I have been playing Factorio since its Indiegogo campaign and I have really enjoyed time spent with it. But without planning it can be hard to accomplish great projects, thus people share their designs and learn along. Sharing comes to a simple solution of "screenshot". But are there any other information I can derive from this image? If user is nice enough he posts some information like throughput, etc. but should not it be automated somehow? Like, instead of browsing a multitude of forum threads and YouTube videos one could just open up a repository of some sort, select a filter, and see what is the newest creation for manufacturing Blue Sciense Packs? Here comes my bundle of thoughts. I am curious whether you like this idea or not.
I am planning a website, so as to everyone can use it (mobile version/application included). It would allow users to:
- create new blueprints using an embedded, graphical editor
- publish them, share them, rate them
- see item production details, numbers, and other scientific goodies
- see materials needed for a design
- search for a blueprint by tag (for main bus, for production bus, etc.), type (balancers, train unloaders, etc.), name, needed resource, etc.
- add enhancement proposals for users' blueprints
- import and export blueprints
The embedded editor would use some simple graphics but if Factorio team agrees then in-game tiles could be used, along with in-game controls (like keyboard camera movement) and sounds. A Factorio look and feel will certainly be pleasant for eyes and mind!
I have also thought of production simulation: you could see how many items will be produced with that specific design. You would set input tiles (transport belt, etc.) and output ones (transport belts, inserters, etc.) and an algorithm would then compute how many items are needed in input in order to have this and that output throughput. Or the other way around. Many possibilities can be invented.
An important feature would be import and export. Originally I thought of directly dealing with save files (unfortunately they are binary and without some help from Factorio developers or modders it will be hard for me). After uploading it a map preview would be shown and user would then choose an area with design he wants to import to the website. Or it could simply use in-game blueprints - a user selects some prepared blueprint item. Export would use these blueprint items too - simply adding a new item to the player's inventory.
And how it could be used within this forum? Maybe an image file embedding - a design preview is shown as a picture but link directs to the website with this specific design. This would not need any changes in the forum.
This project would be open source with a permissive license and open to new enhancements - anyone could contribute to it. I do not want to make money with it, but there could be, for example, some ads should it be too costly for me to host it. I also apologise if there are already similar solutions but I am not up to date with all these tools and forum life.
Developing a mod (external; as package it will not have this capability) which replaces a few files here and there in Factorio directory should do the trick.