ok wont flood the topic area anymore sorry

No problem. I'll probably clean up a few of those comments from the front page.

So - you are looking to chain beacons (and associated network routing) to avoid the need to dig / route relays around, am I understanding correctly?

Would love to see the ability to create multiple/seperate networks. For a basic example: ore, plants, other raw materials, into an input network and then a output network supplying it to the machines. seperate networks could be identified as a number for ease of use (and coding)

If they are physically separate (different relay lines that do not connect) - they will function as separate networks.

I suppose the question is - since everything is transmitted on-demand, what would you gain by having separate networks? Logistically, would it not be more optimal to have it all together? If some new branch of your network requires x or y - it's available.

In my world I have one unified network for organics, cutter heads, intermediates, some bars, resin, etc - everything ends up where it's needed. If any particular section of the relays is consistently at 100% utilization, I upgrade it for more throughput. I don't know why I'd want to separate them?

If you are just using relays as smart matter movers (e.g. unloading lifts to furnaces) - by all means, there's no need to link them to the network at large.

Is there a use case that I'm not quite grasping?

Is there a way to identify unused items? I.e. items that no output would ever want to use in the current configuration.

That way I could make a drop-off hopper where I put parts that I don't need and they automatically get distributed to outputs. If some of these parts aren't needed anywhere, I could have another "garbage output" that macerates those.

For example if I'd drop some wires, bars and rock into a hopper connected to an adapter. It'll automatically use the wires and bars when they're asked for and send the rock to the garbage output.

Right now this could be approximated by using a garbage filter on an output, but that won't extract the non-garbage parts that aren't needed anyway.

Determining what is 'garbage' based on disuse may be difficult.

For example, I manufacture PSBs and put them on the network. My 'grocery store' pickup point siphons some off to put into a hopper for player use. Despite the fact that it sits unused for 30 minutes, or even hours at a time, those items are definitely not garbage. They are used as intermediates, as well as for players.

I'd be open to suggestions if there were a straightforward way to implement it. It may be simplest to set up a few advanced filters set to the items you don't want hanging around and feed it as appropriate (macerator / smelter / PTG / etc)

so you segragate all items at its base. ive been trying to do the same on all worlds and this thing combined with a few other mods has allowd this. however my issue still stands. yes i would like to be able to chain becons (at a increased cost per becon in said chain). basicly it shaves overall logistic prep time by alot. the other option as i tryed to explain earlyer would be to impliment an upgrade system ie: socket or upgrade slots based on the mk lvl of the becon. and add a few upgrades wich again increases the powercost within its service radius. 1 could be a special battery just for a beacon upgrade slot. this would increase the becons capacity. another could be the becons rang outside. or how much power it uses per item.

By garbage/unused I mean items for which no output exists. I.e. everything in the grocery store is not garbage as it has an output, even if that's blocked. I'm not sure if it'd be possible to identify these items though, as it can get rather complex with assembly tables using resources.

another upgrade to the becon could be a screen (another/diff name for filter) that acts just like the pipe filter.

Originally posted by DeinFreund:

By garbage/unused I mean items for which no output exists. I.e. everything in the grocery store is not garbage as it has an output, even if that's blocked. I'm not sure if it'd be possible to identify these items though, as it can get rather complex with assembly tables using resources.

you mean like tnt.......

Maybe what I actually would want is an easy overview of what items are being processed in the system, so I can add handling for those items that are not yet used or fix bottlenecks of requested items that aren't there.

like mad v's and stevman0's displays from esms and power managment? oh yea that would surly compleate this with configurable settings to see what is on what network, how many things being controlled by each becon, its location/coords, and most importantly the networks contents. you get the idea......

Originally posted by Exgene:

If they are physically separate (different relay lines that do not connect) - they will function as separate networks.

I suppose the question is - since everything is transmitted on-demand, what would you gain by having separate networks? Logistically, would it not be more optimal to have it all together? If some new branch of your network requires x or y - it's available.

In my world I have one unified network for organics, cutter heads, intermediates, some bars, resin, etc - everything ends up where it's needed. If any particular section of the relays is consistently at 100% utilization, I upgrade it for more throughput. I don't know why I'd want to separate them?

If you are just using relays as smart matter movers (e.g. unloading lifts to furnaces) - by all means, there's no need to link them to the network at large.

Is there a use case that I'm not quite grasping?

if i have an input network into a "room" (with room controler) with a mass storage system i can not control which node the Addapters and Output items connect to since if the nodes are in a room they have virtually infinite range vs out of a room where they have 8 blocks or so. T

its also possible im looking at this wrong, but i was planning on having a teleport network feed into the mass storage and another one to feed the machines, that way i can have multiple. Yes tehnically i can put the output of the network outside the room and feed the mass storage through the wall but it easier to be able to select which network the addapters and outputs are connected to if there are multiple netowrks in a room.

also with out seperate networks and having input and output to a massstorage system in a room creates an endless loop of items going in and out which also wastes power.

falcors -> hoppers -> this mod -> mass storage IO (filter set to all items) -> output from storage to machines. the filter to set all items into the mass storage causes the loop but then i cant get the items back out via the same network since the mass storage is supplying its self with the items it has in it, hence endless loop.

based on what ive tested so far and the current changes in the game, the rooms are on a seprate thing which has caused a few networking/ node connection issues. ebn trying to do what you are doing or simiplar. im temp solution is to have the mass split in half or have 2 outside on ether side of the room with the linking connection inside the room to increas its rang and logistics / power fed throught the grmmits as intended

Originally posted by Audreth(Za+CR):

also with out seperate networks and having input and output to a massstorage system in a room creates an endless loop of items going in and out which also wastes power.

falcors -> hoppers -> this mod -> mass storage IO (filter set to all items) -> output from storage to machines. the filter to set all items into the mass storage causes the loop but then i cant get the items back out via the same network since the mass storage is supplying its self with the items it has in it, hence endless loop.

I see. That helps me understand, thank you.

One thing that was added in the second version of the mod was the ability to directly connect inputs/outputs to relays. With that - if an input/output is either touching a relay directly, or the target of it's beam it does not need/use a beacon. The original intent was for end-of-line stations where the extra power drain of a beacon was not warranted - but it might do what you want as well. You could have an input and an output connected to the MS I/O - but each directly via individual relay lines (no beacon). Then you could keep the networks separate. (as long as the respective relay lines are separate)

I'll consider adding a network tagging option to create logical subnetworks the next time I have opportunity to work on the mod. I suspect it would be a bit more involved as it'd require UI work as well (windows, controls, network commands, etc).

One other consideration: Having items available to be teleported anywhere somewhat mitigates the need for a 'central storage' - I don't really use one any longer, myself. E.G. lithium coils arent stored centrally - they are in hoppers right by my lithium plant (and pulled out on demand). Removes the need for stocking ports and the like as well.