of things. You can actually get virtual signals as inventory items with a bit of trickery! As I understand it's because they're all technically items due to how the game works, just normally there's not a way to obtain them.

Yes, you can spawn any Item with the Console which exists as an ItemPrototype - “rocket-part” is my favorite example. But this is specifically about being able to do so with the (non-moddded) Editor - creating an Item that self-describes itself as “Not an Item”

Which is to say: this seems unintentional for a Newly-added feature in the base game, when the proper Flag to prevent this behavior is used in several similar “Item but not an Items” which are defined adjacent to it.

You used /editor. Not a bug.