I don't get the Cargo Elevator

[Klandor]

So I'm either using the Cargo Elevator wrong or I have something misconfigured. I have the Cargo Dock and the Cargo Elevator. I have Belts running from the Cargo Dock to the Cargo Elevator, yet nothing seems to load into the CE on the surface. I have Belts leading from Storage to the CE underground, yet nothing seems to load into the CE. I just can't seem to figure out how this device is supposed to work...

[Almasty]

Check direction of belts, sounds like they are flowing in wrong direction.

From what you say they are backwards. either the belt underground needs to run to storage or the belt above ground needs to run towards the cargo dock. depending on if is supposed to go up or down.

Cheers

[Klandor]

I'm trying to get BOTH directions operational. I want MDR Resources (Regolith) to be fed TO the Cargo Elevator (I have 2 Belts correctly oriented towards the Cargo Elevator) from the Cargo Dock that are filled with Regolith, and over 25k waiting in the Cargo Dock, but it's not ENTERING into the Elevator. Underground, I have 2 Belts going TO the Cargo Dock (properly oriented) filled with Steel (on one Belt) and Smart Concrete (on the other Belt) that do not go into the Cargo Elevator. Do I need to have the Belts that EXIT the Cargo Dock in place to get the Cargo Elevator to accept the input? Do I need to have a Belt to take the Regolith to a Multi-Regolith Refiner placed before the Regolith on the surface will go into the Cargo Elevator? If I need Belts on the Surface, to where to I send the Steel and the Smart Concrete?

My understanding is that the Cargo Elevator holds materials for transfer from the Surface to Underground and vice versa. It's the same inventory in both locations. I just don't understand HOW to get said resources INTO the Cargo Elevator...

[Almasty]

It can only be one way. So you would need 2 conveyor elevators. 1 going down and 1 going up. Since it doesn't matter how many differing belts you send in everything will come out on all belts. So if you have steel on one belt and concrete on another, at the other end they would be mixed up coming out.

You would use a splitter block to pull the steel off the belt and send the concrete down the other belt. The splitter block is created when you merge 2 belts. The splitter blocks can be upgraded same as belts

[Klandor]

Originally posted by Almasty:

It can only be one way. So you would need 2 conveyor elevators. 1 going down and one going up. Since it doesn't matter how many differing belts you send in everything will come out on all belts. So if you have steel on one belt and concrete on another, at the other end they would be mixed up coming out

So that would be usable for delivery to the Expedition Command Center (ECC), where you were sending the resources needed for a specific Expedition, but not for delivery to a Storage unless it was a MultiResource Storage, which could then parcel it out.

Initially, I had only the Cargo Dock connected to the Cargo Elevator. I connected the Belts from the Cargo Dock, and the Cargo Dock only had Regolith. If I remove the Belts down below that are delivering Steel and Smart Concrete, will the Cargo Dock start accepting the Regolith? Would I need to Belt it away downstairs, to a MultiRegolith Refiner?

For the reverse direction, should I Belt the surface to a MultiResource Storage or just send it to the ECC?

[Almasty]

Yes, you would need a belt exiting down below to bulk storage or multi-refinery or both., to get the system running. (for Regolith refining)

Unless you did the multi-refineries on the surface and ore oxides into storage or sent down below and split into multiple belts to bulk storage and into smelters, etc.(I do this at 1 Cargo Dock, the other Cargo Dock does it all on surface)


On a different conveyor elevator, I would send the Materials up to storage and then on into the EEC and back out to storage. Reason for second storage is when expedition fills, the rest would need a place to go. So up, multi-storage, ECC, out to bulk storage buildings.
Which then can be loaded at land pad by drones for contracts, or belted into Flight Control for contracts and back out to same storage

Cheers

[Klandor]

OK, my Cargo Elevator has been working GREAT for getting Regolith sent to a MultiRegolith Refiner. The issue that has now developed is that the Refiner is located underground and the Cargo Elevator has become "clogged" with another resource.

To clarify, I located a Rare Earth Minerals Vein just outside my Base and my MDR is now mining on it. BEFORE, the Cargo Truck servicing the MDR used to come back with 100% Regolith. Now it's coming back with both Regolith and Rare Earth Minerals. I don't want to give up the REM's, so I need to figure out a way to separate the REM's from the Regolith on it's way to the Cargo Elevator. Does anyone have any suggestions?!? I've performed Belt MERGES for identical resources, but I don't know of any way to configure the Belts to SEPARATE different materials that end up on the same Belt.

Additionally, I need to figure out how to clear the REM's from the Cargo Elevator. I guess the question here is if I run a Belt from the Cargo Elevator to my Rare Mineral Refinery, will all the REM that gets placed in the Cargo Elevator end up taking that Belt and then resume transferring the Regolith to the MRR?!?

[Klandor]

Originally posted by Klandor:

OK, my Cargo Elevator has been working GREAT for getting Regolith sent to a MultiRegolith Refiner. The issue that has now developed is that the Refiner is located underground and the Cargo Elevator has become "clogged" with another resource.

To clarify, I located a Rare Earth Minerals Vein just outside my Base and my MDR is now mining on it. BEFORE, the Cargo Truck servicing the MDR used to come back with 100% Regolith. Now it's coming back with both Regolith and Rare Earth Minerals. I don't want to give up the REM's, so I need to figure out a way to separate the REM's from the Regolith on it's way to the Cargo Elevator. Does anyone have any suggestions?!? I've performed Belt MERGES for identical resources, but I don't know of any way to configure the Belts to SEPARATE different materials that end up on the same Belt.

Additionally, I need to figure out how to clear the REM's from the Cargo Elevator. I guess the question here is if I run a Belt from the Cargo Elevator to my Rare Mineral Refinery, will all the REM that gets placed in the Cargo Elevator end up taking that Belt and then resume transferring the Regolith to the MRR?!?

Well, it was a good thought, but it doesn't work. The Cargo Elevator did not give me a clean feed to the RMR. I got mixed Regolith and REM sent to the RMR. If anyone has any suggestions on how to separate things out, I'd appreciate the suggestions.

[Almasty]

You use the splitters/mergers that appear when you have a belt connected to another belt.
Just build a rare earth refiner downstairs and have a belt run off of the main belt to it or a bulk storage and then into it. If you try to send it down on a different belt it will just go down on both belts and same problem.

Or you could have the RE refinery on surface and have a belt split off before the Cargo Elevator.

As soon as a truck carrying supplies rolls in you will have those on your belt also

The merger/splitter block. Click on it and choose the item you want(by high lighting) to go where. Click the star to lock that item in. Can choose 3 directions. So could send Reg one way, RE another way and everything else a third way.
If the merger block gets blocked, just click on merger block, click picture of item blocking and it will kick that item out(may have to do many times). Can also click on merger block to upgrade it.

[Almasty]

https://thecrust.wiki.gg/wiki/Conveyor_belts

This explains the splitter/merger block or Distributor.

[Almasty]

Klandor:

Additionally, I need to figure out how to clear the REM's from the Cargo Elevator. I guess the question here is if I run a Belt from the Cargo Elevator to my Rare Mineral Refinery, will all the REM that gets placed in the Cargo Elevator end up taking that Belt and then resume transferring the Regolith to the MRR?!?

Answer. You need create a belt off of the main belt. It will create a merger block where it Splits. Just do the settings thing on it for what you want going on which belt. There is nothing stuck in the Elevator, it will pop out once you get the belts split off.

If you do a 2nd belt off the CE, it will just have Reg and RE on it like the first belt

Cheers

[Klandor]

OK, I think I got it figured out. Initially, I was over thinking things and had multiple Belts and Junctions involved. They don't seem to behave well if too close together. I now have a single Belt coming off my CE with a Junction shortly after. There are 2 Belts coming out, one configured for REM ONLY and the other configured for Regolith ONLY. That seems to be working correctly. Now that I know this, I may be able to get rid of some spaghetti of Belts flying all over the place and combine multiple less-busy Belts and split off Resources as necessary.

[Almasty]

I have a vast storage system. One above ground and a larger one below ground. Both are fed by 1 belt. 1 belt going in and 1 belt going out. Each storage has a belt going off the main line. Merger blocks are very useful, once you get the hang of them. I have yet to use the smart programmable blocks, but will start playing with them.

Glad I could help Cheers

[Almasty]

Smart programmable blocks can be researched, but are not in game at this time

[][-Stormshadow]

Originally posted by Almasty:

It can only be one way. So you would need 2 conveyor elevators. 1 going down and 1 going up. Since it doesn't matter how many differing belts you send in everything will come out on all belts. So if you have steel on one belt and concrete on another, at the other end they would be mixed up coming out.

You would use a splitter block to pull the steel off the belt and send the concrete down the other belt. The splitter block is created when you merge 2 belts. The splitter blocks can be upgraded same as belts

That's not true. My last game I used my single elevator to take incoming harvester regolith down to the refining complex while using a separate belt to send excess steel/brick/silicon/aluminum/titanium to my surface export storage grid connected to my flight centers. (Worth noting, the export setup requires a *lot* of micromanagement in the form of setting filters and managing splitters.)

From what I remember, it's very much a case of managing the filters on the elevator and making sure the belts are pointed in the right direction. Worth noting, I did not have duplicate products on the elevator (ie. steel only came upstairs, regolith only went downstairs) so there might be some unexpected interactions trying to move product both up and down at the same time.

[Almasty]

I never managed to get that to work and to be honest, after trying it once I didn't try again. I just built multiple CE's. I still build multiple CE's. If it works both ways cool. But from what the OP said it was not working when he tried it. And the fix was to use it one way only.

Cheers