Factorio Forums

I am a planner. I laid out my base extensively with blueprints before I got construction robots. An attempt to have a place for everything and everything in its place. Most of it are things I'm not ready to build yet. Some of it is "draft" as I'm not happy with what I have but I wanted it to reserve space and be a reminder of things I should build.

I just got my first few construction robots and they are overzealous. Any blueprint they see they want to build it. That is not at all what I need.

For example, I might want to build a specific smelter and not the neighboring blueprinted ones. I would also hate it if I leave to work on my base elsewhere only to return and discover that the bots depleted my resources or worse, built the wrong stuff.

For now I removed all roboports, passive chests and my portable roboport to get things back to normal, but I would like to use them if I can make them behave.

Questions:

1) Is there a way to tell them to build a section of the blueprinted base but not all?

2) If not, is there a way to lay out the network of roboports for my base so that logistics robots use them, but not the construction ones?

3) Is there a way to activate/deactivate construction robots (without a mod)?

4) Can I put robots somewhere in my inventory so that they stay inactive? (I saw something about putting them in my logistic trash slots but it came with a warning to avoid getting back into the logistics network)

5) Is there a good way to snatch robots out of the air? I was able to do it by right clicking... but it also destroyed any blueprints they were over.

6) I saw a hint suggesting removing the personal roboport as a way to disable them, but I am not clear as to what that does. Does it make them come back into my inventory immediately? Do they keep going until they run out of materials/power and then drop to the ground? In other words... what does it do and is it even a desirable solution?

7) The bots seem to have a range issue when operating from my personal roboport. I laid down the most popular solar panel blueprint (even has a roboport in the center) and they don't seem able to place because it is too far, although earlier (not sure what was different) they built the whole thing without a problem. Any idea what was that?

8) I also watched several tutorials, but the ones I found were either limited, messy or confusing. Can someone suggest a simple, organized, step by step tutorial that covers *all* of the elements, from automating production of robots to managing and controlling them effectively?

Thanks

Controlling robot behavior is like herding cats.

If you are just placing the blueprints to plan, then when you have enough of the base planned you can clear the ghosts. Mark the map with an icon to show what goes there (or use pen and paper). Then modify the deconstruction planner to only remove ghosts and it will leave trees and your manufactured items alone.

2) Do not put any construction robots in the roboport network.

4) I think you can put the robots in your trash slots if there is no place for the logistic bots to put them. If all the chests are providers or requesters not asking for construction bots they will stay there.

6) Removing your personal robo port is a pain in the (insert least favorite part of the anatomy here). It works, but you have to remember to do it every time you go to a place with ghosts that you do not want to build. Then put it back when you want to build. There is still a problem with only wanting to build some of the ghosts that are near.

I think the bots come back to you if they are in the air, probably after placing the item they hold. I try to do it when all the bots are Try it yourself. If they do not, then you can pick them up yourself.

zOldBulldog wrote:1) Is there a way to tell them to build a section of the blueprinted base but not all?

Not really, unless you can keep roboport coverage off of the part you don't want to be built.

zOldBulldog wrote:2) If not, is there a way to lay out the network of roboports for my base so that logistics robots use them, but not the construction ones?

No.

zOldBulldog wrote:3) Is there a way to activate/deactivate construction robots (without a mod)?

You can enable/disable your personal roboport by taking it out and putting it back in. I don't believe that there's a way to do that for normal roboports, but you can check if they can be enabled/disabled via the circuit network.

zOldBulldog wrote:4) Can I put robots somewhere in my inventory so that they stay inactive? (I saw something about putting them in my logistic trash slots but it came with a warning to avoid getting back into the logistics network)

Yes, the logistic trash slots should work, but they will be trashed if you do that while within another logistics network. Beyond that, there isn't a good wawy.

zOldBulldog wrote:5) Is there a good way to snatch robots out of the air? I was able to do it by right clicking... but it also destroyed any blueprints they were over.

Not that I know of.

zOldBulldog wrote:6) I saw a hint suggesting removing the personal roboport as a way to disable them, but I am not clear as to what that does. Does it make them come back into my inventory immediately? Do they keep going until they run out of materials/power and then drop to the ground? In other words... what does it do and is it even a desirable solution?

I... don't actually know. I know that they don't instantly teleport back to you, but beyond that, I don't know if they'll automatically return or charge.

zOldBulldog wrote:7) The bots seem to have a range issue when operating from my personal roboport. I laid down the most popular solar panel blueprint (even has a roboport in the center) and they don't seem able to place because it is too far, although earlier (not sure what was different) they built the whole thing without a problem. Any idea what was that?

The amount of personal roboports you have affects your range.

zOldBulldog wrote:8) I also watched several tutorials, but the ones I found were either limited, messy or confusing. Can someone suggest a simple, organized, step by step tutorial that covers *all* of the elements, from automating production of robots to managing and controlling them effectively?

I found a few that might do what you want, this (slightly old, you may also want to watch the video before it), this (which is even older), this, this (which is actually fairly recent), and this (which is also quite old).

I have been watching those tutorials.

Some questions remain:

- I don't have a portable reactor yet,so I can only carry a few construction robots with me. Seems that I can plop a regular roboport plus a passive chest with construction materials and the construction robots will use those (plus have longer range) instead of my portable roboport and backpack inventory. Is that correct?

- I placed some solar panel arrays with each a roboport in the center. Yet, when I go to expand it the boots use (and drain) my portable roboport instead of the regular ones for charging. Why? And how do I get them to charge at the regular ones.

- Every time I get on a train my boots get lost for a while. Can that be avoided?

- Assuming that all I carry in my armor is Night Vision, Portable Roboport(s), batteries and portable solar panels, what is the ideal number of batteries and solar panels to keep the bots and night vision charged and functional?

zOldBulldog wrote:I have been watching those tutorials.

Some questions remain:

- I don't have a portable reactor yet,so I can only carry a few construction robots with me. Seems that I can plop a regular roboport plus a passive chest with construction materials and the construction robots will use those (plus have longer range) instead of my portable roboport and backpack inventory. Is that correct?

The bots in the big roboport have a better range and use construction materials from chests. Your bots from your portable roboport takes from your inventory and has a more limited range. I do not remember if your portable roboport bots can take from logisitcs chests.

- I placed some solar panel arrays with each a roboport in the center. Yet, when I go to expand it the boots use (and drain) my portable roboport instead of the regular ones for charging. Why? And how do I get them to charge at the regular ones.

Bots in your personal inventory use your portable roboport. Bots in the big roboport use the big roboport for charging.

- Every time I get on a train my boots get lost for a while. Can that be avoided?

Make sure your bots are in your inventory. If they are doing something it takes a while before they can catch up with you because the train is much faster.

One other thing to watch our for here: If you are riding a train and pass a ghost you have the item for your bots will happily try to place the item and might run out of your range before placing it and then try to catch up.

- Assuming that all I carry in my armor is Night Vision, Portable Roboport(s), batteries and portable solar panels, what is the ideal number of batteries and solar panels to keep the bots and night vision charged and functional?

For one portable roboport -- Probably more than you can fit in your armor, depending on how much building you do.

Part of the problem solved by laying out an initial logistic network and setting a number of construction bots to run fee instead of launching from my inventory. It should have been obvious, but I had to connect the information from multiple tutorials. There isn't a truly good tutorial that teaches you how to go from zero to having all you need in regards of robots.

I still need to find the right number of panels/batteries to go along with night vision and a portable roboport. I remember reading a post some time ago giving that info and saying it worked fine, but I just can't find it again.