Automated production & priorities

[Half a fork]

Hi all, 

I'm trying to set up an automated production line for all refined metals using one rock granulator but I've hit a snag with priorities. 

I need to keep my rock granulator on while at least one of my smart storage compactors is not full (one for each refined metal). However, I can't choose which production order a dupe will try to complete. This means while my copper might be full and my gold empty, a dupe may still make copper if no gold amalgam is available. This can end result in me depleting all my copper ore because the production queue is set to "forever". 
To fix the problem, I need to restrict access to ores so that only the ore for the empty storage compactor is available to the dupe running the machine. 

I thought this would be easy: I would restrict access to the rock granulator to the operator only, disallow supply tasks on the operator, and deliver ores to the rock granulator using an autosweeper only. 

But unfortunately "fabrication supply" tasks are coded under both "operate" and "supply" task types. I can't disallow operate on my operator so the operator will still try to supply the rock granulator despite disallowing supply tasks. Another way I could solve the problem is by restricting access to all metal ores (including those dropped around the map) from the operator. I'd do this by making them live in a box essentially. This seems like an unintuitive and clunky work-around. It's also possible to solve the problem by using more than one rock granulator but I'm trying to only use one. 

So I've got a two questions:
1. Does anyone have any other solutions?
2. It would be good if supply tasks were differentiated from other task types without overlap, this seems intuitive to me. Should I post this in feedback & suggestions?

 

Thanks, 
Half a fork.

[PhailRaptor]

Unfortunately the easiest way is to use parallel fabricators, and control their priority to assign it to the recipe they are making.

Another, more complicated option is to create a storage sorting facility with Rails, Conveyors, etc where Dupes do not have access.  Any new materials that are swept up by the Dupes are entered into the facility through a specific Loader that has max priority.  In this way you could use the Sweeper solution you tried when you disabled Supply tasks.

[Half a fork]

2 hours ago, PhailRaptor said:

Unfortunately the easiest way is to use parallel fabricators, and control their priority to assign it to the recipe they are making.

Another, more complicated option is to create a storage sorting facility with Rails, Conveyors, etc where Dupes do not have access.  Any new materials that are swept up by the Dupes are entered into the facility through a specific Loader that has max priority.  In this way you could use the Sweeper solution you tried when you disabled Supply tasks.

Thanks for the suggestion, using a high priority loader and restricting access to the storage sorting facility should solve the problem.

Construction dupes will still need access to this storage in order to complete construction tasks that require unrefined metals. Supply dupes would ideally still need access to it in order to help with construction but since they would supply fabrication as well as construction I don't think they can. If I don't mix operator, constructor, and supply dupes then I think this solution works.
It has the added benefit of forcing all construction materials to go through an automated line where they could be disinfected and cooled from whatever environment they came from before hitting the storage room.

Sounds like a lot of work, but might be fun to try out.