Factory Complex Calculator: StandAlone v2.0.4.5 18Jun07: now supports 'Ashley's Fabs'

The Shadow Wolf · Post by **The Shadow Wolf** » Sun, 4. Mar 07, 17:26

Am I doing something wrong here.

I've got three Soyfarms in Sacred Relic all operational and buying Ecells for 12 and selling soja for 41.

I add into the complex a SPP M and run a sim and somehow I get a efficiency of 1661.77%.

How is this possible?

Deleted User · Post by **Deleted User** » Sun, 4. Mar 07, 19:35

This is actually a good example of the difference between 'static' and 'simulated' profit calculation.

The % efficiency thing is really a relatively unimportant figure in the sheet,
it's really just a 'headline figure' guide, it's equal to 100 times (profit / max-profit).

True efficiency of 100% can only be obtained if your complex settings give 'max-profit' :
ie where you sell all your complex's products at max-price & buy all resources at min-price (neither of which is practical).
The max-profit for your complex is 6688 credits / hr.

With your complex, you currently have a large cost (ie you're having to buy-in crystals at 1685 = average price),
and the 'potentials' part of the calc shows you're expected to make a loss of around -28K / hr
So 'Potential' (static view) efficiency = -28507 / 6688 = -426%

However the 'static' view doesn't see the real dynamics,
especially the fact that your ecells will hit max stock in about only 3 hours, since you have over 3 times the
ecell production capacity you need, so ecell production drops off dramatically - & you have to buy-in far less crystals.
After this point you're actually making a profit of around 111K / hr, so after 1000 hours simulation,
the initial losses are ancient history and the last 'simulated' efficiency is 111206 / 6688 = 1662.77%

It's enough to make the company accountant weep with joy, you've just met your targets for the next 10 years

I'm going to remove the efficiency figure from the next version, cos it just adds confusion
& doesn't really mean much, since 100% is not realistic & it just adds a 'what have I done wrong' factor .. obviously

.

btw if you're supplying crystals to your complex from another of your
own factories then you'd want to set crystal price to zero,
but unfortunately you won't be able to do that until the next version -
currently the prog only allow a min to max ware price range, zero
will be reset to min-price.

....well you did ask

Speaking of next versions, it's taking longer than I thought to get Ashley's Fabs put it,
one thing I had was a complete system re-intall after the hard disk crapped out & lost my
registry (& backup

), the other thing is I'm having to hard-code the figures
cos there's some trends in the numbers I can't seem to work out the formulaes for.

Assuming I don't go cross-eyed first looking at factory figures,
probably next weekend then....

LynkDead · Post by **LynkDead** » Sun, 4. Mar 07, 21:45

I'm having the exact same problem as chilipalmer. I originally installed the full version, and after having the same issue (drop-down buttons disappearing after choosing a race) I tried uninstalling the full version, then downloading the minimal. The exact same problem still happens.

I ran this without issue back on XP, but since I upgraded I haven't been able to get it to work.

EDIT: I have found a "fix" (not really though). If you manually type in the entries, then the drop-down buttons remain...definitely not a worthwhile fix, but it does work. Also, even after the drop-down buttons have vanished, you can continue to manually enter things and get it to work.

Deleted User · Post by **Deleted User** » Sun, 4. Mar 07, 22:06

Maybe an iterim fix would be an 'autofill', ie as you start to type
the first time you reach a unique-identifiable text entry, it fills in the rest,
Still not good but I can't fix this until I get a Vista of my own.

......waits for MS to offer a free copy

..... oh well

LynkDead · Post by **LynkDead** » Sun, 4. Mar 07, 22:11

Autofill would work nicely, if it isn't too much work. The only hard parts about entering it manually are remembering the exact spellings of stations and remembering what factions sell what stations.

chilipalmer · Post by **chilipalmer** » Sun, 4. Mar 07, 22:21

i'm back on xp for now.

because wavelab was not yet supported

Shuttenbach · Post by **Shuttenbach** » Tue, 6. Mar 07, 09:49

Dave Toome

Hello.
First of all, thank you for your calculator, it's really helpful

Still, i've got some questions about it's "Auto fill" feature. As i understand, it fills ALL the remaining stations needed for your complex to function, based on the primary product station you select. I tried to calculate Argon shield factories and noticed, that auto-filled entries lack Tube Fabs or other secondary recourse producing buildings. Must say, i've never owned Shield factories before and i do not know if player's ones require quantum tubes or some other secondary resources. So, i judge only from ware requirements of the Aladna Hill Heavy Shield Production Station.

1) Are the recource requirements different for NPC and Player-owned factories?
2) Does your utility actually fill in ALL the required stations, or it misses some, like secondary recource providers?
3) Are these secondary resources vital for complex functioning, or are they just give some production speed or some other bonuses.

Thanks in advance.

LynkDead · Post by **LynkDead** » Tue, 6. Mar 07, 09:51

Shuttenbach wrote:Dave Toome

Hello.
First of all, thank you for your calculator, it's really helpful

Still, i've got some questions about it's "Auto fill" feature. As i understand, it fills ALL the remaining stations needed for your complex to function, based on the primary product station you select. I tried to calculate Argon shield factories and noticed, that auto-filled entries lack Tube Fabs or other secondary recourse producing buildings. Must say, i've never owned Shield factories before and i do not know if player's ones require quantum tubes or some other secondary resources. So, i judge only from ware requirements of the Aladna Hill Heavy Shield Production Station.

1) Are the recource requirements different for NPC and Player-owned factories?
2) Does your utility actually fill in ALL the required stations, or it misses some, like secondary recource providers?
3) Are these secondary resources vital for complex functioning, or are they just give some production speed or some other bonuses.

Thanks in advance.

All three of your questions can be answered at once: Player-owned stations do not require secondary resources. You CAN'T give them secondary resources. Only NPC stations have them. So, rest assured, the auto-fill is accurate

Shuttenbach · Post by **Shuttenbach** » Tue, 6. Mar 07, 10:00

LynkDead wrote: All three of your questions can be answered at once: Player-owned stations do not require secondary resources. You CAN'T give them secondary resources. Only NPC stations have them. So, rest assured, the auto-fill is accurate

Oh, that was fast

Thanks, i'm off to build my first complex then

Deleted User · Post by **Deleted User** » Sat, 10. Mar 07, 03:23

Thanks for sorting that Q

Hot (warm) Fix

Found a fix (I think) for the disappearing buttons in Vista:

http://www.Exogenesis.co.uk/FactoryComp ... staFix.zip

Unzip to get FactoryComplexCalculatorX3.exe & overwrite your current copy (probably in C:\Program Files\FactoryComplexCalculatorX3)
Buttons look a litte different, but it fixed it for me

[There is no extra functionality - Only Vista users need download this]

Ashley Fabs is taking even more time than I thought, might still get there this weekend, but I doubt it

LynkDead · Post by **LynkDead** » Sat, 10. Mar 07, 05:10

Dave Toome wrote:Ashley Fabs is taking even more time than I thought, might still get there this weekend, but I doubt it

The Vista fix is working perfectly for me! Much appreciated.

As for the Ashley's update, do you think it would be possible to somehow mark fabs that were only available in the mod? One of the problems that I have with the excel sheet is that it doesn't differentiate between regular fabs and modded ones and I don't always know which are which (stinks for planning since I don't use Ashley's).

Deleted User · Post by **Deleted User** » Sat, 10. Mar 07, 11:22

Good, glad it works now.

There will be (already is, on the dev version) an Ashley on/off button,
& it will only offer available fabs. in the drop-list.

Merroc's sheet does indicate if you've selected an unavailable fab, with a
red '#N/A' in column AH, depending on whether you've ticked the box 'Ashleys Mod is installed' or not.
But it still will accept non-buyable sizes of some fabs (eg most XXL sized weapon fabs).
Then again Ashley (&/or Armageddon) may add those at a later date,
(they've already 'recently' added EMP & Kyon XXLs).

LynkDead · Post by **LynkDead** » Sun, 11. Mar 07, 01:17

Hmmm.

Well it WAS working perfectly...but now for some reason it's stopped, and I didn't do anything to change anything...ahhhhhhhhh. Lame.

akrules! · Post by **akrules!** » Sat, 21. Apr 07, 12:31

This is a great application which I couldn't live without but is it possible to include L, XL and XXL factories for people who have Ashley's Mod installed? Also, I want to create a Gamma Kyon Emitter forge which requires some unusual resources. No other factories have the same resources so I can't use that instead. Is it possible for you to add support for the extra factories and sizes supplied by Ashley's Mod?

Deleted User · Post by **Deleted User** » Sat, 21. Apr 07, 17:34

Delayed reply:
I didn't get email notification of a post here (again),
not the first time, what's up with the database ES?,
(do I need to nominate any 'old' posts to remove from the DB, somehow?)

Anyway akrules!, yes,
I got work underway for including Ashley's,
but then my enthusiasm dwindled for various reasons.
I think I'll get on with it again, iirc I'm more than 1/2 way thru it.

You're right microchips, aren't used as a resource by any other
player factory (only NPC computer plants use them iirc).

akrules! · Post by **akrules!** » Sat, 21. Apr 07, 19:36

Thank you, I look forward to the update. If I may make a suggestion; is it possible for you to make your programme accept custom factories? So you basically enter the products per cycle, cycle time, resources, cost, etc... yourself and the programme can take it from there? The reason I suggest this is because there are plenty of factory mods and scripts out there and if the user could enter information into the programme without waiting for updates, it would make things a lot easier and faster for both you and the users. Then, if you wanted to, you could just supply 'packs' of factories which can be imported in that format.

Deleted User · Post by **Deleted User** » Sat, 21. Apr 07, 20:52

Interesting idea, I'll certainly look into it.

btw, how many (economy involved) factory mod/scripts do you know of?

akrules! · Post by **akrules!** » Sun, 22. Apr 07, 01:41

I actually don't know any apart from Ashley's one, though I'd guess that's not the only one.

Deleted User · Post by **Deleted User** » Mon, 28. May 07, 05:53

New version 2.0.4.2

Added (switchable) support for 'Ashley's XL Fabs' mod (v2.5 on it's own, or with the XFP 4.2 mod)

Can now enter 0 as the product/resource price (to allow for 'seperated' complexes).

Can now choose race colours to match ScorpBy's active map utility.

(Custom factories are being thought about)

See any errors / problems ?

must sleep now ...

Detritis Max · Post by **Detritis Max** » Wed, 13. Jun 07, 12:51

Hi Dave,

Great app, just a couple things. I am running Vista at the moment and I also got the strange behaviour of the dropdown menus vanishing. Tried that hotfix you gave, didnt help but I might have a temp solution for some people. I think it might have something to do with Vista's UAC ( pain in the backside actually ), if you open the properties window and either run it in Windows XP SP2 compatability mode or run it as administrator it works properly with no problems at all.

The other things is I am attempting to make a Quantum Tube Complex with 5 fabs, I autofill the other stations and all seems well, however when I compare the list your program gives me to Merroc's Excel spreadsheet they are completely different. 16 assorted factories with your program and 31 assorted factories with Merroc's

Any thoughts on what might be going on?

Detritis

Edit
Seems its not restricited to just the QT fabs, infact all factories I tried gave me the same behaviour - your program giving nearly half the amount of stations Merroc's did.

egosoft.com

egosoft.com

Factory Complex Calculator: StandAlone v2.0.4.5 18Jun07: now supports 'Ashley's Fabs'