Factorio Train Embargo: A Logistic Belt Network in Vanilla

The "work in progress" save file is available here:
drive.google.c...
I intended to finish it but may never get around to it.

[@tempo7an677]

This is art! Someone should put this in the main menu!

[@bobbooty]

Nominating it for Hall of Fame mod right now

[@weavminas]

This is one of the coolest things I've seen in Factorio.

[@ovrwrldkiler]

How the actual fuck. Circuits are actual magic, i swear lol

[@pedrodardengomesquita4852]

Coming from a software engineer who knows his way around Factorio circuits... The algorithm to solve this seems intimidating.

[@brodo97]

The urge to know how...

[@MoooseGaming]

@@brodo97 That is where I'm at.

[@pedrodu3626]

The algorithm is simple. The implementation within factorio. That's the hard part.

[@brodo97]

@@pedrodu3626 as a Dev, I can confirm

[@MCLooyverse]

The algorithm seems easy enough. The construction and troubleshooting seems daunting.

[@theresinger8462]

Would you be willing to have an explanation video on how this works? This is incredibly impressive

[@KeyDistraction]

Thank you. Making an explanation video that's simple to understand sounds like a lot of work. I'm considering it.

[@theAV8R]

​@@KeyDistractionI'd even take a hard-to-understand video where you just speak your mind however you feel like.

[@froggologies]

@@KeyDistraction showcasing it more closely would be enough for me 😁

[@zyst6]

Bravo! Holy crap. It's rare to see something truly new in Factorio but I've never even thought of something like this being possible. Incredible work!

[@GarethPW]

Insane. I can't even begin to imagine how this works

[@jacksonhoward620]

That's so f'n cool! I love seeing unique designs out of factorio :)

[@KeyDistraction]

Thanks :) My designs tend to be a little on the wild side.

[@QuickSqueeze]

I can't stop looking at it

[@KeyDistraction]

It's a real problem while trying to improve it. I get stuck in a daze watching the belts.

[@QuickSqueeze]

@KeyDistraction that's ok, it's part of the process. I stare at my trains for a good hour untill I get an idea on how to improve it.

[@l-y-d-s]

this is honestly next level

[@foobar9761]

Mesmerizing, as so many well done things are in Factorio.

[@CraftyMCFish]

One of the coolest things i've ever seen in this game if not the

[@gazjaz2010]

astounding and utterly unique... bravo!!

[@VanillaIceCube]

This is an art piece. Absolutely beautiful!

[@Ekxilled]

this would make a kickass animated wallpaper

[@EspenHjert]

Bring me your dreams Let me hold them and nurture them through the night So that I may speak to them and tell them how they are the dreams of legends

[@Dadbodgaming4]

I don't see how this doesn't have more views! Good job!

[@KeyDistraction]

Thanks. Now I'm just waiting to see what Space Age will do to this concept.

[@Dadbodgaming4]

@@KeyDistraction it's fun. Although I haven't even made it to space yet. Lol

[@KeyDistraction]

@@Dadbodgaming4 I don't suppose you would know how I could buy an early access copy? I need to start abusing those new combinators. Lol. You guys are getting all the fun ;) Then again, it's just one week to go...

[@Dadbodgaming4]

I don't think you can. I mean you can buy it early but can't play till next Monday. I've had it about a week and a half but had to finish my current plahthrough before really starting it.

[@alexanderb5485]

It's a belt messaging system, man! Respect!

[@chakra6666]

absolutely incredible

[@Toxo]

Looks like packet switching! Did you implement a routing protocol to get stuff to the right place too?

[@KeyDistraction]

Yes, but not in the same way as a router keeps tables. I give a brief description in the reddit post. www.reddit.com/r/factorio/comments/1bcwwju/making_trains_out_of_belts_the_logistic_belt/?context=3

[@АлександрСкородилов-у6д]

Круто смотрится все как жидкость перетекает туда сюда

[@DroCaMk3]

This is a beautiful work of art. I thought about trying something like this a while ago but never got to try it. Great job! Are you planning on releasing a save file or blueprints foe the system? Id love to pick it apart at some point!

[@KeyDistraction]

It's the self expanding factory guy. This base isn't quite ready for public release but if you want I'll give you the underdone version later.

[@KeyDistraction]

I added a link in the description

[@thomasamara1453]

this. this is art.

[@gogudelagaze1585]

whoa.. this is very cool. I have no idea how this would even work...

[@crazyminermonkey5235]

Oh my word that is amazing! So many questions! How does the pathfinding work? Is it hard coded or a smarter solution?

[@KeyDistraction]

It's a bit smarter than hardcoded. The provider broadcasts out a 1 for the item type that's ready. At each intersection it shifts it left by 1 and the right path adds 1 - it takes every path that's not reserved for that time. When it arrives at a requester a number like 45 circuits (101101 in binary) would mean the start signal took the decisions start, straight, right right, straight, right to get there. So the requester sends a response back down the path left, straight, left, left, straight.

[@angeld23]

@@KeyDistraction That's actually amazing

[@stefan6256]

Where can I learn this forbidden art (seriously, I am struggling to comprehend any of your builds)

[@coleciervo5454]

This is nutty. I love it

[@ShadowKestrel]

whoa, that's cool.

[@gabeux9800]

Amazing

[@danbopes6699]

Do you have a save somewhere we can download? This is insainely cool, and Id love to pick apart how it works

[@KeyDistraction]

I will upload the save at some point. I'll reply here when it's done. The delay: I've reduced the number of combinators by 12 per intersection but have to redo the entire base to use it. I also still want to fix barrel migration.

[@KeyDistraction]

I added a link in the description

[@BLUEGENE13]

can you in broad streaks tell me how this works

[@KeyDistraction]

A provider fills a belt and then sends out a 1 signal. At each intersection the signal is shifted left and sent straight and right. The right path has one added to it. A requester that receives a signal knows where it is from by the number. (eg. 10011 went start straight straight right right). The requester sends a response signal back. Each intersection on the path keeps a turn queue updated for the items that will be released. In the above example that means the 3rd intersection will add a queued right 3 periods from now and the 4th will queue a right 4 periods from now.

[@BLUEGENE13]

@@KeyDistraction wow, I could never do this, are like a high level programmer or something

[@Zorack98]

You are a wizard good sir

[@Ostin233]

This is very cool. Is it possible to find a blueprint or save file of this mechanism somewhere?

[@KeyDistraction]

I added a link in the description

[@ingotix3122]

I had the same idea, very nice done!

[@PlanctonVideos]

yer a wizard harry

[@michaeldevlin5101]

very cool. Is it modular?

[@KeyDistraction]

Yes, if by that you mean that new blocks integrate without the need for additional changes.

[@kivuntuntija]

Beautiful, I'm a huge fan of this and your other designs, mind if I steal half a second of this and put it in my video?

[@KeyDistraction]

Certainly, go ahead.

[@Дмитрий-э8ц9п]

Очень красиво

[@ivanmunozgonzalez9139]

My god I need to see the full base

[@xdimplendidx]

Genius!

[@asukahajime3924]

insane

[@ironassbrown]

very cool

[@linuxguy1199]

This is actual cancer but somehow elegant at the same time, but seriously it's an ingenious design and I'd love to know how well it scales.

[@KeyDistraction]

There are difficulties with scaling it. The large number of combinators, for one, will drop your UPS if you gets too large. There's also a maximum number of intersections a single item train can move through (29ish).

[@Soken50]

I'm not even gonna ask why, how or how long because I don't think I'm even gonna be able to comprehend the answer from a mind capable of this.

[@Xeros08]

I need a video on the HOW, because I still cant understand how you you the items. I understand that you're locking input/ouput belts of the splitters, but I don't understand how doesn't the splitter split 2 items to the other side (items that act in tha output side as a "buffer")

[@KeyDistraction]

I send 8 poison capsules into the splitter after disabling one of the output belts. These act a plug to prevent what you mentioned. The exit of the intersection has a filter splitter which filters the poison capsules back in. Unfortunately I don't have a lot of video making or editing experience.

[@Xeros08]

@@KeyDistraction Ohhh, cool! And don't worry about video making skills, not everything needs to be higly edited content ^^

[@Xeros08]

@@KeyDistraction Videos don't even need to be narrated, look at mikehendrik's old videos. Just pure gameplay with text on top, and I and many others enjoyed it. Putting all those texts do take some time, but it's mostly proof-reading/watching what takes up most time.

[@TehF0cus]

What am I looking at?

[@summon_creeper3784]

can we get an explanation video?

[@THEW1TCHER]

Cooool :O

[@Glytcho]

You must have a thick neck holding up that massive brain of yours

[@YuryScript]

Pure art! Сan we get the save file? Please, please, please.

[@KeyDistraction]

I added a link in the description

[@YuryScript]

@@KeyDistraction Great! I think it will work great with the new stack inserters and faster belts

[@the_santar0_994]

Hi. Can you please give me the preservation of this beautiful world

[@KeyDistraction]

I added a link in the description

[@felipecarregosa6185]

Awesome! can you send blueprint?

[@Mooncat25]

Rail signals on belts.

[@OrcPeon2]

Least sane Factorio player

[@TheBenenene10]

You mad man

[@KeyDistraction]

Perhaps a little😅

[@reosin2536]

Now do it with belts

[@Alexander_Sannikov]

you can belt vehicles (cars, tanks) and transport items in their inventory for a very substantial throughput boost. you can load and unload them on the go, but routing them is a challenge, however.

[@lewhyuk103]

와 미친 존나 이쁘네

[@Дмитрий-э8ц9п]

А сейв можно?

[@KeyDistraction]

I added a link in the description

[@dantealighieri6135]

my Brain make............squish

[@namshimaru]

wtf

[@viperforty8450]

hold on, is that just items travelling in batches and being routed with splitters just by the logic? damn that's impressively useless, unless i guess you want to minimize pollution from producing fuel for trains

[@scordiocraft3075]

HOW

[@KeyDistraction]

All those combinators you see are doing the heavy lifting.