Satisfactory Path Signals - Advanced Tips

[@rabadaki]

I had no idea just adding extra rails to the outside of roundabouts could totally solve my traffic problems. Such a small alteration. Thanks so much!

[@Parkinwad]

Glad it helped! It isn't a perfect solution, but it can certainly improve flow a little more.

[@voarexxx]

Super underrated Channel. Subbed!

[@Parkinwad]

Thank you so much! 🙂👍

[@samuelsimmons9326]

Wanted to drop a thank you. Your two videos helped me correct the mess I had made when trying to expand my network. I was doing a mix of bi-directional into single portions of track while mixing in sidings here and there. I wasted a day trying to figure it out and probably watched this video and the last one a half dozen times while correcting my issues. You really do have a great method of walking through and demonstrating the execution. The high quality drawings are the best!!!! :) One thing that I did and maybe a recommendation is that I hooked up a "Track Tester Train". Just a single trained that was hooked up to every station on my network. I just let it run and it will eventually find any conflicts that the pathing might not have revealed. Case in point it kept throwing a pathing error on the train itself and eventually found some errant signal I had forgotten to remove. Just a thought for real-time, troubleshooting purposes. Cheers and thanks again.

[@Parkinwad]

Hey Sam! So glad to hear that they helped! I thought everyone would love the fact that I put out the extra money to get the "expensive animated graphics" in there! Lol 😉 Sounds like you have quite the network set up. When you're happy with it, you should show it off a little either on the satisfactorygame subreddit or even a video here on KZbin maybe! Great thought on testing with a single locomotive! The only time I have found that to be counterproductive is when you are working with signals close together due to the full length train sometimes blocking areas that the loco didn't, but that is likely a small percentage of the time. Fantastic idea otherwise! Thanks for the comment and the high complements! 🙂👍

[@BertMerlin57]

I have drag all my hair of my head, playing with these signals.. Thanks for great videos.. I hope we do get speed and brake signals options, to optimize the trains better :) And, ohh. Also smaller stations, tipwagons or convoyer loading, its a mega area in ex a nice forest to clear for spme there reel is a container terminal.

[@Parkinwad]

I think speed signs would be a cool addition. Could definitely add some realism in some ways! Thanks for the comment! 🙂

[@thedeathbringer5663]

visualisation helped me understand how pathing works. had been struggling for a while. Thanks!

[@Parkinwad]

Glad it helped! The new color system that was added to blocks that are created (shortly after I released this video) do a great job of visually separating the blocks for you in-game. Glad this helped you though! 🙂 Thank you for the comment! 👍

[@bulletstop100]

You helped me. Had long long stretch where I had 2 way traffic. Thanks to this. They run as they should .

[@Parkinwad]

Great to hear!

[@thefrankenator]

Thanks for your work on this, I have been avoiding Path signals completely but i need to use them to stop deadlock. i appreciate your explanations and i will be following for more!

[@Parkinwad]

Much appreciated! Thanks! 🙂

[@smeagolsings]

Your Satisfactory videos are fantastic thank you so much.

[@Parkinwad]

You're very welcome Dave! Thank you!

[@qloshae]

Cool, this was the part I was uncertain about in the last video. Basically like factorio then.

[@rogerp.2442]

Outstanding!

[@Parkinwad]

Again, thank you! 😀

[@andli]

Awesome explanation!! Thanks.

[@DoubleYouTee]

Nice job on the signaling. Do you have any tips on how to do the signals on a multi station? For instance have 2 stations behind eachother and like 4 in a row....... so you have 2x4 stations next to eachother..... for like a main storage hub....

[@Parkinwad]

Absolutely! As long as they all face the same direction, block signals work just fine to separate the stations. I have 2 back to back Stations in the same direction, and they work flawlessly with only block signals. I use a path signal only at the entrance to make sure trains wait back a little until the rear most station is clear, but it's not necessary. You could also pull the block back and make it larger! 🙂 Thanks for the comment!

[@Marcizz]

One thing that was driving me nuts was this (taken from the wiki); Error: Signal loops into itself "This error means the signal failed to divide a block, even when no loops are present. It can occur when, for example, two unconnected tracks are too close to each other and a signal is placed on one of them." Not one of any of the guides ever mentioned it and I placed my signals the exakt same way, moved my rail a bit and suddenly everything started to work.

[@Parkinwad]

I have heard of that sort of thing. I think it comes down to the fact that with train physics enabled now, tracks that are that close are considered to be "crossing" over each other, even if they physically don't. Trains that pass each other that close anyway are likely to clip each other and derail, so good track spacing is recommended from the get-go. Glad you figured out your issue, but, it would be nice if it were explained a little bit better. 🙂👍

[@stevemoss8931]

Thanks for the video. I feel like I need to get PanelPro open. Gut feel, you know what the reference is. Subbed...

[@Parkinwad]

Hadn't heard of PanelPro, but understood the reference. I had checked out your channel and saw your interests earlier this morning. 👍 Thanks so much for the sub, and glad you enjoyed the video! 😀

[@FrancoOliveri]

That's super nice, indeed. For the slip one solution, you can't add any other sign on the railroad? even block signs on the intersections?

[@Parkinwad]

No, due to the fact that 2 trains will end up in deadlock head to head and get stuck. You wouldn't use this design for an entire train network, but it works for a short line of a main line.

[@FrancoOliveri]

@@Parkinwad Fair enough. I'm running actually two trains on one single train line because of your video and advices and I'm very glad about, perhaps i remember some other creators said this is impossible to achieve and trains will collide. Works like a charm, so 🙂 not impossible for you. Super thanks, again.

[@blockout22]

Chapter Slip Tracks ... with the setup you have you don't need the path signals, replace them with the block signals and you should get the exact same results

[@Parkinwad]

You are absolutely right. If people want to add sidings or more complexity down the road, path signals can help in some instances, but you are absolutely correct in that as long as there are no signals outside of the slips, blocks will work here! Thanks for the comment! 🙂👍

[@MichaelDeGar]

Can you do a video on just how trains work at the very base level before even thinking about signals? How do I get a train to go to a factory pick stuff up and bring it to my storage? That kind of stuff. Thanks!

[@Parkinwad]

I'm considering something like that. Keep watching the channel. 🙂

[@FireyCam]

4:29 I am assuming those signal are all path signal??? If so I am testing this example out and it doesn't work me. It does however work when they all are "block" signals.

[@Parkinwad]

Incorrect on both counts. 😉 entering each slip track is a block signal, and exiting is a path signal. This simple version also works fine with all block signals. The reason I used path signals here is to force the section of track after the slip track or siding track as it could be named, to stay clear for the opposing train if this system had more than one slip track. Id have to write a paragraph to fully explain it, but it stops deadlock by using a path signal on the exit. 🙂👍 Just remember, a path must always end in a block signal, no matter if it's one or 10 path signals chained together.

[@gus.smedstad]

I really want an explanation of "Signal Loops Into Itself" for cases where that isn't what's actually happening. I've had a lot of cases where I've tried to signal a T-junction the way I would in Factorio, and I've gotten this error. Satisfactory signals seem significantly more finicky than Factorio's.

[@Parkinwad]

It's obviously impossible for me to know the issue with your signals without seeing them, but I think everyone comparing Factorio signals to Satisfactory is where much of the issues come in to play. I personally have never played Factorio, so I'm not really sure what differences there are with how the signals operate or are set up. For a T-junction, just double check that all connections are actually made (try driving a locomotive through all the switches from every direction to ensure no dead or missing connections as I've had that issue in the past personally), then either make the junction one big block, or use path signals on the entrances to the T-junction and Block signals on the exits, and I've never had issues with errors when doing it that way. Best of luck and Merry Ficsmas! :-)

[@MuzaZX]

Still confused. I dont understand where should I put path signals. Before or after blocks? Or inside them. Do path signals create own blocs? Can I use only them?

[@Parkinwad]

Hey Eugene. Check out my first video to see the explanation about signals. Hope that helps, and feel free to ask any more questions either here or there if you still are unsure! 😀👍 kzbin.info/www/bejne/gITTl5x9gamioKs

[@kuwertzel8938]

Great explanatory videos! Really helpful as I'm currently trying to re-do my Update 4 rail system :D By the way: the playlist you linked in the infocard has a Raspberry Pi headless setup tutorial in it. Just in case that that's not intentional ;)

[@Parkinwad]

Thanks about the PI heads. It wasn't intentional, and I removed it, but apparently it didn't save the change or something. Thanks for the support regarding the video! 😀

[@KittenyKat]

It didn't really answer the question of 'why use path signals over block signals' tho D:

[@Parkinwad]

There are scenarios that won't work with block signals alone. Path signals hold an intersection to ensure that two trains don't "gridlock" an intersection. Hope that helps. 🙂👍 Too complex to answer in-depth here, but that is the jist of it.

[@jkleylein]

Path signals aren't really useful on single track. They are meant for something which real railways call Interlocking Plants, which is a complex junction where trains' paths can cross. The Interlocking function makes sure conflicting routes can't be cleared at the same time. For that last example, I have done pretty much exactly the same thing, only all I needed for it was block signals, no path signals. The train entering the single track to the station 'owns' the track to the station for the whole time it's in there, and the block signal prevents another train from entering.

[@Parkinwad]

Yes, in this particular example, block signals also work. 🙂 You could add diverging sidings or turnarounds that could make use of the path signals functions, but could also theoretically be designed using block signals as well. They would just likely be very large blocks. 🙂

[@caferace8418]

Seems the best way to look at it is block signals act like absolute blocks irl and path signals act as automatic interlocks (or manual with an unseen person controlling it). Before watching a few vids on this channel, I was under the impression path signals operated like distant signals, which does not work well with how the game works.

[@OldMan_PJ]

I'm more confused now then when I arrived.

[@Parkinwad]

It can happen. Start simple, and build up as you go. 😀

[@neilsiebenthal8696]

Maybe try explaining things without riddles..

[@PiterTraceurFA]

Jesus Christ could they possibly make it more over complicated? Maybe describe it in-game even more poorly? This is tractors all over again. You get excited at first and then find out the whole thing is either broken or a pain in the ass and go back to belts.

[@Parkinwad]

It can be complicated, but when you look at the game as a whole, it really is a small inconvenience to set up compared to the factories we set up throughout the game. Do what makes you happy! I did these videos to hopefully lower the understanding barrier for trains and make them more accessible! Thanks for the comment! 🙂