Adds space elevators to planets for fast, efficient item transfer to space platforms. A late-game alternative to rocket launches. (BETA)
Mods introducing new content into the game.
Version: 0.3.5
Date: 2025-12-09
Bugfixes:
- Fixed players entering god mode when opening Space Elevator GUI
- Opening the elevator GUI would give players infinite crafting ability
- Caused by a bug in entity-gui-lib's player inventory display
- Updated entity-gui-lib dependency to 0.1.9 which fixes this issue
Version: 0.3.4
Date: 2025-11-30
Changes:
- Space Elevator Dock inventory is now view-only
- Prevents pulling items from dock directly to player inventory
- Items must be transferred through the elevator system as intended
Version: 0.3.3
Date: 2025-11-30
Bugfixes:
- Fixed quality items not transferring correctly through the elevator
- Quality items were inserted as normal quality at destination
- Source quality items were not removed (quality parameter was missing)
- Now properly preserves quality on both insert and remove operations
Changes:
- Hid player inventory when viewing Space Elevator Dock GUI
- Prevents direct player-to-dock item transfers that bypass the elevator
- Items must now go through the proper elevator transfer system
Version: 0.3.2
Date: 2025-11-30
Bugfixes:
- Fixed construction progress freezing after clicking "Begin Construction"
- Materials were consumed but construction never progressed
- Caused by duplicate on_nth_tick(10) handlers - second handler replaced the first
- Construction tick handler is now combined with player transit handler
Changes:
- Rocket parts required now defaults to 0 (was 1)
- Eliminates confusing "Item ingredient shortage" message from base game
- Makes the elevator a true elevator - cargo goes up without needing rocket parts
- Setting can still be increased via mod settings for added challenge
Locale:
- Added Russian localisation (thanks Overmind_x!)
Version: 0.3.1
Date: 2025-11-29
Bugfixes:
- Fixed "Entity must be minable when next_upgrade is set" error caused by mod compatibility (thanks Naarkerotics!)
- Other mods adding upgrade paths to base storage-tank/steel-chest would break elevator
- Companion entities now explicitly clear inherited next_upgrade property
Version: 0.3.0
Date: 2025-11-28
Features:
- Improved Status tab with real-time operational status display
- Shows actual elevator state: Uploading, Downloading, Idle, Disconnected, Low Power, etc.
- Color-coded status indicator with icon (green/yellow/red)
- Status updates automatically every ~0.3 seconds
- Automatic fluid transfer mode
- New Off/Upload/Download buttons in Fluid Transfer section
- Works identically to item auto-transfer
- Transfers run every 0.5 seconds when enabled
- New mod setting: Auto Fluid Transfer Rate
- Separate from manual fluid transfer amount
- Configurable from 100 to 10,000 fluid per cycle
- Default: 1,000 fluid per cycle
Changes:
- Fluid upload/download buttons now enable/disable automatically based on tank contents
- Item and fluid auto-transfer button styles now update in real-time when clicked
- Status tab now shows fluid transfer states (Uploading/Downloading fluids)
Technical:
- Added get_operational_status() function to elevator-controller for unified status reporting
- Auto-transfer button styles refresh in GUI update loop
- Cleanup of auto-transfer entries when elevator is removed
Version: 0.2.9
Date: 2025-11-27
Bugfixes:
- Second fix space age tag for mod portal
Version: 0.2.8
Date: 2025-11-27
Bugfixes:
- Fix space age tag for mod portal
Version: 0.2.7
Date: 2025-11-27
Features:
- Added audio effects for transfer beams
- Looping beam sound plays during active item/fluid transfers
- Shutdown sound plays when transfers stop for smooth audio fade-out
- Sound volume and timing tuned to prevent clicking artifacts
Version: 0.2.6
Date: 2025-11-27
Changes:
- Transfer tab now uses two-column layout with Cargo and Fluid sections side by side
Version: 0.2.5
Date: 2025-11-27
Features:
- WIP custom sprites for upload/download transfer beams
Bugfixes:
- Fixed companion chest and fluid tank not being removed when elevator is mined/destroyed
Version: 0.2.4
Date: 2025-11-26
Features:
- Full inserter support for elevator inventory
- Companion chest now spawns 6 tiles south of elevator (visible)
- Inserters can deposit AND extract items directly
- No sync delay - standard chest behavior
- Works during construction (for materials) and when operational (for cargo)
Changes:
- Companion chest repositioned from hidden (overlapping) to visible (south of elevator)
- Chest uses standard steel-chest graphics for visibility
Migration:
- Existing elevators automatically migrate chest to new position on load
- Items are preserved during migration
Version: 0.2.3
Date: 2025-11-26
Features:
- Per-elevator transfer rate selector in Transfer tab
- Choose between 10, 25, 50, 100, or 250 items per transfer cycle
- Higher rates transfer more items but cost more energy
- Beam width scales with transfer rate for visual feedback
- Energy cost system for item transfers
- Each item transferred costs 10kJ of energy
- Energy cost displayed in Transfer tab GUI
- Live display of available vs required energy
- Transfers skip when energy is insufficient
Technical:
- Per-elevator transfer_rate storage with save migration
- Energy drain happens after transfer based on actual items moved
- GUI live refresh includes energy status updates
Version: 0.2.2
Date: 2025-11-26
Features:
- Transfer beam visual effects - colored beams appear when items/fluids are transferred
- Surface side: beam shoots upward from elevator into the sky
- Platform side: beam shoots up from below, visible in empty space under the platform
- Different beam colors for transfer types:
- Item upload: Blue
- Item download: Orange
- Fluid upload: Cyan/teal
- Fluid download: Dark orange
- Dynamic platform edge detection for accurate beam positioning
- Beam width scales with transfer amount (wider beams for more items)
Technical:
- New visual-effects.lua script module for rendering effects
- Platform bottom edge caching (5-second cache) for performance
- Beam rendering uses LuaRendering.draw_line with dual-layer effect (outer + inner core)
- Persistent beam management - beams stay visible during continuous transfers
Version: 0.2.1
Date: 2025-11-26
Features:
- Debug button to skip construction (for testing) - appears in Construction tab
- Fluid transfer UI in Transfer tab with status display and manual transfer buttons
- Custom GUI for Space Elevator Dock showing all 48 inventory slots
Changes:
- Elevator fluid tank now spawns 6 tiles north of elevator (visible, accessible for pipes)
- Materials tab now shows interactive inventory when elevator is operational
- Improved fluid status messages to distinguish between "no tank" and "empty tank"
Bugfixes:
- Fixed Materials tab not showing inventory after construction complete
- Fixed Factorio 2.0 inventory iteration (get_contents returns array not dictionary)
- Fixed dock inventory display only showing 10 slots instead of 48
- Fixed fluid transfer buttons not appearing in Transfer tab
- Fixed misleading "place Dock Fluid Tank" message when tank was empty
- Fixed Transfer tab resetting to Status tab when clicking transfer buttons
- Fixed slot counting showing item types instead of actual slots (7 stacks now shows 7, not 1)
- Fixed "Only callable on tabbed-pane" GUI crash when opening elevator
- Added live updates to Transfer tab inventory/fluid counts without resetting active tab
Version: 0.2.0
Date: 2025-11-26
Features:
- Platform Docking Station - New entity for space platforms to connect with planetary elevators
- Bidirectional item transfer between surface and platform (Upload/Download)
- Automatic transfer modes (continuous upload or download)
- Fluid transfer support via companion fluid tanks (no barreling required)
- Player transport between surface and platform (3-second timed travel)
- New GUI tabs for operational elevators:
- Docking tab for platform selection and connection management
- Transfer tab for manual and automatic item transfers
- Travel tab for player teleportation between surface and platform
- Auto-connect to platforms when only one is orbiting
- Manual platform selection when multiple platforms are in orbit
- Connection validation - automatically disconnects when platform leaves orbit
New Items:
- Space Elevator Dock - Place on platforms to enable elevator connection
- Dock Fluid Tank - Fluid storage for platform-side transfers
Version: 0.1.0
Date: 2025-11-26
Features:
- Initial release of Space Elevator mod for Factorio 2.0 / Space Age
- Custom space elevator entity based on rocket silo (only 1 rocket part per launch vs 100)
- 10MW constant power consumption for balanced late-game gameplay
- Technology unlock requires Cryogenic Science Pack (all 4 planets visited)
- Multi-stage construction system with 5 stages:
- Stage 1: Site Preparation (Stone, Concrete, Steel Plate)
- Stage 2: Foundation Construction (Refined Concrete, Steel, Gears, Pipes)
- Stage 3: Tower Assembly (Processing Units, Electric Engines, LDS, Tungsten, Superconductors, Bioflux)
- Stage 4: Tether Deployment (Low Density Structures, Accumulators, Rocket Fuel)
- Stage 5: Activation (Processing Units, Superconductors, Rocket Fuel)
- Custom GUI powered by entity-gui-lib with three tabs:
- Construction tab with stage progress and build timer
- Materials tab showing required vs available items with live updates
- Info tab with elevator status and launch statistics
- Interactive inventory display with click-to-transfer functionality
- Player inventory panel alongside entity GUI
- Companion chest system (invisible 48-slot chest) to bypass rocket cargo weight limits
- Auto-registration for spawned/legacy elevators when GUI is opened
- GUI auto-refresh every 20 ticks with automatic rebuild on stage changes