Idea: Inserter take from factory input items

[Tanatos]

TL;DR

Please add the ability for the inserter to take incoming items from the entity (factory / furnance / boiler ...)

What ?

- If inserter (no filter) output place item to box or belt, inserter take only output product from entity (this is how it works now).
- If filter inserter output place item to box or belt, inserter can take any items (output product or input items) from entity if they in filter options (New functionality).
- If inserter output place item to other factory, inserter can take any items (output product or input items) from entity if they need in output entity (New functionality).
- If filter inserter output place item to other factory, inserter can take any items (output product or input items) from entity if they in filter options AND need in output entity (New functionality)

Why ?

This functionality add compact and functionality factory.
Can load fuel from etity to entity. Can transfer items from one factoty to other (sample laboratory and Scienсe Pack) if they use same items.


Thanks for playing my dream game!
P.S. Sorry my english

[mrvn]

This won't work with furnaces. A furnace can output iron plates from iron ore smelting. But it can also input iron plates for the steal smelting. So which slot should the inserter place the iron plates then?

Or you have a double furnace setup. Iron ore goes into first furnace, iron plate go directly into second furnace to make steel. Now the second furnace will keep making steel as long as there are some iron plates in the input. If it ever runs dry then suddenly it gets iron ore and make iron plates. Furnace-to-furnace doesn't work with the new functionality.


What about centrifuges with covarex process? Both inputs are also outputs. Even if inputs take precedence the inserter would fill the input and then start on the output slots.

The usual setup has 2 inserters with a belt running along them. The first inserter removes items and the second puts them back plus adds some more. Now the second would keep adding to the output slots and the first would remove it again.They would constantly fight each other.

Using a filter inserter on a centrifuge with covarex recipe would remove the input all the time. So filter inserter on covarex wouldn't work at all.


And you don't mention what to do with the fuel slot. Can I take coal from the furnace fuel slot and put it into a chemical plant as input?

While the new functionality sounds interesting none of the new functionalities seem to work well with existing recipes.

[FuryoftheStars]

I feel like this suggestion would create more headaches than benefit. Sorry. :/

[ssilk]

I’m also this opinion. Strong candidate for won’t implement.
Other opinions?

[Koub]

I don't think this will happen. Here are some previous similar requests, and even an answer a dev gave us :
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=24715
viewtopic.php?p=309512#p309512 : A dev's answer (spoiler : "No.")
[Koub] Sparing Ssilk some time, moving to won't implement.