Interesting area calculation oddity

[columbine]

So I have a machine here which, if you check its area before it begins to run, or only one step in, calculates as 21.

area=21

If you use the area-highlighting and count highlighted hexes, there's 21 of them, for sure; the three enclosed empty hexes in the middle don't count ... just yet.

But as the machine operates, molecules do move over those empty hexes, and when they do, the area count updates. When you finish, you end up with an area of 24.

area=24

I don't think this is a bug; I mean, those hexes ARE "in use" at some point in the cycle. Just noting that it means sometimes the game will tell you an area which isn't going to be accurate once you're done.

[Fenrir]

The area symbol only shows you the area "thus far" in execution: while the number may be wrong before you begin, it's useful because it means that while you're assembling a solution, you'll be able to see what hexes get used already (and are therefore off-limits for placing new levers on). I recently had a problem where I had a lot of empty hexes I was crossing with long arms, and this function was extremely helpful for me to figure out where I could place the next lever in the sequence.