Refineries should not pull stone by default (2024)

One of the bigger issues with mining is stone: you don't want it, you don't need it, but you get it in large quantities and can't get rid of it in an easy way. Automating this actually requires to write a script that moves stone into an extra container and then either dump it into space or dump the whole container. The big problem with this is that refineries pull stone to grind it whenever they can, which is especially annoying if you play on realistic speed. If you take it from them, they pull it back right away, effectively making it extra difficult to properly sort it out via script.

I suggest that refineries do not pull stone by default, but only if a new option "Automatically refine stone" is checked. This would be a very simple fix to most issues, and since stone is almost never used should be no issue for the player.

i dont want this to change for the simple reason that i want refineries and the likes to be made "dumber" and the conveyor system be made the thing that makes the coices of what goes where...

how awesome would it be if conveyors could be set to "pull" every item attached to its left that passes a filter (all ores, except for stone) and deposits all iron ore trough its upper side, and all the rest trough its right side...

with that in mind i feel the API is the real problem, and should be given proper functionality to make "move all stone to nearest airlock"

to be

Code:

airlock.moveto(stone, allcontainers, stacksof500kilo)airlock.eject(all, stacksof500kilo)

edit: airlock would be a collection of ejectors in this case, stone is an object type pointing at all stone and stacksof500kilo is an integer containing "500" lol

same with move everything from the group "drills" to cargo group named "orecargo"

Code:

See Also

Ores - Space Engineers Wiki

orecargo.moveto(everything, drills, stacksof100kilo)

sorry to basically poop on your idea twice now i just dont feel the functionality should be in the refinery etc.

yes, its my point exactly that this should be standard included, since its such a basic way of using methods

edit: ive used your barabas script on several of my ships... its not perfect (especially not when using multiple seperate conveyor systems) but it goes a long way

imagine if you could have barabas work with stuff like i described... just imagine how advanced you could make barabas, or how simple of a code the current barabas would be????

In your inventory chain, make sure the order of container from where conveyor system pulls and in which order
then add your stone as last pile in last container in that chain.

You refinerys will refine everyting else first, and when all done only then it will pull you stone for processing.
The order in cargo containers will define the order how conveyors pull things.

Something that can be handled even manually. much easier with cargo sorting scripts.

Dave

multiple conveyor networks are explicitly not supported in BARABAS and i don't intend to add support for that, ever. it's too much complexity just to "know" what can transfer to where.

i don't think it's a good idea to add this to basic functionality. it would be of more benefit to make stone more useful than to add special functionality for a single material type.

as for filters... well, the main problem my script tackles is not pushing several ores into refineries, but rather not overloading the refineries and rotating ores every now and again to stop refineries from constantly refining one ore. filters won't help with that.

Turn refinery off by the time you eject your stone.

I wonder, why stone has never been an issue for me. Might be something to do with fact, that I don't mine it *except minor amounts time to time as side effect of lasyness*.

There is like 1001 possible solutions how to handle stone and making refinerys not pull it is not one of them

Dave

When you make a dug-out asteroid base, you will know our pain.

'Stone ejection' is just a sub case, we have general lack of functionality here - it should be possible to route any item anywhere without use of scripts.

1. if refinery started pulling stone, disable conveyor on refinery
2. if refinery has stone and other stuff, prioritize other stuff (transfer other ore to destination index zero in the same inventory)
3. if refinery has only stone, shut it off
4. if connector has free space, throw out stone from the refinery
5. once there's no stone, turn on conveyor system again.
6. optionally, throw out gravel

rinse, repeat. no need for containers.

I've found it best to turn off the refinery, unload all your ore, then move the stone to a cargo box that is not permanantly connected to the rest of the conveyor network; this can be done easily by laying down two connectors facing eachother. They're part of the station, so you can easily disconnect them and not worry about the stone-box floating away. Then just have a bunch of other connectors on it set to eject. Its a bit of a pain, sure, but hey, its Space Engineers, not Space Maids
EDIT: however, to have some sort of filter block would be awesome too....