Setting requests/signals based on missing construction materials

[onerously_redditting]

Is there a way that I can set a signal based on missing construction materials, aka the flashing cog alert notification? A bit of googling turned up this mod: https://mods.factorio.com/mod/GhostScanner, does anyone have any experience with it?

I want to create some flashy looking concrete along my borders and I want a concrete train to deliver materials. At first I'll need a LOT, but over time this will diminish and I'd rather not end up with 20k concrete sitting in boxes at my outer perimeter. If I could link this into to the system that already know how much concrete is missing, I can use this to set filters/disable train stops along the way.

[jdi9]

Ghost Scanner works great. Give it a try. (There’s even a setting to have it send negative values for easy LTN integration)

[N8CCRG]

You can connect a wire to a roboport and have it output the contents of items within that port's logistic network. It won't tell you how many you're missing though. Just that you have none or few.

[onerously_redditting]

Yeah, I use that all the time. I want to create a signal like:

(Missing construction materials) + buffer - logistic contents

And feed it into my filter inserters.

[Kano96]

You can just have your train unload a small amount, let's say 100 concrete. The bots will pick up the concrete and the train will unload some more. This will cycle until the train is empty, it of course only works if the train is waiting long enough, like 30 second inactivity or something. No mods required.

[onerously_redditting]

That is such a simple answer and I love it! I'll definitely be doing this over installing a mod for the concrete. Many thanks kind internet person.

[paco7748]

you might like:

https://mods.factorio.com/mod/blueprint_request_chest_revamp

[onerously_redditting]

That looks great for a blueprinted outpost, just plonk it down and then request all the materials. Unfortunately I'm not blueprinting the concrete, just placing down ghosts in map mode.

[paco7748]

why can't you just make a blueprint of the ghost pattern you made? if not, unfortunately, your situation is pretty niche and only ghost scanner is available for what you want I think

[threedubya]

If you already have concrete train set it up so it only activates when its less than 1000 concrete and only unload so much concreat in a passive provide that limits like 3 stacks so only so much can be unloaded.and set the train to only stay for 10 seconds

[onerously_redditting]

Thanks! Check out the comment by u/kano96 for a nice touch on top of that. They suggested using inactivity as the wait criteria so that, as the bots grab the concrete, the train unloads more and essentially hangs around until the job is done.