Dana: crafting tree/graph explorer

by Credne

Dana provides ways to explore and display the recipe graph of Factorio (vanilla or modded). This mod is still in alpha stages: it is recommended to use it on a dedicated (sandbox) save, or at minimum to backup your save. While the mod should work in multiplayer, be careful about griefing (rendering huge graphs can freeze the game for several minutes).

Utilities
2 years ago
0.18 - 1.1
3.67K

i [Done] Technology

3 years ago

Why not make exactly the same mod, but only for visualizing the technology tree? I am faced with a big problem, since I am creating an assembly without holes in the passage, then I need to see the entire technology tree in front of me. I have >1500 technologies and it's impossible to fit it all into the standard game screen. I'm already silent about the recipes, there are about 5000 of them. Dana allowed me to see all the recipes, but at the maximum distance in the editor, it took me 10 minutes to fly around the entire recipe tree (the scale was some kind of gigabase after 10k hours of play, and the ups of the main game fell to 20-30, although the time went 4 times longer).
Therefore, I think it makes sense to create a separate mod for visualizing the technology tree using the same method as implemented in this mod. Well, also with the choice of the technology that I am looking for, what is needed to open it, what comes after it, etc. This would be one of the best tools for balancing the modpack.

3 years ago

Why not make exactly the same mod, but only for visualizing the technology tree?

Simple answer: development time. The list of features I have in the backlog would literally take years at full time at this point, given the productivity of Lua...

If it's just a tool to develop mods, I'll maybe make an extremely quick & dirty prototype on an experimental branch that you could try (no long term support, no migration support, ...). I can't promise anything, so don't get your hopes too high.

3 years ago

I will be grateful to you, and so yes, this is purely a tool to visually see the entire technology tree. It is especially important and helps if this tree is of huge size (as I may have said, more than 1500 studies)

3 years ago
(updated 3 years ago)

Dana: tech tree (experimental) is out ! (source code). Only use it on throwaway saves !

GUIs could certainly use some polish, but it should be functional. There will be issues with any technology that don't have a 256x256 sprite: they might be rendered too small (or too big) on the graph. I would need a change in Factorio API to properly fix that.

more than 1500 studies

While Dana can render graphs with as many nodes as you want, 1500+ is probably way past the point where it can produce anything readable.

Anyway, I hope it helps.

3 years ago
(updated 3 years ago)

OMG, this (screenshot) is even more than I expected.

3 years ago

Or maybe add the ability to paint the stripes? For example, we highlighted logistics, after that all the necessary technologies are marked in blue, the subsequent ones are yellow, for example.
It's also better, I think, to add notes so that the key technologies are better visible (you can see for yourself what hell is going on on the screen with 1800 studies)

3 years ago

Or maybe add the ability to paint the stripes?

It's already somewhere in the multi-years backlog.

It's also better, I think, to add notes so that the key technologies are better visible

What would be a "key technology" ? Dana is supposed to work with all mods, so hardcoding is not an option. The other option would likely be, a subtle/finetuned detection algorithm -> dev-time.

For now, I've practically put this mod in "maintenance mode". I might consider your suggestions if I resume work on this mod in the future.

3 years ago
(updated 3 years ago)

I mean, it will be possible to simply mark a certain technology/recipe in real time in order to return to it later and not lose it. And mark the stripes of the selected technology with colors - so that it is better to see what is going where. You saw for yourself, I sent a screenshot where, to put it simply, it's hard to see where it's going.
And so, yes, you have already done what was needed to develop modpacks.

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