Duplicant motion sensor - bug?

[Junksteel]

I'm messing around with motion sensors and it doesn't make sense. Why it's not sending the green signal?

[Rhogar]

Try the right two tiles, I'm not sure if the Oil Refinery is like the Rock Crusher but where the Dupe animates =/= where the Dupe is.

[Nightinggale]

When a dupe is working on a building, it is working on cell (0,0) of that building, which is also where the automation input is. Some buildings have the dupe move around, but that's graphics only. The game will see the dupe as standing on the automation input cell.

You will notice the effect of this with dupe sensors and pressure plate sensors. It's not ideal, but that's how it works, at least for the time being.

I would recommend using a pressure plate sensor for your current setup and place the light where the dupe sensor is. That way you can make the dupe stand in the light without moving the refinery or any tiles.

[PhailRaptor]

Shift the sensor 1 tile to the right and it should work just right.  As others noted, the Automation input on a given building is the important spot.  You can use this to min/max the number of Ceiling Lights and Lamps for the 15% workspeed buff, too.

[Denisetwin]

13 hours ago, Rhogar said:

Try the right two tiles, I'm not sure if the Oil Refinery is like the Rock Crusher but where the Dupe animates =/= where the Dupe is.

This exact is driving me flipping crazy - you can't fit a sensor above the rock crusher in a 4 high room that will "sense" when the dupe to the rightof the machine is using it!!!!!  Thanks @Nightinggale for the pressure plate idea.