How exactly is the transporter network supposed to work?

[raineeger]

I find it impossible to get rid of the behavior, where all the units flock around inaccessible buildings, trying to get something from those buildings, even though i have set those buildings to "only pass items through transporters".

Lets say i have a grid of 3x3 buildings, where 1 building is in the middle. What is the right way to make that building work like all the surrounding buildings?

my expectation would be, that if i check the "only pass items through transporters", then units wont try to get items from the middle building, but will stop next to the building that is connected to the overlapping transporter network, and pull the item through the network. I.e the middle building contains something that is needed -> then passes that item into the next building -> which passes it along to the actual bot unit.

I also thought about toggling off "supply items", but that doesnt make much sense either. Then id expect that building to only act as a dumping site.

[martingolding96]

Set the group of 3x3 to their own network as you can have upto 3 per logistic grid Shift+E the logistic Icon on the building to access those settings

[蛍Firefly]

Could you post a picture of your setup?

I think the problem you're running into is a bit of "moving items from an inaccessible building to an accessible building at long range", which only flyers can solve without tweaks to infrastructure.

Personally, I'd have an accessible stockpile with Repeat Orders for the factories input (This will cause your logistics bots to keep it filled up), the inaccessible factories in the middle set to "flyers only" in their logistics button, and a stockpile for output that those factories are set to Store to. Here's the important part, a drone bay with drones in range of all those sets.

Alternatively, depending on your tech level, you could try using Alien Workers. They have a built-in 4 range item transporter, allowing them to reach deep past barriers.

[Illuminia]

Some of those checkbox options seem odd.
Unsure if they work, or maybe are unclear.
Like, does "transporters" mean the item teleporter internal component, or Bots set as "Transport Route" enabled?
Where do the item teleporters fall in to those options too? it's unclear

Like Martin suggested above; changing the "Network" in use can be a big help.
By default, everything uses "Channel 1" to make requests, and bots listen for requests on "Channel 1" to try and fill.

So if you have buildings that you don't want bots to fill requests for, right click the "Network" button to see the options and remove Channel 1.
Of course then they won't get /anything/ ....

So let's say you have buildings in a 3x4 pattern , all with teleporters
[1][2][3][4]
[1][2][3][4]
[1][2][3][4]

You only want bots going to buildings "1" (to deliver inputs) and "4" (to pick up final products). ... and item teleporters to send items from 1>2>3>4
On buildings "2" and "3", turn off "Channel 1".

Of course, then they won't get anything teleported from their neighbors ..... so select ALL the buildings and enable a different channel, that bots aren't using.

I like to reserve Channel 4 for building to building teleports only.

[Myrmec]

Internal transporters only have a range of 1

[Illuminia]

Originally posted by Myrmec:

Internal transporters only have a range of 1

Yes, but also note that works diagonally too.

And it's counted as 1-square out from all edges of the building.
So a 1-tile building can teleport items to any of the 8 spaces around it.
[ ][ ][ ]
[ ][1][ ]
[ ][ ][ ]

a 1x2 tile building can teleport items to any of the 10 spaces around it's edges.... and so on.

(This is also very useful to consider with bllght magnifiers later on, which have a range of 2, especially when used with the later 1L3M 3x2 size building. [1 large overclock, 3 medium blight magnifiers] )