[SPZ2-5460] [1.0.3-RC3] Fluid launchers not supplying enough fluid when the should.

[spark island]

When machines are supplied with fluid launchers as shown in the image, the middle set of machines run out of fluid every few seconds even though there are 8 total painters with 2 launchers supplying them. I have left it running for 20 min and the issue remains. The issue remains if the 2 input launchers are from space pipes.

[small ice]

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1. [SPZ2-5460] — ✨ 85% similar

2 sets of pipe launcher/catchers (or pipe gates) to 3 sets of pipe launchers distributes liquid unevenly
To Do • Priority: High • Fix: Post 1.0

When two Fluid Launcher/Fluid Catcher pairs feed into three Fluid Launchers that supply Painters, the fluid is distributed unevenly. Specifically, if an even number of Fluid Launcher/Fluid Catcher sets connect to an odd number of pipe/Fluid Catcher combinations where two feed the same Painters and one does not, the single Fluid Catcher does not receive enough fluid. The total supply of 3600L/m should be sufficient for all three downstream Fluid Launchers, but the single path is starved while ...
💬 Threads: [0.1.1] Pipe gate/pipe launcher/catcher

2. [SPZ2-6354] — 👀 72% similar

Belt launchers fill up slower when one fluid producer are connected to so many in game
To Do • Priority: Low • Fix: None • Game: 1.0.3-rc3

Fluid Launchers fill up slower when a single fluid producer is connected to many of them. To reproduce, start a new Classic Mode savegame in the Regular scenario, enable cheats, and compare a single red fluid producer feeding many Fluid Launchers versus a single green fluid producer feeding fewer. The red producer fills its Fluid Launchers much more slowly, while the green one operates at full speed. The expected behavior is that one fluid producer should be able to supply any number of Fluid...
💬 Threads: [1.0.3-rc3] Fluid producers in sandbox m

3. [SPZ2-6355] — 👀 65% similar

Fluid mixing output inconsistent when multiple mixers share supply from same source
To Do • Priority: Lowest • Fix: None • Game: 1.0.3-rc3

When multiple Color Mixers share a fluid supply from the same source, the fluid flow becomes inconsistent. In Classic Mode on a Regular scenario, if two Color Mixers are connected to one supply line, the flow distribution is uneven compared to a single Color Mixer setup. Even when all pipes are fully filled before flow begins, the side with two Color Mixers exhibits inconsistent fluid delivery, while a single Color Mixer receives steady 1-to-1 supply. The expected behavior is constant fluid f...
💬 Threads: [1.0.3-rc3] Fluid mixing output is incon

4. [SPZ2-2657] — 👀 55% similar

Fluid launchers are too slow, esp. towards train launchers
Done • Priority: Highest • Fix: 4 - Early Access • Resolution: Done

Fluid Launchers are too slow, especially when launching fluids towards Train Launchers. This creates a significant bottleneck in fluid transportation throughput across the factory. The issue appears to have been fixed, though balancing adjustments for upgrades are still needed. There were also related problems with Fluid Launchers not loading or transporting fluids properly to Space Platforms, structures, and Train Stations.

5. [SPZ2-3426] — 👀 45% similar

Pipe Gates cause inefficiency when not in view
Done • Priority: Highest • Fix: Version 0.0.9 • Resolution: Done

Pipe Gates cause machines to operate at reduced efficiency when not in view. A setup with correct ratios runs at 100% efficiency when focused but drops to approximately 75% when the camera zooms out or looks elsewhere, then recovers when refocused again. The issue disappears when Pipe Gates are bypassed and affects all primary, secondary, and tertiary color processing. The root cause was that DeepCopy failed to copy the ResearchSpeedId field from the base class, preventing container capacity ...

6. [SPZ2-5026] — 👀 35% similar

Fluid transfer timing from fluid launchers to space pipes changes depending on distance from the camera
To Do • Priority: High • Fix: Post 1.0

Fluid transfer timing from Fluid Launchers to Space Pipes is inconsistent and changes depending on the camera's zoom distance. When four Fluid Launchers transfer fluid from a Notch onto a Space Pipe, the timing of fluid delivery varies as the player zooms in and out. This can be reproduced in Classic Mode by placing Fluid Launchers on a Fluid Asteroid, letting them fill, and then zooming in and out to observe the desynchronization. The expected behavior is that fluid transfer timing remains c...
💬 Threads: [0.1.1] Fluid launchers become more inco

Found 6 similar reports • Searched 3,733 reports • Use /check-duplicates to recheck

[spark island]

I just saw [SPZ2-5460] and this looks like a duplicate of it.

[summer matrix]

You have two launchers feeding three launchers. They're going to stutter, because they're not smart enough to build a buffer. It's not that they don't have the throughput, it's that they use it unevenly and there's periodic shortfall as the pattern of "large fill of 2, slow drain of 3" periodically hits zero.

Consider the moment right after the first input of 2 launchers of paint: All three secondary launchers pull equally on the same supply. The middle launcher does not pull twice as much paint as the side ones. After a second ball arrives, all four will fire, and then pull equally on the supply again. The side ones will fill up at the same time as the middle one, but the side ones will wait: There isn't room for them to fire yet. But them recharging at the same time as the middle one has slowed the middle one down, so it's second shot is delayed, just like it's first one was. This pattern will repeat: The middle launcher will get the full two launchers of input while the outer ones are waiting to clear, but that doesn't let it store up anything extra. Eventually all three will fire at once again, and all three will draw equally again, and the middle painters will run out of paint before the middle launcher, refilling at 2/3 speed, gets enough paint to fire again.

(the same thing happens if you have too many black mixers feeding uncoloured mixers: Instead of pulling smoothly and the numbers all working out, the fact that the production happens in jumps causes problems.)

I'm not saying this shouldn't be reported or fixed, only that I think it's an understandable unwanted side effect of the current mechanics for pipes and launchers, not a case of the code having an error.

A fluid tank to act as a buffer in the middle might really help.

[spark island]

Yeah that makes sense, it would be nice if this wasn't something that you have to worry about but I see how you can work around it.

[summer matrix]

The "too many black mixers breaks the math" bit bit me recently, too.

The received wisdom of the discord is "never use fluid launchers if you can avoid it, use belt jumps and wire transmitters everwhere before you use a fluid launcher even once", precisely because of this oddness with the jumps. If the flow was constant and smooth, the problem wouldn't happen. If the load on all three launchers was the same, (or if you had a 4th launcher and each launcher was feeding exactly 2 painters) the problem wouldn't happen.

[spark island]

I manged to fix the problem with the design I was working on by separating the launchers into 2 separate networks so its all good now. Thanks for the help.

[small ice]

[SPZ2-5460] [1.0.3-RC3] Fluid launchers not supplying enough fluid when the should.

🔁 This bug report has been marked as a duplicate of SPZ2-5460: 2 sets of pipe launcher/catchers (or pipe gates) to 3 sets of pipe launchers distributes liquid unevenly

When two Fluid Launcher/Fluid Catcher pairs feed into three Fluid Launchers that supply Painters, the fluid is distributed unevenly. Specifically, if an even number of Fluid Launcher/Fluid Catcher set…

Please refer to that ticket for updates.
If you believe this was incorrectly flagged, run /reopen-bug and we will have a look again!

Threads linked to this issue:

• [0.1.1] Pipe gate/pipe launcher/catcher distribution issues.