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Blueprint import with missing signals
Posted: Mon Apr 20, 2020 6:23 am
by Optera
Problem
When importing blueprint strings combinators are skipped entirely if they contain missing signals.
This breaks entire blueprints, leaving you guessing how the missing combinator was connected.
Solution
A better way of handling missing signals would be to include the combinator in the bp and just skip setting the signal.
Re: Blueprint import with missing signals
Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2020 4:48 am
by ssilk
How will you find those combinators then? Seeing that there is doming wrong with them?
Re: Blueprint import with missing signals
Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2020 8:22 am
by Optera
I could ask the same question about the current implementation:
How do you find missing combinators in a bp?
I you are lucky you have a screenshot to compare, but a) that's not always the case and b) when you have huge bp with 100+ combinators it's also not doable.
Blueprints with missing signals could be marked with the question mark, like those missing entities.
Ideally every entity capable of storing signals in a bp would have a flag to remember it has missing signals. When placing the bp those combinators could flash the selection box in red.
Re: Blueprint import with missing signals
Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2020 4:57 pm
by ssilk
Re: Blueprint import with missing signals
Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2020 5:05 am
by plepper1
I have some blueprints that I made back around 0.16.something that I still use.
Somewhere in the 0.17 tree, a migration removed all of the 'wood' signals from the BPs - but the combinators still show up with the other options set. They're just missing the output signal.
/shrug
I'm assuming some internal representation of wood changed and was migrated out. Some year I may get less lazy and re-make them, but until then I just set the output when I drop them down.
Sounds like what you're asking for.
Re: Blueprint import with missing signals
Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2020 10:19 am
by Optera
plepper1 wrote: Wed Apr 22, 2020 5:05 am
I have some blueprints that I made back around 0.16.something that I still use.
Somewhere in the 0.17 tree, a migration removed all of the 'wood' signals from the BPs - but the combinators still show up with the other options set. They're just missing the output signal.
/shrug
I'm assuming some internal representation of wood changed and was migrated out. Some year I may get less lazy and re-make them, but until then I just set the output when I drop them down.
Sounds like what you're asking for.
No, I'm not asking for migration of renamed signals.
Migration can't resolve missing signals from a mod when the mod is not installed, which is a much more common cause for missing signals.
Re: Blueprint import with missing signals
Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2020 5:30 am
by ssilk
I thought a bit and I think it’s a very good idea. I wouldn’t limit the flagging not only to the point where a blueprint is involved. I would change it like so:
Any entity capable of handling signals should flag (non blinking, just a small “missing” icon in alt mode), if:
- the input and/or output isn’t wired.
To be discussed: Constant combinator has no input of course, a decider without output makes also no sense, but does a decider combinator makes sense without input? Eventually...
- the programming of the entity is not complete.
To be discussed: a constant combinator without any programmed signal?
Also to be discussed: how should this work with modded entities? Simply based on this rules, or should the modder set those flags (or both).
Re: Blueprint import with missing signals
Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2020 11:37 am
by SupplyDepoo
ssilk wrote: Thu Apr 23, 2020 5:30 am
I thought a bit and I think it’s a very good idea. I wouldn’t limit the flagging not only to the point where a blueprint is involved. I would change it like so:
Any entity capable of handling signals should flag (non blinking, just a small “missing” icon in alt mode), if:
- the input and/or output isn’t wired.
To be discussed: Constant combinator has no input of course, a decider without output makes also no sense, but does a decider combinator makes sense without input? Eventually...
- the programming of the entity is not complete.
To be discussed: a constant combinator without any programmed signal?
Also to be discussed: how should this work with modded entities? Simply based on this rules, or should the modder set those flags (or both).
Doesn't the optional alt-mode display of signals already sufficiently address that?
Re: Blueprint import with missing signals
Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2020 8:32 pm
by ZlovreD
What if add a list or a hint about missing objects / signals to the blueprint editor? And/or maybe viewing in "alt-mode"?
Just to point out a player that there are errors in the imported blueprint.
