I want my assemblers to output an item into a logistics chest so I can have robots deliver it to me, but I also want robots to be able to put that item back when I'm done with it.
Storage chests with a filter for the item seem to be the way to do this. So I need to place the storage chest, set the filter, place a red wire, and set a condition on the inserter feeding the chest to limit how much the assembler produces. This is a lot of steps. Is there a better/quicker way to do this?
Is there a quick way to set up logistics chests?
Re: Is there a quick way to set up logistics chests?
As far as i know, there's no way to set the filter automatically on the storage chests, unfortunately. I do hope they add that though.
If you could read the filter from those and use that to set the recipe in the assembler, you can make some nice easily configured setups.
I was looking into the exact same issue a few days ago. What i ended up doing was:
- Add an inserter feeding into storage chest. Hook up those 2 with a wire
- Set the filter on the storage chest
- Set the Enable condition on the inserter to the special red Everything *. This means if the chest is empty, it will grab something from the assembler.
It does mean it can mess up if bots were to put something incorrect into the chest, but at least there's one less thing to change when you copy paste the setup.
You just copy paste it, change the recipe, change the filter on the chest and the number you want on the inserter. No need to change the item on the inserter as well.
It also has the added benefit that even if the recipe changes at some point, or it's part of a blueprint you stamp down again, you don't accidentally end up with a chest full of train signals because you overwrite the setting. Don't ask me how i know..
If you could read the filter from those and use that to set the recipe in the assembler, you can make some nice easily configured setups.
I was looking into the exact same issue a few days ago. What i ended up doing was:
- Add an inserter feeding into storage chest. Hook up those 2 with a wire
- Set the filter on the storage chest
- Set the Enable condition on the inserter to the special red Everything *. This means if the chest is empty, it will grab something from the assembler.
It does mean it can mess up if bots were to put something incorrect into the chest, but at least there's one less thing to change when you copy paste the setup.
You just copy paste it, change the recipe, change the filter on the chest and the number you want on the inserter. No need to change the item on the inserter as well.
It also has the added benefit that even if the recipe changes at some point, or it's part of a blueprint you stamp down again, you don't accidentally end up with a chest full of train signals because you overwrite the setting. Don't ask me how i know..
Last edited by Zaughon on Mon Nov 11, 2024 4:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Is there a quick way to set up logistics chests?
After a bit of playing around with blueprint parameters, this seems to work:
Whenever you put it down, it will ask you what you want to craft and how many you want in the chest.
If you don't want it to ask how many you want, here's a version that doesn't ask and just assumes 1 full stack:
If you want to play around with it yourself instead of importing a blueprint:
If you want more information on what to enter to set it up:
Whenever you put it down, it will ask you what you want to craft and how many you want in the chest.
If you don't want it to ask how many you want, here's a version that doesn't ask and just assumes 1 full stack:
If you want to play around with it yourself instead of importing a blueprint:
- Put down an assembler, storage chest, requester chest, inserters, and hook up the inserter and the storage chest
- Set the assembler, the inserter and the storage chest to the purple 0 from the 'Unsorted' tab
- Set the inserter to < 50 (this will be changed automatically later)
- Set the requester chest to the purple 1-9. I'd recommend changing the values to 1-9 as well as they need to be different values due to some weirdness with how blueprint parameters work
- Make a blueprint
- Click the green button with a purple square and set up the parameters and formulas
- Set the assembler, the inserter and the storage chest to the purple 0 from the 'Unsorted' tab
- Set the inserter to < 50 (this will be changed automatically later)
- Set the requester chest to the purple 1-9. I'd recommend changing the values to 1-9 as well as they need to be different values due to some weirdness with how blueprint parameters work
- Make a blueprint
- Click the green button with a purple square and set up the parameters and formulas
If you want more information on what to enter to set it up:
- Set parameter 1-9 to "Ingredient of the 0-signal"
- Enable 'Parameter' for all the text values
- If you want the version that asks for the max amount when you put it down:
- Find the value you entered for the inserter, add a name like "Max items in chest" or something, then enable Parameter for that line, if it isn't already
- Otherwise if you want it to automatically set 1 stack of the item you're producing:
- Find the value you entered for the inserter, enable parameter, then enable Formula and set it to p0_s (This will mean the inserter will automatically put 1 full stack of the item you're producing into the chest, then stop)
- Enable Formula for the 1-9 values and set the formula to pX_s where X is the number (p1_s, p2_s, etc..). This means it will add 1 full stack of each required material
You probably don't need to add 9 different materials. As far as i know, there's no single recipe that has 9 different ingredients, but you know.. future proofing
Now you just stamp it down, select the recipe and the max amount (if you went with that version) and it will automatically set the requests to 1 full stack of each required material, set the recipe, set the quantity on the inserter and set the filter on the inserter and the box automatically.
If you didn't go with the one that asks, it will just put 1 stack in the chest. If you want more, just change it on the inserter.
- Enable 'Parameter' for all the text values
- If you want the version that asks for the max amount when you put it down:
- Find the value you entered for the inserter, add a name like "Max items in chest" or something, then enable Parameter for that line, if it isn't already
- Otherwise if you want it to automatically set 1 stack of the item you're producing:
- Find the value you entered for the inserter, enable parameter, then enable Formula and set it to p0_s (This will mean the inserter will automatically put 1 full stack of the item you're producing into the chest, then stop)
- Enable Formula for the 1-9 values and set the formula to pX_s where X is the number (p1_s, p2_s, etc..). This means it will add 1 full stack of each required material
You probably don't need to add 9 different materials. As far as i know, there's no single recipe that has 9 different ingredients, but you know.. future proofing

Now you just stamp it down, select the recipe and the max amount (if you went with that version) and it will automatically set the requests to 1 full stack of each required material, set the recipe, set the quantity on the inserter and set the filter on the inserter and the box automatically.
If you didn't go with the one that asks, it will just put 1 stack in the chest. If you want more, just change it on the inserter.