I'm using Vanilla loadersHD and Bob's mods with WSF, and i reached a point where the 8 outputs simply aren't enough to output metals from smelter when the setup is fully beaconed (since loaders are 2 wide and i cannot place an underground after it since beacons leave maximum of 2 space), so i'm having 2 suggestions based on that endgame.

• If it's possible to make I/O of the big machines somehow configurable on every tile on every edge (input, output, fluid in, fluid out), so we can modify the machine in any way we need it. This would potentially also eliminate the need for rotation since sides can be edited.

• support for faster, modded belts (eg. Bob's mods).

P.S. would not like to sound pushy or obnoxious, buuuuuut... any ETA on that other mod You mentioned where we could build and freely place the stuff? Or a config option to move/build them? Thanks!

I/O has been suggested before and I picture something like bob's inserters, which one of my big problems with is there is very little indication to the player that they can do that. Bob's inserters have always felt clunky to me. Someone actually recently reported a bug where the built-in loaders actually already take your belt direction, though I think it was probably another mod interaction that helps automatically point loaders in the correct direction.

Also, considering you're playing with mods that give you loaders, you could simply use the regular loaders along side the factories automatic loaders.

The loaders that come with the factories should already match the speed of the faster loader/belt currently available in your current game.

It really should've been out by now, I've just gotten busy at work. I've got most of the pieces in place, though I haven't started testing it yet, which can end up being more work than initially programming it if I end up finding a lot of issues. Its hard to say when I'll get some time to sit down with it, but probably in the next few weeks.

Thank You for the quick response.

As for method of I/O, yes, Bob's inserter thing, altho it works excellent, is very clunky config wise and user friendliness is the only issue there. Idea would be to repurpose rotate key to cycle trough 4 different modes for every output (belt in/out, pipe in/out) on every edge tile since in that case, rotation looses its purpose. Can be any other key aswell. Also, if You use the actual Bob's method it could work for You since we are going to configure every factory once or twice, not all the time like in a spaghetty inserter mess like i usually find myself in with Bob's stuff... Any solution would work, so i'd say whatever you can code in that is more robust.

As for modded loaders, i don't know if there are 1-block-sized ones since if i place the ones i have (2 tiles) and 1 underground belt (1 tile), it's 3 total and that is just outside beacon range.

I did use that for copper wire since it's 2 for 1 and output when half beaconed is just insane, saturated a full output blue belt side of the factory, was fun to watch as i made over 100K green circuits in a cycle ("based" one factory for manual crafting before automation... it lasted way into gold science :D)