Smart Splitter Vs Programmable Splitter

[UnableRogue]

What is the difference? I use programmable splitters so I know their functionality. I guess I'm really asking what a smart splitter does.

[HandyVac]

Smart Splitter: you set one item for each output.

Programmable Splitter: you can set a list of multiple items for each output.

[Kage Goomba]

Originally posted by HandyVac:

Smart Splitter: you set one item for each output.

Programmable Splitter: you can set a list of multiple items for each output.

Also programmable allows you to set more than one "filter" - IE: Any Undefnied/Overflow - etc.

Think of them as Smart Splitters Mk2

[kLuns]

any undefined and overflow on the same output is very usefull

[Eminence Front]

The smart splitter is easier to unlock, and cheaper to build. I have only a few places where I need to use the programmable splitter - for example, in recycling, I use a programmable splitter to treat wood, leaves, and biomass differently than creature remains. In most cases I only need a smart splitter to redirect overflow to a secondary, lower priority, production chain.

[Redlegoguy1]

Originally posted by kLuns:

any undefined and overflow on the same output is very usefull

Maybe I'm missing something here, but how is that different than just overflow on its own? Don't undefined items already get counted as overflow?

[Kage Goomba]

Originally posted by Redlegoguy1:

Originally posted by kLuns:

any undefined and overflow on the same output is very usefull

Maybe I'm missing something here, but how is that different than just overflow on its own? Don't undefined items already get counted as overflow?

Overflow by definition only triggers if all other ports are blocked.
That doesn't mean it will trigger with any "undefined" item.

Inversely - any undefined will not trigger on "Defined Items"

Now while that may work for some - if not most situations - you will find some situations that is not a good idea when it comes to fast paced complex "belts" of materials.

That's why the programmable splitter exists to mitigate that issue.

[Mia]

Programmable splitters are kind of luxury. In certain situations they might save you a bit work, but actually you can achieve everything with smart splitters alone.

In most of our worlds we just used smart splitters, they are satisfactory and sufficient. In rather rare situations we used a programmable splitter - to be honest more out of curiosity than of necessity.

[mike240184]

Originally posted by HandyVac:

Smart Splitter: you set one item for each output.

Programmable Splitter: you can set a list of multiple items for each output.

This.

[Redlegoguy1]

Originally posted by Kage Goomba:

Originally posted by Redlegoguy1:

Maybe I'm missing something here, but how is that different than just overflow on its own? Don't undefined items already get counted as overflow?

Overflow by definition only triggers if all other ports are blocked.
That doesn't mean it will trigger with any "undefined" item.

Inversely - any undefined will not trigger on "Defined Items"

Now while that may work for some - if not most situations - you will find some situations that is not a good idea when it comes to fast paced complex "belts" of materials.

That's why the programmable splitter exists to mitigate that issue.

This didn't make sense to me so I went and tested it, and it seems to be half true.
I put a small amount of aluminum sheets and aluminum plating in a container and ran it up to a smart splitter with the center on overflow, right side set to casing, and left side on none. All the casing came out the right, and most of the sheets came out the center. It looks like the splitter's internal buffer will hold them, but once that fills it will still send undefined items out of an overflow output just fine. Net result was that all but three of the sheets made it through the overflow side, and the three held in buffer were refunded on deconstruction.

So in a sense, using a smart splitter for this purpose is slightly more expensive since it will eat 3 items that are essentially permanently stuck on it. I will say though, unless those three items are something particularly expensive, I think it's still cheaper to just allow that small clog to form than to build programmable splitter. Neither type is really super expensive, but smarts are still way cheaper than programmables. There are certainly other applications for programmables especially if you're doing complex sushi type stuff, but I still don't see overflow + undefined together as a significant use case.

[UnableRogue]

Thank you everybody for your answers. That helped a lot. You even taught me about programmable splitters that I never knew. :D

[UnableRogue]

Originally posted by Mia:

Programmable splitters are kind of luxury. In certain situations they might save you a bit work, but actually you can achieve everything with smart splitters alone.

In most of our worlds we just used smart splitters, they are satisfactory and sufficient. In rather rare situations we used a programmable splitter - to be honest more out of curiosity than of necessity.

After reading what others said it looks like I only needed smart splitters too since I never used multiple filters per output.