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Unwanted inserter behaviour with multiple output recipes
Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2021 3:57 pm
by ccw18
It seems like inserters always try to pick up the rightmost items when there is more than one output (refer to the image).
I think this is unwanted behaviour, as in some cases the inserter can never pick up the leftmost items before the machine stops due to full output.
Stack inserters cannot show their full potentials in these cases because their throughput is limited by swing frequency, and their stack size doesn't matter.
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Re: Unwanted inserter behaviour with multiple output recipes
Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2021 4:13 pm
by Loewchen
Re: Unwanted inserter behaviour with multiple output recipes
Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2021 4:32 pm
by ccw18
This is this, that is that, they are different issues.
Re: Unwanted inserter behaviour with multiple output recipes
Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2021 4:38 pm
by Loewchen
ccw18 wrote: ↑Thu Sep 23, 2021 4:32 pm
This is this, that is that, they are different issues.
Agreed. This is not a bug.
Re: Unwanted inserter behaviour with multiple output recipes
Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2021 11:11 pm
by mrvn
Even if the inserter would remove the slot with the most items the chemical plant would stop when it has produced 2 cycles worth of output for any of the slots. What would marginally help would be picking up items round-robin fashion. Or prefer items with more than one cycles worth of count.
If you insert items in larger batches in the right ratios then the chemical plant will run more cycles so you get bigger output stacks. Unless the stack size of the items limits you. That requires a bit of circuit logic and setting the stack size override. For example have one inserter report it's hand contents to enable all other inserters.
Other than that you can use multiple inserters for faster removal, possibly filter inserters so you control which item to pick up. You can even time the inserters to pick up itmes whenever enough cycles have passed. This really helps with high speed furnaces so stack inserters always pick up 12 plates.
Re: Unwanted inserter behaviour with multiple output recipes
Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2021 2:29 pm
by Rseding91
As others have shared this is not a bug. A given inserter will eventually remove all output items from the machine or if it can't it doesn't matter that it doesn't remove the others because it's still going to get stuck on at least one of them.
Re: Unwanted inserter behaviour with multiple output recipes
Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2021 2:40 pm
by mrvn
Rseding91 wrote: ↑Fri Sep 24, 2021 2:29 pm
As others have shared this is not a bug. A given inserter will eventually remove all output items from the machine or if it can't it doesn't matter that it doesn't remove the others because it's still going to get stuck on at least one of them.
I believe the problem he sees is that the recipe produces A, B, C and D. The inserter removes D, C, B and then the next batch is finished. So it starts again D, C, B. And the A item always remains and quickly blocks the next cycle. If it would remove the double output of A, which a stack inserter could handle, instead of restarting with D the machine would not block.
So there is room for improvement. It's just not a bug because it's working as designed. Could be restated as a "Ideas and Suggestions".