Tips on proper use of the Cargo Lift?

[Joe Balogna]

Call me crazy, but in the many days of hours I put into this game, I've just now decided to try out cargo lifts! I built one and have a general understanding of how it works, but not sure how I should go about using it. Here are some of my questions.

1: Should I try to use one cargo lift for multiple groups, or should I have a seperate cargo lift for each mining operation?
2: How do I unlock the upgraded cargo lifts?
3: How effectively is this going to scale?
4: Is it really that useful, by the time I've hit Tier 3? I timed it, and it only transports about 3.75 items per second (At a distance of 400), and I'm not sure if that's good.
5: How do I tell the controller to stop scanning for rails? It keeps getting stuck on the bottom and I can't get it to go up!

[DustBust]

Well... pictures would help with some of your comments but its good to use, here is how it works.

Create a 3x3 shaft (which from the sounds of it, you have, place the cargo lift controller high enough in the air (4th block, 3 empty blocks from the surface) and start feeding it rails.

If you used the vanilla escavator, you'll need to jump down the shaft and clear out any ore deposits that were left.

the bottom should be flat, place hoppers on the outside of the 3x3 area next to it.

By default, when the lift is activated, it will go to the bottom to load and unload at the top, which you need hoppers next to it to unload to.

I don't have any pictures handy but I hope this helps.

[CreepyD]

Question 2.. I also want to know that.

I just researched improved cargo lifts but I don't see any items to research or anything new to craft.


For early on I use a 'relay' of lifts, having 5 'floors' going all the way down to -370 sharing a single shaft.
That's a couple of floors at around 100-150, then one at the cold cavern, then two more down at about -300 and -370.
All my ore fills into that single shaft, which can move a lot more than a single lift being a relay while using a lot less rails.
At the top it's linked to 6 hoppers, with each one linked to it's own smelter with mk2 (blue) attached.
That all goes into a mass storage, sorted by bar for speed, then into hoppers for quick access to some bars.

I'm playing on Scarce by the way, and a single x32 extractor almost exactly fills a smelter with the blue attachment so it's fairly easy to work out what I need.

[VladK02]

this is how you do it. screenshot:

https://gyazo.com/f4af814ce0758f38541595f5c0f56878

this is my new nickel maining op. a nickel vein 43mil ore at 850 meters. improved cargo elevator, 1000 ore. teleporter link between top and bottom; everything fed by a t4 battery and a t2 solar panel, and t3 lasers. i am permanent day, but a turbine would do just as well.

this is how bottom looks like
https://gyazo.com/b0d2bb521f942340a9f8c0d28485f0d6

elevator comes up, feeds smelters directly. smelters output directly into mass storage.

i have a massive mass storage area nearby where everything else is fed, 500k capacity, i intend to link this into my main storage as well. that way all machines pick up bars from wherever they are.

[VladK02]

Originally posted by blablabla:

Originally posted by VladK02:

this is how you do it. screenshot:

this is how bottom looks like
https://gyazo.com/b0d2bb521f942340a9f8c0d28485f0d6
.

You have a full loop of tracks? Just use a buffer - it will turn minecarts around.


My unloader -
http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198007050523/screenshot/271726283038480424

Chromium and Molybden 3000 item lifts.

Unloading - both lines have an empty gate at the entrance - this way full minecarts will hang around in the area until they can be emptied, then there are 11 unload stations around each lift and buffer for turning the carts around in the end.

Loading - loaders atop of the hoppers around trencher drill motor, entrace has a full gate - carts will hang around until full, 11 load statios, buffer in the end.

yeah i dont like minecarts passing through each other, its unnatural... its not difficult for me to make a loop you know - thats i do got used to doing it, and i dont bother with fancy minecart controls...

[Riddly]

Originally posted by CreepyD:

Question 2.. I also want to know that.

I just researched improved cargo lifts but I don't see any items to research or anything new to craft.

The imrproved cargo lift also requires an mk5 forced induction to build. Have you researched that yet?

[DustBust]

Originally posted by Riddly:

Originally posted by CreepyD:

Question 2.. I also want to know that.

I just researched improved cargo lifts but I don't see any items to research or anything new to craft.

The imrproved cargo lift also requires an mk5 forced induction to build. Have you researched that yet?

+ a ton of resources...

[CreepyD]

Hm I researched a mining node that unlocked mk3 induction, but no idea where mk4 and 5 are I can't find them in the help.

I'm sure the OP would like to know too :)

[Capii]

Just keep researching... in the end you will unlock everything
Lifts are essential to bring the ores up! im using them to unload directly to the blast furnaces
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=742119302

[Cpt CamGirl YT-Ttv]

Mk4 and mk5 I believe come with oet, or at least 1 of them does. But it will only pull out of a hopper faster, it doesn't smelt materials faster. The mk5 also adds the ability to smelt at any depth. As all other hoods have a max depth of I believe 32, or that may be depth without hood.

[DustBust]

Originally posted by Fear the Kitty:

Mk4 and mk5 I believe come with oet, or at least 1 of them does. But it will only pull out of a hopper faster, it doesn't smelt materials faster. The mk5 also adds the ability to smelt at any depth. As all other hoods have a max depth of I believe 32, or that may be depth without hood.

Found it funny the "help file" doesn't comment on the T5 top can smelt at any level lol

[MoronWMachinegun]

Have either of you confirmed it working below -40? The other forum thread mentioning it in July said it didn't work.

Is there a topic linking to all the release notes? I'll try checking my install later when I'm at home.

[CreepyD]

Right I can see the problem now.
There's "Improved Cargo Lifts" research which unlocks nothing.
It actually unlocks with the OET research, along with the Mk4 and Mk5 Induction.

[DustBust]

Originally posted by MoronWMachinegun:

Have either of you confirmed it working below -40? The other forum thread mentioning it in July said it didn't work.

Is there a topic linking to all the release notes? I'll try checking my install later when I'm at home.

I haven't, I saw DJs comment of allowing it if I remember correctly but maybe he reverted back after FF, I'll try it now.

[DustBust]

Nope, T5 top on smelter does not work at -350, just tried.

[Riddly]

Originally posted by CreepyD:

Right I can see the problem now.
There's "Improved Cargo Lifts" research which unlocks nothing.
It actually unlocks with the OET research, along with the Mk4 and Mk5 Induction.

I think it's probably more accurate to say it requires both research. If you had OET research but not Improved Cargo Lifts you probably couldn't build the improved lift either.

It's definitely confusing in-game though as unlocked items generally seem to only be listed under one tech when there are often other requirements to unlock (such as scanning a block or other research).

I know some of us have tried updating the wikia page on research to include more of this info but it's still woefully lacking as well.