I had a few people asking how I made my sorting facility, so here is the main component I used to build it out! It is designed to be flexible, you just need to string many of these modules together. Sorry this description is gonna be a bit wordy, haha

This blueprint is a module that is meant to be placed one after another and strung together in a line to create a large format sorting and storage system. It does require quite a bit of manual work to get the system up and running, however. :(

The module was designed to be able to be tiled and stacked, producing a warehouse-style look with walking spaces. If you use these to make slots for every item in the game, it is a big facility! (shown in picture)

Each module contains a "slot" for 2 separate items, with an above area holding the storage and a "crawlspace" below that contains the sorting and backflow lanes, as well as an outbound output lane. All conveyors/lifts are MK.5

The storage system for each slot consists of 4 industrial storage containers linked in a chain with smart splitters to manage overflow so the system does not back-up, an optional dimensional depot connection, and an optional outbound lane to send material out from the facility. The dimensional depot is not included in the blueprint so that you can choose what items you want them for. Simply build the depot on top of the storage crates and connect to the center output on the top smart splitter. All options can be used at the same time, as it is designed to fill containers with the following priority: Dimensional Depot (optional) Outbound Lane (Optional) Storage Crates [overflow when unable to fill storage units]

The crawlspace has two stacked lanes, the top one being the sorting lane, and the bottom being the "backflow" lane. The overflow is designed to push items into the lower backflow lane, which will output where the sorting system starts. There is a smart splitter connected to the input lane where you must set the item to be sorted on the left and right. There are accompanying signs that you can set to display the sorted item both above and in the crawlspace. A window above the splitter allows you to troubleshoot a bit easier if the systen gets backed up.

To use the outbound lane, you must connect the smart splitter on top to the "outbound" window above and of course connect the conveyor in the crawlspace to wherever it is needed. It is disconnected in the blueprint so you don't have a scenario where your 6 somersloops are sitting on the outbound conveyor line and your storage crates appear empty.

So! To get this overall system working, you must place these pieces one after the other and connect the two stacked lanes to each consecutive module in series, so that there are two very long lanes. You then have to set the crawlspace smart splitters left and right outputs for each slot as needed. The center output should always be left as "Any Undefined". In my facility, I have a multi-floor aisle layout where I am zig-zagging the aisles, but the system must still be one continuous line to work. When you have all of your modules placed, the final module have the "sorting" conveyor linked to output into the "backflow" conveyor, making a loop. This will allow for a scenario where anything that has not been defined by the splitter will seamlessly pass through the system, which you can hook up the inital "backflow" lane into a storage hold and/or sink. That is the most basic version of it!

You can then build upon this system to speed things up and add additional complications, like using programmable splitters to immediately send trash into a sink so it doesn't unnecessarily slow down the sorter. Since my facility has multiple floors and aisles, I added a layer of programmable splitters to direct materials to their respective floors, with mergers adding the materials into the main sorting lane. This sped things up considerably.

Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.