Factorio Forums

Hi!
We all like blueprints and stuff, but there was one thing that I would be absolutely happy to see in the game. It is the blueprint projector.
It would be a nice little box (or a big one if you find it better that way) that needs electricity and places a blueprint in its surroundings. This would be fun for automated base extension.
Simplest usage would be the extension of roboport network. I set up a Blueprint that contains the projector and roboports, so if i place it next to a roboport the builders will build the blueprint. But as soon as they build the projector it will project the same Blueprint and the process starts over.
The usage of electricity is useful because this way I could create a logic network that has a powerswitch in it for each projector and that would make it possible to stop the expansion.

I see lots of possibilities and if you could make paralell projections and the projection itself conditional, if you could use deconstruction as well... well that would create a whole new aspect for the game.
I tried to look into modding, but this is my first contact with lua and at first glance I found no lead for the blueprint placement. I didn't look through the forum, so if this was suggested before, my appologies.
What do you guys think?

Sounds a bit like "Space engineers" ^^

I think this would be cool to have in vanilla game, the problem is we are making more features that make it easier to build large scale factories faster than we are able to optimize the game. And the question is, if we should have mechanic for automated factory growth if the game won't be able to handle it for very long performance wise :/

I do realize the performance problem, honestly the fact makes me glad that you liked the idea.
An alternative idea for this would be a beta version of this projector that does not emit repeatedly, but only once. The other option would be an enormous eletricity need so that the projector could only be used in a smart way.
Even with these "workarounds" I understand that this is not the focus of your work, again, I'm just happy to share a fun idea and have it well recieved.
If/when you whis to take on the idea I'm happy to share my solutions on the optimization - but then again you solved the logistic network without a problem, I'm not sure I have a better solution than you guys.

I think the mod recursive blueprints does what you want.