Question on Sorting Conveyors

[Annonymous]

ok.... I'm a wee bit lost on this one.

I get the basic idea - it sorts things according to what permissions you set as to 'white list' or 'black list'. Easy enough.

Where I get lost on the usefulness of this system to automatically sort things into containers where I WANT them.

Example: I fly up with my ever-so-useful Recycling ship that has been stripping down a derelict ship, and I dump all those items into my massive Refinery ship.

Now. WITHOUT using mods!!
How do I get this stuff to be where I want it, but then also able to PULL it from those locations - all without creating an infinite loop??

So...

Recycler>>Connector::Connector>>Refinery Ship>>Conveyor system>>Multiple Conveyor Sorting>>Named & Sorted Storage Containers

Problem 1: Conveyor Sorters are PASSIVE. They only sort items that are in transit, but to be in transit, something has to CALL them. Storage Containers are also Passive - there is no way to force them to call things into storage.

Problem 1 Solution - put in a new control system:
Converyor Sorter>>Connector >> Collector>>Storage Container
The Connector then can "Collect All", then "Throw Out" everything. Which is then picked up in the Collector. All of which is controlled by the Conveyor Sorter connected before the Connector.

Great - I now have an active "Puller".

But now I have a new issue. This will pull all of those things and dump them into the preferred Storage Container - but then it's STUCK in said Storage Container. If I connect the Storage Container back into the Conveyor System so that my items can be moved and used, then I get an Infinite Loop where items are continuously Pulled from the Container, just to be dumped back INTO the Container.


So, as far as I can see, there really isn't a "purist" system in place that allows me to actively sort items into preferred containers, and then have other systems pull on those containers as needed to use them.

Is there a work-around that I'm just not seeing?

[Bread]

for your second problem, just set the sorter as "Drain all", and it'll succ the items, sending them into storage is there's any available; no need for connector collector at all here.

for the first one, i generally use them to "separate" conveyor lines, this way misc items dont end up clogging the storage thats next to turrets, nor stone goes into refineries, and ores dont end up all over the ship.

normally i set a temp storage holding ingots, and a final storage holding everything thats a finished product (no classifyin' n stuff given that the search bar can identify containers with the item in question).

[Pryor]

This is the best learning video I have come across thus far...
https://youtu.be/ODhUc7HHCSw

[Karmaterrorᵁᴷ]

The only way i see these sytems is...... complicated lol

One idea would be to put 2 connectors facing eachother on the same grid to create "valves" that stop items flowing that way. Then with timers you dissable the sorter and open the valve so items can move to the refinery or assembler.

I have seen it done without valves so all incomming ore goes through into its own storage then into refinery and ingots to ther own storage. But yeah.... complicated haha

[Annonymous]

It's taking an extremely radical shift in how I approach building ships, that's for certain!!!

I might have puzzled it out, somewhat falling back on my college days of basic programming diagramming. It's more of building isolated systems that dump into a dedicated storage, then pulling from that into the next isolated system

I'll post my results, when I'm satisfied with the build.

Yet another massive build, but this one is more of a mobile Refining station, vs. stationary.

The main challenge for me was to build an immense Factory ship that utilized NO mods at all. No scripts, no components, nothing.

[Karmaterrorᵁᴷ]

Yeah i like vanilla builds aswell. Its nice to just see whats possible with whats there, instead of finding mods to make it all easy.

Im sure one of the big you tubers did a vid about this type of thing, maybe LSG :)

[Annonymous]

I've looked through a lot of the vids, but they didn't handle the complex system I was chasing. One gave a nice hint that I ended up using, the rest just required scrapping my original thought process and starting with isolated system.

[Pryor]

In that video he uses mods, you don't need to set it up all compact like he does using mods, you can use what you learn from that video to make a complete vanilla set, he will even explain how he uses the porters as a redundant to scripts, thus he can still use this knolege using vanilla blocks on a server with disabled scripts, instead of using the moded pipes, I just used strait tubes, 6 way junction block and sisters and all large cargo containers, its not as compact as his but I learned a the most on that video, here is another on that is more for a learning perspective.
https://youtu.be/h3RH7-tWZCA

[The Undead Watcher]

I have no freaking clue of what you want to do/why it is so hard for you to sort things for you.

The easiest way to achive sorting is if the Input/Processing/Output Conveyor Networks are disconnected from each other.
If you have a Loop(infinite Pulling of items) you either A) have wrong Sorter settings or B) have the sorter at the wrong position in your network.

Is it maby allready solved?

Originally posted by Annonymous:

I've looked through a lot of the vids, but they didn't handle the complex system I was chasing. One gave a nice hint that I ended up using, the rest just required scrapping my original thought process and starting with isolated system.

[Nightwing]

Aren't the sorters like one-way valves? I figured that since there's an arrow on the side of them, it indicates the direction an item can flow.

If so, just set a sorter with the item you want whitelisted, and have a seperate sorter on the output, giving you a one-way valve.

As for the issue with infinite loops? Just avoid them in your construction.

I have an idea I'm working on, where all loose items (Ore, Ingots, Components, etc.) all get dumped into a central drop off point. Said drop off has 3 outputs, 1 with ores whitelisted, one with ingots whitelisted, and one with components/ammo whitelisted.

The ore line branches off into an array of refineries, one for every ore type, with the sorters on the inputs set to whitelist ONLY the ore that the refinery is designated to process. Uranium ingots will be split off here, to be sent to the reactor networks. All the remaining ingots are then sent to rejoin the ingot line from the first container, again using the sorters after the refineries as one way valves set to whitelist ingots.

The ingot container will then be hooked up to an array of assemblers. This time, there won't be assemblers assigned per component. Instead, I'll use a system where 3-4 assemblers are assigned to major components (Iron Plate, Construction Components, etc), while the rest of the assemblers are assigned on a case-by-case basis, such as making less needed items, like Reactor Components.

After all the components are made, they will be sent to a central storage container, which is also connected to the component line from the first container, again using sorters as one-way valves.

Sorry about the wall of text, but I can't play the game right now (Haven't been able to in a few years), so I had to do my best to get the idea across without using screenshots.

[Annonymous]

I'm in my 4th revision (attempt), and it appears to be working, so far. I'm going to move it from Creative and start building it in Survival mode, where I can truly put it through the paces.

It's been a challenge, but the hardest part isn't so much tweaking the system to MAKE it work, but rather, tweaking my thinking to HOW it works.

I've been too accustomed to the 'easy way' of downloading a script and letting it do all the work for me, thus minimizing the amount of construction I need to do. Before, everything could be lumped in one big mass, with almost no conveyor tubes.

But, to make it all work as the game is designed... well, I end up with quite a bowl of pasta!

If you care to take it for a spin and see, I'll drop in the link for the blueprint.

It's a rather large ship, so....

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1665014272

[The Undead Watcher]

Originally posted by Annonymous:

I'm in my 4th revision (attempt), and it appears to be working, so far. I'm going to move it from Creative and start building it in Survival mode, where I can truly put it through the paces.

It's been a challenge, but the hardest part isn't so much tweaking the system to MAKE it work, but rather, tweaking my thinking to HOW it works.

I've been too accustomed to the 'easy way' of downloading a script and letting it do all the work for me, thus minimizing the amount of construction I need to do. Before, everything could be lumped in one big mass, with almost no conveyor tubes.

But, to make it all work as the game is designed... well, I end up with quite a bowl of pasta!

If you care to take it for a spin and see, I'll drop in the link for the blueprint.

It's a rather large ship, so....

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1665014272

Gonna take a look tomorrow.

[Nightwing]

As I said, I haven't been able to play SE in quite a while. If it weren't for that, I'd take a look, too.

As for your conveyor spaghetti idea? You don't necessarily need everything going back and forth. It would be easy enough to make a relatively linear path. All you'd need to do, is just make sure to minimize your piping going all over the place. I'm picturing a bank of refineries in two rows, with the input line in the center, using the 6-way junctions to branch off, with sorters directly attached to each individual refinery's inputs and outputs, not leaving any way for ore to transfer between refineries. Said outputs would be quickly joined back together, leading to a sorter directly attached to the ingot container set to only whitelist ingots. A similar system would work for the assemblers, except not having any sorters on the inputs.

If, by some chance, a container ends up with an unwanted item, like transferring ore from the player inventory into the ingots or components box, a sorter could be used to transfer the misplaced items back to the first main container, to be looped back through the system.


And as for my last thing, could we get screenshots of the internals for your Manta ship? Like removing the armor and just screenshotting the conveyor network. I did a similar thing for one of my small mining ships, back when I could still access the game. If need be, I can send a link to the ship in question.

[The Undead Watcher]

Thx for the reminder Nightwing, looking at it now. Gonna post some screens. Brb.

EDIT: Ok, lets go...
First the Input
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1666287395

From there it goes into all of the Storages(Ingot, Ore, Components, Ice/Oxy/Hydrobotles, Handtools and Ammo)
Lets start with the Containers closest to the Entrance(as seen in the Picture below, the door in the Background is the Entrance), the Ammo and Hand Tool Storage:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1666295109
Infront of these Containers is the Component Storage(in the Pic below, it is in the Background). It connects from the Assemblers(in the Image covered in Modules) and the Main Input line(in the Picture the straight Conveyor comming from the Ceiling on the left side).
The containers in the front are the Ingot containers. They connect basically directly with the Input Line:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1666294663
The next one is the Ingot Storage in the middle of the Pic(the large reactor is connected to them. The Sorter in the lower right side is the one comming from the Refinery's, shown here:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1666290954
Sorters aren't really needed but i guess its good for huge loads of Ores(of a specific type or when mods change something in their recipies)

Now for the other Parts:
This here:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1666289921
Is the connection line for the O2/H2O Gen. Althought only the lower Sorter(pointing up) has a filter(Oxy/Hydro bottles and Ice) with Drain all on. All of the other three are empty Blacklists. Kinda pointless, since you're presorting everything allready.


Overall pretty solid setup. Both the Components and Ammo/Handtool Containers are deadends, just like the H2O/O2 setup. Now you just need a connector to your Component Storage and you're good to go.

[Nightwing]

Those pictures are pretty difficult to work through. What I was suggesting, is you strip all the armor off, and get a relatively long-distance screenshot, far enough away to see the entire system.

I broke down a drilling ship I made in Survival just like that. Here's the series of screenshots:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=346383354

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=346383686

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=346384104

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=346384263

With screenshots like that it makes it much easier for others to understand what's going on.

[Annonymous]

Yup.

After lots of playing around with it, building the ship from the ground up in Survival mode, and trying it out "in real life", I made a few improvements, and a few simplifications.

Went full Hydrogen Thruster, as smelting Platinum for Large Ion Thrusters takes forever. Even with 20 Refineries cranking it out!!!

Not to mention, by this point, it's simplicity itself to keep enough ice mined to fuel a ship this size.

Here's a series of links for the ships (3 total) that I am enjoying (I designed and build/use)

**can't update on workshop - will update this post when can update Workshop items to link here **