Factorio Forums

Usually a screenshot with alt mode is enough to fully describe a specific part of the factory, but with combinators and other circuit network buildings this is no longer possible.



The combinator and smart inserter should have a small label like the other buildings that shows what it's doings with the information.

Yep, you are definitely right!

The problem with the combinator is that you have a lot of information to show in a small space.

Alt mode should show an arrow so you can see the input and output, it should show the input condition, the output. How would you fit all that in alt mode? If anyone has suggestions, they can create a mock image.

Hm.

This theme had already had a lot of discussions, not for the combinators, but the same problem is also with other stuff, smart inserter for example.

The idea in the forum was, to have information-layers, that can be turned on/off. Main idea was, to hide the robots, so that they don't get picked up accidentally.
Thinking into that direction I can imagine an own layer of information for the ciruit-network only, which makes space for some more (not all) information. In my opinion all information of a combinator cannot be printed in that space in every case. I would not even try it.

I can think also of a very special view, which is a separate map-view and shows the network like a "nagios network map". Google for it. That kind of view would enable it to print all needed information into the map to rebuild that circuit.

I'd like to see more useful visualization for electric networks, because wires are so faint sometimes and it is hard to detect where the missing pole is or how two separate networks correlate each other. It would be useful to highlight networks using different colors and thicker wire connections.

On the side: I think there are too many electric wires now, that connect every pole they can, creating shortcuts and a total wire-mess. In my mind it would be healthier to reduce number of wires so that network would have tree-like structure rather then grid-like.

hitzu wrote:...reduce number of wires so that network would have tree-like structure rather then grid-like.

Yes, this is like the nagios-view:


We need of course a bit different view, but the basic idea is clear I think.