understanding the difference between conveyors and tubes?

[Deathcricket]

Having a little trouble understanding the differerence between conveyors and transport tubes. Obviously the tubes just connect in a straight line and the conveyors can go any direction. And I of course see that they are different components to create. I do think the tubes "look cooler" but besides aethetics is there any difference in functionality?

Ideally i would want a cargo container behind an assembler loaded full of goods and have it auto pull whatever it needs through the tube or conveyor. And if I already have the required plates, contruction component, motor, etc it would just pregrab the already completed ingredient from the container. Then grab the raw component such as silicone or gold to construct what it needs to make to finish the main object. Hopefully that's where it's heading. It does seem to pull iron through, but nothing else.

[xScaramouchx]

They function in identical ways, you are correct about their only difference being the direction they can move objects in.

[Deathcricket]

Thanks. Bummer though, I was hoping the tube had an advantage of some sort to compensate for it nor being omnidirectional. Perhaps in the furute tubes can transport "large items" and conveyors only small.

Edit: I never noticed they were cheaper, interesting. I never have any bulletproof glass so it seemed they were about equal.

[Cheet4h]

Originally posted by Ol Dirty Camper:

tubes are much cheaper to build.
of course on creative doesnt matter how much materials an item require.

Oo I always have not even nearly enough silicon wafers to build enough tubes for my constructions. I went with them because of the look, but I could do the same in half of the time scavenging/mining for ressources if I went with conveyor blocks all the way.

[TheBoot]

Are they cheaper to construct now? Since all my saved games are crashing I haven't had the energy to start a new world. When the conveyor system was first released with the last build, tubes were a bit costly to build. 8 motors for a tube vs only 2 for a conveyor block?